Senior Portraits Please C&C!

misstwinklytoes · Jul 17, 2010

DerekSalem said:
Hrm...I'm not trying to limit you or anything...but it's only the 3rd or 4th time you've used the camera and you're trying to shoot Senior Portraits? No offense but I don't really think you're qualified to do that type of work with your experience level.

For one, you'll either need some good Flash equipment or you need to move to a better part of the day (best time is just after sunrise or just before sunset -- positioned so the sun is hitting the person with the angle you want it). Then you'll need a tripod, use Center-point focus, and focus on the eyes.

I get what you're saying. It was a family friend. Not for $.

It was horribly rainy that day, but I live about 2 hrs from them and we were both working on a limited time schedule so we had to get it done. Circumstances were definitely not the best to take pictures, BUT neither was I. Like I said, still learning.

DerekSalem · Jul 17, 2010

misstwinklytoes said:
DerekSalem said:

Hrm...I'm not trying to limit you or anything...but it's only the 3rd or 4th time you've used the camera and you're trying to shoot Senior Portraits? No offense but I don't really think you're qualified to do that type of work with your experience level.

For one, you'll either need some good Flash equipment or you need to move to a better part of the day (best time is just after sunrise or just before sunset -- positioned so the sun is hitting the person with the angle you want it). Then you'll need a tripod, use Center-point focus, and focus on the eyes.

Click to expand...

I get what you're saying. It was a family friend. Not for $.

It was horribly rainy that day, but I live about 2 hrs from them and we were both working on a limited time schedule so we had to get it done. Circumstances were definitely not the best to take pictures, BUT neither was I. Like I said, still learning.

Learning is good but even if done for free you should tell them they might want to look at a professional. It would be better for them in the end (some people later in life deem things like senior portraits to be important) and would definitely be better for you (you could converse with the photographer and possibly learn some of his methodology and ideas). Could be a huge help to someone just starting out and trying to learn portraiture.

misstwinklytoes · Jul 17, 2010

Understood! I wish I could find a paid photographer to talk to. Unfortunately there, there's not one. Unless they happen to work at the one gas station at the one red light.

Like I said, she's a family friend. I asked her if I could practice with him, she totally wanted me to. She has 2 other children who have already graduated, so she knows about senior portraits, as does he. I didn't really offer her anything other than the best I could do, which being aware that I was new, she knew wouldn't be "professional quality".

And as I said earlier, "I'd do a reshoot, but unfortunately he was in a horrible accident recently and has a broken ankle, wrist, and neck. >.< Fortunately, though, he's alive, which if you saw the car, he shouldn't be!"

A good friend of mine is a photographer in Houston. She's given me some advice as well. Your input is valued, thanks for the advice! And if you can find a professional in podunk, LA let me know! I'll totally ask for advice. :lol:

KmH · Jul 17, 2010

Start now, learning how to use supplimental light.

Your subject was not separated from the backgounds, lighting wise, in any of the photo's.

In #2 - the intended focal point of the photo, his face, is underexposed.

Supplimental light can be as simple as some white foamboard you picked up from the office supplies section at Wal-Mart to use as a reflector, to 800 watt/second studio strobes with big softboxes mounted on lightstands.

vansnxtweek · Jul 17, 2010

Focus on the eyes! Thats what I have learned from knowledgeable people on here. These are good photos...its just that senior pictures is not what comes to mind when I see them.

Wfpinky · Jan 1, 2016

As everyone else said, focus. Are you using single-point focus or letting the camera decide for you? It made a huge difference for me when I figured that out. Not sure what your shutter was set at, but at a minimum I (typically) keep mine set at 1/125 for portraits. As someone else said the bokeh seems really strange; that shot in particular seems to have a lot of noise as well, what was your ISO set at?

Having said all of that, you're off to a good start! The more you get out and shoot, the better you get!