"Senior" Practice Shoot. C&C Appreciated.

[TheCameraLady]

I haven't shot anything in a couple months because of school and theatre. My friend Taylor that graduated last year never took senior pictures even though her mom really wanted her to. As a gift for her mother's birthday she asked me to shoot her and I happily obliged because I needed the practice and she needed pictures.
She asked me to do this last night and needed them by today afternoon for her mother's birthday on Monday. Hectic, but I agreed anyway. To put the cherry on top of everything it was raining most of the morning and at various times during the shoot. But she really needed the pictures so we plowed through it and got it done.
Here are some of the results.

DSC_5397-001 by SixNorthZines, on Flickr


DSC_5400-001 by SixNorthZines, on Flickr



DSC_5374-001 by SixNorthZines, on Flickr


DSC_5440-001 by SixNorthZines, on Flickr

 

[texkam]

These are OK. Mom will be delighted. Next time explore tighter crops, and varied expressions.

 

[Robbo521]

very nice!what is the last one?its cool looking.

 

[TheCameraLady]

We have a sculpture park in the middle of the city that are art pieces/chairs and large sculptures. This is one of them.

 

[cgipson1]

The tilt in #2 is nauseating...

 

[frommrstomommy]

Agree with texkam. I was scrolling down waiting for a close up shot.. Something mom would want to frame.

 

[Devinhullphoto]

The tilt in #2 is nauseating...[/QUOTE
Agreed

 

[kathyt]

I am not digging the poses either. I want to see her face.

 

[KmH]

Raccoon eyes (dark eye sockets), flat light from the overcast skies, no subject 'pop'.
On a day like you had, using flash is pretty much mandatory for a variety of reasons.

In addition to working on considering the quality and direction of the lighting, locations, and posing - make quite a few shots from closer.

Direction & Quality of Light: Your Key to Better Portrait Photography Anywhere

It is very hard to only use available light when there is a heavy overcast.

Doug Box's Available Light Photography: Techniques for Digital Photographers
Available Light: Photographic Techniques for Using Existing Light Sources
Chasing the Light: Improving Your Photography with Available Light (Voices That Matter)

On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography
Off-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers

Strobist: Lighting 101
http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/

 

[pixmedic]

I actually think the poses were ok.
what was really needed here was fill flash.
straighten up #2, and i think vertical would have worked better than horizontal on that one with a tighter crop.
#4 would have been nicer cropped in so you have less of the "outside" sky in the background

Im not sure what the "expression" issue here is. shes smiling, and she has a very nice smile.
can she change that? maybe. maybe that's just the say she smiles every time. maybe that's the best expression she can muster.

 

[TheCameraLady]

I usually have a reflector with me but since I hadn't shot in so long and this was so last minute I couldn't find it. I brought a white poster board thinking I could use that but the rain melted it before we got the first shot.
I am admittedly terrible at posing and I am still reading up as much as I can on it. Close ups, got it. Focus on the face. Thank you so much for these so far!

 

[Derrel]

Cute girl. I bet her mother will enjoy the shots. I have seen better, but I have also seen many much,much,much worse and less-pleasant senior picture sets. I dunno...yeah, her eyes could use a bit more sparkle in some of them, but I think the term raccoon eyes is a bit extreme. I looked at these larger, on Flickr, and they are sharp and clear enough to make good prints. And they appear plenty good to crop-in on as well. I am assuming that the brick location has at least "some" meaning or relevance to her high school experience...such as a stairwell or small stadium seating area at her old school or something like that.

 

[TheCameraLady]

She thinks themed shoots/props/posey poses are really corny AND she didn't want to shoot at the school (even though our school is beautiful IMHO)
So, it was difficult to say the least. I don't like whoever came up with apathy being trendy...

 

[DiskoJoe]

The tilt in #2 is nauseating...

Yeah, Im not feeling the tilt either but what bothered me more was all the distracting reflections off the glass. Be careful shooting at discovery green too. They heavily enforce the premit requirements and they are not cheap. Surprised I didnt see the Mondrian box things pop up. I love those things.

 

[TheCameraLady]

I love the boxes too! It started pouring as soon as we got to them so we had to run back to the car and drove around for a bit until it stopped raining and found another area of the park. Gotta love Houston weather. It was so humid my lens fogged up every 2 seconds it felt like.
It was my first time shooting there. It was my first time being there period, actually. I'll be weary of shooting there again, I didn't know about the permit.