Senior session

[12sndsgood]

One of the models moms I work with wanted me to get senior shots of her son She just wanted simple field shots and some in his jersey. Lets here everyone's opinion on how I did, good, bad or ugly.


1.


Jamason-10 by Square1 photography, on Flickr

2.


Jamason-9 by Square1 photography, on Flickr

3.


Jamason-5 by Square1 photography, on Flickr

4.


Jamason-20 by Square1 photography, on Flickr

 

[OrionsByte]

#1: I like the look and feel, the high clarity really works, but I hate the missing head. He might like it as kind of a keepsake, but if I were a parent, this photo wouldn't mean much to me. Could you have found an actual football field to shoot at? That same shot with some goal posts behind him instead of some random tree would have been stronger, in my opinion.

#2: Not a fan of the pose and framing. I think I kinda see what you were going for (kind of a heroic, statuesque look), but maybe shooting from an even lower angle and getting more of his legs in the frame would have added to the effect. It's kind of like tilting the camera - when you do it a little bit it looks like a mistake, and when you do it a lot it looks like you're trying to say something. Same here - the slightly low angle just makes it look a bit uncomfortable, but push it a little farther and it starts to say something.

#3: Winner. I love it. Handsome fellow.

#4: Nice shot, but I don't care for the framing of this one either. It's close, but there's a lot of room above his head and that room is filled with a really bright distracting area. I probably would have composed it by bringing the camera down and slightly right so that his head was close to centered in the bridge opening, but I can't honestly say that would have made it better.

YMMV

 

[The_Traveler]

Agree with the above.

Note how, in #2, #3 & #4 you POV goes from low to higher, his face goes from chubby to nicely clean-cut.

When shot from below, anyone with excess flesh will have a pudgy face.

 

[OrionsByte]

When shot from below, anyone with excess flesh will have a pudgy face.

That's a good tip.

 

[Braineack]

These are great! He doesn't look THAT pudgy in the face in these, but his chin is very clearly defined/chisled in #4 in comparison.

I have an idea of how you did it, but how did you light #1 and #2? I like it!

 

[ronlane]

I can agree with the other c&c that has been giving. I do think that #1 works as an artsy addition to the set as a whole because with out #2 to tie in the jersey and the face, it's just an artsy photo. (I like it's processing too.)

I think #4 is the winner of this set.

 

[12sndsgood]

Thanks everyone, a lot of good critiques try to answer or explain or just go over what was said.

1. Yeah, originally started out going for the helmet shot, and then pads. I thought to crop around the numbers. but then for me it could have been anyone on the team so wanted to keep the numbers in. then looking at it I wanted to get the name of the school in there. If we were in his town I might have just been able to go to his school but being in opposing teams area I didn't want to have him on someone else's field I guess. I started out wanting to do all black background behind him but it wasn't working out how I wanted. mix that in with having troubles with my recievers for my flash giving me issues I was stuck with one flash for the day (one thing I desperately need to upgrade)

2. I see what your saying about #2 I was sitting on the ground getting wet on the damp grass, maybe I should have scooted back some and laid down all the way. One of the disadvantages to being 6-4 is half the time I wind up shooting from my knees to avoid the looking down view all the time. I'll find some time to practice this more from a lower point.

3. for this one I maybe could have gone with the original shot of him leaning in a bit more and getting his head out of the light from the other side of the covered bridge, It was just reminding me too much of the same shot I did with his sister a few months before so wanted to go with a bit different shot. I cropped it down a bit at the beginning but then you lost the top of the bridge and I liked it a little better with the bright opening at least being framed in the photo versus having it be blown out all the way up.


I see your point Lew about the height, just with him being the football player I was trying to go from that lower angle. make him appear maybe a bit taller and imposing, well that was the intent.


If I remember right both #1 and #2 were shot with the light about 45 deg or so to camera right, used a single AB400 no diffusion. just the metal beauty ring or whatever you call it.


Thanks everyone so far for your remarks.

 

[TheFotog]

Number 3 the winner =), good work. I like the first on as well

 

[trojancast]

I loved all 4 shots, I wouldn't change a thing. Great effort.

 

[pjaye]

(Keep in mind that I'm new to the forum and to CC).

I *love* these. I don't mind the missing head, I think in this context, it works. I love the .. grainyness? (Is that the word I'm looking for?) of the first one. Very nice pictures.