Two Handsome Boys C&C

[Kyna]

I saved these from Facebook because I am on my work computer so the quality isn't as good as they actually are.

Help me grow! C&C please

1.

2.

3.

4.

These were taken with ALL ambient light, no flash. Edited in Photoshop Elements.

I have been reading up on this forum about cropping....I am curious what some of your opinions are? If the image looks best in a non traditional crop do you crop it that way? Or do you crop thinking of printing the entire time?

Thanks!

 

[tirediron]

I always crop the way the image looks best to me or to the client. With respect to your images, a couple of thoughts: One, all but #1 have the subject too centered for my taste, two, your key light seems about 2/3 - 1 stop too hot, and lastly, #s 3 & 4 seem rather soft, FB quality issues notwithstanding.

 

[bazooka]

In addition to above, I don't like that your sig overlaps your subject in 1 & 2, and it is very distracting in 4. It is tastefully done in 3. I do like #1 other than the sig overlap.

 

[flyin-lowe]

I am a newbie but to me it seems like either the background is blown out a little or the subject is blown out a little in each photo. They all seem to bright at one point or the other.

 

[jth]

What I noted is same things as above. Very center composition in all and signature is indeed distracting, most so in 1st pic where its over child's hand

 

[Kyna]

I edited them that way. Adding a slight vingette also amplified that affect. In the original they aren't blown out........I don't think.

Signature......I put it there because I was putting them on Facebook and I didn't want it to be easy to crop it out.

Thanks!

 

[KmH]

People don't need to crop to remove your watermark!

 

[mc1979]

Is that your actual floor ? i love it

 

[Derrel]

I think the camera's height is just a little bit too high in all of the shots...you're looking down on the boys quite a bit, and it comes through in the photos. Photo #2, the B&W of the older brother, makes absolutely zero sense as a horizontal,and I mean absolutely zero sense. The image is roughly 70 percent floral wallpaper, and 30 percent boy, with only about 15 percent of the total frame devoted to the boy's FACE. Seriously--you need to re-think the entire crop versus pose "fitting" and learn the difference between a horizontal POSE and a vertical POSE, and frame according to how the person is posed. This might sound harsh, like a stinging rebuke, but I would challenge you to defend the composition and framing of shot #2, as to why it is a horizontal, and why the kid is framed so small, and so low, and with so,so much top space in this shot.

 

[Kyna]

Thanks for the feedback. I get what you are saying............I edited it that way because I liked it and that was my artistic view of the photo.......I dont' have any explanation other than that.

As far as the height of the camera my leg is sore from squatting lol. I was at the same level as them, maybe an inch or so higher.........

 

[bazooka]

I have been reading up on this forum about cropping....I am curious what some of your opinions are?

One, all but #1 have the subject too centered for my taste,

This might sound harsh, like a stinging rebuke, but I would challenge you to defend the composition and framing of shot #2, as to why it is a horizontal, and why the kid is framed so small, and so low, and with so,so much top space in this shot.

Thanks for the feedback. I get what you are saying............I edited it that way because I liked it and that was my artistic view of the photo.......I dont' have any explanation other than that.

Are you acknowledging that it's a 'weak' crop or are you defending it?

 

[Speckles]

I'd crop more like this.

You want to be able to see a bunch of your cute fella's face, not the backdrop. Although, I am jealous of the backdrop. I want one pretty badly. lol

 

[KmH]

If it satisfies you, you have been successful.

What art knowledge/technique can you offer that supports your artistic view for that image? On a technical artistic compositional level it is a very weak photograph that is not going to be as compelling to others as it apparently is to you. In an art judging situation the photo would get low marks.

IIRC, shooting clients is a goal of yours, and shooting client portraiture isn't about satisfying you. To WOW! clients you need to consistantly make strong images for them. That's what word-of-mouth advertising is all about.

So what about the photo makes the photo weak?

The bullseye, centered composition (eyes right on the middle horizontal, and symetrically offset from the middle vertical), horizontal framing of a vertical subject, and excess negative space are all factors that visual artists have learned to avoid over the last couple of thousand years. Centered compositions, with to much negative space are weak because they lack drama, and tension. Shoulders square to the camera and subjects to close to the background also diminish drama and tension and weaken a visual image.

 

[Kyna]

I have been reading up on this forum about cropping....I am curious what some of your opinions are?

One, all but #1 have the subject too centered for my taste,

This might sound harsh, like a stinging rebuke, but I would challenge you to defend the composition and framing of shot #2, as to why it is a horizontal, and why the kid is framed so small, and so low, and with so,so much top space in this shot.

Thanks for the feedback. I get what you are saying............I edited it that way because I liked it and that was my artistic view of the photo.......I dont' have any explanation other than that.

Are you acknowledging that it's a 'weak' crop or are you defending it?

Neither really, I was thanking him for the C&C and just saying that I don't look at photography as a text book situation. I look it as an expression of my thoughts and feelings and that is how I thought the image should be portrayed. From his C&C I can see that it could have been portrayed BETTER if the crop had been tighter.

This was a paying session and the client loved them.........so I am not stressed about it, I just hope to improve as I go. People love my work now, hopefully they will continue to love it as I improve!

 

[Kyna]

Is that your actual floor ? i love it

Nope it's a backdrop