Violinist - Critique and Advice Requested Please

OrionsByte · Mar 7, 2014

My daughter has her first recital coming up (Suzuki Book One, for anyone familiar with violin) so I wanted to take some portraits to use for announcements and invitations. Took several of course, but the one below was probably the best of the bunch (I was having a lot of trouble nailing focus, I must be out of practice).

So first, any critique is welcome, and second, if you have any suggestions for something I might try to do differently, we're probably gonna give it another go tomorrow night.

Thanks all!

(I decided to post the color and sepia treatments of the same photo - which do you like better?)

OrionsByte · Mar 7, 2014

Ugh I just noticed some sloppy cloning in the bottom right of the color version. Just pretend you didn't see that.

One thing I already know I'm going to do differently tomorrow is have the umbrella farther back - it was too close to her so there was more contrast than I wanted, and some really hot spots on her dress and face.

OrionsByte · Mar 7, 2014

I like this one too, but my wife didn't like it as much.

Derrel · Mar 7, 2014

Awwww...how cute!!! I like the sepia toned version a bit more. I like sepia-toned B&W images. As far as things to do differently, you could experiment with the background light, which is coming in from opposite the main light; I might try moving the background light over to the left side, so it comes into the scene from the same side as the main light and see if you like the change that makes. I see a really dark shadow on the shadow side, in the hair, and then the background is at its very brightest right off to the side of the darkest area--I think swapping the side of the background light would eliminate that.

"Maybe" try aiming the umbrella that hits the background a bit AWAY from the wall, and angle it a but toward her standing position...to create less fall-off by evening-out the beam that hits the background.

And "maybe" move the main light around to the front of her just a little bit more, but not by very much. You have a good 10 o'clock catchlight that looks good, but moving the light around to the front just a bit more would even out the catchlights and bring greater symmetry. I agree with your idea of pulling the umbrella farther way, to lower the contrast ratio from the hot side top the shadow side...that would look more "delicate and feminine" I think.

These are definitely just "maybe" ideas, because it's overall a pretty good lighting and pose setup.

OrionsByte · Mar 7, 2014

Thanks Derrel, yeah the background light definitely needs some adjustments, and those are good suggestions.

julianliu · Mar 7, 2014

One thing I see is one side of her face is slightly overexposed. could fix it by adjusting the light or recover it in photoshop.

sashbar · Mar 8, 2014

The pose here is what I would call " in-between". With a musician I much prefer him/her either to be playing/be concentrated on the music/instrument and holding the instrument accordingly OR just posing with the instrument and holding it without pretending that he/she is actually playing or just about to start playing (ie putting a violin on her lap and holding it vertically and looking into the camera). Here we have an awkward pose, something in between: she is pretending as if she is playing but she is not, and she is clearly more attracted to the camera than to her instrument. As a result she looks very amateurish. She looks more like a girl who were given a violin to pose with rather than a young musician familiar with her instrument. This is the main problem with this shot as far as I am concerned, technical nuances are of secondary importance.

Rick58 · Mar 8, 2014

I actually like the last shot due to the end of the violin. I have no idea what they are called, but the knob that tightens the strings is in the frame but cropped so it's not really connected to the violin. Being a rather large, dark, object, my eye went directly there and tried to figure out what I was seeing before even looking at the girl. I also like Sashbar's pose comment. I would not have thought of it, but it makes a lot of sense to me.

astroNikon · Mar 8, 2014

^^ what they said. Have her play for real looking at music if you want a playing shot. Otherwise, as mentioned take a shot with her holding the violin.
Her bow creep up the finger board and her light finger action on the bow show that it's kinda a fake playing shot.

I do like how the left hand, pegs & scroll are OOF to help focus on her.
It is a very cute shot.

FYI, I used to judge string, piano and woodwind competitions so I may be being over critical on it LOL

The_Traveler · Mar 8, 2014

sashbar said:
The pose here is what I would call " in-between". With a musician I much prefer him/her either to be playing/be concentrated on the music/instrument and holding the instrument accordingly OR just posing with the instrument and holding it without pretending that he/she is actually playing or just about to start playing (ie putting a violin on her lap and holding it vertically and looking into the camera). Here we have an awkward pose, something in between: she is pretending as if she is playing but she is not, and she is clearly more attracted to the camera than to her instrument. As a result she looks very amateurish. She looks more like a girl who were given a violin to pose with rather than a young musician familiar with her instrument. This is the main problem with this shot as far as I am concerned, technical nuances are of secondary importance.

Couldn't agree more.

OrionsByte · Mar 8, 2014

Thanks everyone.

I did actually take some shots with her actually playing (she played Gavotte for me a couple times; I could probably have her play something simpler) but the issue with those was that she starts concentrating so much that she loses all facial expression (she's six, and only been playing for a little over a year), and my wife didn't like them (I had also forgotten to tighten her bow strings for her and didn't notice until I was processing the photos, so I think she ended up having to try a little harder).

So if this is an "in between" shot, and I've already attempted one end of the spectrum (actively playing), I think I'll try the other end of it tonight and go for just a simple pose with the instrument and see what I can come up with. That's probably a better tactic for a six-year-old anyways, I just had a vision for the shot that I was trying too hard to pull off.

Thanks guys!

I'm still open to any additional critiques of course.

Here's one of the shots I took while she was playing Gavotte (it's "less edited" than the others I've posted):

OrionsByte · Mar 9, 2014

Alright here are a couple from "Take Two." Additional critiques welcome!

The_Traveler · Mar 9, 2014

Oh, man,totally infinitely better.

The picture on the right is really a great idea, perhaps try it with the violin in slightly different places - perhaps so it doesn't block her mouth and eye, but certainly damn close to a total win.

The picture on the left is equally close, imo.
If you are reshooting I would raise the camera a a bit and also plan for less skirt. It is bright and attracts the eye.
Totally romantic shot and a good one as is but could be perfection if she is willing to reshoot a bit,

Amazing increase.
Congratulations.

astroNikon · Mar 10, 2014

^^ What Lew said

I love those last two pictures .. so cute

now I'm going to have to try shots with my kids

the one above, it still doesn't look like she's playing. Her right elbow is against her body instead of up.
you did eliminate the scroll which was an eye attraction, and OOF at the top of the fingerboard. Nice shot though.

I've been trying selfies with my guitar .. I didn't realize how large the body of the guitar is ... trying to figure out a good shot is hard.
So good work with your daughter !!