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Archive 2015 · Engagement Shoot

  
 
matsmithphotography
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Engagement Shoot


I shot an engagement yesterday morning, here are a few shots! I'd appreciate any feedback!

12 by matsmithphotography, on Flickr

11 by matsmithphotography, on Flickr

10 by matsmithphotography, on Flickr

9 by matsmithphotography, on Flickr

8 by matsmithphotography, on Flickr

7 by matsmithphotography, on Flickr

6 by matsmithphotography, on Flickr

5 by matsmithphotography, on Flickr

4 by matsmithphotography, on Flickr

3 by matsmithphotography, on Flickr

2 by matsmithphotography, on Flickr

1 by matsmithphotography, on Flickr




Apr 13, 2015 at 04:09 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Engagement Shoot


Too many to comment on. 5 and 7 would be my favorites. 7 has an oof flower in front of his head otherwise its my fav..


Apr 13, 2015 at 07:13 PM
boshek
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Engagement Shoot


I am not a big fan of duck faced kissing. The first pic would be better if you captured the kiss before the kiss. The rest of the set is nice. Did you choose the time of day these were shot?


Apr 14, 2015 at 04:48 AM
dmacmillan
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Engagement Shoot


I agree with boshek's implication, time of day is a problem. I find the lighting harsh even with your obvious OCF.

I know some photos are meant to put the couple in context, but in some, the background is just cluttered for no apparent reason. For instance, in the first photo, is there any significance to the houses behind them? If not the couple should have been shot with a longer lens at a wider aperture. You could have still gotten the bench and the sign without all the clutter. #11, where he is seated, is another example of the background not lending anything to the photo. There's even trash in the grass. The lighting in this one is particularly harsh and unattractive, especially the sheen on his face and the large splash on sun spill on her nose.

There's also lack of attention to detail in posing. Going back to #11, look at the fingers of her right hand pressing on the slab. It makes her hand look unattractive. Speaking of attention to detail, her bra strap is showing in #5.

There is a trend nowadays to obliterate the background by shooting with long lenses with wide apertures. I think it is overused. However if the background is recognizable, it needs to bolster the subject instead of detracting from it. Also, I think these photos would have been significantly improved by shooting during the golden hour. Romantic images should have romantic lighting. The ones with the lampposts could be terrific if it was late enough that they were lit.




Apr 14, 2015 at 10:38 AM
Veedotcom
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Engagement Shoot


Tiny distractions...#12 houses in background #11 window frame & truck height clearance sign #10 lighting #9 bikes #8 love it #7 I would have put there hands in frame with ring showing #6 ring hidden #5 face lighting #4 ? #3 lol girl on right #2 lighting on faces #1 feet cutoff just crop to below hands... Lightroom & cropping. Great job overall. Try to make your engagements more about the women. My opinion. Funny thing is the client will probably love these images but us photoheads will fine tune our mistakes.


Apr 14, 2015 at 06:32 PM
Veedotcom
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Engagement Shoot


here is a old video but its right up your alley. https://youtu.be/3A17wFD_0So


Apr 14, 2015 at 10:14 PM
AuntiPode
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Engagement Shoot


Generally, too much context. Not enough couple. No special emphasis on bride to be. Generally they look like he was cast as the star and she as supporting actress. Not ideal.


Apr 14, 2015 at 10:40 PM
matsmithphotography
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Engagement Shoot


Sorry all, FM didn't email me with a notification I had comments!

The shoot was meant to be early am, with the sunrise. But last second it was pushed back to 9, so still early but not the golden hour for sure. After the fact I realize that I got a bit power happy with the strobe; it's the first time I've had one to utilize for a shoot. Which is also why I shot open on my aperture (it was around 6.3 for most shots); because I was trying to get a proper exposure for the background as well as the couple. But I know now that ND's help with this. I do agree that I defi need to focus more on framing and the background of my shots, one of the many things I'm still attempting to get familiar with.

I do find it funny how the couple does love the images and they can still be so harshly critiqued on sites such as FM haha. But then again, people with experience in the field and a photographic eye look at images in an entirely different fashion.

Thank you all for the critiques, I seriously appreciate it!



Apr 17, 2015 at 07:42 AM
dmacmillan
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Engagement Shoot


matsmithphotography wrote:
I do find it funny how the couple does love the images and they can still be so harshly critiqued on sites such as FM haha. But then again, people with experience in the field and a photographic eye look at images in an entirely different fashion.

Thank you all for the critiques, I seriously appreciate it!

I'm glad the love the images and I'm not surprised they do. They view them with a different criteria than we do.

I'm sorry you regard the critiques you are receiving as harsh. I'm glad you appreciate them. It is hard sometimes when folks "call your baby ugly". When I was in school for my B.F.A., I spent every day having my work picked apart. Comments on FM and other sites are tame compared to what my classmates and I received. Of course, we were in school with the intent to pursue a career as professional photographers.



Apr 17, 2015 at 09:03 AM
matsmithphotography
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Engagement Shoot


I say harsh, but I don't take any offense to it! I was critiqued by a staff photographer of the News Journal a couple weeks ago... Let me tell you, he tore every image apart haha. I try to take it all constructively!


Apr 17, 2015 at 09:13 AM
teppy1
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Engagement Shoot


lighting is harsh in most of these. do you mind if i just skip to the one that i see as the most promising? I like the 10th one the best. I would crop it to where that second arch is not in there with the 'stray person' in their image. that just does not need to be there and it ends up being a strong image if you do this.




Apr 18, 2015 at 01:11 AM
teppy1
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Engagement Shoot


*







Apr 18, 2015 at 01:13 AM
Veedotcom
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Engagement Shoot


Thats it! Print it.

teppy1 wrote:
*




Apr 18, 2015 at 09:51 AM
RustyBug
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Engagement Shoot


Many good points ...

Imo, the message for engagement shots is always "two becomes one". Those images that convey that message are the winners. A little focus on the "bride to be" isn't a bad thing, but generally the groom stealing the show and a variety of detractors doesn't help.

Conceptually, I dig the stairs and bicycles as the the two descend upon the world to embark on their journeys together. I just wish the scale / mass was a bit different so we saw more of them.

+1 @ the crop from teppy1

BTW, you might want to work on her goosebumps ... not the most flattering thing a gal probably wants to show the world.



Apr 21, 2015 at 08:52 PM





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