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Archive 2015 · Family's First Photos - CC Welcome

  
 
ambroschphoto
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Family's First Photos - CC Welcome


Hey all. This is my first post here in the people section and I am usually found shooting cars but I want to get into more and more portraits. This is my third family session and definitely an improvement for myself. The baby is just two weeks old and the couple wanted to capitalize on the fall colors and weather. Comments and critiques are welcome because I know I have a long way to go.









Some errors I know I have made and will try not to repeat again. Practice, practice, practice!



Oct 26, 2015 at 09:45 PM
mikekeating
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Family's First Photos - CC Welcome


Nice set.

I just did my first people set too, practice practice practice to say the least.

How about a B/W on the last photo.

#2 is my fav of the grouping.



Oct 26, 2015 at 10:10 PM
ambroschphoto
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Family's First Photos - CC Welcome


mikekeating wrote:
Nice set.

I just did my first people set too, practice practice practice to say the least.

How about a B/W on the last photo.

#2 is my fav of the grouping.


Thank you! I actually had the last one in B/W as well. I was torn on both and figured I would give them both.




Oct 27, 2015 at 07:12 AM
nextelbuddy
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Family's First Photos - CC Welcome


practice is right but good job for your first. I too like the 2nd one the most for grouping shots, it has the best expressions and composition.

the feet picture i like because well i love baby feet lol. I prefer the color over the B&W, the B&W just sucks the life right out of them. there are certain B&W conversions that can work depending on the lighting but with the lighting you had in that image, the B&W doesn't really work and becomes lifeless and flat. You would need directional lighting for more dramatic shadows to pull that off or some post processing to dodge and burn highlight and shadow areas. play around with it and see but I think the color is just fine!



Oct 27, 2015 at 08:55 AM
Vcook
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Family's First Photos - CC Welcome


Either its the clothing or the setting but these photos just seem really flat from a color perspective.


Oct 27, 2015 at 03:46 PM
Jim Rickards
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Family's First Photos - CC Welcome


A few observations. Little things.

#1 Not a great view of the baby and Dad's head is leaning a lot.

#2 Best one of the set. Well done. You don't need the lower half of the body in the shot. Great view of the baby.

#3 A full length photo (with too much space above them) means everybody is smaller. Mom has the lean this time. So not as much impact as #2. Baby inclined and not as photogenic as #2.

#4 (Toes shot). Crop this to show less of the expanse of green. Make it mostly toes. Great shot of the toes, BTW.



Oct 28, 2015 at 10:23 AM
ambroschphoto
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Family's First Photos - CC Welcome


nextelbuddy wrote:
practice is right but good job for your first. I too like the 2nd one the most for grouping shots, it has the best expressions and composition.

the feet picture i like because well i love baby feet lol. I prefer the color over the B&W, the B&W just sucks the life right out of them. there are certain B&W conversions that can work depending on the lighting but with the lighting you had in that image, the B&W doesn't really work and becomes lifeless and flat. You would need directional lighting for more dramatic shadows to pull that off or
...Show more

---------------------------------------------

Vcook wrote:
Either its the clothing or the setting but these photos just seem really flat from a color perspective.


---------------------------------------------

Jim Rickards wrote:
A few observations. Little things.

#1 Not a great view of the baby and Dad's head is leaning a lot.

#2 Best one of the set. Well done. You don't need the lower half of the body in the shot. Great view of the baby.

#3 A full length photo (with too much space above them) means everybody is smaller. Mom has the lean this time. So not as much impact as #2. Baby inclined and not as photogenic as #2.

#4 (Toes shot). Crop this to show less of the expanse of green. Make it mostly toes. Great shot of the toes,
...Show more

Thank you all for the comments. I definitely learned to try and coordinate outfits ahead of time if possible and I also learned that I will never let a customer pick a location without me seeing it myself first. This couple lives about an hour and half from me so I was at their mercy with locations.

I was using the Gary Fong diffuser with my SB700 and sadly I chose the yellow dome instead of the clear dome, hoping that I could shed some more yellow/sunset type lighting into the photo. Lesson learned as soon as I look at them on the computer.

This was my first time dealing with an infant (2 weeks old) and learned to have them position the head instead of the freestyle which occurred. I also wanted to be conscious of the mother's weight having just given birth a few weeks prior so that's why some are the crop or angle that they are. Cropping remains a weakness of mine and probably always will. I will try to bring the portrait one in a bit more up top.

The toes one is important to stay green. This entire room is pimped out in Green Bay Packers garb and it was important to them, so I don't want to lose too much of it. I haven't sent these photos out yet and am still making corrections. This is why I was looking for advise from people who have much more experience than I.

Thank you all again.



Oct 28, 2015 at 12:01 PM
trevanian
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Family's First Photos - CC Welcome


They look like they need bit of fill flash. Maybe it's my monitor at work, maybe some off camera flash would lift the shadows in the eye areas?


Oct 28, 2015 at 05:55 PM





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