Steady Hand
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Buy and Sell: On
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 p.1 #19 · Verdeja Family Session ~~ 9 Pix | |
Howdy Matt,
My comments are offered in a friendly tone of voice. 
First, I enjoyed your comment about keeping the parents calm.
My favorites from this set were #2 and #8.
Why? Because of the expressions shown.
In general, this looks like a nice set of images for any family. It has a certain "look" that appears to be popular on this forum and so somewhat common with others.
What do I mean by that?
Some of the images look very "familiar" and they do appear to have a kind of "set piece" look to them. As if they follow a "template." I suppose the wedding forum has many "template sessions" in it and so will this forum too. By that, I mean it looks like many other "family portrait" sessions that are seen on this forum.
Within the last week or so I saw another "Family Session" that had many of the same shots from mostly the same POV and with many of the same PP elements too.
So when I see a session that has certain elements repeated such as "headless parent holding kid" or "shot of shoes" or "shot of everyone lined up on steps" or "shot of everyone holding hands walking away from camera" or "kid on empty street" or "head with flare behind it" or "wide angle with small figure" or "figure in door" or "Three little faces in one image" and such, it rings a bell (or raises a flag) as something I have seen before. When those shots appear like a sequence such as A + B + C + D then it appears as if a "formula" has been followed.
Is that good?
That is for you to decide.
Is it something I like?
Not really. I would prefer to see more unique images with different interactions of people in the family and with more natural compositions and natural actions. Natural compositions? Natural actions? Yep. Natural compositions and actions meaning what these people actually naturally do together. But, obviously that is another style of photography and requires a different approach to the time spent with the family.
But, assuming that this "template" or style is what you like and will produce, there are still opportunities to make things a little differently. I believe those little changes would make your sessions look better than the rest.
I don't expect you (or others who shoot this "style" or "template") to agree with all or any of my comments below. I don't write them to offend you or others. Simply to help you with a different POV.
What follows are very simple short suggestions for each image.
1. Change format or composition. Get lower next time.
2. Looks like the face has been lightened. The face appears "washed out." I don't think the "flare effect" is a positive in this image. Crop to eliminate the blue bar on upper right and change format
3. Show the father's head and toes. Avoid busy backgrounds.
4. Show the face and hands.
5. Less headroom, show the hands
6. Show hands and object of attention (if there is an object) and rotate format
7. Pick another background before the shot. This one is very busy.
8. Show more girl, less bricks
9. Show faces and front of body rather than backs.
10. Show head and face, use lower POV.
OK...that may seem like lots of changes. 
Here is ONE thing I would recommend:
My Simple Suggestion: When you start to get lots of comments praising your Post Processing and relatively FEW comments on your compositions and capture of expressions or memorable or unique images, then it is time to minimize your PP and focus more on the basics.
I hope these comments and suggestions help you.
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but it was a HUGE struggle. i asked them to start at 7pm, but the sun was still sky high, way to harsh for great portrait light... so we waited until around 7:45 - same thing, we really needed to start around 8:30PM but the kids couldn't have lasted.