I just did an engagement style shoot with the sister of one of my old friends. It's not a real engagement shoot because the couple is already married but I asked them to do a session so I could build my port and test myself for this kind of shooting. Give me any and all critique you can, I can take it. Before I make the move into doing this on a pro basis I want to make sure I can deliver quality material right out the gate.
Here's my take after my 2-3 years of experience (and still trying to find my e-session style by the way)
1. Not working for me.
2. Love it.
3. I like the idea but instead of being drawn to the couple, I'm drawn to the graffiti.
4. Nice idea, but could maybe be stronger with different sun placement.
5. Boring and they'll probably love it.
6. Is Sam here?
7 & 8. She looks small still, he looks huge. No connection between them.
9. Ok, but still something between them. My idea is that an e-session is supposed to be about the connection between two people, not something separating them, but just my style maybe.
10. This is nice. Seems a little stiff, maybe just them. Maybe more hand contact.
11. I love this one. Would like to see one of them coming toward you too, and maybe even heads closer?
12. I love wide shots so I like this one. I find that clients don't like them as much as I do though.
13. Funny.
14. Like it, but sill the focal point to me is that pink fire hydrant, not them.
15. I like the idea. I would like to see this posed maybe with her reading and him totally into her, like at her neck or something.
16. Wide angle doesn't do well for him, as he looks huge. A different point of view on this pose could be really nice. I usually tell them, imagine I'm not here and you're all alone. Let them get into each other.
Here's my take after my 2-3 years of experience (and still trying to find my e-session style by the way)
Valid points and gives me stuff to think about for future sessions. One of the things I'm definitely working on is directing and interacting with the subjects. 16. Wide angle doesn't do well for him, as he looks huge. A different point of view on this pose could be really nice. I usually tell them, imagine I'm not here and you're all alone. Let them get into each other.
I see your point about size difference in these kinds of shots. Totally makes sense now that I think about it, putting the smaller person more forward in the composition on wide shots, something to keep in mind.
How do you all feel about the post processing, especially the skin tones? I know someone said to punch up the PP. I'm trying to find the line on my post that gives the images some impact without going too far and making them feel overly "crunchy".
I see what you mean, now looking at them as a set. I did have more of them looking at the camera, but I choose these thinking of focusing on them looking/interacting with each other was more desired for e-shoots. I'll show them a bigger selection when I review the images with them, and see how they respond.
One thing about the interaction... it seems like it's all the same kind of interaction. Looking at each other. I'd try thinking about ways to deepen that look into a gaze or a cute glance or something.
One thing I noticed if you are going to put these in your portfolio as engagement photos..he's wearing his ring.
True and I had noticed that but, it shouldn't be a big deal, when I put some galleries together they won't be broken down into specific categories of "engagement", "ceremony" etc. I think I'll probably use general stuff like "people", "couples" or something like that. That's all part of the branding and web site strategy I'll have to figure for the future.
The composition is great but what's the dude wearing? That "baby crap" green is just too distracting to me. Do you guys give your people general guidelines on what to wear?
Note: I ain't backseat driving... just curious.
Note s'more: What the hell do I know? I've still got leisure suits in the closet from the 70's.
4,6,8,14 (after cloning out the USPS glowing logo) are my favorites.
Dude's Buzz Lightyear sweater is killer... though I dunno how you go about preventing that... I'm sure you said "plain colors" and he thinks that jacket is BLUE. I've run into that on a couple of occasions... somehow "NO PATTERNS" appears to translate into beige with lots of brown and pink and purple patterns. And "Dark Color, like a navy blue or a dark brown" translates, again into "Cream color with patterns"
I'm gonna have to raise my prices and then buy the peeps clothes.
Admittedly it only hindered the result in one family shoot... a recent e-sesh where she wore a patterned dress... I actually thought the pattern worked very well for the location ... then again, it didn't hurt that she's slender and gorgeous
sometimes the whirlwind of awesomeness of your's and Sam's work gets a little jumbled in my head. 