Automotive journalism & event photography are what I do as a pro on the side. People photography, not-so-much. My son's girlfriend asked me to shoot her senior pics, so I gave it a try. Feedback (constructive criticism most welcome) greatly appreciated.
Jed, nice set of a lovely young woman.
I’d be mindful of all the leg cut-offs! When shooting my Models I tell them that on other than full-length shots they need to keep their hands/arms on the upper part of the body. Otherwise when you crop you either are gonna cut off their arms, or to save the arms/hands you gotta cut off the legs.
We must keep in mind how much of this will wind up on IG, so we must also be mindful off a 1:1 or 4:5 aspect ratio. Shooting loose with higher mp can help with that to get any shapexcrop we might need later.
A little tighter dof could help us stay focused on the nice subject too, rather that checking out the dog for example, in one of those!!
On one we can see under that picnic table, and the dog one could benefit from straightening.
Very lovely shots, and very nice job.
John
JohnSil wrote:
Jed, nice set of a lovely young woman.
I’d be mindful of all the leg cut-offs! When shooting my Models I tell them that on other than full-length shots they need to keep their hands/arms on the upper part of the body. Otherwise when you crop you either are gonna cut off their arms, or to save the arms/hands you gotta cut off the legs.
We must keep in mind how much of this will wind up on IG, so we must also be mindful off a 1:1 or 4:5 aspect ratio. Shooting loose with higher mp can help with that to get any shapexcrop we might need later.
A little tighter dof could help us stay focused on the nice subject too, rather that checking out the dog for example, in one of those!!
On one we can see under that picnic table, and the dog one could benefit from straightening.
Very lovely shots, and very nice job.
John...Show more →
Excellent advice and good points. Thanks for taking the time to write this.
Iam no portrait photographer, but I know what appeals to me, and these photos certainly do. My first reaction was that #1 and #4 are absolutely stunning--except for the intrusive background. I would also encourage tighter crops above the head in several of the shots.
If you plan on doing more portraiture it would be good to learn a few effective posing tips for both women and men. If you look at #10 and #12, as examples, the shoulders and hips are almost straight on to the camera (usually makes women look wide), the arms are straight and the hands look like they have nothing to do. Contrast that with #11. The shoulders are at an angle to the camera, the arms have a bend and the hands are in an attractive pose.
That's not saying you can't pose a woman straight on to the camera, but do it once you have a bit more experience. Think asymmetrical on shoulders, hands, weight distribution, etc. I normally photograph women with their shoulders and hips at an angle to the camera. It slims them a bit and they look more attractive. When photographing women an old saying is that if it can be bent, bend it. A second good rule is always to make the hands look relaxed. Have them rest on a hip or thigh, next to the face, etc. Hope that helps.
story_teller wrote:
If you plan on doing more portraiture it would be good to learn a few effective posing tips for both women and men. If you look at #10 and #12, as examples, the shoulders and hips are almost straight on to the camera (usually makes women look wide), the arms are straight and the hands look like they have nothing to do. Contrast that with #11. The shoulders are at an angle to the camera, the arms have a bend and the hands are in an attractive pose.
That's not saying you can't pose a woman straight on to the camera, but do it once you have a bit more experience. Think asymmetrical on shoulders, hands, weight distribution, etc. I normally photograph women with their shoulders and hips at an angle to the camera. It slims them a bit and they look more attractive. When photographing women an old saying is that if it can be bent, bend it. A second good rule is always to make the hands look relaxed. Have them rest on a hip or thigh, next to the face, etc. Hope that helps....Show more →
Excellent advice...I see what you mean. Thank you!
