I've been working my butt off in my studio! I've recently had the opportunity to shoot a bunch of different kids and have also begun to compile a wardrobe in studio so I have pieces for parents to choose from if they decide to book a session with me.
C&C is appreciated as always! Thank you for looking.
Beautifully done, but I am not a fan of the fall-off.
This always strike me as an oversight, not intentional, since it makes the lower portion (feet) appear dirty and quite different tonality (skin tones) from the faces. A classic example is her hands in (1) and their feet in (5).
Also, try to do a pre-flash to avoid the huge pupils.
Some could use a boost in exposure IMO to keep the set consistent.
Overall, quite nice, but could be taken to another level with some tweaks and attention to the aforementioned details.
I thought these were a bit dark but I like the style, reminiscent of early 20th century studio work. The pupils don't bother me and in fact, I'd say you've focused our view on the eyes. The other characteristic I admire is the forlorn waif look (only one child is smiling). Did you apply a texture? If so, you kept their skin clear of it (a good thing). Beautiful period clothing and headpieces. Anachronistically, #7 has different colors of polish on her fingernails.
Of the 8, #4 and #6 are my favorites. The longer I look, the more these grown on me.
Greg and "GE" have valid comments. I too found some of them a bit too dark. I was surprised that the smiles were so few! Children should be smiling..this is fun not so serious! That being said, the backgrounds, the props are excellent! The brother/sister one is an excellent pose.
Good work Dawn! I am commenting as a viewer not a portrait photographer. Of which I fail to even qualify.
Dan
I can't speak to the technical aspects of your work since I have no background in portrait photography. However, from a "consumer" perspective, I think these are wonderful with 3, 5 and 8 being my favorites. I like the mood you've created with your lighting, and the unsmiling poses fit that mood. For example, #4, although a very cute youngster, seems out of place with the environment in which she appears. I looked at your website, and the photographs you've presented here appear to be consistent with the unique style and brand you're establishing. While not for everyone, if I were a parent with youngsters this age, I'd be getting in contact with you right now.
Dawn...gorgeous work. Really love #’s 3, 7 and 8. I actually do like the fall off. I think it takes the image from a nice portrait to a heirloom art portrait that would be exhibited in a place of import in the home and passed down from the parent to the child as time passes. Hopefully the parents ordered or will order a nice size canvas print and have it put in a quality frame and displayed in the home.
My parents had me sit for a oil portrait back in 1960 when I was 8. That portrait had a place in their dinning room up until last July. It now has a place in our dinning room and is a cherished reminder of times past.
FWIW, I think many of them are too dark and there is a variance between them. If one looks at the whites of the eyes there is too much density.
I am okay with the non-smile approach but some of them look down right sad.
The controlled lighting looks great, it really adds to the mood. If extremities start to go off colour due to under expose I'd suggest you fix it in post so the saturation and hue doesn't go too far off.
I'm on the fence with the skin retouching, that's a creative perspective, I may have dialled it back just a tad unless of course a painterly outcome was the goal.
Fascinating. As I scroll down the image list, each photo seems to better the previous one. I can understand why some feel the images are a tad underexposed. But I prefer the way it is. Adds a lot more charm to the painterly effect.
The work is solid, but I find the darkening at the extremities to be a bit much. Also, the expressions on the children are beautiful but in some cases a little severe. That severity showcases certain features well (cheekbones, eyes), but the effervescence of the children is lost.
