Practice shots.. please comment!

[devinphoto]

I am working on starting up a business and would like some constructive criticism. Here are a few practice shots. What do you think?

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c37/gerdev/IMG_0590.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c37/gerdev/IMG_0600.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c37/gerdev/IMG_0601_second1.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c37/gerdev/IMG_0619.jpg


http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c37/gerdev/IMG_0620.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c37/gerdev/IMG_0638.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c37/gerdev/IMG_0632.jpg

[tim]

General thoughts:
- Side shadow is bad.
- They seem to be a good start.

For each photo:
#1 - try and get a bit more contrast into it perhaps.
#2 - Cool, not sure I like purple.
#3 - selective color is a bit much for me. Try a partially desaturated background not fully. Or make the background sepia perhaps.
#4/#5 - Side shadow is especially bad. She looks like a fully grown woman who stands 3 feet tall. Why are you so far above her?
#6 - Cool
#7 - What's the photo of? I don't see anything I find particularly interesting.

[cinci-photo]

Nice shots Devin. I have to agree on the side shadow. I love the mirror shot - nice job. The others are good as well, but a little more contrast would be nice. I think #3 might be better if it were BW rather than sepia. I tend to got full strength on the selective colors also. I'm also always told to "tone it down too".

Keep practicing. You'll do fine.

[PIXI_666]

They are nice, but maybe less is more in this case? Even though the colours are great, i think there's just TOO MUCH...same with the B&W and Sepia, they need a little less contrast i think, over all i really do like the shots though :)

Del

[PIXI_666]

just thougt id also mention - get outside and into some natural lighting...and if you get out there on an overcast day you will get some nice filtered light through the clouds - less harsh shadows :)

[tim]

If you're outside a reflector or fill flash will help reduce shadows under the eyes.

[BLINN]

I agree with both Del and Tim. The best one that I can see is the mirror image. keep shooting and trying different things.

[SuzyView]

Devin, are you using just one flash on the camera? Can you bounce the flash up instead of straight toward the subject? I like the mirror one as well, but the third shot made me think. Are you highlighting the flowers or your subject? I find that technique problematic because you have to choose what you are colorizing. Does it enhance the photo and bring out the best in your shot, or is it just to do the technique? For portraits, I like the color part to enhance the subject and not take the focus away. Just my opinion. Keep working at it. :)

[bpuppy]

Pretty good but too much flash. Get a fast lens, open 'er wide and turn down the flash a stop or 2. The 50mm 1.8 is affordable and sharp. Great for portraits.

[Wedding Shooter]

Your best impovement would be to bounce your flash.

[BLINN]

If you use a fast lens watch the DOF especially with the 1.8. It can throw one side of the subject face out of focus fast if you are not paying attention.

[Phil V]

You have an eye for composition, keep up the practicing.
Just my opinion; photography is about quality of light. Your pictures are lit with no subtlety, look at the work of some photographers you admire. Not at the composition - but the angle and quality of the light. Study the pictures and you should be able to 'read' the light sources. Now take your model back into a room and try to recreate those pics. Once you get used to 'seeing' the light properly you'll get a kick out of the improvement in your images. At the moment, you're looking through your vf at the composition, then blasting an unnatural light onto the scene (unseen, unmeasured, unflattering), completely destroying the mood you'd felt.

It's a matter of personal taste, but indoors if I was stuck with only on-camera flash, I'd be switching it off and looking at how to make a picture in the available light. Read some of the recent posts about flash technique in reception halls, there's some great tips and also some idea of the varied equipment and standards out there.

[BLINN]

good advice Phil

[sharpfocus]

Nice work Devin. I think you need experience with posing. You can actually cut out pictures of poses that you like, and then have them duplicate the pose. That will give you a starting point, and after a while you will get your own ideas. It seems to me that you took whatever her idea was for a pose but I may be wrong. It seems to me that she is in a very cramped space.

I have found that in most cases with someone who is not an experienced model, you actually have to tell them exactly where to place their hands and how to tilt the head or turn the body etc. Hard to know what to do with the hands sometime. Full lengths are expecially hard to set up. I agree with the advice about the lighting and the shadow.

:-) ...Bob

[rayray]

Your doing well, and you had a beautiful model. The side shadows are really distracting. I noticed them in every picture. Try bouncing the flash off of the ceiling. Also, the boquet is to high...it takes away from her dress. Put it to her side or take it out of picture.

I like the mirror pic, thats fun and creative. Good work, keep it up!

[jamiewexler]

A lot of great advice on the flash and PS side of things, I'd like to comment on your posing.

All of the photos where she's holding the flowers - they're too high. Direct your model/brides to hold them lower than their bustline, usually at their stomach or waist. That keeps the flowers from drawing your attention away from her face, or looking like she's trying to hide something.

Specific comments:
#1 - In addition to the flowers being too high, the straight on, eye level pose is uninteresting. Try angling the model's left shoulder toward you and having her look over it at the camera. In addition to making the angle more interesting, it also has a slimming effect on the model (I'm not saying your model needs slimming!).

http://mishami.image.pbase.com/v3/30/516430/3/44214444.JenDave0591a.jpg

#2 - Much more interesting overhead angle, but again...either have her lower the flowers or stick her nose right in them for a good sniff. The halfway there doesn't work.

http://mishuna.image.pbase.com/v3/30/516430/3/51166520.BethBrian0262aBW.jpg

#4 - This is potentially your best pose...except for those darned flowers! In this pose have her hold the flowers in her left hand and drop them straight by her side. Also, move her out of the corner to a longer stretch of bare wall. Finally, looks like you shot from a pretty high angle with a WA lens. Back off a bit and lower your angle so her head doesn't look out of proportion with her body.

http://mishuna.image.pbase.com/v3/30/516430/3/46103560.smKaraRobert614a.jpg

#6 - Great image, wouldn't change a thing.

#7 - Great Idea, but your lighting and background kills it. Shoot it again outdoors in color, sitting in the grass in the shade, and you'll have a winning image!

[sharpfocus]

Nice posing Jamie. Much more relaxed, not so much tension. Loose and free. :-) ...Bob

[sharpfocus]

More open is what I was trying to say. ...Bob

[BLINN]

Went to visit your site, Nice images.