My first post! Beach portraits (Part 1)

[Noelle8818]

Hello, my name is Cammi, I am a photographer wannabee. My goal is to one day be a professional. At this point I haven't had any training; I know nothing about lighting, metering, etc. I hope to learn tips and tricks on this site, and hope to take courses to learn more! Below are some portraits I took at the beach this summer. I have photoshopped a few, but I did them super fast, and realize they are flawed. I would appreciate CC on the other aspects of the portraits.

Thank you everyone!
Cammi
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b92/CammiNoelle/IMG_5824bw.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b92/CammiNoelle/IMG_5808sepia.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b92/CammiNoelle/IMG_5501bwphotocopy.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b92/CammiNoelle/IMG_5480bwphotoshopcopy.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b92/CammiNoelle/IMG_5235sepia.jpg

[xiphoid]

That last one is priceless.

Welcome!

[xiphoid]

That last one is priceless.

Welcome!

[Stevie@JC]

Nice shots espically number 4 an welcome to POTN

[PeaPicker]

Last one is great.
Welcome. :)

[bdj3]

gotta like #4!

[Greg_C]

love that last one.

[adam*]

I will agree with the rest, that last shot is great.

[OzScot]

Yip the last one is superb...

Ben

[PEACHMAN]

You have a wonderful eye for composition and what makes a pleasing photo..the technichal aspect will easily follow for you....welcome aboard ! I look foward to seeing your progress..These are all nice shots,,,but as has been said the last is a winner!

[kevbailey]

Welcome Cammi. Wow, you are off to a wonderful start. You obviosly have some wonderful talent in this. I think you will find this forum extremely beneficial.

I am by no means a professional, but this is my opinion of what I would try to do.

1st shot- it looks just a little flat. you might try working with the levels to give it some pop.
2nd shot- for some reason she looks a tad out of focus, but I have a feeling it is simply in the reduction of the file size, as he looks sharp and their distance is the same.
3rd shot- I feel that it could benefit from both eyes being in focus. close down your apeture 1 stop and that would take care of that. Love the blue eyes!
4th shot- same as 3rd, or if one eye is to be in focus I believe it would be a stronger image if it were the other eye since it's the closest and the first place my eyes went.
5th shot- this is far better than anything I've done!

[Falkon]

Last one is a keeper.

[Redfish]

last one ismy favorite

[Noelle8818]

Thank you everyone for the nice comments, and suggestions. I actually just signed up for a Digital Photography course about 10 minutes ago, and I hope to learn a lot more about aperture and other technical aspects. Keep the suggestions coming!

[kenwood33]

The last one is very well done - try to take the same girls same post same beach when they grow up.

[Chris71]

All of them are nice, but I have to put in another vote for the last one.

[LBaldwin]

Noelle,

You are quiickly going to become an excellent photographer. I have a better idea than classes. Go and find a local pro whose portrait work you admire and show him these. Make some nice 8x prints and put them into a simple album or even an expensive portfolio. Ask him or her if you can assist - for free at first if need be. If you really like them you may have to bug them to get them to teach you. But even if you have to schelep gear, pull weeds our front or paint the studio, you will learn 100x more stuff assisting a local pro

You have started to develope an eye. That cannot be taught, but it can be shaped, formed and pounded into your style.

Image number 5 is off of the hook and a very saleable image and to the correct buyer could be worth some serious change. You do not know who the kids are do you, if so get a models release from each ones parent. Give copies in trade and send in copies to the copyright office and get it stamped copyright from the get go. NEVER EVER SELL YOUR COPYRIGHTS!!!!! Its your future, and it is looking at the images above, like money in the bank.

Good luck,

Les Baldwin
http://www.portfolios.com/profile.html?MyUrl=14627.baldwin

[Titus213]

Cammi - you have an eye for a picture and that's one of the hardest things to accomplish. The technical aspects can be taught and the camera helps a lot here. But composition and framing is an art that generally takes a while to conquer. You seem to have already done that. All your images show the artistic eye IMO. The last one just hit the exposures, contrasts, etc too.

[grego]

#1. The background, is not that appealing, and you are in shade, so you are getting a lot of shadows. Depending upon what mode you are using and how you metered with the camera, that can affect the shot.

#2. The focus is soft. Use a bigger aperture like f/5.6 or smaller when doing group shots.

#4 - the focus is off on there. Maybe your min focusing distance isn't that good with the lens or maybe the focus was just off. Would be something worth trying again though.

#3 and 5 are fine. Look at what you did right there and try to apply some of that too what you do in the future. :) Keep shooting, and you will continue to improve. And ask questions! Many talented photographers on this board.

Also look at this, because its packed full of information.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=42034

[kennys350d]

last one take it all hands down. "friends forever" ya know. i like that

[Jubilee32]

I like the first though it is a bit close-cropped. They will enjoy having it.

The last is best - lots of fun at the beach

[Jubilee32]

I like the first though it is a bit close-cropped. They will enjoy having it.

The last is best - lots of fun at the beach

[g-money]

Welcome, The last shot is awsome!!!! Love it :D


Greg

[Curtis N]

#2. The focus is soft. Use a bigger aperture like f/5.6 or smaller when doing group shots.Huh?
Maybe grego meant a larger f/ number, which means a smaller aperture.

But I think you just missed focus on that one. Sometimes the camera will focus on something in the background. Be sure to select your focus point carefully.

You'll find that people either love or hate selective coloring (blue eyes in a black&white image). I'm in the latter category.

The last one is a one-in-a-million shot! Great work!

[Noelle8818]

Thank you Les! I actually did email a few photographers in my area, and have a meeting to meet with a lady next week. I would love to be able to learn hands on. I learn much better that way.

THe children in the pictures are my own, and my nieces. So far I have only done pictures for my family. Thank you for the copyright tips.


Noelle,

You are quiickly going to become an excellent photographer. I have a better idea than classes. Go and find a local pro whose portrait work you admire and show him these. Make some nice 8x prints and put them into a simple album or even an expensive portfolio. Ask him or her if you can assist - for free at first if need be. If you really like them you may have to bug them to get them to teach you. But even if you have to schelep gear, pull weeds our front or paint the studio, you will learn 100x more stuff assisting a local pro

You have started to develope an eye. That cannot be taught, but it can be shaped, formed and pounded into your style.

Image number 5 is off of the hook and a very saleable image and to the correct buyer could be worth some serious change. You do not know who the kids are do you, if so get a models release from each ones parent. Give copies in trade and send in copies to the copyright office and get it stamped copyright from the get go. NEVER EVER SELL YOUR COPYRIGHTS!!!!! Its your future, and it is looking at the images above, like money in the bank.

Good luck,

Les Baldwin
http://www.portfolios.com/profile.html?MyUrl=14627.baldwin

[Noelle8818]

The last one is very well done - try to take the same girls same post same beach when they grow up.

What a great idea!

[Maureen Souza]

Welcome, Cammi! Hope you enjoy your time here on the forum. Nice photos...I also love the last one.

[Benandbobbi]

Welcome aboard!!

Here are my thoughts:

1. A bit soft. Consider using a fill flash and a larger F stop.
2. Nice, just out of focus a tad
3. I'm not a big fan of mixing color and B/W, but that's just me.
4. Same as 3.
5. Really nice. If I were to be critical (perhaps overly) I would suggest that you might
have captured more reflection in the sand and sky in the pic. But that is really picky. The photo
is good enough to sell as is.

Good job!

[Jamie Holladay]

The last one is AWESOME. And welcome to POTN!

[mycelestialdream]

I love the last 3 pics the most!

[ijohnson]

Welcome Cammi. Wow, you are off to a wonderful start. You obviosly have some wonderful talent in this. I think you will find this forum extremely beneficial.

I am by no means a professional, but this is my opinion of what I would try to do.

1st shot- it looks just a little flat. you might try working with the levels to give it some pop.
2nd shot- for some reason she looks a tad out of focus, but I have a feeling it is simply in the reduction of the file size, as he looks sharp and their distance is the same.
3rd shot- I feel that it could benefit from both eyes being in focus. close down your apeture 1 stop and that would take care of that. Love the blue eyes!
4th shot- same as 3rd, or if one eye is to be in focus I believe it would be a stronger image if it were the other eye since it's the closest and the first place my eyes went.
5th shot- this is far better than anything I've done!

I'd waste my time writing but this reflect my opinions to the letter.

The last one really is great.

[seeker]

the last shot is my favorite it's precious!

[grego]

Huh?
Maybe grego meant a larger f/ number, which means a smaller aperture.

But I think you just missed focus on that one. Sometimes the camera will focus on something in the background. Be sure to select your focus point carefully.

You'll find that people either love or hate selective coloring (blue eyes in a black&white image). I'm in the latter category.

The last one is a one-in-a-million shot! Great work!

Holy crap. Yeah, wow, I mixed that up. Use a smaller aperture(bigger number). :lol: Whoops, I got caught with my pants down. :p

[islandphoto]

you could sell the last one for sure... Pretty damn good for a supposed amature!

[michael_]

wow the last one could be used in an ad campaign for something like

"Friends forever"

awesome photo was it staged?

[michael_]

last one take it all hands down. "friends forever" ya know. i like that

haha i didnt read the comments and you said exactly what i thought :P

[song4themoon]

The last one is awesome.. would prefer in b&w though

[StellerCrys]

I don't think its been mentioned yet but in the first picture, you might have tried bringing her hand down a bit on his chest, being so high by her face makes it look a bit awkward and unnatural. Also in the second photo you might want to try having her hand (HER left) resting on his knee for the same reasons as above.

Other than that everyone has pretty much covered the rest, and like the others that last shot is TOP NOTCH!

Did you set them up like that or did they do it on there own?

Good work, and keep shooting and you will become great!

[Noelle8818]

It was definately staged. HAHA. The twins mom just told them both to put their arms around my daughter, and much everyones surprise,(they are all only two years old) they did! I also have a few of them hugging and kissing, but this was my favorite by far.



Did you set them up like that or did they do it on there own?