graduation announcements (C&C please)

[Mandi]

So this was my first job. These are for his Senior (college) graduation announcements. I didn't want to do night shots, but that was the only time our schedules worked.

How can these be better? Don't hold back on the critiques :)

thanks!

[Chris71]

The only thing I see that I don't like, is the shadows. Were you using an on camera flash?
The first one looks like you turned the camera, with a mounted flash, to portrait orientation causing the shadow to cast to the side of the subject.
The second one looks like it was taken in landscape orientation with the shadow being cast behind the subject.
The only ways to get rid of the shadows are to 1- move the subject away from the background, or 2- get a camera flip bracket to keep the flash above the lens while in portrait orientation.
Other than that, if you like the shadows, I don't see anything wrong with them.

[Mandi]

The only thing I see that I don't like, is the shadows. Were you using an on camera flash?
The first one looks like you turned the camera, with a mounted flash, to portrait orientation causing the shadow to cast to the side of the subject.
The second one looks like it was taken in landscape orientation with the shadow being cast behind the subject.
The only ways to get rid of the shadows are to 1- move the subject away from the background, or 2- get a camera flip bracket to keep the flash above the lens while in portrait orientation.
Other than that, if you like the shadows, I don't see anything wrong with them.

thanks... yeah my lighting situation was horrible. The first I just used some garden lights that were already there, and the second is with the on-camera flash.

[flyfisher x]

The first one works for me even with the background shadows. The overall lighting of the shot allows for it.

The second one is interesting....although the neck and cheek areas appear to be slightly blown and the crop of the top of the head is a little much.