Preschool portraits

[HoosierJoe]

I posted a similar thread on the people board. Maybe this is a better place. I had the opportunity to do school portraits for a preschool. I used one Genesis monolight and one or two reflectors. Light was with umbrella usually 1/2 power. It was set 45 degrees to right of subject. Reflector placement varied. Everything shot at 100 iso, center metering and focus. Did some pp with contrast, brightness, a slight rbg adjustment. And I made the backdrop.

Here are 2 of the shots that are typical of my results.

What do you think? Anything else I could have done or should do in the future?

[potn_momma2]

The first one looks like the focus is on the book rather than the little girl, and I would have liked to see her whole upper body in the picture rather than her arms being cut off, but other than that the kids looks great and you captured great smiles!
Nice set up

[HoosierJoe]

The first one looks like the focus is on the book rather than the little girl, and I would have liked to see her whole upper body in the picture rather than her arms being cut off, but other than that the kids looks great and you captured great smiles!
Nice set up
Thanks. Not sure what to think about the focus issue. I used the center point for focus and went right between the eyes on both of them. I am starting to think that the book being so colorful is a bit of a distraction. Your eye does go to it. I agree with the crop issue. The raw file is not cropped so I can do something with that.
Thanks.

[Gatorboy]

Thanks. Not sure what to think about the focus issue. I used the center point for focus and went right between the eyes on both of them.

Did you focus and recompose? That would be your problem. I would have selected the more appropriate focus point to not have to recompose.

[HoosierJoe]

Did you focus and recompose? That would be your problem. I would have selected the more appropriate focus point to not have to recompose.
Very possible. I see your point.

[HoosierJoe]

My biggest fan and critic says that these are better selections for that subject. But I like the smile in the first one. Doesn't really matter I think the parents get copies of all 3.

[potn_momma2]

Yeah I like the first one more, I think you can easily fix the focus problem with a bit of sharpening and maybe blur out the book just a touch. The book doesn't distract me a lot, it's just the focus, but I think you captured her smile beautifully.
I did schoolday photography once upon a time ago and trust me I know it's not easy! I think you did a great job

[FocalPrincess]

The second one is great, as are the other poses for the little girl...I'd add just a little more contrast to the little boy though...he looks a tad washed out.

[HoosierJoe]

Thanks for the last 2 suggestions. I took them and did the adjustments. Also did a better crop on the girl. I think these are keepers.

Thanks everyone, you guys are the best!

[kajawhit]

They seem really orange to me? could be my monitor though. If you use selective coloring in PS to bring down the black it will lighten some of those shadows. I played with it for like 5 seconds.
Here is an example.
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i309/kajawhit/blond-girl.jpg

[HoosierJoe]

I looked at her again today and her hair is more yellow than what the picture shows. So you have something there. Your correction looks a bit blue to me, though. But let me see what I can come up with in dpp. Thanks.

[kindollfamilly]

Now I admit I do not know a lot, but all of these pictures seem INCREDIBLY SOFT to me. If it is just me let me know. Again, not to be negative or mean at all. Just a thought.




Brandon

[potn_momma2]

My shot, for what it's worth

312946

[HoosierJoe]

For the person above. I have looked at them at 100% and they look good to me. The one was sharpened as another person suggested I do.

For the above poster, thanks, I think you nailed it. But let me know what you did.

[potn_momma2]

Haha I don't know. I think I whitened her teeth just a tad because the shadows looked yellow to me. I softened part of the picture to make her features look more even, and then I sharpened the image just a touch. I used auto color for the color and then desaturated the picture by about 5 points just to make it look less warm.

I think you nailed it with the picture of the little boy, looks great

[ejay79]

I think my suggestion would be to be conscious of your f-stop on the shots with the head at an angle. If you look at the second in the pair of the girl you posted, it looks like the DOF was just too shallow to get the whole face (both eyes, most importantly) in focus.