help me with my sister.. and skin comp.

[Logan2010]

i have a 7 (soon to be 8 ) year old little sister. i've tried and tried and TRIED to get some good photos of her. as a matter of fact, i've tried to get good photos of people in general, but i can never make them "pop" .. there skin comp is never vibrant and "pop" .. if you get what i mean. i'm using a canon 400D with a 70/200 L and a 430ex flash. i also have my father helping me as an assistant with a gold reflector. ANY advice on outdoor people photography would be greatful. I've read plenty online but i can never seem to get it right. there skin tone is always off and never soft and suttle. heres some from todays shoot.

non edited
1

2

3


i like the 2nd one the best. i think there okay photos.. but like i said i just cant get the subject to "pop" from the photo and really stand out.

heres the same ones but edited (saturation, highlights, color balance, simple border)
1

2

3

(forgot to border this one.)

thanks guys,

Logan Reed

[Logan2010]

nothing?

[egordon99]

They don't look too bad, but it seems like you're shooting in the middle of the day. Photography is ALL about the light. See if you can try to get some shots on either overcast days or about one hour before sundown when the sun isn't as harsh/directly overhead.

[Logan2010]

alright, thanks alot!!

[Logan2010]

yeah, i just read a crap ton about metering and how to properly meter and a whole bunch of stuff...next on the list.. learning about white balance.. i need to stop using awb :P

[Rudeofus]

My impression is that the lighting in the first and third image comes from below (look at the shades! ) and that's why they look a little bit spooky. Since the surroundings are rather dark, her face should be among the brightest parts in the image, especially in the second sample shot.

[GreenEyedLady]

I would also get a refector. I have used these and it makes a differance.

[timbop]

The second shot looks pretty good, and as mentioned the light isn't right in the first. For outdoor portraits, if you HAVE to shoot in midday sun find a semi-shady spot like under a large tree or behind a building. As mentioned, the best light for portraits is early/late when the sun is low and soft, or better yet on a cloudy day. White balance is critical, and I would recommend using "cloudy" WB as a starting point in shady/cloudy spots, and daylight when direct light hits the subject and the sun is low on the horizon. The trick is that you don't want too shady of a spot, nor do you want the reflector or flash to be overpowering. In your first shot, it is providing all the light and being directed from a low angle (making it "spooky"). If you can't find a nice big shade tree during midday, you might also look into a big white diffuser to hold over the subject to soften the light.

[timbop]

Oh, and when under a big shade tree they don't have to be right next to the trunk. I actually prefer to minimize the trunk, and not include it in the shot if I can. Finding a shade tree with a big wide base of shade where you can move the subject away from the trunk (not even having trunk in shot) gives you softer light without them obviously being under a tree.