My first family portrait shoot...Critique please :)

Hi everyone! I'm hoping for some comments and constructive criticism on my first family shoot. I have been working on my portfolio and this lovely family volunteered to be my first subjects!

Here is the link to the pictures on my flickr:
http://www.flickr.com …r/sets/72157626​578685387/

Thank you for any comments and taking the time to look!

~Samantha

The pictures look pretty good. The pictures of just the little girl are very cute. I'm just going to make a few general comments because there are to many pictures to go through each.

1.) I would suggest using some fill flash to help with lightening up the faces when its a group.
2.) Watch your cropping, in some pictures you cut off elbows and half of hands
3.) Focus is pretty good overall, there are a few that the face seems OOF though.

Are you using any post processing because in some of the pictures the childs dress really pops with color but in some it seems very muted. Do you mind sharing you lens setup and what mode you used on your camera.

Hello,

Thank you for your comments. The family were really fun to shoot, but the little girl was so curious and impatient she would barely sit still with her parents for one picture. However, I felt it worked out brilliantly for some candid images of the girl alone.

I use Adobe Lightroom to PP. I used the adjustment brush to target the little girl's dress in some of the images. I should maybe have been more consistent with this adjustment in the pictures but I only used it in the images I thought would benefit from the 'pop'.

At the moment all I have is my Rebel T1i, 18-55mm and the 50mm f/1.8. I have fallen in love with the 50mm and used it for the first time on this shoot. I almost always shoot in Aperture priority mode in daylight. I completely agree with the fill flash, I have yet to invest in a flash and would rather use no flash than my on-camera one.

I am hoping to get a speedlight soon and the 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6.

Thank you again for the comments, much appreciated.

~Samantha

Some thoughts:

1. The compositions themselves are generally fine (and some are excellent...IMG_1711 is terrific), with a few exceptions. For instance, IMG_1700 is a very strange crop where you've forced the father and daughter waaay over to the right, for no apparent reason. I'm all for negative space, but this is overdoing it a bit, I think.

2. You've used selective colour on a few of these. I don't think it's doing your set any favours (it does no one any favours). I'd get rid of it, and forget that you ever heard of the technique.

3. Most of your shots need fill flash, as was mentioned. Lighting is the biggest weakness here. As an example, IMG_2049, IMG_2473, and IMG_1980 could be great with a some off-camera flash and with the background under-exposed by 1.5-2 stops.

4. The processing is inconsistent . You've got some images that look very natural, others that have been desaturated, and others with far too much contrast (even given the lack of fill flash). There's nothing wrong with using different styles, but I would prefer to see a thread of consistency running through your images. In this set, it seems like you were saying "Hmmm, I wonder what this preset will look like??"

5. You've cut off limbs in some of the shots (look at the girls feet in IMG_1832, the father's arm in IMG_1816, the parents arms in IMG_1934, the girls feet in IMG_1983, and others). This can be solved, in most cases, by shooting slightly wider than you'd normally do, and then cropping later.

6. Some of the images are out of focus.

I hope this helps. Some of it is purely subjective, but there are a few things here that I think could really make this set much better.

Edge gave you some great advice and critique and I have nothing to add to it, he (she?) said it well. I WILL say that while there are some technical issues with some of your pics, you have something that CAN'T be taught, and that is your terrific eye for a shot and for composition. The technical side will come and eventually you will fix those things without even consciously being aware that you are. Once the technical stuff becomes second nature to you, and your creative brain is free to do what it is capable of, you will rock your photos. I really think you have a great eye for photography, nice job.

edge100 wrote in post #12446929
Some thoughts:

1. The compositions themselves are generally fine (and some are excellent...IMG_1711 is terrific), with a few exceptions. For instance, IMG_1700 is a very strange crop where you've forced the father and daughter waaay over to the right, for no apparent reason. I'm all for negative space, but this is overdoing it a bit, I think.

2. You've used selective colour on a few of these. I don't think it's doing your set any favours (it does no one any favours). I'd get rid of it, and forget that you ever heard of the technique.

3. Most of your shots need fill flash, as was mentioned. Lighting is the biggest weakness here. As an example, IMG_2049, IMG_2473, and IMG_1980 could be great with a some off-camera flash and with the background under-exposed by 1.5-2 stops.

4. The processing is inconsistent . You've got some images that look very natural, others that have been desaturated, and others with far too much contrast (even given the lack of fill flash). There's nothing wrong with using different styles, but I would prefer to see a thread of consistency running through your images. In this set, it seems like you were saying "Hmmm, I wonder what this preset will look like??"

5. You've cut off limbs in some of the shots (look at the girls feet in IMG_1832, the father's arm in IMG_1816, the parents arms in IMG_1934, the girls feet in IMG_1983, and others). This can be solved, in most cases, by shooting slightly wider than you'd normally do, and then cropping later.

6. Some of the images are out of focus.

I hope this helps. Some of it is purely subjective, but there are a few things here that I think could really make this set much better.

Thank you so much for taking your time to look at the images. You have really helped me.

I have so much to learn about the technical side of photography. I really appreciate all of your comments being so specific. I will know now to keep an eye out for cutting off limbs especially. I think one of my problems was that I was using the 50mm f/1.8...so sometimes when I saw a great expression I would click before moving my feet. All will come in time though! (I hope)

I REALLY need to invest in a fill flash, it's going onto my 'things I HAVE to buy list' as opposed to my 'wish list'! Yes, I have two! I will definitely be working on my PP to become more consistent. I never use a preset though but you are right when you say I think "hmmm what does this need" I need to learn to just leave it. Hopefully with more shoots and more confidence I will be able to do that. I always second guess myself and am a bit of a perfectionist....which usually plays against me!

I understand your thoughts about selective colouring, I always think it can look a little tacky. However, for some reason I really love IMG_1704. I think the simpleness of the toy is beautiful....but of course it is all subjective and I will have a look at it again and maybe change it back.


Thank you again!

~Samantha

suecassidy wrote in post #12447382
Edge gave you some great advice and critique and I have nothing to add to it, he (she?) said it well. I WILL say that while there are some technical issues with some of your pics, you have something that CAN'T be taught, and that is your terrific eye for a shot and for composition. The technical side will come and eventually you will fix those things without even consciously being aware that you are. Once the technical stuff becomes second nature to you, and your creative brain is free to do what it is capable of, you will rock your photos. I really think you have a great eye for photography, nice job.

Wow, thank you for such a wonderful compliment. I know I have so much to learn but it is great to know I am on the right track creatively.

~Samantha

I responded to your other thread as well, so I'll take a crack at these.

1.) Watch your white balance. Some of these have a color cast. Casts are fine depending on the mood you wish to convey, but the key is to be consistent (especially with the same location and time of day, i.e. IMG_1667 and IMG_1696).

2.) It's a minor thing, but renaming the image titles goes a long way. It also helps with the whole "where did the 29 shots between these two images go?" questions.

3.) I agree with the other posters, the selective coloring is overdone.

4.) Watch your composition (chopping off limbs) and focus (the little girl can be a handful, but she's the center of the family and should be your focus, metaphorically and literally, for most of the shots. IMG_2363 is a good example).

5.) Av mode is not the answer to everything, especially if you're new to the technical side of photography and, more specifically, metering. Bear in mind that if the light is not changing, then M mode is far better for maintaining consistency between shots. A lot of these have great poses and good framing, but are a little too underexposed.

6.) Related to the above, shoot in RAW if you aren't already. A good homework assignment is to read up on what a histogram is and how it can help you to judge exposure. This works both when using the camera and in post (Lightroom does this very well). This can help fix shooting errors, although the obvious goal is not to make the errors in the first place.

7.) When shooting people, be careful of backs. Examples include IMG_208 and IMG_2382. A great bit of the emotion is lost in the fact that you can't see the child's face, and it really hurts the shot.

8.) Similarly, EYE CONTACT! IMG_2147 is a great pose at a moderately interesting location, but the lack of the girl's eye contact is, again, hurtful. I know it can be tricky, but there are indeed ways (even so, culling should be the last step).

9.) Watch your backgrounds! Besides the obstructions of her face, the one thing that kills IMG_2225 for me is the big red stripe/wall in the background. By changing that one detail you can completely change the perceived environment. If it's a building in the background, then she's in a garden box in a city. If it's a forest (or blue sky) in the background, then she's free in the countryside. That one little detail can make or break an image. Search "photobomb" in Google for more examples.

10.) Don't be afraid to mix it up from the standard posed shots. IMG_2366 is a good example. Similarly, don't be afraid to go closer. You don't have any close-up headshots, which would help show them as individuals as well as a family.

11.) Break up shots in the series (this also reflects the naming issue) so that things don't feel so familiar. IMG_2385 and IMG_2403 reflect this. The poses are fine, the similar location is what it is, but having the two images right next to each-other leads me to compare them to each-other, and not the series as a whole.

12.) Culling! Trim down what you don't need, what doesn't make the cut, what is duplicate, etc. IMG_2403 is fine, though IMG_2423 is very similar but brighter, in focus, and more expressive.

All of that being said, you have some great images tucked in there. In no particular order, IMG_2570, IMG_1696, IMG_1816, IMG_1934, IMG_1980, IMG_2049, IMG_2458, IMG_2489, and especially IMG_2473 stand out. Keep shooting!

It is really great to get so much feedback and critique. Thank you for such a thorough response!

I agree with all of your comments and will keep them in mind for my next shoot. I am going to write out this list of great advice and read it before my photo shoots and PP. Consistency, lighting, backgrounds and culling!

I hadn't even noticed the lack of close up head shots but you are totally right! A few close-ups would have improved the collection a lot. I am going to rename the images and reduce the number of pictures I have chosen to show on my flickr account.

I am hoping to purchase a flash soon and am looking at the Canon Speedlite 270EX. It is affordable and I can't really invest in anything bigger right now. Is that a good flash for me to start with?

The next shoot I have arranged is with two boys....ages 3 and 6 months! This should be an interesting challenge. I look forward to putting these new tips into action and hopefully getting some nice results.

Thanks again

~Samantha

Glad to help. Personally, I would suggest against the 270EX. One of the great benefits of an external flash is that you can rotate it in order to bounce light off of the walls, essentially creating a large softbox. The 270EX doesn't rotate sideways, and as such makes bouncing very difficult without an ETTL cord and a flash bracket at the very least.

I would recommend saving up for the 430EXII.

Thanks! I will look into that, it isn't too expensive either and would make more sense in the long run to go for the better one.

Samantha

wow great pictures
and everyone gave such good suggestions