Author Photo Shoot. Please Critique

My mom is writing a couple kids books and she was needing some author pictures for the inside back cover. How are these? Help with posing. I didn't really have any posing tables. She has a great smile. Just was a little stiff when trying to pose her in different ways. I was trying to go for fun and whimsical, Not very stiff pictures as this is for kids books. C+C please.

These are not edited down. Some slight work on two of them.

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two more

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In the first one, I would crop it differently as you are cropping through the top of her hand. On the second you are slightly above her, which puts her in a submissive position to the viewer, you lose intimacy that way. I think if you are going for traditional headshots you want to crop tighter, but if you want something more relaxed you might want a different pose. These, while good shots, seem sort of caught in between to me.

I think you're off to a good start, but maybe you can try a few different things. As gonzo suggested, try some tighter head shots. I'd also suggest using short lighting. Maybe try a few with her sitting at her writing desk working on a book or reading a book she finished. Just try to put her in an environment that's more comfortable for her that also works for photography.

To loosen her up, try talking about some happy old times from your childhood or ask her about some of her favorite stories she's written. Then try to capture her natural smile. Maybe stick with a more natural makeup and PP style, too. Since these are publicity shots, you want her to look more personable and less "glamour".

You have the tools and skills to do this, just need to tweak a few things to get them all to work together. Looking forward to seeing the results.

Sleeveless shots tend to make a person’s arms look much larger then in real life; great if you have an athletic figure, not so much as nature and age take their effects. Clothing choice needs to enhance her radiant hair and draw the viewer into her eyes; darker colored conservative dress style, with minimal jewelry lend to better book cover shots, as you want the viewer to remember her face, not what she is wearing.

Of the shots taken I like the 2nd the best.