Senior Picture help

I decided to try my sisters senior pictures. i dont have a lighting set up, just a 430ex. I live in oregon and the weather isnt very great, but i wanted to share this picture with you guys so you could tell me if its senior picture quality or if it looks to much like a night shot and what i could do differently. These were just test shots. your help would be appriciated.

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I think its a nice picture but not one that looks like a senior pic. Just looks like you took her pic sitting in the park at night.

I agree with the comment above.. I think it's a nice picture, but not senior photo quality.

Try taking a photograph with tighter crop...

And also, put her in a setting that gives her personality. (for instance, if she was in theater or music, put some instruments in the background or have her sitting on the steps of the theater or what not)... **sorry i can't really elaborate that well. but i hope you get what i mean.

I like SEANNANA's comment about a "personality setting"!

I agree that this picture isn't quite senior picture quality. I would recommend shooting it vertically! while there is no official rule about it, and it could just be my personal preference, but i find portraits are 99% better when taken vertically (given there are few people in the shot of course)

I would try shooting in the day time as well. I know the sun is HARSH when it comes to lighting, so maybe shoot during sunrise or sunset. And because it is a senior picture, i feel the subject should be bigger (closer shot with less legs to show her pretty face and smile)

Just offering my $.02
nice work!

What does your sister do? What did she do in High School that is important to her? These should be elements of the portrait. Now then, if she did a lot of child development work, or volunteered at a child development center, or spent a lot of time with kids in a playgound, then this setting might work. In which case, including some small kids might be in order?

Get better light. Sunrise, sunset when the light is soft is best. You can use your flash for fill, if necessary.

Square on pictures lack anything approximating pop. And, they tend to make the model look short, squat, fat... Think about angling the body to the camera with the face/eyes looking in the camera's direction.

I have several free tutorials on lighting, posing and also the rules of portraiture at http://www.photocamel.​com/index.php/topic,16​842.0.html

Benji

Thanks for the link and thanks for all the help guys. I think this will help a lot.