Learned the hard way - and others here with more experience will add / override this, but FWIW
-Get light up into the eyes; flash = yes even outdoors
-Do not shoot in harsh daylight (if you can avoid it)
-Watch your background clutter; if you don't, you'll end up removing it by hand
- Watch your foreground clutter (photo 1 below; a real error)
-Don't allow black and white in the same group, if you can avoid it
-Focal length - fill the frame, shoot at a sharp aperture, get close enough for the flash to fill effectively (see: fill flash on POTN)
-Tip from Scott Kelby's book -- Have them close their eyes, tell them to open when you count to three, count to three, pause, shoot. (That actually works)
- Goal is to get all eyes open, get a good exposure in the field. Can't imagine zero PP.
One of these tips requires some explanation (or it would have for me) -- Background clutter includes things which "grow out of the subject" visually, like the picture frame at center and what happens to be the paying client's head; foreground clutter is just a setup error on our part (inexperienced):
| HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO |
Other clutter includes this red truck, at right:
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Here they are removed.
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EXIF:
http://midnightblue.smugmug.com …exif.mg?ImageID=168044306
Note the difference in framing with a crop as well vs. the above work step.EXIF:
http://midnightblue.smugmug.com …exif.mg?ImageID=186148028 A note on post-processing, which
may help you. In these shots we had an aperture set up for capturing a sharp shot front-to-back on the subjects. In post-processing, we adjusted background for blur, and were selective about sharpening and dodge/burn, with masks.
As you can see, we did not control what they were wearing. That was a problem with the black/white same photo. (The family selected it prior to our arrival, but another NOOB error.)
As I said, FWIW, and it is probably worth what you just paid for it. Yet, I hope it helps you.
EDIT: Before we go to do another outdoor shoot, we'll have a couple of inexpensive reflectors to use for lighting the subjects. Consider that as a possibility.
