Senior Picture Question

I've been asked to do senior pictures for a customer, but they want it done in their backyard incorporating what is apparently some amazing landscaping, flower gardens, etc...

I'm curious what everyone thinks about having such a potential busy background or for-ground within these portraits. Generally less is more as far as backgrounds for portraits, and I've seen lots of bad portraits because of the 'clutter' around the subject. This is my concern trying to use a lot of landscaping within the shots. ...at this point I'm planning on just using the background(s) as blurred color enhancement via wide apertures.

thoughts or does anyone have any examples of good portraits with such an environment?

thanks

Take some with the blurred background and some with a sharper background. Let the customer decide what they like better. Or show them some examples beforehand and explain why you want to do a blurred background.

I agree with DHancock's advice. Customer is king.

Before I got to the end of your paragraph, I thought to myself, "If the landscaping is very colorful, it would be awesome to put a long lens on, step back, and watch the colors fade into bokeh-goodness" (aka "blurred color enhancements via wide apertures" )

From a photographers aesthetic viewpoint, a good portrait will have a nondescript background to focus the viewers centre of attention on the person in the photo.

What your client may be asking for is to not only have a photograph of themself, but to incorporate his/her garden in the picture so that the photo says this is who I am and this is what I am about.

The resulting photo may not be to your preference, but as long as it meets the clients requirements, you've done your job.

Back up.... With a wider angle lens (than typically used for portriats), till the landscaping is a pleasing size and location in the frame in relation to your subject.

In other words use your lens to control the perspective.

Sorry I have no examples, But I seen some amazing photo's recently in a studio window that inspired me to work on enviromental portriats by employing perspective.

poloman wrote in post #6044638
I agree with DHancock's advice. Customer is king.

Absolutely! You give them exactly what they ask for, until they don't like the result -- in which case it is all your fault.

coleygm wrote in post #6044485
I've been asked to do senior pictures for a customer, but they want it done in their backyard incorporating what is apparently some amazing landscaping, flower gardens, etc...

I'm curious what everyone thinks about having such a potential busy background or for-ground within these portraits. Generally less is more as far as backgrounds for portraits, and I've seen lots of bad portraits because of the 'clutter' around the subject. This is my concern trying to use a lot of landscaping within the shots. ...at this point I'm planning on just using the background(s) as blurred color enhancement via wide apertures.

thoughts or does anyone have any examples of good portraits with such an environment?

thanks

Get paid in advance.

20droger....The OP was advised to do some shots the way he wanted and some the way the customer wanted. Isn't this a safe road?
Getting paid for the shooting time is always a good idea.

I write for a living. Technical stuff. My "boss" tells me what to write about. That's as it should be. But the day he tels me how to write is the day we part company.

After all, he pays me for my talent and expertise; not for my ability to take dictation. He well knows that I am a much better writer than he is, or ever will be.

The same applies to photography. The customer should dictate what to photograph, not how to photograph it.

My opinion, take it or leave it.

Your opinion is gold to me.
I think your a little edgy but that's my opinion.

I think portriats including the landscape was the "what" not the "how".

But a big part of the puzzle is missing...Is this amazing lanscaping small colorful flowerbeds or large expansive gardens, Kinda hard to discerne how to shoot it without knowing what it is or on what scale.

poloman wrote in post #6051582
Your opinion is gold to me.
I think your a little edgy but that's my opinion.

EDGY!!! HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF BEING EDGY!!!

Of course I'm a bit edgy. One grows tires after many decades of the same old BS, and I've lived long enough to have waded through enough to fertilize then entire Great Plains, Canada included.