First shoot with SLR...paying shoot tomorrow...CC PLEASE!

Got to practice with my nephews Sony Alpha 390 today. Im using to shoot my nephew's engagement pics tomorrow...please let me know if you think these are decent!

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/54840150@N02/5​082078007/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/54840150@N02/5​082079631/

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IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/54840150@N02/5​082162291/

Honestly? You don't seem ready for a paid shoot. These are fine in terms of focus, and in terms of being snapshots.

1. Crop doesn't look intentional nor standardized, kinda yellow tinted, face could be brighter, lacks color pop.
2. Background is blown, distracts from foreground, which is also not well lit. Could use fill flash or some post processing work to brighten foreground. Crop again, doesn't look that great, with subject in direct center.
3. not the best black and white conversion. kind of too gray, with no bright spots. GAP logo is too prominent. Hands are cut off.
4. Hand and hat are cut off. Similar backlit issue (though not as bad as before). Kid looks like a GAP ad, and isn't looking at the camera or something significant.

Tonality of face looks flat in most of the photos--particularly the first. This is due mostly to the use of direct flash. I think, though, that composition is the weakest aspect of these images--they seem a little too tight and, as lookingforaname points out, there are hands and other bits clipped off carelessly.

Here's a q. that might help out: did you crop the images mostly in post or in camera ? If in camera, I'd recommend shooting wider than you feel is right and leave yourself room to crop.

melissaandkris wrote in post #11098824

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/54840150@N02/5​082162291/
ryan4 by mmcneesephotography, on Flickr

Just a little quicky to show you how I personally would have liked this one to be cropped and also a quick "pop" from the 'shop.' =)

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JCOphoto wrote in post #11110416
Just a little quicky to show you how I personally would have liked this one to be cropped and also a quick "pop" from the 'shop.' =)

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Honestly this crop/pop looks worse.



As far as for the OP, your first time using an SLR, and then you have a paid shoot? I'm not going to try and discourage you, but I'd take more time and learn.

I agree, these look like snapshots. The pop and crop above looks pretty bad too. I have dont about 7 shoots and none of were paid shoots since I consider all of my work mediocre and am still trying to develop a style of my own. I would do a few more shoots before I take a paid gig if I were you. Im not saying your work is terrible because its pretty good if its your forst time using a DSLR.

Nick VanGorder wrote in post #11118729
Honestly this crop/pop looks worse.

How is it worse? It puts more focus on the face. The original was off kilter. It was cropped too close. Cropping closer to the face was all I could do. One can't anti-crop. Plus it also takes away most of the giant GAP advertising. lol.
As for the 'pop,' that was a quick step. It came out a little too bright and such, but the point was that the original was flat and boring, and just needed something else. (It probably would have looked better in B&W.)

The composition in the first place wasn't too good, so cropping it makes it even worse. And the pop just doesn't go good with kids. Too saturated and from my eyes just doesn't look good. Im not trying to offend you, just don't appeal to me.

Nick VanGorder wrote in post #11118729
Honestly this crop/pop looks worse.

I agree. Contrast is way too stark in the crop/pop edit, making for black eyes and black lips.

Since the original poster has Image Editing Ok checked I done a super quick and dirty edit of one of the shots. Here's the direction I'd go in with the shot I played with, but would spend more time on correcting colors and tonal values of the other edits for a serious web or print version.

Here's my quick & dirty (right side is mine, of course...) side by side with the originally posted file.

Chris P. wrote in post #11122525
Since the original poster has Image Editing Ok checked I done a super quick and dirty edit of one of the shots. Here's the direction I'd go in with the shot I played with, but would spend more time on correcting colors and tonal values of the other edits for a serious web or print version.

Here's my quick & dirty (right side is mine, of course...) side by side with the originally posted file.

i think the positioning of the head in that picture is just odd - thus making the editing not really help the picture.

as someone pointed out earlier, the GAP logo on the black n white picture really seems to pop out at me instead of the boy.

ps. I really hope these don't discourage you from posting on the forum for critiques/comments. [I'm horrible with portrait shots too, usually stick to nature]

Please dont charge them and take the time to learn your camera more. Give them a free shoot so that its practice for you and not a disappointment to them. Ive been using my camera for almost two years and RARELY do paid shoots. But these look like something I would take with my point and shoot camera.