My 2nd try at portraits - am I getting any better?

[DVC Jen]

I took both girls out yesterday and took some more photos. This time I took them mostly of Kylie my oldest (the one who I am hoping to take the senior pics of). I also took some of them together.

Here is link to Kylie's gallery Kylie

Here are my favorites of the ones I took of Kylie

here is another I took of Emily that I really like

And both girls together...

So have I improved at all? I focused on the eyes - tried to come up with poses that are something different and watched so my backgrounds weren't too busy. This time I paid attention to exposure as well.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Ideas?

 

[jann1033]

not trying to be a pain( just my nature ) but i really like the red background with the black lines but wondering if you could take it on an angle so the lines were more diagonal and the one didn't run through the back of her head..my first thought was that would be a really nice background if the lines weren't up and down..not asking for much huh)

i also really like the emily on step one

i like the 2 girls sitting on steps and the sign one( very nice for senior pics) if you could just tighten up a bit? i like the 2 girls on the concrete step setting but think the "here's my butt" angle is not the most flattering so maybe if you could get lower and just take the head to arms? i like the one with the shallower dof in your link as well.

i like the creative backgrounds though, very nice job , i really love that red with the black lines

 

[DVC Jen]

I agree with you about the lines on the red. That was a recessed doorway and the only part of it that was not in a dark shadow. I was standing out side the doorway - to the side kinda leaning over so my shadow didn't fall across her and I was still able to take the photo - it was very awkward. I would like to try it again with the sun at a different angle and see if I can get it so the lines are not cutting behind her head. I also agree with the "here's my butt" thing. I hadn't even looked at it that way - but I can see what you mean. That is one thing about posting the pics here - I get a different perspective. Sometimes I agree - like with what you have said - sometimes I don't and I am just quiet.

I took about 20 shots on the sign - ones with her standing and sitting - and that was the best I got. Maybe it I try it with a wider angle lens? With the lens I used that was the tightest I could get it.

Thanks for your honest thoughts and opinions Jann - and don't worry about being a "pain" I am well known for being a "pain" myself.

 

[boBQuincy]

>So have I improved at all?

Yep, I see a lot more attention to backgrounds, and that's not easy to remember when working with people. Good work!

I like to keep everything but the subject out of focus (It's a personal preference) and would slightly blur most of the backgrounds, like the front step on Emily's photo. It helps guide the eyes to the subject.

From the few portraits I have done I sometimes like some of the "glow" filters & actions, like those at atncentral.

 

[jann1033]

could you just crop about 1/2 the brick parts out on each side and look closer and a little less busy? if you zoomed in much more you'd lose her feet. i don't know how much if any more distance you could put between her and the sign still be able to read the sign but maybe that would give you more room at her feet and you could cut the top and sides off more?

 

[Lachesis00]

I really like them. Except there seems to be a lot of red/yellow (maybe it is just me?) in the skin tones. Are their faces normally that color?

 

[DVC Jen]

I really like them. Except there seems to be a lot of red/yellow (maybe it is just me?) in the skin tones. Are their faces normally that color?

I noticed that too - not sure if it is from the lighting or the clothes they were wearing (especially Emily - or even the red hair gel she put in her hair )

I am sure I could play with them in photoshop more than I did and take that out.

 

[boBQuincy]

Jen,

I hope you don't mind my editing, here is a light (50%) application of one if the actions I sometimes use, "glamblur".

I might try some of that red hair gel, mine's getting kinda' gray and could use a little sparkle.

 

[0bli0]

you might experiment with some separation from the background. at the distances you're shooting from the subject, you're going to need to shoot around f/2 to give you some separation. if you move the subject away you can typically have it fall out of the depth of field.

in the case of the brick photo, instead of the space behind Kylie, try putting the space in front of her (it then looks less like she's trying to walk away out of the photo).

i like the red background shot. i'd love it more if her eyes were on the camera i don't mind the black line that goes behind the head as it is a nice frame.

the next time you're taking shots of Emily, try saying something like 'can you stop smiling? i really want to make it look like you don't want to be here...' (or threaten to give the photos to a boy). it might get her to smile. i'm constantly having to do that with my kids.

the first shot on the stairs is nice - i like the contrast with the bright colour and the stairs. you might try getting closer on the second two stairs shots

the best thing you can do is practice and hopefully the girls accommodate your efforts. alternatively, you can pick on some friends or a random neighbor.

what kinds of photos are you looking to take? so often when parents come to me, they want photos of how they think they should have a photo taken. but the ones that they typically buy are the ones that show off their personalities. that is usually exhibited by the face, not the body.

(link instead of photo)
(sorry for posting a photo in your thread but i wanted to use it as an example) this photo is technically breaking lots of rules, but we love it for so many reasons. you might try getting the girls close together on the stairs again.

edit: duh i forgot you're looking to take a senior portrait (it's been a long week already...) i still think you can get a bit closer but you're definitely coming along well. a few more trys and you'll i think be there.

 

[tinksdad]

I can see real improvement!! There is SOOOO much to think about in preparation for a shot. I like the fourth shot a lot!! The second one could have have look better if the lines were aligned in the top right thirds area and her face was in the bottom left thirds area, or like jann mentioned, just turn the camera to change the lines.

I see the reddish tint to the pictures as well. What kind of camera is this? Is it set up for a more "vivid" or enhanced color saturation? That works ok in landscape photos, but not in portraits.

Keep up the good work!!

 

[jann1033]

i forget what camera you have as well but in the canon raw converter there is a nice portrait feature that slightly sharpens but softens somehow ( digital photo pro or something like that)..i am thinking maybe other raw converters would have something similar

 

[DVC Jen]

0bli0 - the shot of Kylie where she is "walking out of the photo" was done intentionally - out of curiousity after taking several with the space in front of her. I totally understand what you are saying. If I have time I will post the ones with the space like you mentioned.

I love the - stop smiling I don't want it to look like you want to be here remark. Emily is a handful - a huge challenge for me (we are way too much alike). I will try that on her next time and see if it works or if I get the normal eyeroll.

The one of Kylie with the red - where her eyes are not focused on the camera - maybe one of you will have a suggestion. She normally wears glasses and her right eye has a tendency to be lazy when she doesn't have the glasses on. If she is wearing them I get the glare from the glasses. That is why I had her looking where she was - her eye was cooperating there. Does anyone have any suggestions for getting a slightly lazy eye to focus where you want it to without having glasses on?

I saw a shot of a girl lying on the steps on a pros senior photo gallery - and now that I am thinking about it he was much closer than I was. I will have to retake that shot and get closer. Maybe even sit on the top stair or lay down on my stomach to take the shot.

I am not looking to take anything formal - we are very laid back casual people and Kylie is especially laid back. I want something that like you said captures her personality - which has a tendency to be pretty serious. I think if I get her all dressed up and use some formal backgrounds or props it is just not going to be HER.

I do want to take some shots of her with our dogs. She is a huge animal lover and I am hoping it will help her relax. She is so shy and reserved - it is hard to draw her out of her shell to get photos. Emily fights me, but I know when we get started she does get into it a lot more than Kylie does.

Jann - I see what you mean about the high school sign and not having so much brick on the side. I will try that.

Thanks everyone. I am having a blast practicing and with all of your suggestions and advice I am only going to get better ( I hope).

 

[DVC Jen]

Jann I have the canon rebel XTi and used the zoon browser ex to convert the photos. I do also have the digital photo professional software but haven't tried it to convert from raw to tiff. The zoom browser is what automatically pops up so that is what I use. I will have to check out the other program.

I shot the photos with the portrait mode - not landscape. I didn't do anything to change the colors in these - maybe I should - with photoshop - take out some red and see what happens. When I have done that in the past I noticed they seemed to be really blue.

Kylie does have a pretty ruddy skin tone - but Emily has more of an olive skin tone. So I am not sure what is going on.

Strange thing - I printed the photos out using my new canon printer and they didn't have that red tone to them when they printed. Any ideas why they would look that way here for everyone but print OK?

 

[Miss Kelly]

Wow. Your doing great. Your youngest daughter is quite the poser. Oldest one is a bit reserved from what I can tell. Here is my take on 2 photographs. I hope you don't mind.

 

[DVC Jen]

Wow. Your doing great. Your youngest daughter is quite the poser. Oldest one is a bit reserved from what I can tell. Here is my take on 2 photographs. I hope you don't mind.

LOL Emily is a "ham" - after she gets over the whole "I am way too cool to be out hanging with my MOTHER and letting her take pics of me" thing. Kylie is very shy, reserved, serious, self concious. I wish she had more of the confidence Emily has... she will get it though. She is a lot like her Dad - he was a late bloomer and I think she is as well.

I really like the photo of Kylie in black and white. I didn't even think about converting that one. Great idea.

 

[fitzperry]

I love the - stop smiling I don't want it to look like you want to be here remark. Emily is a handful - a huge challenge for me (we are way too much alike). I will try that on her next time and see if it works or if I get the normal eyeroll.

Your girls are quite a bit older than mine, but one thing that often works for me is to tell them to laugh. You'd probably get the eyeroll, but if you could get them going, it might relax them. My dd's start in with these huge fake cackles, but I'm usually able to capture some natural looking smiles in between the guffaws. I like the idea of getting some pics with your dogs too. You can see in the photos that Kylie is self-conscious. It would be nice if that would help her to relax.

 

[jann1033]

i think it's nice you can do what ever you want with these and just forget about the "normal" senior shots. and if Kylie is self conscious to begin with she'd probably be even more so with a stranger taking them

 

[donaldduck1967]

I like this set better then the 1st set. Great job.

 

[manning]

Background is important in portrait pictures. You don't want the background to detract from the main subject.

Below is your original picture and the one I altered the background using adobe photo elements to show you how it changes the focus of the picture.