# Family Shots



## Big Mike (Feb 20, 2008)

Family shots, what do you think?


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## Offbeat (Feb 20, 2008)

I like them all, 4 and 5 are my favourites though. Bet it was a pain to get all the kids to stay still!


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## JimmyJaceyMom (Feb 20, 2008)

Oh can I ask what aperture you used for the big group shot? I'm wondering how small you had to go to get them all in focus. I love the last one, so cute.  The only thing I noticed is that in the third one her foot is missing. I am bored tonight and I see its ok to edit so I played if that is okay with another crop. I hope that is ok. Nice pose and I love her clothing colors. 


EDITED TO SAY:  I don't know why this is so obnoxiously large - I did resize it to message board in photobucket - whoa sorry!


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## MichaelT (Feb 20, 2008)

Looks like a fun group!

I'd suggest a couple things on the group portrait:

1. Have a clothing consultation before the session.  It's not bad, but the guy with the stripes really jumps out.  (Why do heavy people always wear horizontal stripes?  It drives me nuts.)  Or you can try hiding the offending clothing inside the group instead of having them on the outside.

2. Try grouping the family by relationships.  It's not real clear who is related to who in this setup, like who are the parents of which kids, and who is married to who.

3. Could you get any further back?  It just feels cramped.

(ok, more than a couple...)

4. Try to avoid having two heads directly over each other.  Heads arranged in triangles relax the posing.

5. You have a real nice rear kicker light in #2 and 3.  You should use that in the large group also to separate the guys from the background.

The smaller groups are nice.  No problems there.  Larger groups are more difficult to arrange in a comfortable, relaxed pose that looks natural.  But there is huge money in family portraiture.  I'll bet the family spent most of their money on the group portrait.  True?


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## Big Mike (Feb 21, 2008)

Thanks for the comments.

Oh, and in case you missed it...this is my family...me included.  :er:



> Bet it was a pain to get all the kids to stay still!


You know it!



> Oh can I ask what aperture you used for the big group shot?


I don't remember off hand, but it was most likely F8 or smaller.  I usually shoot around F8 when using studio lights, unless I want more or less DOF.



> 1. Have a clothing consultation before the session. It's not bad, but the guy with the stripes really jumps out. (Why do heavy people always wear horizontal stripes? It drives me nuts.) Or you can try hiding the offending clothing inside the group instead of having them on the outside.


I did try to get them all wearing similar colors/tones...it was pretty close, so I'll call it good enough.  And that's me in the striped shirt :er: Sorry, I'm not very fashion conscious.



> 2. Try grouping the family by relationships. It's not real clear who is related to who in this setup, like who are the parents of which kids, and who is married to who.


Good tip.  They are arranged by family...but it woudn't be apparant to someone who didn't know.  My wife & I are in the back.  The two fellows in the back are above their wives (sort of) and my Mom is in the middle with my youngest sister and the 'grand kids' around the bottom...close to their moms.



> 3. Could you get any further back? It just feels cramped.


Shot in a basement.  I already had problems with the edges, so this was as far back as I could get.



> 4. Try to avoid having two heads directly over each other. Heads arranged in triangles relax the posing.


Very good tip.  I knew this...but when it came time for the shot, a lot of the details were thrown out in favor of getting the kids in one place and looking at the camera.



> 5. You have a real nice rear kicker light in #2 and 3. You should use that in the large group also to separate the guys from the background.


Thanks.  I'm pretty sure it was used in the group shot...but was fairly low to the ground and the cramped space didn't help.  



> I'll bet the family spent most of their money on the group portrait. True?


They all loved it...and it was a X-mas gift to them.  I gave my mother an 11x14 framed print of the group.


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## cosmom3 (Feb 21, 2008)

Shooting your own family is really difficult...they usually are not quite that patient and would prefer no suggestions....because well your all related! 

I don't think the stripes are bad, but the color does immediately pop out at me not being in sync with the blacks to your right. With that being said, although it can be distracting I like when everyone brings their own fashion to the table.


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## nicfargo (Feb 21, 2008)

I think having multiple people in black is very tough...because black fades and is very noticeable when next to other blacks.  You're stripped shirt looks on the verge of being brown.  Next time I'd look at buying cheap black polos for everyone so you know they match really well.  That's really the only suggestion I have...FOR NOW! j/k


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## Christie Photo (Feb 21, 2008)

Not bad, Mike!

Congrats on getting 'em all together and looking at the camera.

I'm not happy with the lighting scheme, especially in the second and third.  It's most apparent on the shot of your niece.  See how the shadows fall directly below the brow, nose and lips?  The shadows are pretty deep here too.  Squint your eyes and you can see it better.  Long sleeves would have helped here too.

Mostly, I think what's missing most is a light on the background.  It would have been nice.  I bet there was no room for that.

Otherwise...  good job on the clothing.  Not bad at all considering the number of people.

Good goin', Mike!

-Pete


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## Big Mike (Feb 21, 2008)

Thanks Pete.

The one I'm least happy with is the 3rd one (it's my sister b.t.w.).  I can certainly see that her eyes are in shadow and the lights are too high.  I was pretty much using the same lighting position as with the larger groups (pointed down a little) but she was lying on the floor.  It was sort of an after thought, after all the family shots were done.

Space what tight but I might have been able to put a light on the background.  I've never tried that with a black background...mostly because I'm concentrating on getting it black...not lighting it up.  It's only a sheet...so it doens't look good when it can be seen in the photo.

Thanks for the tips & comments.


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## Christie Photo (Feb 21, 2008)

Big Mike said:


> ...the same lighting position as with the larger groups ...  It was sort of an after thought, after all the family shots were done.



Oh man, I've been there...  especially for a shot tagged on to the end of a session.  I get that "close enough" mentality and kick myself later.


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## ghpham (Feb 21, 2008)

On your first shot, did you set the timer, or do you have a remote trigger? I'm amazed that everybody was looking at the camera, especially the kids without you at the other end, telling them so.  I would say the only thing I don't like is the dark clothing against the dark background as the clothing tend to blend in.  Nice work all around.


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## JIP (Feb 21, 2008)

I like these shots but I agree that you needed something on the background it really looks to me like they were extracted from the background and a black background was added.


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## Big Mike (Feb 21, 2008)

> On your first shot, did you set the timer, or do you have a remote trigger?


It was the timer.  I don't remember how we got all the kids looking...maybe something flashing or some toy.



> I like these shots but I agree that you needed something on the background it really looks to me like they were extracted from the background and a black background was added.


The area was rather small and the light spill didn't allow me to have the black sheet show up as dark as I wanted...so I did some PP work on it.  The downside is that it does tend to look like an extraction.


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## manderb1 (Feb 21, 2008)

nice shots! The little boy to the right has a "tattoo" on his arm, its too cute!


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## SpeedTrap (Feb 21, 2008)

I would like to see a few of them without the photoshopped background, # 2 seems odd to me because she isnt sitting on anything.


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## MichaelT (Feb 21, 2008)

Oh my - there's a good foot-in-mouth for me!    (Still, the shirt?? :thumbdown

Once you shared that it's a timed self-portrait, that makes a huge difference!  Getting the kids to be that good is amazing in itself!  Working with the situation, in that location, it's definately a success.

Did you do one with Grandma and all her grandkids?  That one is always on the top of my list.


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## keith204 (Feb 21, 2008)

Nice shots.  

FYI, on my monitor which is really bright now, I can see where you skimmed around the people, especially on 4 and 5.  I can see a dark gray color around the heads toward the top of the frame. - just a heads up in case this type of thing shows up in print.


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## Big Mike (Feb 22, 2008)

> Did you do one with Grandma and all her grandkids? That one is always on the top of my list.


Yes, that was at the top of my list as well.  



> FYI, on my monitor which is really bright now, I can see where you skimmed around the people, especially on 4 and 5. I can see a dark gray color around the heads toward the top of the frame. - just a heads up in case this type of thing shows up in print.


I know.  On some of them, I decided to leave a bit of a halo around them, mostly to avoid the 'cut out' look that the others have.  On my monitor...it's barely noticeable.  My monitor is calibrated but I still think that the darks are too dark and it has too much contrast.


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## emogirl (Feb 22, 2008)

you know better than to wear stripes!! LOL  ...good job, agree with the nit picks by MichealT, however, when shooting big groups with kids, sometimes you just got to take it the way it comes!  I once had a bride berate me over her group shots because of the 32 people in the shot, the BABY wasnt looking! OMG..


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## Big Mike (Feb 23, 2008)

Why does everyone hate my shirt so much? :er:  I'm a photographer, not a model   

Here is the group photo, as shot...


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## keith204 (Mar 11, 2008)

Big Mike said:


> Why does everyone hate my shirt so much? :er:  I'm a photographer, not a model
> 
> Here is the group photo, as shot...



What's the size of this backdrop?


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## Big Mike (Mar 11, 2008)

I think it's a king sized bed sheet (duvet cover).


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