# Family photos from yesterday



## Robin Usagani (Dec 4, 2011)

Just a married couple wanted a few photos for Christmas cards.  Never done one before so I just shot them like it was an engagement session. It was super duper cold.  I was surprised they didn't cancel.  Enjoy....


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## mwcfarms (Dec 4, 2011)

The first one has a big light shade behind his head. The rest all look good. I might liquify her tummy a bit in the one with the blue shirt. Just enough that it wasn't noticeable but thats just me.


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## Robin Usagani (Dec 4, 2011)

she is pregnant Dee.


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## mwcfarms (Dec 4, 2011)

Oh hahaha blush, well you didnt say that in your post. I couldn't tell.


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## Robin Usagani (Dec 4, 2011)

Damn woman.. so rude!  LMAO.



mwcfarms said:


> Oh hahaha blush, well you didnt say that in your post. I couldn't tell.


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## SGorman (Dec 4, 2011)

I'm sure they are thrilled.  I really like the two taken through the sculpture. The first is the only one I'm not crazy about because of the already mentioned lamp shade and the busy feel, but i like the pose.


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## Robin Usagani (Dec 4, 2011)

Yeah, I should have moved the lamp shade  .  They live in this high end condo complex.  We shoot this in the lobby.  I was afraid to move anything lol.


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## GeorgieGirl (Dec 4, 2011)

#3 is my fav. :thumbup:


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## Neda (Dec 4, 2011)

Great shots and ideas. however I don't like too much blur you use but anyhow they are great as family series. good luck


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## Robin Usagani (Dec 4, 2011)

Neda said:


> Great shots and ideas. however I don't like too much blur you use but anyhow they are great as family series. good luck


I did several different DOF.  I took one with really deep DOF as well but I dont like it as much.


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## penfolderoldo (Dec 4, 2011)

Really nice set Schwetty, #8 does it especially for me, tho i've no real idea why! Natural light on these kinda early winter cold days can be a bit of a nightmare, tends to flatten things a hell of a lot, but these have worked a treat. Not sure about some of the poses, but that's just me.


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## cgipson1 (Dec 4, 2011)

Nice! really nice! That shot in #6 where she is facing the camera... ROCKS! I love it! Same for #11!

I would love to shoot the city at night, from that balcony or whatever! lol!


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## Derrel (Dec 4, 2011)

8,9,10, all with the closer person badly out of focus, look awful.

Back to #1 which mwcfarms mentioned the lamp shade growng out of his head; to me, the worse issue in that photo is the way the light hits the dog first, making the dog the brightest object and most-noticeable, then her, and then leaving the man's body,arm, and black sweater as a black,black, detail-less "hole". Also, the reflection from the flash off of the background's varnished wood "whatever" is very distracting to the eye. This shot suffers from a fundamental lighting mistake...the light is coming in from the "wrong side" so to speak, and is badly aimed. Probably due to using a speedlight, and being unable to actually see that the man's body is not lighted, but the dog is. If the light had been brought into the scene from the left hand side, the two lighting issues would have been eliminated.

I was getting ready to do a milk carton illustration asking who had seen you and to see if somebody would come forward top claim the $25 reward...


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## mwcfarms (Dec 4, 2011)

I really like the last one with more DoF you chose but thats just me. For a card image I would say either 2 or 3 or the last one.


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## Robin Usagani (Dec 4, 2011)

Thanks Derrel, Ill keep that in mind.  Indoor OCF isnt my forte.  That makes sense.  I will put the lighter subject on the far side next time.  

As far as the closer person badly out of focus, it is a trend nowadays.  I personally like it.  That's what I didnt make the closer person look at the camera.

LOL @ the milk carton.



Derrel said:


> 8,9,10, all with the closer person badly out of focus, look awful.
> 
> Back to #1 which mwcfarms mentioned the lamp shade growng out of his head; to me, the worse issue in that photo is the way the light hits the dog first, making the dog the brightest object and most-noticeable, then her, and then leaving the man's body,arm, and black sweater as a black,black, detail-less "hole". Also, the reflection from the flash off of the background's varnished wood "whatever" is very distracting to the eye. This shot suffers from a fundamental lighting mistake...the light is coming in from the "wrong side" so to speak, and is badly aimed. Probably due to using a speedlight, and being unable to actually see that the man's body is not lighted, but the dog is. If the light had been brought into the scene from the left hand side, the two lighting issues would have been eliminated.
> 
> I was getting ready to do a milk carton illustration asking who had seen you and to see if somebody would come forward top claim the $25 reward...


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## cgipson1 (Dec 4, 2011)

I seem to remember seeing Schwetty on a milk carton.. 










Schwettylens said:


> Thanks Derrel, Ill keep that in mind.  Indoor OCF isnt my forte.  That makes sense.  I will put the lighter subject on the far side next time.
> 
> As far as the closer person badly out of focus, it is a trend nowadays.  I personally like it.  That's what I didnt make the closer person look at the camera.
> 
> ...


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## penfolderoldo (Dec 4, 2011)

cgipson1 said:


> I seem to remember seeing Schwetty on a milk carton..
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hahahahaha! quality! LOL :lmao:


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## Derrel (Dec 4, 2011)

Good to see you back. I just wanted to give a suggestion on lighting that is "so basic" that MANY people get carried away with setting up lights and forget about this old principle: "Light advances, dark recedes". It's a design principle, so it's a foundational-level thing that often gets overlooked in discussions of all types...lighting....composition..posing...clothing...it's one of the things that most authors gloss over...whatever is "lightest" or brightest has a tendency to be seen by the human visual system as being more-dominant, more central, or more of a focal point, or even in many instances, of being perceived to be "closer" to the front. There are very few books I have seen that specifically mention this principle over and over and over. Two authors, famous 1980's and 1990's celebrity and ad shooter Gary Benstein, and the modern web writer Chuck Gardner both mention,over and over,and over, how the "brightest" part of a face draws eye attention.

The scenario you had, white dog, person, man in black clothing, is one that is repeated over and over and over and over in the photography world. Putting the main light on the side of the darker subject helps illuminate the darker clothes better, and prevents the lighter-colored subject from appearing blown out or exceedingly bright com pared to the subjects that are on the fall-off side of the frame. When photographing mixed-race couples, this is one way to arange ther lighting so that the darker-skinned person or persons appear a bit brighter-lit, and so the dynamic range of the scenelooks normal, not extreme. Another example...black tuxedo...white wedding dress...the side the light comes in from when in smaller spaces becomes pretty critical if the degree of fall-off across the frame is high.

Another example of where an actual flash meter can help determine that the subjects on the far side are around three f/stops' less light than the right hand side of the frame...


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## JimCoventry (Dec 4, 2011)

There's no number on it but the close up of her hugging him is the best one of all... for a card pic... very commercial appearning and she has a great smile.


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## Derrel (Dec 4, 2011)

Schwettylens said:
			
		

> >>SNIP>>>> it is a trend nowadays.  I personally like it.



Methamphetamine use is a trend these days. So is text messaging while driving. So is heroin use among suburban housewives.


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## o hey tyler (Dec 4, 2011)

Derrel said:


> Schwettylens said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



So is J. Beebz.


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## camz (Dec 4, 2011)

These are good, what bothers me are the shadow casts on the background.  Easy fix if you decide to stick with one light, just have them step forward and away from the backdrop...problem solved. Or you can have the light source angled down right on top of them so the cast is behind your subjects (some modifiers so it isn't too harsh and for distribution).  

Good to see you back dude.


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## Robin Usagani (Dec 5, 2011)

Thanks Camz.  There were lawn furniture everywhere at the roof top.  It had bunch of snow on it and we didnt feel like moving them.  So heavy... (wood plus 1 ft of snow).  We had to take the photo really close to the pedestal wall.  Actually those photos I had to cloned out a furniture already.

Anyway, I was planning to do a lot of things but failed.  Used an umbrella with weight, the wind blew it over and cracked my receiver .  So I shot with no umbrella after that.


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## Cpi2011 (Dec 6, 2011)

I love all because your all photos are beautiful....


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## EchoingWhisper (Dec 6, 2011)

Don't you think the shirts on the first one is too dark?


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## Robin Usagani (Dec 6, 2011)

EchoingWhisper said:


> Don't you think the shirts on the first one is too dark?



yup, I didnt post it on the blog.


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## cgipson1 (Dec 6, 2011)

Schwettylens said:


> Thanks Camz.  There were lawn furniture everywhere at the roof top.  It had bunch of snow on it and we didnt feel like moving them.  So heavy... (wood plus 1 ft of snow).  We had to take the photo really close to the pedestal wall.  Actually those photos I had to cloned out a furniture already.
> 
> Anyway, I was planning to do a lot of things but failed.  Used an umbrella with weight, the wind blew it over and cracked my receiver .  So I shot with no umbrella after that.



Robin.. if you are shooting like this and need an assistant... let me know! If I am free... be glad to help! I can hold a lightstand or whatever as well as anyone!


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## fdupblindkids (Dec 6, 2011)

<3 <3 #7


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## raphaelaaron (Dec 6, 2011)

well executed.


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## rub (Dec 6, 2011)

I like them!  Seems all the useful critiue has already been stated; the shadows, brighter lighting on the dog, etc.  One thing I didnt see was a reference to the ridiculous toque   I dunno - I think it would be cute for one or two shots, but just seems a bit much.  I know thats not your fault, and she may love it, but she looks much better in the ones without it, imo.

K


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## Robin Usagani (Dec 8, 2011)

cgipson1 said:


> Schwettylens said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks Camz.  There were lawn furniture everywhere at the roof top.  It had bunch of snow on it and we didnt feel like moving them.  So heavy... (wood plus 1 ft of snow).  We had to take the photo really close to the pedestal wall.  Actually those photos I had to cloned out a furniture already.
> ...


Cool! Thanks Charlie



fdupblindkids said:


> <3 <3 #7


Thanks



raphaelaaron said:


> well executed.


Thanks



rub said:


> I like them!  Seems all the useful critiue has already been stated; the shadows, brighter lighting on the dog, etc.  One thing I didnt see was a reference to the ridiculous toque   I dunno - I think it would be cute for one or two shots, but just seems a bit much.  I know thats not your fault, and she may love it, but she looks much better in the ones without it, imo.
> 
> K


K, It was super cold.  It was low 20.  Wish we took more photos with first outfit but it was freezing.  I was surprised they didnt cancel actually.  It was snowing all morning too.  It stopped like 1 hour prior the shoot.


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## GooniesNeverSayDie11 (Dec 8, 2011)

Nice shots schwetty. What lenses did you use for the outdoors shots?


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## Robin Usagani (Dec 8, 2011)

135L and 35L


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## chunx (Dec 20, 2011)

Schwettylens said:


> Neda said:
> 
> 
> > Great shots and ideas. however I don't like too much blur you use but anyhow they are great as family series. good luck
> ...


 I'm not sure if you have to be a pro to comment (bc I'm no where near pro), but, for what it's worth, I quite like this one bc it shows he preggo belly- which I'm sure family & friends will like to see as well.


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## TCUphoto (Dec 20, 2011)

#3 is my favorite. I like the both versions with the shallow DOF and deep DOF, it's a nice background and shows her baby belly.

Not a fan of the processing with the black and white. Too much gray, even the snow.


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## Robin Usagani (Dec 21, 2011)

chunx said:


> I'm not sure if you have to be a pro to comment (bc I'm no where near pro), but, for what it's worth, I quite like this one bc it shows he preggo belly- which I'm sure family & friends will like to see as well.


You don't need to be a pro to comment LOL.  Technically, I am not even a pro LOL.  Thank you for taking the time to view my post.



TCUphoto said:


> #3 is my favorite. I like the both versions with the shallow DOF and deep DOF, it's a nice background and shows her baby belly.
> 
> Not a fan of the processing with the black and white. Too much gray, even the snow.


I am still playing with my b&w processing.  Every session I do has different B&W.  Still trying to find "my" style.


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