Johnson Family | Third family photoshoot

minicoop1985 · Feb 1, 2015

Alright, guys, I had a chance to shoot another family, but due to weather we were only able to do it in their living room. How did I do here? Looking for comments and critique-lay it on, I learn a lot from you guys.

1

Johnson-3 by longm1985, on Flickr

2

Johnson-1 by longm1985, on Flickr

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Johnson-5 by longm1985, on Flickr

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Johnson-15 by longm1985, on Flickr

e.rose · Feb 1, 2015

I apparently missed your post about the second photo shoot... haha.

Okay... C&C as requested:

1. I would crop this in much, much closer. Seeing the stuff around the couch is adding nothing to the image. If you were *really* that set on having the whole couch in the shot, then I would have moved the stuff on the sides out of frame. Just because you're indoors doesn't mean you shouldn't rearrange as needed to create a clean image

The light is a little harsh and might be a little too bright. Their shirts are MUCH much brighter than their faces, and that's the first thing my eyes are drawn to, rather than their faces. That tells me that your light might have been too hot and too low.

2. Same C&C applies as number 1. The light is definitely hot on the little girl's face and you have a significant amount of drop-off by the time it reaches the dad and the boy.

3. The light is *way* too hot.

4. I don't understand number 4 at all, haha. I'm sure it has some sort of significance to them but... as far as C&C and portfolio material is concerned I don't think it's reading the way you want it to.

The light is still too hot (are you noticing a pattern? Haha), and the crop could be closer on this one. I would have also had them seated so the wood panel wasn't running into the back of the woman's head.

minicoop1985 · Feb 1, 2015

@e.rose, I was looking forward to your critique.

It's much appreciated.

I think part of the problem is the computer I'm editing on is a crappy 5 year old laptop. I need to upgrade something awful. If I have my screen at the right angle, the light looks just right, but I can easily darken it a little and will do just that. I regret not moving the stuff out of the way, though, that's for sure.

bribrius · Feb 1, 2015

yeah, other than the other stuff. That line from the window frame separating them is really distracting. Almost splits the frame. I don't see any headless dolls either. The shirts are really bright. And they don't have any blood on them or anything...

e.rose · Feb 1, 2015

minicoop1985 said:
@e.rose, I was looking forward to your critique. It's much appreciated.

I think part of the problem is the computer I'm editing on is a crappy 5 year old laptop. I need to upgrade something awful. If I have my screen at the right angle, the light looks just right, but I can easily darken it a little and will do just that. I regret not moving the stuff out of the way, though, that's for sure.

Yeah monitors and calibration can make a HUGE difference, haha.

Keep working at it, and keep posting. I look forward to seeing how you progress after some time and practice.

vintagesnaps · Feb 1, 2015

#3 & 4 are framed high leaving lots of space above the heads but the girl's fingertips and the parents' feet are cropped off. Placement of the red curtain in the frame would be better if it was more balanced. Cropping the right side and top of each of those photos might improve that (the red seems to draw the eye).

I like the idea of #3 the best because it brings the viewer's attention into the photo and seems to emphasize the people. I would have liked it better without seeing the top of the couch (and that wooden window frame in the center), but I think that works better than them sitting on the couch.

I was thinking after seeing your last set too that you might need to notice your backgrounds when you set up before you get people in the pictures. Maybe you're tall? looks like you need to bring the camera down to their level.

minicoop1985 · Feb 1, 2015

You're right, I'm 6'4". I didn't notice the cut off fingers until you mentioned it. I need to be more aware when I'm shooting, I think. Thanks for the feedback, Other Sharon.

tirediron · Feb 2, 2015

Okay, Rose took all the easy stuff (

), so I'll get nit-picky. First off, about the laptop: Viewing angle is critical and what I do is keep a zone-system strip chart on my desk-top. Whenever I'm going to edit on my laptop, I open up that zone-system graphic and adjust the screen so I can clearly see the separation between all of the zones.

I find shooting families in their home this way to be very challenging, and overall, you've not done a bad job, but lots of little things could have helped. As Rose said, too much "stuff" in the scene. Move the speakers away, get the pull cords tucked away out sight, if the lampshade is going to be in the scene, make ****ing sure it is STRAIGHT!!!!

As Rose also mentioned, your lighting is too hot; a meter would have helped, but just keeping an eye on your rear LCD is all you really need. When I'm doing stuff like this, I like to cross-light; I go for two lights (usually speedlights and bounced if possible) and set so that you eliminate the shadows such as behind the lamp). REALLY watch your reflections; the highlights on that wood strip behind their heads are killing me; moving your light a hair one way or the other would have taken care of that.
I actually like #4; I think the idea is clever, and a good comment on modern society.

Braineack · Feb 2, 2015

was this a single softbox?

minicoop1985 · Feb 2, 2015

This was a single speedlite with a reflective umbrella. I only have one trigger until tomorrow (ordered on Amazon).

Thanks, John. I cropped the lamp out in the end. The real reason it's so hot is that I decided OH HEY THESE ARE DARK and blew them up in Lightroom due to viewing angle. Next time I do this, I'm bringing two speedlites and I'll try bouncing off the ceiling or the adjacent wall.

Braineack · Feb 2, 2015

i figured as much. really could have used fill; the lighting is very harsh.

if you have a second light, you didn't need extra triggers--just slave mode. even the pop-up would have been nice to fill in the shadows a touch.

here's a similar shot i did: The Spauldings with Flat Stanley Flickr - Photo Sharing
umbrella 45°, then a small 16x16 softbox on camera axis to fill in. It's not perfect and there's some cross shadows, but it gives you an idea of how you can tone it down and make it look a little more natural.

minicoop1985 · Feb 2, 2015

That is a massive improvement. Now I just need that softbox, or just use a shoot through (that I have). I suppose there's no excuse really for me not using two speedlites-I have an old Minolta I could have used as a key light and the Neewer I have could have made a nice, manually controlled slave, since the Minolta won't work as a slave. But really, next time that won't matter, because I'll have two matching TTL Yongnuos with TTL triggers and that should help immensely.

Thanks for the help, I think that'll make a huge difference.