My first attempts at portraits. CC pls!

paigew · Dec 18, 2011

[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the CC! Yea, I had trouble with the exposure and white balance on the "studio" shots... But then again I'm using $20 shop lights. :lmao: As for the baby, he's actually only 2 months old and he has barely started to respond to our faces and voices. So, not sure how that's going to work out on a re-shoot.[/QUOTE]

two months! wow! He is strong....looks like my 5 month old!

jake337 · Dec 18, 2011

ConradM said:
manaheim said:

The last one is interesting except for a few things...

1. Where the brick wall dissappears off on the left... it's a bit distracting. I would clone it so it goes all the way or crop it.
2. I would have positioned him so the brick wall wasn't right dead center in his head. Would add some extra interest to the composition and I find the line to his head a little alarming.
3. Your kid's head is dead-center. You want your boy taking up more of the frame, and his head not in the middle of the pic. Better composition. You can fix this to some degree in post by simply cropping out more of the top. (which will cause you to crop more of the sides, of course, to keep aspect ratio)
4. When shooting kids, don't stand over them. Get down on your knees and get at eye level with them. Makes a better composition.
5. The hood up on his jacket makes his head dissapear into the darkness. This isn't necessarily bad, but it reads as a little sinister to me. Think of it this way, if he wasn't smiling, he would probably look like he was up to no good.
6. All these points aside... the brick wall... the hoodie... a lot of elements of this shot come across as "look! a gang member!" to me. Now granded, I live in the sticks and always have, so it might just be my reaction. There are elements that disspell it... like the big warm smile... but I think you want to try to innocent-it-up a little more. Take his hood down at the very least. Crouch as I suggested. I think it will take most of it away.

If you do it again, try a number of different angles and compositions and look at each and analyze the results.

BTW, don't take offense at my picking it apart. I ONLY do this when the shot is interesting and I think there's something that you can do to make it great. If I thought it were utter garbage you would never hear from me.

(I agree with everything Derrel said, btw)

Click to expand...

.... I don't even know what to say to that. :lmao:

It's all about where you are from or grew up. Perspective. If these are your children just ignore that comment. If you are doing a shoot for someone else you really wouldn't need to worry either because if they shared the same mindset as Manaheim, their children will not show up to the shoot in hoodies.

ConradM · Dec 18, 2011

jake337 said:
ConradM said:

manaheim said:

The last one is interesting except for a few things...

1. Where the brick wall dissappears off on the left... it's a bit distracting. I would clone it so it goes all the way or crop it.
2. I would have positioned him so the brick wall wasn't right dead center in his head. Would add some extra interest to the composition and I find the line to his head a little alarming.
3. Your kid's head is dead-center. You want your boy taking up more of the frame, and his head not in the middle of the pic. Better composition. You can fix this to some degree in post by simply cropping out more of the top. (which will cause you to crop more of the sides, of course, to keep aspect ratio)
4. When shooting kids, don't stand over them. Get down on your knees and get at eye level with them. Makes a better composition.
5. The hood up on his jacket makes his head dissapear into the darkness. This isn't necessarily bad, but it reads as a little sinister to me. Think of it this way, if he wasn't smiling, he would probably look like he was up to no good.
6. All these points aside... the brick wall... the hoodie... a lot of elements of this shot come across as "look! a gang member!" to me. Now granded, I live in the sticks and always have, so it might just be my reaction. There are elements that disspell it... like the big warm smile... but I think you want to try to innocent-it-up a little more. Take his hood down at the very least. Crouch as I suggested. I think it will take most of it away.

If you do it again, try a number of different angles and compositions and look at each and analyze the results.

BTW, don't take offense at my picking it apart. I ONLY do this when the shot is interesting and I think there's something that you can do to make it great. If I thought it were utter garbage you would never hear from me.

(I agree with everything Derrel said, btw)

Click to expand...

.... I don't even know what to say to that. :lmao:

Click to expand...

It's all about where you are from or grew up. Perspective. If these are your children just ignore that comment. If you are doing a shoot for someone else you really wouldn't need to worry either because if they shared the same mindset as Manaheim, their children will not show up to the shoot in hoodies.

I just didn't realize that hoodies were considered "gangster" in this day and age.

ClearBlueDaze · Dec 18, 2011

I like the third one. I would like to see the third one, full length body shot of him, one foot on the wall, and him holding a skateboard..... He's dressed to play outside. Give him a prop. Keep the brick wall for sure.

Just my .02.

p.s. doesn't look at all gang like to me.

ConradM · Dec 18, 2011

ClearBlueDaze said:
I like the third one. I would like to see the third one, full length body shot of him, one foot on the wall, and him holding a skateboard..... He's dressed to play outside. Give him a prop. Keep the brick wall for sure.

Just my .02.

p.s. doesn't look at all gang like to me.

Funny you should mention a skateboard cause both my older boys are skaters. :mrgreen:

(this is his younger brother)

manaheim · Dec 18, 2011

ConradM said:
manaheim said:

The last one is interesting except for a few things...

1. Where the brick wall dissappears off on the left... it's a bit distracting. I would clone it so it goes all the way or crop it.
2. I would have positioned him so the brick wall wasn't right dead center in his head. Would add some extra interest to the composition and I find the line to his head a little alarming.
3. Your kid's head is dead-center. You want your boy taking up more of the frame, and his head not in the middle of the pic. Better composition. You can fix this to some degree in post by simply cropping out more of the top. (which will cause you to crop more of the sides, of course, to keep aspect ratio)
4. When shooting kids, don't stand over them. Get down on your knees and get at eye level with them. Makes a better composition.
5. The hood up on his jacket makes his head dissapear into the darkness. This isn't necessarily bad, but it reads as a little sinister to me. Think of it this way, if he wasn't smiling, he would probably look like he was up to no good.
6. All these points aside... the brick wall... the hoodie... a lot of elements of this shot come across as "look! a gang member!" to me. Now granded, I live in the sticks and always have, so it might just be my reaction. There are elements that disspell it... like the big warm smile... but I think you want to try to innocent-it-up a little more. Take his hood down at the very least. Crouch as I suggested. I think it will take most of it away.

If you do it again, try a number of different angles and compositions and look at each and analyze the results.

BTW, don't take offense at my picking it apart. I ONLY do this when the shot is interesting and I think there's something that you can do to make it great. If I thought it were utter garbage you would never hear from me.

(I agree with everything Derrel said, btw)

Click to expand...

.... I don't even know what to say to that. :lmao:

Meaning you disagree? or?

cepwin · Dec 18, 2011

You have three beautiful boys! I agree that the third's color balance is the most natural. Your Family is going to love the pictures!

ConradM · Dec 18, 2011

manaheim said:
ConradM said:

manaheim said:

The last one is interesting except for a few things...

1. Where the brick wall dissappears off on the left... it's a bit distracting. I would clone it so it goes all the way or crop it.
2. I would have positioned him so the brick wall wasn't right dead center in his head. Would add some extra interest to the composition and I find the line to his head a little alarming.
3. Your kid's head is dead-center. You want your boy taking up more of the frame, and his head not in the middle of the pic. Better composition. You can fix this to some degree in post by simply cropping out more of the top. (which will cause you to crop more of the sides, of course, to keep aspect ratio)
4. When shooting kids, don't stand over them. Get down on your knees and get at eye level with them. Makes a better composition.
5. The hood up on his jacket makes his head dissapear into the darkness. This isn't necessarily bad, but it reads as a little sinister to me. Think of it this way, if he wasn't smiling, he would probably look like he was up to no good.
6. All these points aside... the brick wall... the hoodie... a lot of elements of this shot come across as "look! a gang member!" to me. Now granded, I live in the sticks and always have, so it might just be my reaction. There are elements that disspell it... like the big warm smile... but I think you want to try to innocent-it-up a little more. Take his hood down at the very least. Crouch as I suggested. I think it will take most of it away.

If you do it again, try a number of different angles and compositions and look at each and analyze the results.

BTW, don't take offense at my picking it apart. I ONLY do this when the shot is interesting and I think there's something that you can do to make it great. If I thought it were utter garbage you would never hear from me.

(I agree with everything Derrel said, btw)

Click to expand...

.... I don't even know what to say to that. :lmao:

Click to expand...

Meaning you disagree? or?

Meaning, you must be far separated from society if a hoodie and brick wall = gang member. and I mean that in the most polite way possible.

ConradM · Dec 18, 2011

cepwin said:
You have three beautiful boys! I agree that the third's color balance is the most natural. Your Family is going to love the pictures!

Thanks! Got them printed and framed today just in time for Christmas!

manaheim · Dec 19, 2011

ConradM said:
manaheim said:

ConradM said:

.... I don't even know what to say to that. :lmao:

Click to expand...

Meaning you disagree? or?

Click to expand...

Meaning, you must be far separated from society if a hoodie and brick wall = gang member. and I mean that in the most polite way possible.

So from aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall of what I said, that's all you got?

So, basically I said it gives me the impression of a gang member (and heavily softened it because it was clearly an over-the-top-statement that SO oversimplified it) AND because I live in the sticks... but you saw "gang member", bristled, and ignored everything else as if I said your kid was gonna go out and deal drugs on the street.

I suppose where it's your child, I should have expected as much... and for the record, I meant ABSOLUTELY no such thing. I was commenting entirely from an "artistic" perspective and to point out something that may have slipped by you-for all I know you live in the country like me, and ... simply stated ... this is not a country scene.

This may not occur to you, but people on here do occasionally do JUST that... take a picture and give a whole different feel than what they intend. Thus, the comment, and thus the value in the comment.

Your response is somewhat patronizing, but I'll assume that's the poked parent coming out. I get it. But you don't know me from a hole in the wall, you have no idea my experiences or my knowledge... and reading what you think are those things from one simple comment made on an on-line forum? Not the best idea.

Good luck to you. I'll refrain from sharing my comments with you going forward, but I imagine that's just fine as far as you are concerned.