Last session of 2008

JulieLawsonPhotography

I hope to get some responses with this post. Haven't gotten much feedback on my other posts. I took my portable studio to their house and had trouble getting the lights just right. I'm not sure what happened. I mean, they both fired, but just not sure why the right side of their faces is so shadowed. The families love the pictures...I'll just have to play around with the placement of the lights more.

The first two are Christmas gifts for the grandparents.
1

2

3
These girls are members of a very well known cheer university in Terre Haute and they took grand champion and got these neat little jackets.

4
.
5

6

7

8

9

Scott_Quier

First comment - all but #4 are screaming for some light from behind. It's like you were shooting in a cave. If that's the effect you were going for, then you succeeded quite well.

1. What's sticking up from behind the boys? Took some time, but figured it out - it's feet. A little more light would have made the obvious.
2. Need mo' light. And the WB seems to be off - too much red/magenta. Both can be corrected in post. Very cute pose that I know sells very well.
3. Need some more light here. The jackets make the girls look like they are floating heads.
4. I love the processing and most of the elements of the pose. Some nits:
   • Her right hand - seeing the back of her hand - not so lady-like
   • It looks like a lot of the weight of her head is on her hand, distorting her face and making the smile more difficult
   • Force smile
   • Need more seperate between her and the background and/or a larger aperture
   • A little more light might be better - it appears dark to me on my calibrated monitor.
5. Just a little dark. Pose is, maybe, a little too low
6. Dark, more light would make her right should less of a distraction and more of an element of the photo
7. I like this one! I would clone out the feet showing between them.
8. Dark
9. Dark - But I love the pose. The girl on the floor - her smile looks more like a grimace but that may be the best she can do.

Flutist

It looks to me like you did some brushing to the backgrounds? I see what looks like "pen" marks on the backgrounds.

happysmileylady

First, I absolutly had to say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the pose on the last one and am totally going to steal it.

Also, you know the lighting issues you have, so I won't comment on those, I am not truely qualified to do that anyway:D

On the first, I like the pose, if you have the girls put their feet down instead of up, then they don't show up behind the kids. Also, girl on the right appears to be in pain.

I like the second, lighting and w/b issues aside.

On the third, I am guessing that the image on the jackets is on the back? That makes it tough to photograph with a good pose. I don't really like this pose for it, but I can't say I have many other suggestions, I have always had a hard time displaying a back image on clothing and then a face at the same time.

THe fourth, all I have to add to Scott's comments are the creases in the background. I like some general wrinkles, but there are some obvious creases that distracting.

5, I think she needs to sit up a little bit, but overall, I think the lighting works for this..

6, I like this pose, though I think a bit of a tilt and closer crop might help.

7, really like this one, ditto on the feet

8, I think her pose somewhat clashes with that of her brothers. They have their hands in their pockets and look a rather casual and "boys will be boys" where as she has her hands posed in her lap and looks a little more formal. Seperately, I think both poses are fine, but together I think it leaves a somewhat awkward impression overall. Also, I would suggest either pulling it out a little more so that you see all of her or bringing it in closer, but as it is, you have cut off her knees, but that's it.

9th...I TOTALLY love this pose. Really, the creative pose kinda trumps anything else for me...were they my kids, I would buy it in a heartbeat, regardless of other issues it might have.

jeffreaux2

happysmileylady wrote:

On the third, I am guessing that the image on the jackets is on the back? That makes it tough to photograph with a good pose. I don't really like this pose for it, but I can't say I have many other suggestions, I have always had a hard time displaying a back image on clothing and then a face at the same time.

In a standing pose, shot from above, the back of a jacket can be shown this way. For a group, if they were wearing the jackets, you really wouldn't have had to have all three girls with their back turned. One with her back turned, the other two facing the camera would have been enough. The viewer would suppose the three jackets are identicle.

JulieLawsonPhotography

Thanks for all the responses and helpful CC. I should have brought my hairlight, but seriously didn't think of it. Next time I'll know for sure. Having people in my home studio vs. taking the studio to them is going to be an experience that I will have to learn to remember certain details. My blue background wasn't that wrinkled when I had it at home...but getting it from my house to there I need to think of another way to store it so it doesn't become that wrinkled.

Again thanks so much for all the CC....I really do appreciate it.

happysmileylady

jeffreaux2 wrote:

In a standing pose, shot from above, the back of a jacket can be shown this way. For a group, if they were wearing the jackets, you really wouldn't have had to have all three girls with their back turned. One with her back turned, the other two facing the camera would have been enough. The viewer would suppose the three jackets are identicle.

You ever have one of those "why didn't I think of that!" moments

jeffreaux2

happysmileylady wrote:

You ever have one of those "why didn't I think of that!" moments

Yeah...all the time....but dont tell anyone!!!

Get a ladder, be happy. It does a good job at uncluttering a background too. Thats just a simple brick sidewalk she is standing on.

JulieLawsonPhotography

jeffreaux2 wrote:

Yeah...all the time....but dont tell anyone!!!

Get a ladder, be happy. It does a good job at uncluttering a background too. Thats just a simple brick sidewalk she is standing on.

I'm glad you posted that example Jeff. When I took the shot of the jackets, I did remember from my one senior that her letterman's jacket. One comment was that it made it look like a cape or something. I tried very hard to not to do that. My backdrop wasn't wide enough to achieve the look that I hoped for. I can't wait for spring so I can get back outside again and shoot.

angevin1

#9! Extremely good pose! Your idea?

cheers tom

clemensphoto's

Nothing else to say from what has already been posted. Great and inovative posses