A Few Family Pictures...

ront

I don't usually post family photos, but we were at a local park this last week end and I took some that I kind of like.
I would appreciate your thoughts on how to improve them!!

Thanks, Ron

bl4scott

Hello to Spokane..... FINCH

ront wrote:

I don't usually post family photos, but we were at a local park this last week end and I took some that I kind of like.
I would appreciate your thoughts on how to improve them!!

Thanks, Ron

I have shot many times from this tree and the lighting can be tricky... You really need a reflector or a flash to fill in the harsh shadows on their faces. Try bring a small ladder or stool to get yourself a closer level to your subjects. One of the shots, the legs took ackward, maybe the lens, wide angle?

Just my thoughts....

Brian

noeltykay

Brian has some good points...when shooting under tress be careful of shadows. Using a reflector is key. Quite frankly I would have waited until later in the day, or found a more shaded tree.

ront

You guys are correct. I am fairly new to this and don't have a reflector yet and this just happened to be the time of day that we were there. We did not go just to take family pictures. Maybe using more flash would have been better also??
What do you think of the compositions. Are they ok?

Thanks, Ron

noeltykay

The composition in the first one would have worked much better if you could see the person who is closest to frame right. I might have had the person in the black on the left seated on the trunk, the person in the middle exactly where she is, and the person being blocked sitting/leaning against the tree trunk on the right.

Second one does not do much for me...limbs are cutoff, subjects are looking at something outside of the frame.

Third shot, too much space at top.

I like the idea in the forth shot but the person in the tree gets a bit lost due to shadows. The subject at the botton is also not looking at the camera. Might work better if she was actually looking at the camera.

Fifth shot would have benefited from a reflector, but the composition is good.

Sixth...trash can is a bit distracting. Might have been a bit of an improvement if you had been shooting level with the subjects rather than from below. Not a bad shot.

Last one is nice, but again, shadows.

So, next time you shoot in a park look for the most shade you can find. Look for interesting backgrounds. Try to use a reflector or fill flash. Most of all, have fun!

Here are some shots I recently took for a client in a park. I met the clients about an hour and a half before sunset and shot for an hour with three different wardrobe changes. I left my reflector at home, but used fill flash in some of the shots.

ront

Thanks a lot for the input noeltykay!! I really appreciate it! Lighting is certainly an issue here.

Ron

joshhuntnm

one observation about #2.

the bright sky is causing a back lit situation. I always shoot RAW and adjust the exposure for the skin, which, in this case is too dark.

lyttleviet

noeltykay wrote:

The composition in the first one would have worked much better if you could see the person who is closest to frame right. I might have had the person in the black on the left seated on the trunk, the person in the middle exactly where she is, and the person being blocked sitting/leaning against the tree trunk on the right.

Second one does not do much for me...limbs are cutoff, subjects are looking at something outside of the frame.

Third shot, too much space at top.

I like the idea in the forth shot but the person in the tree gets a bit lost due to shadows. The subject at the botton is also not looking at the camera. Might work better if she was actually looking at the camera.

Fifth shot would have benefited from a reflector, but the composition is good.

Sixth...trash can is a bit distracting. Might have been a bit of an improvement if you had been shooting level with the subjects rather than from below. Not a bad shot.

Last one is nice, but again, shadows.

So, next time you shoot in a park look for the most shade you can find. Look for interesting backgrounds. Try to use a reflector or fill flash. Most of all, have fun!

Here are some shots I recently took for a client in a park. I met the clients about an hour and a half before sunset and shot for an hour with three different wardrobe changes. I left my reflector at home, but used fill flash in some of the shots.

Is your fill off camera shoe flash with a shoot through umbrella? It looks Very nice.