Family portraits

Mitchell · June 16, 2009

Took some formal type family portraits with a single off camera flash in a shoot through umbrella. Any thoughts on these?

1

2

3

4

5

Wil Davis · June 16, 2009

The simple lighting you've used is very effective, and the subjects are all looking into the camera and smiling, which is absolutely perfect for the type of shot you've set up (well, except where they're looking away from the camera…). Nice job!

You have a very photogenic family, especially your youngest! …as cute as the proverbial button!

Thanks for sharing…

- Wil

PS: With all the white shirts around I would have metered by hand from the skin, or bracketed like mad and used the best looking; I was curious what you did…

D'Buggs · June 16, 2009

In shot two, I look over the head of the youngest and get swallowed in by the forest.... I think I woulda set taller people in the middle on this one.

Nice Family! Did they all gang up on, Dad and toss em' in the lake when finished?

Qarik · June 16, 2009

nice simple good lighting and posing. well done

Mitchell · June 16, 2009

Wil Davis wrote:

The simple lighting you've used is very effective, and the subjects are all looking into the camera and smiling, which is absolutely perfect for the type of shot you've set up (well, except where they're looking away from the camera…). Nice job!

You have a very photogenic family, especially your youngest! …as cute as the proverbial button!

Thanks for sharing…

- Wil

PS: With all the white shirts around I would have metered by hand from the skin, or bracketed like mad and used the best looking; I was curious what you did…

Thanks for the kind words.

I'm not a big fan of white shirts for these shots with off camera flash and changing light of the setting sun. Unfortunately, my wife makes the wardrobe decisions!:cry

Quite frankly, I did nothing special metering wise. I shot in manual mode on the camera and let the Nikon CLS add the flash using iTTL. Amazingly, these were well exposed with no significant blown highlights in the shirts right out of the camera. Go Nikon!

Art Scott · June 16, 2009

very well done.....explain to your wardrobe director that we are in the era of COLOR and that clothing of various colors is actually ok also.....let each be an individual
to some extent:D

#2 & 4 are wherethe standard pyrmid or triangle posingwould have worked better.....instead of haivnig the littleone in the middle to allow your eye to be dragged off into the woods......but still well done.

Zanotti · June 16, 2009

Nice! Amazing to watch your kids grow.

What's with the multi-colored wrist bands?

Z

divamum · June 16, 2009

Wow - Mitchell OUTSIDE the Magic Garage. I'm not sure how to process that information

scratch:D

(yes, j/k!!)

You and your family are just lovely, as always and WOW am I impressed you did these yourself - I tried to get a family shot of just three of us a couple of weekends ago and it was a dismal failure - partly lack of room (our deck just wasn't quite wide enough to do what I'd thought I wanted) and figuring out how to insert myself into the position without being able to see it was really hard!!!!

I think 4 and 5 are absolutely the stunners here, especially 5. On 4, it might be worth trying to clone out some of the white railing behind your oldest's head; it's not a big deal, but might be cleaner without it.

The only one that doesn't work for me at all is #2, because of the trees - despite a really good attempt to put them where they wouldn't grow out of heads... they're still doing so for me.

Is this pier available to you just before sunset and does it face the right way to use that light? Could be stunning.....

Thanks for sharing, Mitchell.

Cuties02q · June 16, 2009

Very nice!! My favorites are #4 & #5

jeffreaux2 · June 16, 2009

I agree that these look great, but one minor nit...

These would have all been great candidates for the use of a CTB gel on the flash to more closely match the color temperature of the ambient light.

Other than that, maybe a bit higher with the light on number two as it seems like it is too low.

The exposures look great though, and I totally am in agreement that ETTL or Nikons version of it is VERY good for this sort of work.

Thanks for sharing.

Mitchell · June 16, 2009

Zanotti wrote:

Nice! Amazing to watch your kids grow.

What's with the multi-colored wrist bands?

Z

These were taken at Callaway Gardens. We spend a week each summer there. The bracelets identify us as participants in their summer program since they also have people who come for the day just to enjoy the gardens.

Check it out.

http://www.callawaygardens.com/

Mitchell · June 16, 2009

divamum wrote:

Wow - Mitchell OUTSIDE the Magic Garage. I'm not sure how to process that information scratch:D(yes, j/k!!)

You and your family are just lovely, as always and WOW am I impressed you did these yourself - I tried to get a family shot of just three of us a couple of weekends ago and it was a dismal failure - partly lack of room (our deck just wasn't quite wide enough to do what I'd thought I wanted) and figuring out how to insert myself into the position without being able to see it was really hard!!!!

I think 4 and 5 are absolutely the stunners here, especially 5. On 4, it might be worth trying to clone out some of the white railing behind your oldest's head; it's not a big deal, but might be cleaner without it.

The only one that doesn't work for me at all is #2, because of the trees - despite a really good attempt to put them where they wouldn't grow out of heads... they're still doing so for me.

Is this pier available to you just before sunset and does it face the right way to use that light? Could be stunning.....

Thanks for sharing, Mitchell.

Thanks, DM!

4 and 5 are my favorites. I opted to finish strong in this thread.:D

#2 is also my least favorite and should not have been included. I took it as a lark when we found the low stone wall on our way out from the dock. My 4 year old was about done and I placed the umbrella poorly.

That dock is available to me nightly, but it is 7 hours from my home here in Florida.:cry No way to position people in the setting sun in that locale since it is surrounded by tall pines. I'm glad I had a light stand with me for some off camera fun.

Mitchell · June 16, 2009

jeffreaux2 wrote:

I agree that these look great, but one minor nit...

These would have all been great candidates for the use of a CTB gel on the flash to more closely match the color temperature of the ambient light.

Other than that, maybe a bit higher with the light on number two as it seems like it is too low.

The exposures look great though, and I totally am in agreement that ETTL or Nikons version of it is VERY good for this sort of work.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, Jeff.

Do you use these gels with umbrellas? Sadly, I left them at home and hadn't even considered using them for these shots.

Thanks for looking.

Wil Davis · June 16, 2009

I was wondering how many pics did you take to get the five which you published here? I realize that back in the days before digital, the biggest expense on a shoot was the time of all those folk involved, and the film and processing was still the least expensive part of the whole process (even more so today with digital!).

When I lived in the UK, I mentioned this to a chap who was involved in the production of some of the first Pirelli calendars (around early 1970s) and he said that although you would think that the approach would be "shotgun and bracketing", his personal approach was to take each picture as if it was going to be his last…

I won't ask you what gear you used as I really don't care, however I'm much more interested in your technique and tricks…

- Wil

Mitchell · June 16, 2009

Wil Davis wrote:

I was wondering how many pics did you take to get the five which you published here? I realize that back in the days before digital, the biggest expense on a shoot was the time of all those folk involved, and the film and processing was still the least expensive part of the whole process (even more so today with digital!).

When I lived in the UK, I mentioned this to a chap who was involved in the production of some of the first Pirelli calendars (around early 1970s) and he said that although you would think that the approach would be "shotgun and bracketing", his personal approach was to take each picture as if it was going to be his last…

I won't ask you what gear you used as I really don't care, however I'm much more interested in your technique and tricks…

- Wil

Wil, I went back and counted. I took a total of 26 shots to get these shots you see here. I try to limit the number of photos taken when my 4 year old is involved since the boredom factor is a major issue.

The first thing I did was take a manual exposure reading of the background. I set my body on manual at the selected aperture and SS. I then just let the camera select the proper flash power using wireless iTTL on an SB800 off camera into a shoot through umbrella.

No trickery here. I think the only suggestion I could make is to understand how the gear works.

Wil Davis · June 16, 2009

Thanks for the explanation; your 4-year old certainly didn't look bored with the session; that's something I would have overlooked, not being a parent, but I must also say that 20% is a pretty good hit-rate (at least in my book!).

I took a look at your site, and you have some great family pictures; perhaps they're so used to Dad's camera that there's very little camera shyness left, and you just click away and the pictures are there.

Very occasionally you will get a subject who the camera absolutely "loves"; your youngest looks like such a person; no posing, no funny faces, just take a picture and each one is a gem.

I took some snap-shots of a friend's daughter's graduation party a while ago, and the graduate was just such a subject; very photogenic and it was just a matter of pointing the camera at her and clicking the shutter…

( http://wildavis.smugmug.com/gallery/8456291_JTTSU/1/555849766_3RbC9 )

Thanks again -
- Wil

ShepsMom · June 16, 2009

Wow Mitch, look how big they all are!! Time flies, excellent portrait!

Zanotti · June 16, 2009

Mitchell wrote:

These were taken at Callaway Gardens. We spend a week each summer there. The bracelets identify us as participants in their summer program since they also have people who come for the day just to enjoy the gardens.

Check it out.

http://www.callawaygardens.com/

Ah yes, as I recall you have a favorite chapel shot there. How about an update on that one!

Z

whiterice · June 16, 2009

Possibly the best looking family on Dgrin!

Nice work Mitchell. As for the outfits......might have to have a stern talkn to your assistant.

Mitchell · June 17, 2009

Wil Davis wrote:

I took a look at your site, and you have some great family pictures; perhaps they're so used to Dad's camera that there's very little camera shyness left, and you just click away and the pictures are there.

Thanks again.

My kids are definitely used to me pointing a camera at them. Just ask everyone here.

Mitchell · June 17, 2009

whiterice wrote:

Possibly the best looking family on Dgrin!

Nice work Mitchell. As for the outfits......might have to have a stern talkn to your assistant.

Thanks for the nomination, but I think we lose a couple of points when I'm in the shot.

The outfits have always been a source of lively discussion in our home. I choose to not enter this battle and let my wife win this one. I chose wisely.:D

Awais Yaqub · June 17, 2009

Lovely photos Mitchell
You have got very cute family

White shirts and blue jeans looking great

jeffreaux2 · June 17, 2009

Mitchell wrote:

Thanks, Jeff.

Do you use these gels with umbrellas? Sadly, I left them at home and hadn't even considered using them for these shots.

Thanks for looking.

Yes Mitchell I do use gels along with the umbrella.

I havent done anything side by side for direct comparison, but here are a couple examples...

These two shots were taken at the same bench and close to the same angle. In the first shot, my subject is lit with a speedlight shot through an umbrella. Notice closely how the color temerature of the subject and background are very similar. A nice consistancy gained from the use of a CTB(blue) gel on the flash and a "cloudy" white balance setting that was fine tuned in Lightroom. In the second shot, I used the same white balance method and gear minus the gel. In this one, the background falls off to cooler tones whereas the foreground and subjects are warm from the daylight balanced color temp of the flash.

Again, it's not a direct comparison as the shots are too different, but I do find the color consistancy to be more pleasing in the first shot, and it looks less "flashy".

...and you should remember this recent shot where I used (for the first time) CTO(orange) gels outdoors. I have long been a fan of the CTO to match tungsten light indoors with a flash, but this was new to me.

GoofBckt · September 12, 2009

What are gels?

jeffreaux2 wrote:

Yes Mitchell I do use gels along with the umbrella.

I havent done anything side by side for direct comparison, but here are a couple examples...

These two shots were taken at the same bench and close to the same angle. In the first shot, my subject is lit with a speedlight shot through an umbrella. Notice closely how the color temerature of the subject and background are very similar. A nice consistancy gained from the use of a CTB(blue) gel on the flash and a "cloudy" white balance setting that was fine tuned in Lightroom. In the second shot, I used the same white balance method and gear minus the gel. In this one, the background falls off to cooler tones whereas the foreground and subjects are warm from the daylight balanced color temp of the flash.

Again, it's not a direct comparison as the shots are too different, but I do find the color consistancy to be more pleasing in the first shot, and it looks less "flashy".

...and you should remember this recent shot where I used (for the first time) CTO(orange) gels outdoors. I have long been a fan of the CTO to match tungsten light indoors with a flash, but this was new to me.

Mitchell · September 12, 2009

Carrie, here's a link about gels for flash from the strobist. HTH.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101-using-gels-to-correct.html

GoofBckt · September 12, 2009

Thanks Mitchell. Very interesting. So what is the difference between using gels and using lens filters for the same purpose or adjusting white balance on the camera? Can the same result be achieved in PS with Hues, etc? It just seems like overkill to me, but what do I know? I rarely use flash.
The photos are beautiful and I do love the end result.
Carrie

Mitchell wrote:

Carrie, here's a link about gels for flash from the strobist. HTH.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101-using-gels-to-correct.html

Family portraits

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