Senior photos -male

heatherfeather

Hello grinners!

I shot a boy senior session last night and would love some feedback on the photos. Shot in my favorite portrait haunts...Hatchers Pass. I don't do many senior sessions, so this was kindof fun and out of my norm.

This is Ron. It took him a while to get warmed up to me... At first he DID NOT want to do photos... but after I showed him a few in the LCD he warmed up to the idea and actually began to enjoy himself. (Make sure to comment on the skin processing... he has terrible acne)


1. (The white water behind him is NOT snow.) This is one of the only shots with a smile I got! Apparently years ago someone told him that he had a dorky smile. :huh :splat


2. I got him changed out of the sandals as soon as I could without being rude... But it is still a nice photo.


3. A little cross processing fun... He has killer eyes.


4. Here is one where I underexposed the ambient and lit him with flash for a dramatic look... Whatdoyouthink? (Wish I hadn't landed the line of the Mt/Sky where it is, but I was worried about getting run over and in a hurry!)


5.
And I couldn't do a shoot at Hatchers without a good mountain shot:


6. :rofl This is an outtake straight out of camera.... The skeeters were SO TERRIBLE... on all the photos over f4 I had to get rid of tons of them... And here is one at like f20... and the skeeter was in between us so it looked larger than life. That plus his expression and direction of his gaze... well it just cracks me up, even though it isn't the greatest photo.:rofl


7. A good close up to inspect skin processing...


I'd be thankful to hear from you! C & C welcome!

Wil Davis

1. Handsome guy, great eyes, and nice smile! High key is nice, but slicing top off head not cool (IMNSHO), unless done to a boiled-egg

2. What's wrong with the sandals? (Anyone remember Don Martin?)

3. Nice pose, but the green does nothing for me (apart from making him look ill…)

4. Too central, and skyline is slicing through his head…

5. He needs to look at the camera, and his arm is obscured by the plant thingy in the foreground… …apart from that, nice composition!

6. Best composition of the lot; leaves space for logo/copy; perhaps ad for bug-repellent

7. Ouch! There goes the top of the head again; great picture/expression/smile/portrait, but the composition is totally wrong! Look at all the wasted space on each side! People are taller than they are wide (usually) and that's why we have portr… …but hey, you know that already, right…

…er, that's it!



- Wil

GoofBckt

I think these are all nice, especially the first two and the last one. Just my personal faves. Great job on the skin, and FWIW, I think he's adorable. You can tell him I said that. He's not dorky at all. Unique and interesting. Good job IMO.

heatherfeather wrote:

Hello grinners!

I shot a boy senior session last night and would love some feedback on the photos. Shot in my favorite portrait haunts...Hatchers Pass. I don't do many senior sessions, so this was kindof fun and out of my norm.

This is Ron. It took him a while to get warmed up to me... At first he DID NOT want to do photos... but after I showed him a few in the LCD he warmed up to the idea and actually began to enjoy himself. (Make sure to comment on the skin processing... he has terrible acne)


1. (The white water behind him is NOT snow.) This is one of the only shots with a smile I got! Apparently years ago someone told him that he had a dorky smile. :splat


2. I got him changed out of the sandals as soon as I could without being rude... But it is still a nice photo.


3. A little cross processing fun... He has killer eyes.


4. Here is one where I underexposed the ambient and lit him with flash for a dramatic look... Whatdoyouthink? (Wish I hadn't landed the line of the Mt/Sky where it is, but I was worried about getting run over and in a hurry!)


5.
And I couldn't do a shoot at Hatchers without a good mountain shot:


6. This is an outtake straight out of camera.... The skeeters were SO TERRIBLE... on all the photos over f4 I had to get rid of tons of them... And here is one at like f20... and the skeeter was in between us so it looked larger than life. That plus his expression and direction of his gaze... well it just cracks me up, even though it isn't the greatest photo.


7. A good close up to inspect skin processing...


I'd be thankful to hear from you! C & C welcome!

Angelo

very nicely done

# 1 & 7 are my faves. don't worry about the head. some of history's most famous portraits have head chops.

heatherfeather

Wil Davis wrote:

1. Handsome guy, great eyes, and nice smile! High key is nice, but slicing top off head not cool (IMNSHO), unless done to a boiled-egg

2. What's wrong with the sandals? (Anyone remember Don Martin?)

3. Nice pose, but the green does nothing for me (apart from making him look ill…)

4. Too central, and skyline is slicing through his head…

5. He needs to look at the camera, and his arm is obscured by the plant thingy in the foreground… …apart from that, nice composition!

6. Best composition of the lot; leaves space for logo/copy; perhaps ad for bug-repellent

7. Ouch! There goes the top of the head again; great picture/expression/smile/portrait, but the composition is totally wrong! Look at all the wasted space on each side! People are taller than they are wide (usually) and that's why we have portr… …but hey, you know that already, right…

…er, that's it!



- Wil

Thanks! I actually choose to crop the tip of his head on purpose... Yeah, it was a post crop. The purpose? to draw the eyes in just a smidge closer. All the photos were taken with wallet sized in mind... since that is the size generally ordered for Sr photos and kids don't want their sr photos to look like school ones... all perfect in the portrait orientation. (not saying I didn't take any that way... but I vastly prefer the horiz orientation for closups)

As to the green in the cross processing... I am well aware it is not for everyone. But kids really love it and it sells really well. Sorry it didn't strike a bell with you.

Sandals for portraits are supposed to be a no-no since they draw your eyes away from the face.

Thanks for sharing your opinion! It is good to look at things from other perspectives. I appreciate the time it took for you to share yours.

heatherfeather

GoofBckt wrote:

I think these are all nice, especially the first two and the last one. Just my personal faves. Great job on the skin, and FWIW, I think he's adorable. You can tell him I said that. He's not dorky at all. Unique and interesting. Good job IMO.

Thanks Carrie! I will!

heatherfeather

Angelo wrote:

very nicely done

# 1 & 7 are my faves. don't worry about the head. some of history's most famous portraits have head chops.

Thank you Angelo. I promise I won't worry one second! (Besides... it was intentional!)

whiterice

These are all so nice Heather.

It's clear that we all have different styles and tastes - which is good!

I personally really like the cross processing on #3. I think that now more than ever people want unique portraits. This is very nice, the pose and expression are so good. Nicely done.

I wouldn't worry at all about the head being cropped.

These look very good! Hope your client likes the work too...that's what really matters.

Llywellyn

I really enjoyed this set. The dramatic lighting shot really pops and grabs me (and makes me reeeeally want to know your settings, both flash and EXIF ), despite the slicing horizon. And I have to say your skin processing looks really nice, but it's still a bit hard to tell at this size. At this resolution, though, it looks natural with good texture, no obvious cloning or smoothing.

Glad you got him to warm up! It shows.

Elaine

He's got a great smile and intense eyes! Skin looks good at this size. I love the variety here. My faves are 1, 2, 4, 5.
#6 is a crack-up!
I love the drama of #5...the sky and backdrop is amazing. I wish the foliage was not going up us leg/arm, but that's just a nit.
I wouldn't have guessed he wasn't into this photo taking process.
Awesome as usual!

heatherfeather

whiterice wrote:

These are all so nice Heather.

It's clear that we all have different styles and tastes - which is good!

I personally really like the cross processing on #3. I think that now more than ever people want unique portraits. This is very nice, the pose and expression are so good. Nicely done.

I wouldn't worry at all about the head being cropped.

These look very good! Hope your client likes the work too...that's what really matters.

True! I appreciate different tastes a whole lot! I always tell my kids to continue to try things they don't prefer because often times you grow to like 'em... And my client is pretty darn pleased. And you are right! That is what matters.

jeffreaux2

Teenaged guys on a photoshoot...that's some tough love huh?

I know how THAT feels.....but it appears that you were able to soften him up some to the idea of having his photo taken, and that is MOST of the hard work in senior portraits. The gals are usually a bit more eager...and thus easier to get "into" the shoot. In any event....ya done good!


In general...

-The skin work is solid. I've only shot a couple of girls with truely bad acne, but most of the boys have needed some heavy duty post work in that area. One thing you may want to do if his skin was indeed THAT bad is to make a 4x6 print with a side by side before and after of the skin retouching....and stuff it in your bag. Many of these kids are really self conscious about that and if they can see before you begin shooting what you are capable of, then they will forget about that stuff and be themselves.

-Several of these feature his shoulders turned square or nearly so to the camera. A slight angling would have appeared more relaxed.

In particular...
1-I like the crop....and the smile is stellar! Tough to get from a young man of this age group. I think as a variation more could be cropped from the bottom and left of the frame.

2-Maybe my favorite..... He looks most relaxed to me in this shot. The sandals do detract from the image.....I would have liked this with his feet bare and pants rolled up a bit.....but talking the guys into those sorts of things isnt always a given. If you can lighten the shoes a tad....and darken the stripes a little it may help.....or not? His head is tilted correctly!

3-I like the outdoorsy feel of this....and he will surely like the funky cross processing.

4-I agree with you on the dissection with the mountain....and Im a bit let down about the paved highway. (no ice-road? ) As luck would have it....ordinary mortals know little about portrait critiques and will likely never consider the dissection and will instead just settle on the fact that its a kewl photograph.....which...it is!:D

5-I think you should have stomped that one weed down, and Id like to see more ambient light in this one. The flash across the foreground makes me want to see the background lighter.

6-Out take.....next.... .....but the bug brings back memories from working at Ft. McMurry!

7-Very nice. He is a handsome fella, and the exposure and processing are great here. Another one with several crop possibilities other than what you have shown.

In all, I think you did really well...and deserve a self to self pat on the back for wringin such terrific shots of a teenaged guy.

Geaux Heather!!!!! :ivar

adbsgicom

Very nice set. I love the shot on the road. The lighting is wonderful. You need to get a couple of Orange "Photo Work Ahead" signs so you can set the picture up without worrying about imminent death. If he could drop his hand a bit; he looks like he's worried about dropping the ball. I didn't even notice the head crop when I looked initially so I guess you got your wish. They eyes caught me. The light on the sandals is so much lower than the torso/face that the sandals don't create a bright spot for focus. I like the 7th better than the first. The tilt of his head makes him more approachable in the 7th; a little too intense in the first. I think its the eyes, not the smile that gives me that sense. I imagine he (and his folks) will be quite happy with your work!

Thanks for sharing.

heatherfeather

Llywellyn wrote:

I really enjoyed this set. The dramatic lighting shot really pops and grabs me (and makes me reeeeally want to know your settings, both flash and EXIF ), despite the slicing horizon. And I have to say your skin processing looks really nice, but it's still a bit hard to tell at this size. At this resolution, though, it looks natural with good texture, no obvious cloning or smoothing.

Glad you got him to warm up! It shows.

Thank you Kerry...
Wanna see one bigger?



And here is one that didn't get the deep processing..... Not even close to as nice of a shot. But it is portrait orientation for WDavis!


Settings for the street shot was... f 4.5 1/1000th at 105mm That made the ev around -2... and then I had my flash set up at approximate -1/2. Does that help?

Here is another that I thought was fun with that concept:


It has its issues, but it sure excited Ron when I showed it to him on the LCD...

adbsgicom

Wow, nice processing indeed...
Is the editing a combination of a plugin like Portraiture and hand-editing w/ cloning, or do you use something more home-grown?

Thanks,
-a

jeffreaux2

heatherfeather wrote:

Thank you Kerry...
Wanna see one bigger?



And here is one that didn't get the deep processing..... Not even close to as nice of a shot. But it is portrait orientation for WDavis!


Settings for the street shot was... f 4.5 1/1000th at 105mm That made the ev around -2... and then I had my flash set up at approximate -1/2. Does that help?

Here is another that I thought was fun with that concept:


It has its issues, but it sure excited Ron when I showed it to him on the LCD...

The skin work is perfect, and I really like the white balance and skin tones....(refering to the xl color shot)

This guard rail shot is VERY cool. A little more detail on the dark side of his face would be nice but still.....sheesh...no wonder he got excited.....what teenager wouldn't?:D

heatherfeather

adbsgicom wrote:

Wow, nice processing indeed...
Is the editing a combination of a plugin like Portraiture and hand-editing w/ cloning, or do you use something more home-grown?

Thanks,
-a

Nope, it is all done with the patch tool in PS. It is easily my favorite ps tool.

adbsgicom

heatherfeather wrote:

Nope, it is all done with the patch tool in PS. It is easily my favorite ps tool.

So much to learn....
Just found a one-page tutorial on google books. My friend wanted a picture of her kids, and they have puffy eyes. This was a very timely revelation, and produced much better results than my healing brush approach. Thanks so much.

Wachel

I like these a lot. I remember those teen years and can feel his pain.

Good work!

heatherfeather

Well shoot... I couldn't sleep (all this daylight, lol) so I decided to rework one of these shots. Yes I moved the mountains, with just a teensy bit of faith. Pretty simple to do, really. I might consider a repeat performance!



I like it muuuch better. Perhaps now I can get some zzzs.

heatherfeather

adbsgicom wrote:

So much to learn....
Just found a one-page tutorial on google books. My friend wanted a picture of her kids, and they have puffy eyes. This was a very timely revelation, and produced much better results than my healing brush approach. Thanks so much.

Did it mention the fade deal? That is the clincher for me... Edit>Fade (whatever the last thing you did)... and then slide the slider up and down. That works sooo good to soften hard lines on a lady's face.

JulieLawsonPhotography

This set is wonderful! He has a great smile and wonderful eyes. His skin looks wonderful. You did a good job. I always love seeing your work. LOVE the one with the basketball....that is so awesome!

Llywellyn

heatherfeather wrote:

Thank you Kerry...Wanna see one bigger?

Okay, stellar skin work, Heather! It looks flawless and natural. Very well done!

heatherfeather wrote:

Settings for the street shot was... f 4.5 1/1000th at 105mm That made the ev around -2... and then I had my flash set up at approximate -1/2. Does that help?

Yes! Thank you. I'm still struggling with outdoor flash (not fill, but dramatic flash) and am determined to conquer it. This will help my experiments.

Love the drama of the guardrail shot, and I'm not surprised your senior got excited about it. Your rework of the horizon in the other shot is also superbly done.

adbsgicom

heatherfeather wrote:

Did it mention the fade deal? That is the clincher for me... Edit>Fade (whatever the last thing you did)... and then slide the slider up and down. That works sooo good to soften hard lines on a lady's face.

No, but I'll add it to my list.
The e-book I found was: CS4 - The Missing Manual

http://books.google.com/books?id=f38qA2yg0PYC&source=gbs_navlinks_s

adbsgicom

heatherfeather wrote:

Well shoot... I couldn't sleep (all this daylight, lol) so I decided to rework one of these shots. Yes I moved the mountains, with just a teensy bit of faith. Pretty simple to do, really. I might consider a repeat performance!



I like it muuuch better. Perhaps now I can get some zzzs.

This is a different shot than the original, no? His head and how he is holding the ball is different. I happen to like how he is holding his head in the original. I also like it in color (just my preference). His stance feels much stronger in the first as well. Glad I now know someone who can move mountains even when they are tired.... The moved mountain is wonderful.

divamum

Heather, you've managed to convey "adorable" with this young man. Skin work looks perfect (grrr... how do you DO that?! I'm a patch tool girl too, as you know, but ... you do it so much better ). I really like the first and last, and the shot with the sandals doesn't bother me (heck, it's how he IS, so it will have some value to his family, I'm sure, even if the sandals aren't the ideal accessory for photography!)

Beautiful work as always.

leebase

They are all very good. The shot with the basketball on the road and the mountain shots following it are extraordinary. Love the lighting.

Lee

leebase

heatherfeather wrote:

It has its issues, but it sure excited Ron when I showed it to him on the LCD...

I like it a lot. It is these 'different shots' that speak most to me.

Lee