Jen + Bobby | Engagement Pictures
PrettyKitty
Registered Users Posts: 57 Big grins
Here's a few recent pictures I took of Jen and Bobby. This was taken before we had dinner and talked about me photographing their wedding at the end of the month. I'd love feedback!
Also - I'm having monitor calibration issues so feel free to tell me if the colors are off, it's too dark, light, saturated, etc! I still have a few tests to run in the next week to get it fully calibrated.
Also - I'm having monitor calibration issues so feel free to tell me if the colors are off, it's too dark, light, saturated, etc! I still have a few tests to run in the next week to get it fully calibrated.
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Comments
Photo #1. It's just a snapshot. You have to show more originality, and more creativity than just having them stand there and shooting a photo. Totally boring. Maybe they wanted a shot like that though. Technically speaking , it looks pretty sound to me.
Photo #2. Much better composition, but was it cropped short on the width? The composition would work well if their faces were in the upper right third. It's close, but as is, they are right in the middle of the photo (height-wise) Maybe you can crop it different.
3) It's the right idea, but you have to get them to nail the heart shape. As is, they are basically making a circle, not a heart. If I weren't familiar with what they were trying to do, since I've seen it done before, I would have no idea that is supposed to be a heart. You have to get it right....or rather, make them get it right....then shoot.
I would also strongly encourage some much stronger post processing of colors. You are doing great by getting some color calibration going, but I would also look into doing some color shifting in the processing. The standard unprocessed colors are just boring in most cases. If you do Photoshop, I'd drop about $150 on the "Totally Rad Actions" by Boutwell.
Anyway-that's my 2c. Not trying to be harsh here, just honest. When I get harsh critiques, I take it and run with it, and use what I can from it to improve my work.
My Weddings Website • Blog •
Thanks! I do appreciate the feedback!
The couple is the type that isn't really into artistic shots. They really are looking for more of a photojournalistic style approach and don't have a lot of patience for being "posed." They felt silly and kept laughing when I'd give direction... we had fun though. They do like the boring stuff... but I do want to stretch and do both!
As far as the colors, I do have TRA1, but none of them struck me as a good idea... i'm still trying to figure out how to use them without looking completely trendy and processed. I like strong bold colors, but not the prosscrossesed look or the super glowy fuzzy look... but I'll keep playing to find something I like.
Thanks for the tips - I'll keep trying!
Don't mean to be contrary, but...These look completely traditional , not at all a pj style. It looks like you tried to pose them by telling them to stand there and smile. Then you told them to kiss. PJ means no direction, and a pj style means you make it look natural even if you did give direction. Neither definition applies to these pictures.
I hope this doesn't come across as harsh; it is meant to help.
It's your job to get them past feeling silly and bring out their love and affection for each other. No one but professional models are comfortable in front of the camera, and that is never an excuse for mediocre images.
Are you a friend with a camera, or a photographer they have hired without knowing you, based on other work? These look like hobbyist/friend shots. Your comments indicate that they do not trust your vision or respect your ability. If they did, they would at least ask, "What do you want us to do?"
If you are a pro, or hoping to be a pro, their comfort level is totally up to you to alter. Their interactions with each other are up to you to elicit. You need to make the emotion, laughter, and love show, or you will not get any good pj portraits at their wedding.
Those wall hangers never just happen. The photographer has to make them happen by her words, direction, and timing. At the very least, you might try standing them in a softly lit spot, facing each other ( I see there was a missed opportunity for a strong diagonal on the railroad track), or sitting them somewhere close, cuddly and comfortable. Very important: tell them to ignore you.
Hang back and catch some interactions naturally, and start shooting. Only after a few minutes, when they are getting comfy and forgetting about you, give a bit of direction for one, the other or both to look at you. Give direction on the hands, tell one or the other to look down, to close or open their eyes, etc. Look at the photos of other E sessions by photographers you admire, and get some inspiration and a visual in your head of what makes for great e session or wedding images.
Show them a good shot or two that you directed in the LCD screen to help them take direction better. Have them play games, tickle, whatever it takes. It's your job to deliver more than just snapshots of smiles or kisses, and it will take some work and effort to do so, but it's well worth the effort.
Oh I won't take it as harsh at all! I love the advice. I guess I should have explained more though. For a lot of the wedding, they want a more PJ style but she did want to make sure she got some formal shots in. She doesn't want to spend a LOT of time posing, but she does want the standard formal shots of them, their family, etc. So this was just a small test as to what it would be like for them to take some direction, but I was trying not to give TOO much. I'm still learning and they know that. I've shot a couple weddings, and she's seen my work and I even tried to talk her into hiring someone else. My sister-in-law is one of her bridesmaids and that's how I got involved. I am looking at this as a learning opportunity. She's not that concerned about the photos, as long as there are pictures of her relatives and out of town guests, and the day in general. I have no doubt she'll be happy with what I provide, but I do want to learn how to take it up a notch. And then another notch and then another....
You're right, the photos I shown are probably a bit on the boring side... she liked them though. She had a good time having their pictures taken and after that shoot, and seeing the pictures, she's very excited to have me shoot her wedding.
But the advice your'e giving me is priceless... please be harsh... in no other way will I learn!
Thanks!
I got lucky and found the 2 disks on eBay for under $100. They cost a couple hundred bucks otherwise I think. There's volume 1 and volume 2. Vol 2 is my fave. I know I sound like a commercial for the dvd's, but I can't say enough just how much I've learned from it. Watch the trailer. I hope you like it. Some of the featured photog's are totally PJ style, like Dennis Reggie. Some are semi PJ, like Joe Buissink. Some do a LOT of directing, like Jerry Ghionis. (he's the master of glam and fashion bridal photos)
Anyway-I hope this helps.
~Shane
My Weddings Website • Blog •
So the wedding was this past weekend and I had a blast. Definitely the most challenging situation I've ever tried to do... They wanted formal pictures at NOON on the beach of Lake Tahoe, with snow-covered Mt. Tallac in the background on the other side of the Lake, while we sweltered in direct sunlight and about 80 degrees out (while the groom was recovering from food poisoning and had spent the morning puking up his guts!) I made sure to check my settings to avoid blowing highlights or bad shadows...
I know I still didn't get a great chance to be as "creative" as I'd like but the bride was cracking me up, coming up with her own poses so that was fun. She wasn't giving me much of a chance to pose her... she kept going "Oh, how about this? ok now this? Or this?" She was having too much fun. She was totally comfortable with me by the end of the day but they didn't leave enough time for any romantic poses at the end. We were supposed to have an hour at the end for that but the groom's parents suprised them with a horse and carriage and they rode off into the sunset and told me "Oh well, it's ok, we have enough!"
But time to write out my lessons learned and start learning even more before next time....
Thanks again!