First paid photo shoot.

LiveLikeLizPhotos

Constructive comments and criticism? Yes, please!
Here's a senior session I recently did.
I know the customer's personally and they are aware I'm just a beginner.
What do you think?
What could I do better next time?







Her mother is a big fan of black and white, so I threw in some of those specially for her. I'm a fan of color. Haha.

jpc

Nice set but Holy Watermarks Batman! If you're presenting your images this way to your client, it's going to be a turn-off. You need to dial it back a little.

B/W shot is my favorite.

PhotoDavid78

Actually, really good for a first timer

LiveLikeLizPhotos

Haha, I apologize for the watermarks! I use those for my horse show shots, because they tend to like to steal photos. I'll work on a smaller one for things such as this, thank you for the advice!

zoomer

Don't like 1.
2 is my favorite.
3 is ok.
4 is ok.
As mentioned watermark is covering everything so just my impression from what I can see.

For your first time I think you did fine.

reyvee61

Moses....
I've been told that I should step up my image protection but this is the extreme left of what I'm doing

All kidding aside the large watermark in the center does impede the view on the 3rd image considerably...(for critique purposes)

My initial thoughts are as follows:

Not keen on subject dead center frame on most of these...the crops don't allow much breathing space and I feel as if the subject is cramped.
On that note you have some unusual crop ratios which are not print and frame friendly assuming that your client wants prints this can be an issue so it's always better to stay with traditional ratios.

Personal taste on the first one, I would have preferred blowing the background with a shallow aperture as I find the background to be distracting and in a sense making the composition a little harder to digest.

The B&W is my fav of the bunch and I must say overall you did a good job with the exposures....keep shooting

LiveLikeLizPhotos

zoomer, could you please tell me why you don't like it? I'm looking for constructive criticism, so telling me why you have distaste for that photo would help a lot. Just saying you don't like it is insulting, and I don't know what to fix in the future.
Thank you for your reply, though.
I know, I know. My watermark is over the top. I'm currently making a new one.
Keeping it simple is difficult for me. Haha.

Fuhrtographer

I think a bigger app. on the first one and its a good shot. BG is too distracting because its all in focus.

The rest are good just maybe a little crop issue with subject being a little to centered.

PupWeb

pic #1 -, Usually having the subject look as if they are exiting the frame is not as visually appealing as if the were entering the frame. I would have done this landscape to get the flowing dress and have her center right entering the frame.
Separate subject from background- as mentioned open up the lens (lower the f) and look at what's behind the subject and go for contrast. She has blond hair, in pic 1 the bckgrnd is light so it's like her hair and you loose dimension. Pic 2 she pops out b/c the bckgrnd is dark compared to her blond hair.

As others have said leave crop room, it looks as these were custom cropped so I believe you have room in the originals. Remember your clients may want 4x7, 8x10 etc. and also Grandma isn't going to like her baby's head cut short by her 5x7 frame on her mantle.

Posing - Awesome love it!

Good job!

zoomer

You asked for a more detailed critique:
1 looks like a quick snap shot of a person walking by, not a portrait.
Background doesn't work, to bright and distracting, should have used a thin depth of field. Select the background first.
She is almost out of the frame. Photo should be thought out before clicking the shutter, where do I want to place the subject against the background I have selected, does the light hit her in a flattering manner.
If you are going to crop body parts...pick a place to do it...don't just let the crop fall randomly. In 1 choose mid thigh.
If you are going to tilt a photo have a reason, poor photos cannot be saved by tilting them.

2 is your best shot.
It is a little flat and has a bit of a blue tint.
Looks tilted but maybe the wall is not straight.
She looks engaged and having fun.
Background is good and she is well placed in good light.

3 looks a bit flat and slighter blue tint.
The background in this doesn't work due to the large distracting bright spot right behind her.
The entire set up is to centered and square to the camera..needs some angles. She looks cute in this and the light is falling on her in a flattering manner.

4 she is turned at a bit to much of an angle from the camera.
Again the background is distracting with the bright sections behind her head...they are well blurred which makes them not as distracting.
Subject is centered, could use a crop from the right, and bit more space on the bottom. Probably would have worked better as a vertical.
Looks like a blur or softening filter was used, which seems to work ok in this shot.

LiveLikeLizPhotos

Thank you, I've taken notes! Haha. I'll defiantly work on the whole cropping situation, and everything else.
I appreciate the comments.

dogwood

A watermark smack in the middle of a face for a forum post?

The watermarks indicate amateur all around. If you're hoping to get future paid work, you'll want a much, much more professional way to deliver and post photos. Try something subtle in the corner.

Ed911

What Zoomer said, and I think your number one is too soft...hard to see the eyes...and the mouth...lips look soft...not well enought defined.

LiveLikeLizPhotos

How is this?

reyvee61

A simple watermark well designed would be best but this is far batter than what you had on the previous images.

mr peas

Congrats on popping the gettingpaid-cherry. I like the colors. I'd control the DOF more to blur the bg's a bit so as to not conflict with the foreground (esp on #1). Overall its not a bad set. My only other suggestion is to shoot more to build your portfolio. Keep it up!

LiveLikeLizPhotos

I have a friend who is working on one for me, since I obviously am watermark-challenged. Haha.
Thank you for the feed back, everyone.

cybercox

Can I ask what lens(s) you used for this shoot?