Help to pick up the winners

NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
edited October 21, 2005 in People
I got my very first paid gig last Tuesday:clap : family of three decided to use my services to create some family portraits.

We spent about an hour totally. It was a new experience both for them and for me, so initially everybody was a bit tense, but by the end of the session everybody finally got relaxed and we started to have a pure fun (some aussie merlot helped:-).

Below are a few shots I personally picked up from 120+. They are not yet postprocessed, I only framed and adjusted few thing in ACR. Post is yet to come...

Can you help me to select a winner in each category?

Whole Family:
#1
40764780-M.jpg
#2
40764798-M.jpg

Mom and dad:
#3
40764968-M.jpg
#4
40764988-M.jpg
#5
40764996-M.jpg

Son:
#6
40764891-M.jpg
#7
40764884-M.jpg

TIA!:thumb
"May the f/stop be with you!"

Comments

  • rahmonsterrahmonster Registered Users Posts: 1,376 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2005
    I like 1 4 and 6thumb.gif
    www.tmitchell.smugmug.com

    Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life...Picasso
  • lynnmalynnma Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 5,208 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2005
    Lovely job nik.. congrats.. it's very hard I think. I like 1 4 6 and 7.. can we see the end result please.. clap.gifclap.gifclap.gif
    website
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2005
    Thanks, RM!
    rahmonster wrote:
    I like 1 4 and 6thumb.gif
    Appreciate the feedback!
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2005
    Thanks, Lynn!
    lynnma wrote:
    Lovely job nik.. congrats.. it's very hard I think. I like 1 4 6 and 7.. can we see the end result please.. clap.gifclap.gifclap.gif
    It was a very interesting and rewarding (in many senses) experience.
    The biggest technical issue was the kid: he was *constantly* moving around, and parents simply could not stop worring about him, because he was mostly behid them and they caould not see what he's doing.
    Shooting couple and kid separately was a much easier task.

    However, shooting all three led to some nice outtakes:

    40605946-M.jpg

    40605955-M.jpg

    40606003-M.jpg

    Etc...:-)

    Anyway, I enjoed working on them. Thus far they like the "crops", we'll see how it goes.. I need to get the skin tone right. Thus far it's a bit high on magenta. It looks nice on the screen, but on a test print its beet-red:-(

    Cheers!1drink.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2005
    #2 , #4 and #6 thumb.gif

    #1 I would like but the childs look is not appealing to me
    Benjamin
    My Galleries
    Flicker
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  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2005
    Thanks Ben!
    bfjr wrote:
    #2 , #4 and #6 thumb.gif

    #1 I would like but the childs look is not appealing to me
    Great to hear your opinion!
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • HiggmeisterHiggmeister Registered Users Posts: 909 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2005
    Hi Nik,
    Very nice job, especially for your first time. I have yet to do any formals, not really my comfort zone. My preferences are #'s 2,3 & 6, a bit different than the other's picks. I like some of your outtakes, quite humorous.

    I think they will enjoy these,
    Chris

    A picture is but words to the eyes.
    Comments are always welcome.

    www.pbase.com/Higgmeister

  • DewDropDewDrop Registered Users Posts: 22 Big grins
    edited October 20, 2005
    My choices #1, 4 and 6. #1 I think it would be nicer if the shoes are
    cropped off.
  • ZanottiZanotti Registered Users Posts: 1,411 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2005
    Nikolai wrote:

    However, shooting all three led to some nice outtakes:



    40605955-M.jpg



    !

    I see this as the clear winner from all of them. It shows personality, fun and the true character of the people involved. I bet that if you show them this one they will be thrilled with the work. By comparison the others are technically brilliant, but this makes you smile and to me that is what its about!

    Z
    It is the purpose of life that each of us strives to become actually what he is potentially. We should be obsessed with stretching towards that goal through the world we inhabit.
  • kaldarakaldara Registered Users Posts: 57 Big grins
    edited October 20, 2005
    I agree!
    Zanotti wrote:
    I see this as the clear winner from all of them. It shows personality, fun and the true character of the people involved. I bet that if you show them this one they will be thrilled with the work. By comparison the others are technically brilliant, but this makes you smile and to me that is what its about!

    Z
    I agree with this! When I saw this picture it invoked a lot more feeling and a sense of family that some of the others did not. Just my opinion, but I think this is a great shot.
    *kaldara*
    ***********************************************
    "the kid with the untied shoelaces just might be a genius"
    http://krophotography.smugmug.com
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,708 moderator
    edited October 20, 2005
    Nik, I really like the interplay of the background gray, with the muted red of his shirt and the orange of her blouse. Someone made a nice choice of colors here. I kind a like #3 for the couple and some of the outtakes for that child.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • LeahLeah Registered Users Posts: 25 Big grins
    edited October 21, 2005
    Love it...
    I think that photo is the star of the bunch, too. Stiff, formal shots do nothing for me, that one made me smile. Worthy of a frame, I'd say!
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited October 21, 2005
    Wow, what an awesome feedback!
    Guys and gals, I do appreciate the comments!
    As a result:
    1) I cropped the trio:
    40866954-L.jpg

    2) I also added everybody's favorite outtake to the main selection:-)
    40867046-L.jpg

    You may also noticed on this two images, I fiddled with CMYK and skin color, and now the test prints are looking great.

    Thank you everybody so much, your feedback is deeply appreciated!iloveyou.gif

    Cheers!1drink.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • devbobodevbobo Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 4,339 SmugMug Employee
    edited October 21, 2005
    Fantastic work Nik....you did great !!!!
    David Parry
    SmugMug API Developer
    My Photos
  • SystemSystem Registered Users Posts: 8,186 moderator
    edited October 21, 2005
    Nikolai,

    Congratulations on the gig....you did them proud!!thumb.gif

    My two cents.....3,4,7 and everyone's fave, the #2 outtake!

    Looking forward to seeing more as I am sure they will be telling their friends.

    Caleb
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited October 21, 2005
    devbobo, caleb
    Thanks, guys, appreciate it!
    I do hope they will start spreading the word:-)
    Cheers!1drink.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,254 moderator
    edited October 21, 2005
    Nikolai, you did a fine job with the family shots. I can tell you're going to get very good at this, if this is your first forey into studio shooting.

    I have my favorites of the bunch, but I'm a bit puzzled why you are even asking us.

    It shouldn't matter which ones we like, or you like. The photos are theirs, aren't they? Which ones do they like?
    My Smugmug
    "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,950 moderator
    edited October 21, 2005
    Portraits are difficult to get "right". You have some nice traditionals but the
    outtakes are better for the reasons others cite. They show personality and
    a bit of who the subjects are.

    Nice work.

    ian
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited October 21, 2005
    David,
    David_S85 wrote:
    Nikolai, you did a fine job with the family shots. I can tell you're going to get very good at this, if this is your first foray into studio shooting.

    I have my favorites of the bunch, but I'm a bit puzzled why you are even asking us.

    It shouldn't matter which ones we like, or you like. The photos are theirs, aren't they? Which ones do they like?
    Thank you for your kind assessment of my "studio talents":-)

    The reason I was asking is simple - it's my first gig, I want to get better. And in fact I recieved a very valuable feedback and critique, which actually resulted to a change in the selection and adjusting a few things.

    Of course the final solution is clients', but I want to give them the top notch images to choose from, along with my own recommendations, cause they are also not experienced in this. For instance, ehen I showed them what 20x30 would look like IRL (I had a white poster board handy which I was using as a reflector:-) they were kinda "shocked and awed" by its size and by how "long" does it look.

    Thank you very much!thumb.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited October 21, 2005
    Ian, I agree
    ian408 wrote:
    Portraits are difficult to get "right". You have some nice traditionals but the
    outtakes are better for the reasons others cite. They show personality and
    a bit of who the subjects are.

    Nice work.

    ian
    As the result of this discussion I see that those "outtakes" can be a very valuable for the family, since they do show the true relationships. I guess I was kinda "shored" by the original request (they wanted to get a "formal family portrait"), but now I see that they don't have to be stiff to get what they actually need - a nice family portrait:-)

    Thanks!thumb.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
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