A Family Portrait

MattDeRose

So some extended family has ask me to take photos for possible x-mas cards. Now I have been taking immediate family photos for some time but this will be the first time doing it for someone else... I just want to make sure they are the best they can be.

I think that I'm done with these photo's but wanted your c&c before sending them. What do you think? Any changes?

Thanks!!

1.




2.

Qarik

1. here is what I would do. try and brush the hot spots off on the dads neck and shirt sleeve. warm it up a few hundred degrees..I see a slight blueish tint in skin tones. Bring up overall exposure by 1/3 to 1/2 stop. Did you crop any off the bottom? If yes, uncrop it. Add a slight vignette to the photo..this will help draw the eyes to the family and also bring down the hot spots on the corn leaves.

Overall the photos are good..the dappled light is the 1st thing that can be improved. Either get in the shade totally or get in the sun.

rpcrowe

Nice shots
I really like the framing of #1 but, I am slightly distracted by the white window frame "growing" out of her head.

I would like to see the second shot cropped a bit lower so that the top of the hay bales are not in the frame. If you have nore room at their feet, include that too...

MattDeRose

Cropping.

Qarik wrote: »

1. here is what I would do. try and brush the hot spots off on the dads neck and shirt sleeve. warm it up a few hundred degrees..I see a slight blueish tint in skin tones. Bring up overall exposure by 1/3 to 1/2 stop. Did you crop any off the bottom? If yes, uncrop it. Add a slight vignette to the photo..this will help draw the eyes to the family and also bring down the hot spots on the corn leaves.

Overall the photos are good..the dappled light is the 1st thing that can be improved. Either get in the shade totally or get in the sun.

Thank you so much for the tips and response.

We were at a location where there was no complete shade and the direct light seemed really harsh so people were squinting and well that's what I came up with. Anyway, I'm going to fix the color and continue to work with the hot spots on the dad.

I'll repost if I have have any issues. But the main question I have now is with cropping.

In both photos, because I know (well hope), that they will be printed and framed and hung on a wall I cropped and straighten them accordingly. Both for 8x10. Now while trying to fit the photos into an 8x10 frame there are certain aspects of the photo that you have to give up on or have to leave in. In the photo on the bench, I've straightened the photo and loss the mom's hands. And in the hay bale photo I had to leave in the top of the hay bales to preserve the 8x10 crop... I'm I wrong with doing that? Should I be sacrificing the overall image to preserve an aspect ratio when I know the image is to be framed? That's the question.

tomnovy

Nice definition on the first portrait.