family portrait II

Bountyphotographer

Another example of harsh lighting.
1 I got fooled by the Daughter when I was taking shot of her before this picture, because she didnt mind the sun. When the parents joined her they both were squinting, ouch

2 I found an open shade (rare around here) but didnt use the flash thinking that it would be alright.
3 I found a tree (aslo not very common where I live)
1



2



3

Elaine

Can I ask what your aperture is set for on these? And which lens?
The light in 2 and 3 is waaaay better than 1, in my opinion. However, you're dealing with dappled light which causes hot/bright spots.

In 2, consider how much space their faces are taking up compared to the rest of the photo. There is a time and place for showcasing the surroundings of a group shot, but in this case, the nearly blown out rocks and water on the right are dominating and the dappled light on them is distracting. If you could have arranged them in a spot where the light on their faces was nice and even but their eyes were reflecting the bright light available, put on a longer lens at about f/4 and stepped back and zoomed in so that their faces were mostly filling your frame, made sure there weren't any super bright spots dominating the background (maybe those rocks in the middle of the photo ?)...that could have been a winner.

In 3, you can see their faces! And most of their eyes! A little reflector or off-camera fill would make them sparkle. Getting someone to hold up a bit of shade or moving them to get out of the hot light as well as a longer lens and shallower DOF and we're getting somewhere!

Also, remember that shooting in shade makes for cool/blue tones, so warming up the white balance might be in order for shady shots. I usually shoot on cloudy WB, no matter the conditions, but often need to warm things up in processing. (I do shoot RAW.)

Remember, these are just my thoughts and opinions. I know there are others out there with a much better grasp on things! Keep shootin'!

Bountyphotographer

Thank you for your comments


Sigma 24-70 2.8 1 & 2 f stop 3.5 , #3 f stop 6.3

The picture can also be cropped like this




I shoot alone so reflector is almost impossible, but fill in flash yes I should use it more often.
Shooting wb?? I have to try that one.

# 3 there was a slope (down) right behind me so I couldnt use a longer lens.
It looks like Im setting myself for failure while shooting under harsh lighting .
I should probably shoot at another time of the day (also mentionned in earlier thread)

Thanks for the comments

Bounty

Hackbone

It would have been very east to get rid of the splochy light on the little girl and dad by simpling using anything to block the sun from hitting them. It is hard when shooting alone but you've got to look out for that. Coach your clients on what to wear. White should almost never be used outside in a wooded area for the most part. It is too distracting and have them dress from their head to their toes. Try to keep the shirt on dad plain, the plaid screams for attention.

Not trying to pick them apart but just some hints to make the next time better.

Yaflyyadie

Number two and three are an example of what Hackbone said.!!!!!
They look a bit better, but Dad's shirt takes all the attention.
I agree 100% with him.
Y.

divamum

Bounty - so many of the problems with this shoot and the one previous can be solved by shooting early in the morning or later in the afternoon/evening - you mentioned that yourself in your other thread, and it's the #1 way to guarantee better light! Those are potentially really pretty backgrounds, and I bet if you shoot a couple of hours before sunset you can get some really good shots there

If you can rope somebody in as an assistant, you can block bright sun with a scrim (those 5-in-1 reflectors usually have one in the set, and they're supercheap on eBay) OR just use a shoot-thru umbrella - I've done that often and it works a treat (easier to hold than a reflector, too!). And, of course, scout locations with good open shade to use.

If you're stuck with bright sunlight, can sometimes use it as a backlight, and use your flash to fill in their faces; you can underexpose the background a little since you'll have the flash on their face, and/or adjust it further in post when you get it on the computer.

Hope that helps!

Icebear

Scrims are tough to use for group shots because they cast their own shadows. You'll need something the size of a bedsheet to do the trick.

Bountyphotographer

i agree with shooting earlier. The clothes they didn't cre at all. I was lucky they actually had clothes.
Next time Ill be more strict on the way they dress for a family portrait, again it was a free family portrait so they probably didn't take it seriously.
It doesn't excuse me for not setting this shot better, though

bounty

divmedic4

Hi Bounty. First let me say congratulations to you for having the courage to post photos you admit aren't that good so you can try to get better. Most beginers, including myself, only post ones we think are pretty good to get feedback on.

I agree with most of the feedback you have gotten so far on both threads but wanted to chime in with a couple different suggestions I have received locally that are helping me. First, when you are able to find open shade, get your subjects set in the position you want them then pause. Have one person take your exact place at the camera while you take theirs in the frame. By doing this, you make yourself see things from the subject position that the camera records. Also, when doing this, make sure to look up. You may see an opening in the trees, a slightly deeper shadow, etc so you can reposition and get better use out of the light/shade combination you have to work with.

Another piece of advice that has helped me is to scout the areas you want to take the pictures at. Do this at different times of the day so you can see how things change with the position of the sun. If possible, have someone with you to position where you visualize the subjects being. If you don't have someone you can take with you, as weird as it looks, I picked up an old store manikin that I can place to get ideas. For me, and hopefully for you if you try it, this has helped me get more confident with my scene and with people who ask me to photograph them. Simply because of this confidence, I have noticed people become more agreeable to my "suggestions." If you can show a sample of what that area will look like at 10 AM versus 1 PM, it is hard for people to demand the worse of the 2 when they are seeing the difference with their own eyes.

From one beginer to (apparently) another, I hope this helps you.

Bountyphotographer

Thanks, courage and motivation is not something I lack of. I just need to work on the technical side of doing portrait.
Eventhough I have been taking pictures for decades now, portait are very new to me (3 family portrait so far )
What I downloaded on dgrin are my ONLY family portrait that I ever shot .
Im going to take into account all the tips that I received and can only go up from where I started I guess.

Thank you all


Bounty