Family session

jmphotocraft

Had a family portrait session last weekend. c&c welcome. No retouching yet.

1 - I also took a vertical of this pose


2 - thought of using the hill like this on the spot


3


4


5 - between poses


6


7


8


9


10


11 - got this idea from an old thread here. Hackbone called it campy but I like it!


12 - I think probably the winner for a large canvas. By the way, I was informed it is no longer PC to call the way the girls are sitting "Indian style". The correct term is now "criss cross applesauce". I had asked them to sit Indian style and they had no idea what I was talking about. Whoops!


Thanks. I got a "Wow these are amazing!" response from the mom, so I'm feeling good, but feel free to comment.

Qarik

the close up stuff is spot on! I would have avoided the hill though in the group shots except for 2

jmphotocraft

Thanks Qarik. The location was their choice and the whole park is basically a constant slope going from the street right down to the ocean. They also wanted that island fort in the background, which is an icon of the area, which meant standing at an angle to the slope.

Qarik

well you made it work for the most part..the way to handle that is to get the shot they requested and then set up a shot that works the best in your eyes as well though.

jmphotocraft

Anyone else? Bueller?

divamum

Closeups FANTASTIC.

I don't mind the slope, but I do find shots with a land/sea background like that distracting; I get that's what they wanted and you did what you could, but my eye is always drawn to the light/dark contrasts between water/land/sky. I'm not sure what else you could have done - maybe get that line above their heads, or below their waists? I don't know what the solution is for that particular conundrum

jmphotocraft

Thanks Diva! I guess when you live here and recognize the view, maybe it's not a distraction, I dunno.

jonh68

jmphotocraft wrote: »

Thanks Diva! I guess when you live here and recognize the view, maybe it's not a distraction, I dunno.

Nice set. I live near a bay and the Gulf of Mexico beaches. Families want that. I'm used to it so don't see it as a distraction either. It's part of living on the coast.

unique93

Photos with natural light is the best....I don't know why you used the flash? there is no need to use it, because you have really nice diffused natural light

Sorry for my bad English

jmphotocraft

unique93 wrote: »

Photos with natural light is the best....I don't know why you used the flash? there is no need to use it, because you have really nice diffused natural light

Thanks unique. I agree the shots with the ocean in the background are a little "flashy", especially #2. But had I not used the flash I don't think the shots would have worked at all. They specifically wanted the bay in the background for several shots. If I had exposed for the faces without flash, the background would be completely blown out, because relatively it is very bright. Any less of an exposure would have put shadows in the eye sockets. Believe me I tried it all 3 ways. The shots with the green grass in the background (and #10) were not flashed and the subjects are looking slightly up towards the sky, so their eyes are lit. (Of course in the shots where they are laying on the ground, they are looking right up towards the sky.)

The flash actually doesn't bother me in 1 and 12.

unique93

Well...you have full frame camera with big dynamic range, so, I think you could recover details form background...or you can underexpose little bit, and pull out shadows, and with that, you will get nice photos with natural light...or...if you want to use flash, use it wirelessly through umbrella

jmphotocraft

In hindsight, I should have brought my transmitter and umbrella. With the bright overcast sky I didn't think I'd need it. I didn't consider the fact that the ocean would be reflecting all that light behind the subjects. Next time!

kdotaylor

Loving #8!