Ray and Ariel Engagement Session

anwmn1 · February 5, 2008

This is my first wedding on my own and only the second time I have done an engagement session. These are mostly B&W as I am still working through the colors.

Comments always welcome.

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Swartzy · February 5, 2008

Yaaaaaaa!
Nice job Aaron!...I like the conversions!...nice and sharp, fun poses...great exposure.....its fun when they work huh? Good goin.

Scott_Quier · February 5, 2008

You're B&W conversions are great. Nice contrast, nice highlights. Nice deep darks/blacks. WOW!

1 - I like the idea (and, I'm going to use it for inspiration). A couple of improvements for next time (1) don't cut off the fingers, (2) you have an awkward angle on her wrist and I think simply straightening her wrist would work.

2 - This is nice, clean, crisp. Well done. Do you have one in landscape orientation that includes a bit more of the surroundings? I'm thinking that would be pretty cool too.

3 - Nice. Would love to know what they are looking at. Angle might be a little much.

4 - This is good too. Move them a little further away from the edge as it's cutting through her head and the darker area is a bit distracting.

5 - I really like this one! It is so sharp and, yet, her skin is beautiful. Did you do any skin smoothing? If so, well, you did a very good job of it.

6 - This is the only one in the group that I would have left on the cutting room floor. Cut her off at the angle and toe, cut him off at the waist, you have the background cutting through his head, a high contrast line across her neck, and her face in shadow.

7 - This is a good concept and another one that I will use for inspiration. What I would change: (1) they are centered in the shot, (2) they are competing with the background. Shooting from a higher position would solve both those issues and still keep the sunset in the shot. Did you do any processing on the background to increase the saturation? Just a thought. Clone out that little spot between them.

anwmn1 · February 5, 2008

Swartzy wrote:

Nice job Aaron!...I like the conversions!...nice and sharp, fun poses...great exposure.....its fun when they work huh? Good goin.

Thanks Swartzy-

Yes I was pretty happy with the results.

Nikolai · February 5, 2008

anwmn1 wrote:

This is my first wedding on my own and only the second time I have done an engagement session. These are mostly B&W as I am still working through the colors.

Comments always welcome.

Nice job Aaron!
My biggest gripe is that for some reason you managed to get the groom-to-be as a primary subject in several images. Remember: "it's all about the bride"!

anwmn1 · February 5, 2008

Scott_Quier wrote:

You're B&W conversions are great. Nice contrast, nice highlights. Nice deep darks/blacks. WOW!

Thanks Scott

1 - I like the idea (and, I'm going to use it for inspiration). A couple of improvements for next time (1) don't cut off the fingers, (2) you have an awkward angle on her wrist and I think simply straightening her wrist would work.

The fingers were done on purpose. She did not have her nails done and was very concerned about that. I think the angle of the wrist is more about the angle of the shot- it was a very natural pose with her arms around him. I was to worried about getting the ring sharp without fingernails and still get some of her.

2 - This is nice, clean, crisp. Well done. Do you have one in landscape orientation that includes a bit more of the surroundings? I'm thinking that would be pretty cool too.

Thanks - I am sure I do. I'll look tonight as I go through them in color.

3 - Nice. Would love to know what they are looking at. Angle might be a little much.

Again- just a natural pose. Her in front and told her to just lean back into him. Her natural reaction took over.

4 - This is good too. Move them a little further away from the edge as it's cutting through her head and the darker area is a bit distracting.

Yeap- I see that now. At first I thought it would be cool because the water was there. Then after seeing the results I realized I should of had them shift over a bit.

5 - I really like this one! It is so sharp and, yet, her skin is beautiful. Did you do any skin smoothing? If so, well, you did a very good job of it.

No smoothing. Natural AZ Sunset with a little fill flash to help reduce the red.

6 - This is the only one in the group that I would have left on the cutting room floor. Cut her off at the angle and toe, cut him off at the waist, you have the background cutting through his head, a high contrast line across her neck, and her face in shadow.

Technical wise you are correct. But I know this is one they will like because it fits their personality. Some times the bad ones are the good ones.

7 - This is a good concept and another one that I will use for inspiration. What I would change: (1) they are centered in the shot, (2) they are competing with the background. Shooting from a higher position would solve both those issues and still keep the sunset in the shot. Did you do any processing on the background to increase the saturation? Just a thought. Clone out that little spot between them.

Agree they are centered - this is a crop to eliminate a structure to the left. I was shooting about 2 ft below them- any higher then the houses behind them in the distance became to prominent. No work on the background itself. Adjusted contrast and shadows for the whole image to get a strong silhouette - thats it.

Thank you for taking the time to comment on all of them.

anwmn1 · February 5, 2008

Nikolai wrote:

Nice job Aaron!
My biggest gripe is that for some reason you managed to get the groom-to-be as a primary subject in several images. Remember: "it's all about the bride"!

I see that in these!

This is only 7 of 120 shots.

zoomer · February 5, 2008

Nice creative photos.
Quality of the photos is very nice.
Agree with the other poster...if the bride is happy..it's all good.
I normally focus on the bride as well.

These are nice...I bet the couple loved them.

Swartzy · February 5, 2008

Heheh NIK

Nikolai wrote:

Nice job Aaron!
My biggest gripe is that for some reason you managed to get the groom-to-be as a primary subject in several images. Remember: "it's all about the bride"!

On DWF one of the photogs has a site that say's "Grooms are people too"...