First attempt at Candid / Portrait shots

IPClark

I've never attempted candids or portraits before but took a few shots @ F1.8 / 50mm at my cousins 2nd birthday party.

I know there's a lot to do to improve on these but overall, I'm pleased with the results for my first attempt

She looks a little unhappy in some of them however she was far from it. Whenever she sees a camera, she just stares at it mesmerised



1.



2.



3.



4.



5.



6.



7.

eoren1

Nice series Ian...especially 4 and 6.
Might I suggest black and white for those as it will tone down the orange wall and bring the focus back on your great model.
E

IPClark

eoren1 wrote:

Nice series Ian...especially 4 and 6.
Might I suggest black and white for those as it will tone down the orange wall and bring the focus back on your great model.
E

Thanks for the kind comments and advice . I'll definitely try the B/W

NeilL

I love #1, 3, 6 & 7 (can you sharpen the eyes in this one?) clap

Is her name Alice, by any chance? She would be perfect as Carroll's character! I can vividly imagine her discussing life with a rabbit, a queen and a mad hatter etc!! She and the ambiance are so Victorian!

For that reason I think the colors are magnificent. They remind me of the printed metal tins which are so typical of the Victorian period when factory methods offered hoi polloi delights of pretty decoration and color. Please keep the very special color in them, it is so olde nursery tale-like.

She will so cherish these.

Thanks.

Neil

Travis

All are nice but that last one is fantastic. The only nit is the fingers just behind her head. It a second to notice. Great job for a first timer at portraits.

IPClark

Neil,

Thank you very much for your comments. Her name is Olivia which is still quite an old name however the old names are making a big comeback in the UK (not sure if you're in the UK) and it is a very apt name for her.

I totally agree about the Alice, Rabbit etc. She'd be perfect for it . I am working on sharpening the eyes as much as I can without making them look unnatural. Once I get a result I'm happy with, I'll repost it here.

Eoren, I did try a B/W Conversion to see how it would look but I just can't get the result right.

Travis, I agree about the fingers. I did crop it down but it seemed to chop some of her hair away and didn't seem quite right.

Still, I know I'll have lots of opportunity to get more shots.

Thanks again all

joshhuntnm

All nice

in #2 I'd like to see her framed higher and to the left--so there is space in the direction she is looking, and not so much headroom.

dawssvt

Nice shots. #7 is my favorite

saurora

What an adorable child! Nice shots and she's a wonderful subject. My only thought is that due to the distracting surroundings, I probably would have shot with the camera in portrait orientation and cropped closer. I certainly don't object to landscape portraits, in fact, I shoot a lot of them. Pretty good for your first attempt!

IPClark

Thanks again )

I'll certainly take onboard all of the suggestions for future shoots )