1st Senior Session

kidzmom · August 17, 2010

Hi everyone,

So, I launched my first ever senior shoot. What a great senior. He is on the swim team and wanted some in the water also. He's a fly guy. It was fun. I hope I got some they'll like! Please let me know what you think. What you like, what you don't, where I could improve... Also feel free to take a look at the whole gallery

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26 And I put together an action poster for him..Proposed post print size 12x18. He's a fly-er.

The whole gallery is here (50 pics)
http://kfsphotography.smugmug.com/Children/Seniors/13065991_RojsC#970520696_jfujm

Thanks so much for looking and for any comments

mpaulie · August 17, 2010

I think these are really well done and you got a lot different looks so there will definitely be stuff they like.

Qarik · August 17, 2010

awseome stuff!

Cuong · August 17, 2010

Kelly, you rock!

Cuong

divamum · August 17, 2010

Good grief, woman. And you have doubts about whether you can charge for your work?!!??? These are FANTASTIC ... and look like you've been at it for years (and I have to add - either you got the best copy of the 50 1.8 ever made, or you SERIOUSLY rock that puppy out! My money is on the latter

)

2 and 22 are my favorites.

PS Were these taken in France or the US? Just curious

kidzmom · August 17, 2010

Mpaulie, Quarik, Cuong, Diva...Oh my gosh, you guys are too kind!! I did work hard on these and I'm glad it paid off. I went to 4 different locations (pool included). I haven't heard back yet and I posted the gallery link to them yesterday. Diva, I did these when we were on vacation in the states. A very typical USA letterman jacket gave that away, huh! And guess what? I got TWO new lenses when we were there. I treated myself. Life is too short and so I indulged. I got two L's! One used and one new. The new was the 70-200 2.8 IS (yes I got the IS) and a used 28-70 2.8 L (the very sharp predecessor to the 24-70 2.8 L). My 50 1.8 looks like a piece of junk compared to these. The 28-70 has lived on my camera since I got it... BUT I must add that I love the 70-200 MUCH MUCH more, it just is less practical, but oh so amazing (the swim series and the letterman jacket series were with the 'great white'---both your favorites I might add). Diva I took your advice and bought the used lens from KEH. The ex condition 28-70 was $800-ish and worth every penny. I initially bought a used 70-200 2.8 IS from Adorama, but it was BEAT UP! I figured for 300 bucks more it would be brand new, so returned it for a new one.. Now I'm all set with lenses! I feel those 2 lenses make a complete kit for me..but I think on the wish list would be the 50 1.4 and a 100 2.8 macro (oh and maybe a new camera too..lol). Anyway, THANK YOU for the kind comments. I'm REALLY hoping they like these!!

sweet caroline · August 17, 2010

These are great! Lovely, soft light. I think 25 may be my favorite. I really like all the close-ups.

divamum · August 17, 2010

Ooo... I've been considering a 28-70 as a possibility, so good to hear you like yours. Is it sharp at 2.8? That's the thing I need - I'd shoot at 2.8 and wider all the time if I could, so it's a big deal for me for a 2.8 lens to be *useable* at 2.8! I've been holding out in hopes of the rumored 24-70 IS, but seems that lens may be but a fond wish rather than a reality....

kidzmom · August 17, 2010

Thanks Sweet Caroline, I used the light I had. I was on vacation so I didn't have anything off camera lighting. I did use the speedlight on 1 or 2 shots, but otherwise they were all with existing light. I WISH I would have had my reflector though, it would have come in handy. Diva..the 28-70 L is a beauty. It is HEAVY though and packs a whopping 77mm diameter--the same as on the 70-200!!!!!!! It is super though and is just perfect for me. I think every single shot in that series was at 2.8 on the 28-70. The only shots with the 70-200 were the swimming and letterman jacket shots..all orange shirt shots are wide open on the 28-70. I lvoe shooting wide open. I found it plenty sharp at 2.8. I did a lot of research on what to buy because my 50 indoors was just too long (I'm on a crop sensor). I was missing shots around the house left and right. I was considering a fast 24 mm ish prime, but I also LOVE closeups and I love being able to pop out to 70 mm on the fly. And I love that it holds the 2.8 in the zoom. I read in one review that it outperformmed the 24-70 for sharpness at 2.8. I love it, and used at KEH for 800 bucks was perfect for me! Thanks for suggesting them!!!

divamum · August 17, 2010

Tx, Kelly! Btw, I didn't even notice the jacket (duh) - it was just his very all-American look and the gauge of the train tracks that made me wonder!!

jeffreaux2 · August 17, 2010

These Are awesome for a first time sr shoot. I saw them this morning full size. Id like to comment in more detail as i see some really good things here. I also see a few minor nits that could push them over the top. But. It will have to wait. Im limited to my iphone this Afternoon and would rather v iew them all full size again as i comment. In the meantime ya done good. Teenaged boys can b tough customers .

kidzmom · August 17, 2010

THANK YOU Jeff!! I was hoping you were around and would chime in. I adore your work and really appreciate you taking the time to look and comment.

Thanks,
Kelly

jeffreaux2 wrote: »

These Are awesome for a first time sr shoot. I saw them this morning full size. Id like to comment in more detail as i see some really good things here. I also see a few minor nits that could push them over the top. But. It will have to wait. Im limited to my iphone this Afternoon and would rather v iew them all full size again as i comment. In the meantime ya done good. Teenaged boys can b tough customers .

Cuong · August 17, 2010

divamum wrote: »

Ooo... I've been considering a 28-70 as a possibility, so good to hear you like yours. Is it sharp at 2.8? That's the thing I need - I'd shoot at 2.8 and wider all the time if I could, so it's a big deal for me for a 2.8 lens to be *useable* at 2.8! I've been holding out in hopes of the rumored 24-70 IS, but seems that lens may be but a fond wish rather than a reality....

The optical performance of the 28-70 and 24-70 are very similar. Check out their MTF numbers in http://www.photozone.de . I had the 24-70 and found that it's just not wide enough on a cropped sensor body (30D), so I opted for the EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS. The 17-55 doesn't have the L-lens build and lacks the reach at the long end, but it surely makes up with the short end coverage, stellar optical performance even at f/2.8, and IS. You should consider the 17-55. Jeff (jeffreaux2) can certainly attest its magical power.

My apology to Kelly; didn't mean to hijack your thread.

Cuong

divamum · August 17, 2010

(sorry Kelly - I'm trusting you won't mind the continued hijackette....

Thanks Cuong. Bottom line, however, is that I need more reach; I actually have a Tam 17-50 which I love, but constantly find myself wanting something between 50-70, hence why I think I need one of these other guys at some point. I dont' shoot wide very often, and I have the Tamron for those situations, hence why I haven't even considered the 17-55

(Now, back to your regularly scheduled discussion....

)

l.k.madison · August 17, 2010

I'm not hitting on teenage boys but WOW! If I was his girlfriend, 25 would be blown up HUGE!!

Great job of his on the land, but the ones in the water are just Ah-MAZING!!!

His eyes are amazing, great job on those close ups!

And yes, charge for shoots, I'd hire you if you weren't over the pond!

nowandthen · August 18, 2010

Nice job!

jeffreaux2 · August 18, 2010

Overall you have done great here...Im even a little reluctant to point out the nits, but I really think you can take what I have to say and pull out a perfect set next time. Maybe?:D

Overall, I like the location(s). The natural light played very nice for you and seems well controlled in your exposures. Fundamentally your exposures are solid, and for the most part I like the processing. Your BW conversions look great and your feel for white balance appeals to my own personal tastes. So....technically....your photography in and of itself is a huge success.

I doubt anyone could argue that!

The nits I see are choices in posing and composition. And these things can be tough, but are worth the effort in an art where a slight adjustment in the tilt of a head can change the entire tone of an image....or adding negative space to the side of your subject can do the same. I can assure you that any of the HS seniors I have photographed...if asked how their shoot went with me.....would be more than ready to say that I spent a LOT of time adjusting their fingers....that I looked them over closely before each shot for a stray hair or a necklace clasp that might be showing etc....or spent time in adjusting their foot position....even in a 3/4 length....or head and shoulder shot where the feet would b out of view (because I know that foot position can change the shape of the entire body whether the feet show or not). It's a lot to consider before pressing any buttons on a camera. And even though I practice these excersizes....I often make mistakes...errors...try things that just dont work....but ......if ya aint tryin new things....your work will fall off as stale and you yourself may even become bored with it.

That said....here goes....

1- When I first saw it I cringed a little at the crossed arms....but then after studying the image I thought you had pulled it off well. Usually in portraits you want to avoid crossed arms as it appears defensive in nature. He doesnt look defensive here though....at least not to me. I am a bit concerned with the jacket. The blousing open below his crossed arms makes him look a bit bottom heavy...something the other photos prove as untrue. A bit tighter on the crop may help....but the best help would have been from buttoning the bottom of the jacket. A+ on the exposure here. The sleeves and letters on these types of jackets are highly reflective. You have it all under control in the jacket shots.

2- This is a great image. I REALLY like it. For nits sake I see more magenta here than in any other image posted. Im not eyedropper measuring (I dont do that)....but just looking with my eye Id back the magenta down some. It will print redder than you can expect by how it looks here.

3-Id be VERY carful anytime you make the decision to have sunject place a hand anywhere near the face. It is really easy to be seen as contrived...un natural...and forced. This particular shot falls into that catagory for me....and I think this pose in general would be better reserved for a female subject. You have the same amount of negative space to the right of his shoulder as the previous image, but it doesnt do anything for this one. Tighten the crop up.

4- Now I am concerned about the crossed arms. Ive already explained why....but now that I see it again I begin to wonder if you were at a loss for anything to do with his arms and hands. "What do I do with my hands?" my clients ask....."don't worry about that...that is my job" I reply. A great looking pose where he is sitting may have simply been to extendhis left hand out to his left knee and lean slightly forward....and simply lay the right hand at his side on the edge of the ledge. All very natural and shaping his body to be wider at the bottom of the image so that viewers in the coming years will see him sat there very comfortably. Of course when he leaned out on his left knee he would have ended up with his left shoulder considerably lower than the right. The head....for males...should ALWAYS be tilted to the lower shoulder. Tilting to the upper shoulder is considered a feminine tilt and should be avoided with males. It may not make much sense , but girls can get away with head tilting in either direction. Even with the pose you chose here his shoulders are slightly askew and his head tilted to the higher shoulder. Compare that to number 11 where you really got it right and see for yourself.

5- A nice image. Mothers really like profile shots like this. Id try a different crop. Maybe this same ratio, but take off enough at the top and left to get you nearly forward of his ear. Its a solid shot, though, and I bet mom wants it.

6- I like the camera angle a lot. Nice DOF. Adjusting yourself and him to give you the same angles, but only brick in the background would have been cool. I often seat kids right on the ground to use sidewalks for a background and keep other stuff off the background. Its a keeper though.

7-An alternate pose...lean his back more toward the fence and let his arms, hands lie along the edge of the ledge. ...burt be careful of forshortening when limbs are stretched toward the camera. If that fence were in my area would I use it for portraits. YES YES YES.

8-This is okay, but his raised arm being cut off bothers me a little. His unraised arm being cut off doesnt bother me here. Go figure. I really like his genuine expression here.

9-The tilt here isnt helping the image. The pose....refer to notes on #3. FWIW...on tilting...I really have no problem with a well done tilt, but have found that it doesnt work well with longer focal lengths. 30-50mm on a crop camera and a well done tilt can be fun and energetic. With longer glass, it just doesnt play out as nice. Of course...thats just my humble opinion.

10- Nice shot....can ir be improved? Maybe.... drop the front arm off his knee and get the bare skin of it away from his face. It competes for eye time.

11-This is about as good as it gets. Really a perfect image. The head is tilted correctly....theres room for many crop options...including a portrait oriented one. Great great job here. Really....really nicely done.

12-I like this one. the shape of his hands and the pole add interest without stealing the show. Id crop tighter. A lot tighter so that his eyes were 1/3 of the way from the top of the image.....taking as much as possible from the top and left side of the frame.

13-The pose here doesnt work well for me. Theres the hand at his face again and we have cut off a foot. Good rule of thumb poses are head and shouldaers, half length, 3/4 length, and full length. You are somewhere between full and 3/4 here. You can improve this shot by cloning out the garbage container in the BG.

14 Nice...I like it....and I like this treatment for this image.

15 He is sitting pretty square on to the camera here and the crop is awful close to his hands to have not included them.

16- See above

17- The pose and Comp arent very dynamic. The treatment doesnt correct for that and steals awat from the image. The inner most square in there....THAT crop...but taken from a prone position as low as possible to the ground....thats more like it....and treat it in black and white...even if it becomes a sillouette.

18- Toss the hands stuffed into pockets pose into the bin with the crossed arms pose.

19- The arms crossed...the head tilt.... follows along with 3, 4 , 7, and 9 ....not very masculine.

20- a different image in the same vein as 14. I like it. Nice BW treatment as well.

21-Nice color. Get in closer. A lot closer.....maybee even a vert crop?

22- A+ all around.

23- Not really a portrait. Get him out of the center for a more dynamic composition.

24-Very nice. Plenty of crop options too!

25- Very nice with a nice looking treatment as well.

26-I dont do composites like this....so take it with a grain of salt....but I believe using a single font rather than several would instantly make this appear less amateurish.

Whew!!!

Thats a lot of C&C!!!

In closing....keep in mind that a lot of folks...pais or not....would be perfectly happy to turn these over to a client....and they are really good save for the minor details. I would have been stoked if my first senior set were this good!( a link http://www.jkmann.com/Seniors/Ryan/3759138_tsLNM#216315731_5Sbib )

Congrats on a very successful shoot!

Hackbone · August 18, 2010

Kelly, for the first senior you did a heck of a good job overall. Congrats. Just some items to watch and these nits are meant to help.

I personally like tight croppings for the ESP reason (expression sells portraits). The light areas above his head bothers me and draws attention away from his facial expression. 1-4-9-10-11-12-13-16.

Alot of your lighting is flat meaning the face doesn't have or barely has a light side and a darker side. 2-4-6-7-10-11-14-16. This sculpts the face and gives it depth and character. You might have done better at times with only a slight turn of the head. Carry around a ping pong ball and hold it at the subjects position and turn it in the light to find the bright and dark side then put your subject there.

4-7-8- are not really masculine poses.

I really like the swimming shots and 5-25 alot.

Hope this helps.

jeffreaux2 · August 18, 2010

Cuong wrote: »

The optical performance of the 28-70 and 24-70 are very similar. Check out their MTF numbers in http://www.photozone.de . I had the 24-70 and found that it's just not wide enough on a cropped sensor body (30D), so I opted for the EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS. The 17-55 doesn't have the L-lens build and lacks the reach at the long end, but it surely makes up with the short end coverage, stellar optical performance even at f/2.8, and IS. You should consider the 17-55. Jeff (jeffreaux2) can certainly attest its magical power.

My apology to Kelly; didn't mean to hijack your thread.

Cuong

Yup I can attest to it.....great lens. In fact, I dont think there is a better standard zoom lense out there for a crop sensor Canon. I dont notice a big gap between 55 and 70mm. I generally use the 17-55 or the 70-200 and have no issues. My choice in lenses isnt ever based on subject to distance though....I nearly always have room to use either lens. I choose the lense usually based on a particular look I am after. I use the 50 1.4 also...when I want that look.

I have sold everything else.:D

trevorb · August 18, 2010

25 is pretty epic! Wow!!!! I miss your photography, these are amazing. When my kiddos are Seniors I will have to fly you out from France for a photo session.

met · August 18, 2010

These look awesome Kidzmom! 25 is my favorite as well.

kidzmom · August 19, 2010

jeffreaux2 wrote: »

Overall you have done great here...Im even a little reluctant to point out the nits, but I really think you can take what I have to say and pull out a perfect set next time. Maybe?:D

Wow Jeff! Thanks so much for taking the time to give such valuable insight. It has helped me enormously and hopefully will help those reading this as well. One thing I think I've realized is that practice really does make perfect. You can read how to do things in books (read, read, read--that's me!), but in reality until you have YOUR images in front of you for evaluation, you won't really 'get it'. It sure does help to have the feedback right with the image!

Overall, I like the location(s). The natural light played very nice for you and seems well controlled in your exposures. Fundamentally your exposures are solid, and for the most part I like the processing. Your BW conversions look great and your feel for white balance appeals to my own personal tastes. So....technically....your photography in and of itself is a huge success.

I doubt anyone could argue that!Thanks...

The nits I see are choices in posing and composition. And these things can be tough, but are worth the effort in an art where a slight adjustment in the tilt of a head can change the entire tone of an image....or adding negative space to the side of your subject can do the same. I can assure you that any of the HS seniors I have photographed...if asked how their shoot went with me.....would be more than ready to say that I spent a LOT of time adjusting their fingers....that I looked them over closely before each shot for a stray hair or a necklace clasp that might be showing etc....or spent time in adjusting their foot position....even in a 3/4 length....or head and shoulder shot where the feet would b out of view (because I know that foot position can change the shape of the entire body whether the feet show or not). It's a lot to consider before pressing any buttons on a camera. And even though I practice these excersizes....I often make mistakes...errors...try things that just dont work....but ......if ya aint tryin new things....your work will fall off as stale and you yourself may even become bored with it.

It is very interesting to read this. I actually was semi-passive in a lot of the poses...just letting him be comfortable and find himself. When he'd get close to what I wanted I would nit-pick a tiny bit, but I see that I need to go further..much much further. I didn't dare touch his hands or move his feet, lol! I see where you are coming from! Does this change the feeling of the shot? I was just afraid if I forced any poses on him he would look less natural, you know? For the first shot..I just said how about leaning on the tree...and then just let him do his thing. I will definately need to think about this a lot more. THANKS!

That said....here goes....

1- When I first saw it I cringed a little at the crossed arms....but then after studying the image I thought you had pulled it off well. Usually in portraits you want to avoid crossed arms as it appears defensive in nature. He doesnt look defensive here though....at least not to me. I am a bit concerned with the jacket. The blousing open below his crossed arms makes him look a bit bottom heavy...something the other photos prove as untrue. A bit tighter on the crop may help....but the best help would have been from buttoning the bottom of the jacket. A+ on the exposure here. The sleeves and letters on these types of jackets are highly reflective. You have it all under control in the jacket shots.

I think I was more concerned about exposure here than the arms, lol! I need to pay more attention to this pose. He seemed very natural with his arms crossed so I just let him do his thing, but I completely see where this can look contrived or defensive! Great input.

2- This is a great image. I REALLY like it. For nits sake I see more magenta here than in any other image posted. Im not eyedropper measuring (I dont do that)....but just looking with my eye Id back the magenta down some. It will print redder than you can expect by how it looks here.

Going back to RAW file now for the magenta.

3-Id be VERY carful anytime you make the decision to have sunject place a hand anywhere near the face. It is really easy to be seen as contrived...un natural...and forced. This particular shot falls into that catagory for me....and I think this pose in general would be better reserved for a female subject. You have the same amount of negative space to the right of his shoulder as the previous image, but it doesnt do anything for this one. Tighten the crop up.

Once again thanks for the input on the hands..This was all him and so I snapped it. I think it seems easier to shoot girls for this very reason..everything goes!

4- Now I am concerned about the crossed arms. Ive already explained why....but now that I see it again I begin to wonder if you were at a loss for anything to do with his arms and hands. "What do I do with my hands?" my clients ask....."don't worry about that...that is my job" I reply. A great looking pose where he is sitting may have simply been to extendhis left hand out to his left knee and lean slightly forward....and simply lay the right hand at his side on the edge of the ledge. All very natural and shaping his body to be wider at the bottom of the image so that viewers in the coming years will see him sat there very comfortably. Of course when he leaned out on his left knee he would have ended up with his left shoulder considerably lower than the right. The head....for males...should ALWAYS be tilted to the lower shoulder. Tilting to the upper shoulder is considered a feminine tilt and should be avoided with males. It may not make much sense , but girls can get away with head tilting in either direction. Even with the pose you chose here his shoulders are slightly askew and his head tilted to the higher shoulder. Compare that to number 11 where you really got it right and see for yourself.

Great input on the shoulder tilt! Once again I can see how shooting girls would be so much easier. I suppose it will become 2nd nature to pose guys once I get the hang of it..I really should have been more aggresive with the posing, but he just did so well with the camera and we were getting such natural facial expressions. Okay, next time I'll run the show!

5- A nice image. Mothers really like profile shots like this. Id try a different crop. Maybe this same ratio, but take off enough at the top and left to get you nearly forward of his ear. Its a solid shot, though, and I bet mom wants it.
Funny, I thought of his Mom when I was framing this! Seriously!

6- I like the camera angle a lot. Nice DOF. Adjusting yourself and him to give you the same angles, but only brick in the background would have been cool. I often seat kids right on the ground to use sidewalks for a background and keep other stuff off the background. Its a keeper though.

Super idea to have him sit on the bricks themselves...that way the "bench" he was on would be out of the frame!

7-An alternate pose...lean his back more toward the fence and let his arms, hands lie along the edge of the ledge. ...burt be careful of forshortening when limbs are stretched toward the camera. If that fence were in my area would I use it for portraits. YES YES YES.

Hee hee.. I LOVE that fence! It was the 1st stop on my list and right in his neigbhorhood!

8-This is okay, but his raised arm being cut off bothers me a little. His unraised arm being cut off doesnt bother me here. Go figure. I really like his genuine expression here.
Great input on the upper arm!

9-The tilt here isnt helping the image. The pose....refer to notes on #3. FWIW...on tilting...I really have no problem with a well done tilt, but have found that it doesnt work well with longer focal lengths. 30-50mm on a crop camera and a well done tilt can be fun and energetic. With longer glass, it just doesnt play out as nice. Of course...thats just my humble opinion.
Gottcha! I'm not that into tilts..Funny, I don't even do them intentionally. I will have shoots were I have tons and others very few. I never really even think about it. Need to pay more attention!

10- Nice shot....can ir be improved? Maybe.... drop the front arm off his knee and get the bare skin of it away from his face. It competes for eye time.
Yes

11-This is about as good as it gets. Really a perfect image. The head is tilted correctly....theres room for many crop options...including a portrait oriented one. Great great job here. Really....really nicely done.
This was one of my favorites too! I only took 3 shots with this background and all 3 were keepers!!! I just didn't know if the b/g with flowers would be too feminine. I DID actually think about that, but shot there anyway!

12-I like this one. the shape of his hands and the pole add interest without stealing the show. Id crop tighter. A lot tighter so that his eyes were 1/3 of the way from the top of the image.....taking as much as possible from the top and left side of the frame.
Croping cropping cropping!

13-The pose here doesnt work well for me. Theres the hand at his face again and we have cut off a foot. Good rule of thumb poses are head and shouldaers, half length, 3/4 length, and full length. You are somewhere between full and 3/4 here. You can improve this shot by cloning out the garbage container in the BG.
I agree!

14 Nice...I like it....and I like this treatment for this image.
Also one of my favs! Thanks!

15 He is sitting pretty square on to the camera here and the crop is awful close to his hands to have not included them.
Indeed!

16- See above

17- The pose and Comp arent very dynamic. The treatment doesnt correct for that and steals awat from the image. The inner most square in there....THAT crop...but taken from a prone position as low as possible to the ground....thats more like it....and treat it in black and white...even if it becomes a sillouette.
Yup.. I'm kicking myself for not getting my face muddy here!!! Really needed to get down. I will next time! Promise!!!!!

18- Toss the hands stuffed into pockets pose into the bin with the crossed arms pose.
All him, but I should have been more directive!

19- The arms crossed...the head tilt.... follows along with 3, 4 , 7, and 9 ....not very masculine.
Need to remember this!!! Hackbone also mentioned it!

20- a different image in the same vein as 14. I like it. Nice BW treatment as well.
Yup, nice eye..Same series of clicks but diff orientation. I'm glad you liked it! One of my favs too!

21-Nice color. Get in closer. A lot closer.....maybee even a vert crop?
Cropping!

22- A+ all around.

23- Not really a portrait. Get him out of the center for a more dynamic composition.

24-Very nice. Plenty of crop options too!
He REALLY loved the swimming shots. THANK YOU 70-200!!!

25- Very nice with a nice looking treatment as well.
Seems this is a winner. I also love it. Thanks!

26-I dont do composites like this....so take it with a grain of salt....but I believe using a single font rather than several would instantly make this appear less amateurish.
We were talking about doing an action poster with the swim shots! Thanks for the input!

Whew!!!

Thats a lot of C&C!!!

In closing....keep in mind that a lot of folks...pais or not....would be perfectly happy to turn these over to a client....and they are really good save for the minor details. I would have been stoked if my first senior set were this good!( a link http://www.jkmann.com/Seniors/Ryan/3759138_tsLNM#216315731_5Sbib )
It was really interesting to see your first shoot! You HAVE come a long long way! It is neat to see how you started. I especially liked the pose of him on the bench looking back and also by the tree. Those are classic and wonderful!

Congrats on a very successful shoot!

Thanks Jeff! I learned so much and will take this on to my next (who ever knows when) shoot! Super informative and useful!!! They were VERY thrilled with the shots so everyone wins!

THanks for your time and comments. Dgriners one and all appreciate it I'm sure!

kidzmom · August 19, 2010

Thank you Trevor and Met!! I really enjoyed this session! I learned a ton too! That is what it is all about

Trevor..by the time your kids are seniors I'll probabally be back in the States (and WAAAYYY better, I hope!).

kidzmom · August 19, 2010

l.k.madison wrote: »

I'm not hitting on teenage boys but WOW! If I was his girlfriend, 25 would be blown up HUGE!!

Great job of his on the land, but the ones in the water are just Ah-MAZING!!!

His eyes are amazing, great job on those close ups!

And yes, charge for shoots, I'd hire you if you weren't over the pond!

I was laughing at your comment! I AGREE!!! Seems #25 is the money shot!

Thanks for the nice comments on the swim shots. It was my very FIRST shoot with the 70-200 2.8 L and that lens blew ME out of the water!!! LOVE this lens for exactly that type of shot. Thanks so much for your input!

kidzmom · August 19, 2010

Hackbone, thanks so much for your input! I always enjoy reading your commentaries. I actually DO carry around a ping pong ball in my bag! A little orange one that is all dented in, lol! I was really looking for even light but perhaps it was a little too even. I need to be more patient and turn my model around more. I realized I'm too passive in posing and manipulating my model, lol! Thanks for the input. I have learned a lot!!!

Hackbone wrote: »

Kelly, for the first senior you did a heck of a good job overall. Congrats. Just some items to watch and these nits are meant to help.

I personally like tight croppings for the ESP reason (expression sells portraits). The light areas above his head bothers me and draws attention away from his facial expression. 1-4-9-10-11-12-13-16.

Alot of your lighting is flat meaning the face doesn't have or barely has a light side and a darker side. 2-4-6-7-10-11-14-16. This sculpts the face and gives it depth and character. You might have done better at times with only a slight turn of the head. Carry around a ping pong ball and hold it at the subjects position and turn it in the light to find the bright and dark side then put your subject there.

4-7-8- are not really masculine poses.

I really like the swimming shots and 5-25 alot.

Hope this helps.

VayCayMom · August 19, 2010

There you go again, being all good and everything !!! You rock girl!

trevorb · August 19, 2010

So if I give you a deposit now, can I lock you in at your current rate so I don’t go broke trying to book you 15 years from now?

kidzmom · August 20, 2010

Thanks Trudy and Trevor, you made my day!

dogwood · August 20, 2010

Nice work.

Watch your composition-- his face is center frame on many of these images. Try using the rule of thirds and putting his face off-center and up higher.

It looks like you might be using center point focus only. Learn how to change your focus point as you shoot and that will make the whole rule of thirds thing a whole lot easier.

adbsgicom · August 22, 2010

Really nice series, and thanks to the other posters for the detailed critique. Very helpful for the rest of us!
5/11/25 are my faves of the series. Beautiful work!

Darren Troy C · August 23, 2010

25 rocks!

1st Senior Session

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