In response to Divamum's challenge...

StueveShots · June 10, 2013

...to get active again and post, I am doing so! I shot these pictures of my son before he headed off to his spring formal. It is rare that I can get him to slow down enough to get some decent shots, so I was pleased to have snapped these. Light was pretty harsh--we live far up north and the sun was still quite high in the sky at 5 p.m. I tried to capture his attitude and style before he headed out into his fun evening. C&C of course is welcome!

Prom%202013-2-XL.jpg

(As an aside: I don't know why the b&w is not displaying crisply--the focus looks soft, even though the original is very sharp. Any suggestions?)

Qarik · June 10, 2013

mission accomplished.. attitude and style captured. technically there are some things to be desired but I like the images overall!

StueveShots · June 10, 2013

Thanks, Qarik! I'd be interested in what technical things you would desire be improved (just to see if they match mine). These were quick shots taken in a matter of a couple of minutes (my son was not patient--he let me take five pictures total), but I am working on being more thoughtful about such pictures because some of my son's older friends have asked me to consider doing their senior pictures next year. I didn't do much editing on these at all (a little in LR), so maybe there is some I can do (like cloning out the power line on the first picture...and maybe the crack in our driveway!) One thing I'd wish I'd had was a reflector to soften the shadows under the hat.

Qarik · June 10, 2013

1st shot. The BG is bit mundane, open up that aperture and destroy the BG. If can't avoid harsh light, then process it differently. I find that harsh light is suited to edgy post processing (add a colorcast, higher contrast, non linear curves, etc)

2nd shot bump up the exposure 2/3 stop, warm it up a touch (I see too much blues in his white shirt), add a vignette, selectively brighten his up his face some.

divamum · June 11, 2013

FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Post more, please

I think I would go for more dramatic processing, too - I love the B&W (it really goes with the hat, if that makes sense!) and I think you can push both images a little further to make that attitude and style "pop" even more!

StueveShots · June 11, 2013

Thanks to both of you! I will spend some time on the images then... I'll try a few of the ideas you've suggested and repost.

Qarik, I absolutely agree with you about shooting wide open...and with the lens I had available, I was. This summer I took some portraits during our family's reunion and rented an 85mm f/1.2...oh, was that sweet! Wish I owned it outright!

watchmen · June 12, 2013

I really love these shots, and that hat but that's another forum. I agree with everything Qarik and Diva said, definately go with more punchy postwork. One thing I like to do is darken (burn) the background. It might help with keeping the eye on the subject in the first photo.

In response to Divamum's challenge...

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