Pickin' Wildflowers!!!

jeffreaux2 · October 9, 2007

Thanks to those with comments yesterday. I finished going through the rest today and was able to implement some of the suggested impovements. I just left a message on MoM's cell that the photos are online. I am anxious to hear from her. Our daughters have grown up together and I do not want to dissapoint her. Well without further ado here are the others from the series.........

Hopefully within the next few weeks we can finish her Senior portfolio.

C&C is always welcome......that is how we all improve right?

1. I showed this yesterday but got the red out of her right eye....Thanks Elaine!!

2. This one is a similar pose

3 I know it is "centered" but I still like this one too

4 Flash was a tad hot on this....note shadows on her arm

5 Shadows not as prominent here

6 Scott liked one very similar to this but cropped a little less tight. I did extensive eye work here. Not as much room for cropping, but if MOm likes the treatment I can dupe it on the other shot.

7

8 And yes I shoot when no one thinks I am!!

Elaine · October 9, 2007

I like this set even more!

LOVE #8...her one eye draws me in, even though it's looking down and appears closed. The curves of her hair frame it so perfectly. If it's possible, I might crop a tiny bit off the top to bring that eye up a little more past center, but I love the flowers in the background here.

My other faves are 7 and 4. Even though she's more straight-on to the camera in 4, I just really like the composition! Same with 7, and I like her expression. Eyes are a tad dark, but personally I don't think it's a huge deal. She has deeper set eyes (so do I), so some shadowing is natural, I think.

#5 skin tones look a tad more yellow than #4's...I think.

jeffreaux2 · October 9, 2007

Elaine wrote:

I like this set even more!

LOVE #8...her one eye draws me in, even though it's looking down and appears closed. The curves of her hair frame it so perfectly. If it's possible, I might crop a tiny bit off the top to bring that eye up a little more past center, but I love the flowers in the background here.

My other faves are 7 and 4. Even though she's more straight-on to the camera in 4, I just really like the composition! Same with 7, and I like her expression. Eyes are a tad dark, but personally I don't think it's a huge deal. She has deeper set eyes (so do I), so some shadowing is natural, I think.

#5 skin tones look a tad more yellow than #4's...I think.

I am kinda shocked that you chose 8 to REALLY brag on. I too liked the composition, but agree that the top needs to be cropped. I threw it in this post as an afterthought. I have been bitten by the crop monster too many times. I now only crop a photo if it is absolutely neccessary before ordering. Otherwise I adjust at order time. My luck goes this way. I get the frame perfect for a 5x7 and then whammo they want an 8x10 or worse the dreaded 11x14 (yuck!). So I now leave all the tops and bottoms on until we choose photos for an order.

Yes her bottom eyelid is heavy. I tried to make it less prominant, and in some I made 2 copies...eliminating it alltogether in one copy...then stacking and blending to try and keep it natural looking. She can have options this way and can at least see what is and isn't possible.

BTW 6 and 7 did not use flash, all other did.

Thanks for taking the taime Elaine.

Elaine · October 9, 2007

jeffreaux2 wrote:

I have been bitten by the crop monster too many times. I now only crop a photo if it is absolutely neccessary before ordering. Otherwise I adjust at order time. My luck goes this way. I get the frame perfect for a 5x7 and then whammo they want an 8x10 or worse the dreaded 11x14 (yuck!). So I now leave all the tops and bottoms on until we choose photos for an order.

I know exactly what you mean! That is such a pain!

1220 · October 9, 2007

2 and 6 are among my favs. Im probably nuts but I think if the background in 2 was darker they would really pop, like a greener element than the wildflowers, but again, just what I was thinkin. 6 was, to me, a very warm look, I like it. I think 8 (in concept) can be a huge winner, I like that style. Nice job!

jeffreaux2 · October 9, 2007

1220 wrote:

2 and 6 are among my favs. Im probably nuts but I think if the background in 2 was darker they would really pop, like a greener element than the wildflowers, but again, just what I was thinkin. 6 was, to me, a very warm look, I like it. I think 8 (in concept) can be a huge winner, I like that style. Nice job!

Thanks for the comments. As far as a darker BG on 2.....the field was FULL of the flowers so a darker BG there would have been tough. What you see is the Canon 85mmF1.8 trying to obliterate the BG which it is very good at...usually. I have a BW version of 1 that you might like better...it is in this post.....
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=73217

Some of the photos were warm to a fault I think. It is tough ...at least for me...to balance flash with sun...or in this case overcast skies. I have a great big pile of sample gels, but I havent taken the time to figure out what I can achieve with them.

Thanks for taking the time not only to look, but to comment as well.

jeffreaux2 · October 10, 2007

Well.....174 views and 2 folks commented....you guys are letting me off pretty easy these days. Not sure what to think about that!!

J Kacey · October 10, 2007

#6 is a fantastic shot. I like the PP work. It would look good on several others a well

jeffreaux2 · October 11, 2007

Jerry Kacey wrote:

#6 is a fantastic shot. I like the PP work. It would look good on several others a well

Thanks Jerry. I spent some extra time on that one, but to be honest I don't like the PP. To me it is abit heavy handed and borderline overboard. I wanted this series to be natural and earthy, but I certain;y want my client to be aware of what is possible.

Funny thing...I have taken hudreds of pictures of this girl, but I really want her Mom to be happy.

urbanaries · October 11, 2007

hi Jeff, haven't had much time to comment this week here but I absolutely LOVE #3, and when they order it, (and you know which dreaded ratio you're working with) I'm sure some of the right hand side of the image can go. I think her dreamy look matches the setting quite well!!!

I also think that 4 and 5 are cute, and love the last one in BW.

I know you have no control over this but there was something about the bright yellow flowers, and her bright white shirt, and her bright blond hair that weren't working for me color wise. A brunette would pop so much more in this setting.

I am really looking forward to seeing what other settings you use with this client to round out her portfolio. You've done well coaxing some natural expressions and beautiful lighting.

clap

jeffreaux2 · October 11, 2007

urbanaries wrote:

hi Jeff, haven't had much time to comment this week here but I absolutely LOVE #3, and when they order it, (and you know which dreaded ratio you're working with) I'm sure some of the right hand side of the image can go. I think her dreamy look matches the setting quite well!!!

I also think that 4 and 5 are cute, and love the last one in BW.

I know you have no control over this but there was something about the bright yellow flowers, and her bright white shirt, and her bright blond hair that weren't working for me color wise. A brunette would pop so much more in this setting.

I am really looking forward to seeing what other settings you use with this client to round out her portfolio. You've done well coaxing some natural expressions and beautiful lighting. clap

Thanks for looking Lynne,

I have to admit I really fought with color and contrast here. Under overcast skies, late in the day and with so much yellow reflected from all the flowers....yikes!!! It was a sort of deja vous from a few days before I was riding in the car as my youngest daughter drove me somewhere, and I was looking at her profile as she drove because the light in the car was really great on her (no I did not have a camera!) and then we stopped at a red light next to a school bus that the sun was relacting off of.....turning her and me I suppose very yellow. It was a good example of how much color can be affected by our surroundings. I wasn't real excited to see two white shirts, but I also had my older daughter there to photograph and she wore a black shirt. I disliked the black so much that I will not keep any of those, and want to bring her back with a white shirt to retake hers. The hair color I cannot change, and mainly tried to get exposure for skin. All that yellow played havoc with the camera's exposure and most of the shots were lightened a good bit....but no more than a stop. Well then you start to blow the hair!!! Anyways it was a challenge in PP to say the least. I have not spent that much time on maybe a dozen photos in a very looooong time.

I think that if I had had ample natural light, they would have faired better. Those that I used no flash on were much easier to adjust in PP. And the results are better. You have to figure that popping the flash to pop the subject also pops all the flowers nearby so it results in no gain contrast wise.

OK long enough. With that said and all the problems and work I will take photos here again!!!!...and will also mark my map and calender for next year. If we go back I will bring a basket as a prop to fill with cuttings.

Peter McLaren · October 11, 2007

Nice Light
I like the detail in the eyes....Nice Work!

jeffreaux2 wrote:

Thanks to those with comments yesterday. I finished going through the rest today and was able to implement some of the suggested impovements. I just left a message on MoM's cell that the photos are online. I am anxious to hear from her. Our daughters have grown up together and I do not want to dissapoint her. Well without further ado here are the others from the series.........

Hopefully within the next few weeks we can finish her Senior portfolio.

C&C is always welcome......that is how we all improve right?

1. I showed this yesterday but got the red out of her right eye....Thanks Elaine!!

2. This one is a similar pose

3 I know it is "centered" but I still like this one too

4 Flash was a tad hot on this....note shadows on her arm

5 Shadows not as prominent here

6 Scott liked one very similar to this but cropped a little less tight. I did extensive eye work here. Not as much room for cropping, but if MOm likes the treatment I can dupe it on the other shot.

7

8 And yes I shoot when no one thinks I am!!

jeffreaux2 · October 12, 2007

Peter McLaren wrote:

I like the detail in the eyes....Nice Work!

Thanks Peter. It is hardest of all colors to get brown eyes to sizzle. But they are the most peacefull color I think!!

wesleyt · October 12, 2007

Jeff,

You pushed it over the top with this set. Beautiful work!

Regards,
Wes

DavidS · October 12, 2007

I like the way the flowers lead into her face in #3. I like the expression in #6. It is very relaxed and natural. I love the flowers.

jeffreaux2 · October 13, 2007

wesleyt wrote:

Jeff,

You pushed it over the top with this set. Beautiful work!

Regards,
Wes

Thanks!!!

jeffreaux2 · October 13, 2007

DavidS wrote:

I like the way the flowers lead into her face in #3. I like the expression in #6. It is very relaxed and natural. I love the flowers.

Thanks for the comments. The location was surely a gift!!! I only wish I knew more about using gels, and manual flash.

Pickin' Wildflowers!!!

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