Engagement picture

joshhuntnm · February 5, 2008

I am doing this couples wedding in about a month. this is their engagement photo. Comments welcome

Swartzy · February 5, 2008

Good pose
A couple things to make it better......soft focus here could be toned down....would really like to see a bit less skin softening, sharper eyes, lips and hair. Second....the centeredness of the pose with black sides takes me away from reviewing again and again....don't know if there is much that can be done but typically strong portraits have a bit of separation between subject(s) background. I've done plenty of the black background though and really its a personal preferrence thing. Guess it depends on the pose, the people, the skin tone, etc.

Some food for thought.

joshhuntnm · February 5, 2008

thanks for the feedback.

anwmn1 · February 5, 2008

This doesn't feel like an engagement photo to me. I normally see more intimacy in the shot- facing each other- one holding the other- the back to back seems to brother- sister like.

As far as the shot itself- I don't like the halo effect between them and the black background- it is quite soft especially here hair, their eyes, and his shirt- they also seem a bit red -at least on my screen.

Don't mean to sound harsh- that is just how I see it.

Agnieszka · February 5, 2008

I agree, I like the shot but there is not much intimacy between them ... If it's not too cold, I would take them (or your next couple) outside the studio, couples are usually much more relaxed somewhere outside, and will show you their real personality.

joshhuntnm · February 5, 2008

hmmmm

You like this one any better?

ChatKat · February 5, 2008

yes...
Engagement photos aren't as much about the portrait side of capturing the image - it's about the new love and excitement and emotion. This is a step in that direction. I love to have them looking at each other more than at the camera. Still need to tone down the red a bit.

Scott_Quier · February 6, 2008

The intimacy is better, though they are interacting with the camera rather than with each other. For my taste, I like engagement shots where the couple pretty much ignores the camera.

As for the portraits as portraits: I'm thinking the softening in the first is a bit much. In the second, a little softening would have made for a more flattering portrait of her. Tone down the red a bit. This shot appears to be entirely front-lit. On a black background, especially with dark hair, it's usually a good thing to add some light from behind to seperate the subjects from the background.

brianhanley · February 6, 2008

the first shot looks more like a sports promo photo than engagement.

and should she show the ring??

Vycor · February 6, 2008

They look like a happy couple, very photogenic... buit its boring... sorry to say... its an engagement photo right? I'd like to see the guy with his arms around her, both facing the same direction with something in the background. Outside on some steps or something like that... something that says "hey we're in the real world here", and rule of 3's...