Family Portrait - 2nd Paid Job

[tommykelso]

Family Portrait - 2nd Paid Job



http://www.lightartforum.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=1428

Another Photo from this shoot

[Tim N]

Hey Tommy, they all seem to be pretty good .. one point I guess is to get everyone to look at the camera ... in one of the portraits one of the guys isnt looking at the camera.
You have done a good job of having no shadows ... but as Odille has said they are very high key ... I dont mind that look sometimes tho.

[tommykelso]

Yeah I found that hard Tim, just getting everyone looking at the camera at the same time!!  I tried directing them but some of them really didn't feel comfortable posing - although it was just a quick shoot!

I agree that it was too saturated and High Key so I worked on them and made them a bit more "Natural"

I'll post one up to see what you's think

[admin]

I think the exposure and contrast are a little bit over and I would possibly just move them apart just a bit.
I know it is winter wher you are, but my suggestion is to try to define yourself by try to use natural light where possible.

My wife and partner Andrea and I did a shoot on Saturday which was almost cancelled as we have had 4 days of contstant rain.
Our client was a family of 21 (14 adults and 7 kids) who had come together from all over our state and had not had a family portrait for 12 years and were all leaving the next morning (rained again Sunday anyway) So we found ourselves quite challenged, cancelling just was not an option.

The family wanted a group shot in the living area, so against my better judgement we took some of these shots as 'insurance', using on and off camera wireless diffused flash. (I hate flash).
Scouting around the house, we found that ouside the front door, there was a reasonable amount of natural light and a bit of protection from the rain, so with the help of the brothers in the group, we cajoled eveyone to move a couch right through the house and outside, despite the rain.
If we had of said, "So what do you think  about going outside" we would have met with resistance and next thing, they are in charge of the shoot. Instead, we said "Right every one, we are moving outsie now. We are going need to get that couch , moved through the house, if you could meet us out there." This proved to be the answer and making an adventure out of it soon had all of the kids running around in the rain where Andrea grabbed some great character shots. When we got to compare the shots, those taken outside really stand out as everyone relaxed into the more casual setting. I reckon for about 90% of family portait photography, do what ever you have to do to use natural light and leave the flash and strobe setups to the guys at the Mall. If you start talking to people about casual shots, informal settings, you will that it is very well received. You only need to scout around you local area to find little nooks and crannies and natural backgrounds that will suit a variety of conditions and light sources. People love the natural stuff.

[tommykelso]

Thanks Mark! Yeah i was nearly thinking of doin it outside to utilize the natural light but the rain was terrible so had to do it indoors using 2 lights with umbrellas.  Was tricky enough getting my camera set right for it! Anyways, I've emailed them my final tweaked sample and they are very happy with it so i need to get a print and frame for them now! Love doin this!

[admin]

Good stuff. It is a bt fun, isn't it?