C/C wanted on my first PAID shoot ty :)

10/22/2007 06:37:14 PM · #1

Please share your thoughts with me on the photos I took of a lovely young pregnant couple and their horse. I have a zillion shots but these are my favourites - how is my composition... my lighting... sharpness.. and esp any pp booboo's. Appreciate it a lot, thanks.

Simms

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

10/22/2007 06:45:17 PM · #2

Hmmmm, if you want me to be honest (which I am sure you do) I dont really like any of them. If I had to pick one, it would be the bottom right one, probably the most natural of the bunch, Other than that, nothing in there really seems to "float my boat".

Composition ok.. apart from the poses they are very snap shotty.

Lighting - seems natural sunlight to me. In the bottom left one its a shame the mans shadow is in the shot..

Sharpness is good on these shots, although they are quite small.

Not much PP seems to of been done, so no booboos there.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

10/22/2007 07:34:32 PM · #3

Thanks Simms... the best way for me to learn is to ask for c/c ... would have liked more on how they can be improved but appreciate you telling me what you think. I hope someone else might have time to offer some more comments.

Message edited by author 2007-10-22 19:35:47.

violinist123

Canon EOS-6D

10/22/2007 07:38:35 PM · #4

Easy ways to make them look a lot better is shoot in better light and use a reflector to avoid getting the harsh shadows as in the face-on-belly shot.

Some other ideas would be avoid the white shirts, get the guy in front of the horse (again, the shadow), don't press on the belly so as to avoid fingers sinking into it, tighter crops all around (who paid, the horse or the people?). Migght also try shooting from some different angles, that would mend the snapshot feel that simms mentioned.

trevytrev

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

10/22/2007 07:50:13 PM · #5

I left a couple of comments. the lighting is harsh and I do think some reflectors or some fill flash to tone down the shadows would help. Maybe positioning them with the sun against their backs and fill in their faces with some flash. I also agree that the horse has taken over in these photos(maybe that's what they wanted) and the poses by the couple seem awkward. Maybe postioning the couple together next to the horse would give it a more intimate feel intead of the distant feel and lack of touch between the two. Hope that helps.

Tamron AF 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD Aspherical(IF)Macro

10/22/2007 07:59:05 PM · #6

Thanks guys - appreciate it very much... and yeah, the horse is their baby and they wanted him in the shots... I do have some of just them - actually a lot of just them but I kinda like that horse a lot (grin) and choose to post shots with him in it. I have to learn a lot about flash fill for sure... I had about 40 minutes to do this shoot and thought the light at 8am would be soft enough... Now I will know better - I will try some tighter crops as well... I have people lined up to practise on too... what fun! Again, thanks for the feedback!

luv2photo

Canon EOS-40D

10/22/2007 08:19:56 PM · #7

I had to play...call me a sucker for horses and pregnancies. Put the two together...irrisistable. sp?

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dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

10/22/2007 08:46:30 PM · #8

Originally posted by luv2photo:

I had to play...call me a sucker for horses and pregnancies. Put the two together...irrisistable. sp?

I'm having a hard time finding a reason (within the images) for these three to be together. There isn't much of a "connection".

This last one, for instance, has the pregnant woman leaning on a horse ... the horse doesn't appear to care ... and the guy is just standing there. I don't see any reason for them to be together. And the only connection is woman to horse. Maybe she loves the horse. But the horse appears not to reciprocate.

I think what's needed ... is a bit of a "story telling exercise". The pictures need to tell a story.

Here's something to practice... pretend you're a movie director and that this isn't just a single exposure, but rather, a series of moments strung together through images. Script it out. Give them a story to "act out" and then follow them with the camera.

As an example... the one where the lady is laying down on the horse's back. What if ... rather than just "standing there" (the horse and the man) ... what if the man was leading the horse, pulling on the reigns, as the horse walked along the beach carrying the lady on his back? You'd have to shoot different angles... you'd have to move about ... it might take a few "tries" to get it right ... but there would be a "reason" to their positions rather than a static stance.