First Engagement Shoot!!!

[blackrose89]

My first time engagement shoot. My cousin and her fiance. Not a paid shoot. Obviously the biggest issue is the sky. So I know that much HAHA!

There aren't any photos of her smiling or looking directly into the camera in these because she has been having work done in her mouth and she can't really smile at the moment. She can physically smile, but when she does for photos right now it looks really really off in photos and is very noticable.

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Autumn and Brent by blackrose1981, on Flickr

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Autumn and Brent by blackrose1981, on Flickr

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Autumn and Brent by blackrose1981, on Flickr

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Autumn and Brent by blackrose1981, on Flickr

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Autumn and Brent by blackrose1981, on Flickr

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Autumn and Brent by blackrose1981, on Flickr

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Autumn and Brent by blackrose1981, on Flickr

[alexindiana]

Hi there

I'll begin by saying I hate doing engagement shoots - I find posing people during weddings really easy and for some reason much harder in e-shoots.

My thoughts on the photos - overall I think you are on the right track but I'm not sure if you got there 100% in this set

- as you said the sky doesn't help
- I find the horse distracting in that it's in the shots but only tiny bits. I think either make the horse a feature and pose them by him/her or have them somewhere else altogether
- overall, I find the exposure and saturation a little bit low - I think boosting each will give some life back into the shots

Individually:

1 - I think it's good but I'd have gone for a 2:3 landscape crop with them kissing on 1/3 line
2 - I keep seeing the groom's hand on the tree and think he looks unbalanced and awkward
3 - Love the B&W! Think her expression works really well here too - I like it!
4 - The focus point is the ring , but you look at the kiss - so that's a slight problem
5 - My favourite. I think I'd have got him to turn ever so slightly towards you so his nose isn't squashed at all..
6 & 7 - the horse kinda bugs me

Anyway I hope you find my critique helpful, I always think it hard working with family - and especially if your cousin couldn't smile - that's REALLY hard! So well done!

[Rain Lily]

Nice start!

The best way to take a kissing picture is to snap it right before their lips meet. That gives a sense of anticipation and doesn't smash noses or flatten lips.

[blackrose89]

Thanks. The horse "bits" are what she wanted. She showed me other photos with horses and this is the way the horses were placed in the photos she showed me. I thought it was an odd request, but it was very important to her.

[alexindiana]

Originally Posted by blackrose89

Thanks. The horse "bits" are what she wanted. She showed me other photos with horses and this is the way the horses were placed in the photos she showed me. I thought it was an odd request, but it was very important to her.

So, what did you feel about your shots? Were you happy? Did you look at them and thought I wish I'd done....?

I never look at my own stuff and think "nice job there Alex", I always nitpick

[blackrose89]

I was pretty satisfied with them. I mean I can recognize the biggest flaw was the sky. I only have an on camera flash at the moment. I do have a diffuser but I thought a burnt out sky was the lesser of two evils.

The reason I say satisfied with them also to is because I'm still in that stage where I take a ton of photos and came out with a handful I shots, so I was thrilled that I actually had a nice collection to give them. I have a lot more then these that I am able to use and give them. And the poses, I would have perffered the horses not be in the shots, it's what they wanted and how they wanted it. All of their friends are in love with horses so it will be something they will show off to their friends. So all in all, considering the akward posing they wanted, she wouldn't smile, she didn't want to even look into the camera, my first shoot with posing people I think it went really well. I understand there are flaws, I think all things considered, it went well. And my cousin was thrilled.

When I look back and think "I wish I could've done" I would definitely say practiced more with my on camera flash diffuser. I know off camera is better (and I'm saving up for) but I should have at least tried it beforehand so I could exposed them better and that would've helped with my sky issue. Another thing is I need a better lens. I'm working with my 18-55mm lens right now. It doesn't allow for a very shallow DOF which is something I hear consistently I need for my portraits. Especially if I ever wanted to get paid for this. I hear for the most that my outdoor portraits are good, but I need that off camera flash to bounce, and I need a Shallower DOF.

[ChuckingFluff]

I really like this and I think a flash would of helped you a great deal as the sky is blown but you already know that. I know a lot of times family will offer to pay you and we always refuse but if they offer you should ask for a flash instead of cash. just a suggestion

[blackrose89]

So let me ask, is an on camera flash that is diffused a lesser evil of a blown out sky, and to be used for fill flash? In the mean time while I don't have my off camera flash?

THat is a great idea if someone wanted to pay for a shoot!!!!

[alexindiana]

I guess with just on camera flash what you could possibly have done was get the exposure right for the sky - which would mean that without a flash the B&G would be dark, then enable the on camera flash to light them both...

The sky shouldn't then be burnt out..

I'm not sure what off camera would do in this case. There's nothing really to bounce light off - you're in a field in lots of shots, right?

Also with the horse - my real point was HAVE the horse in shot, but have enough of it that it looks like a horse not a strip of animal - because you show so little of it, it's like you are trying to crop it out... Does that make sense?

I think the important thing to remember when you are starting out is not to be too hard on yourself, but also be honest. You job is also to make the clients happy, and if you do that, then you've done your job.

Posting stuff in forums lets people nitpick - which doesn't mean they are wrong, but does mean you need a thick skin I never posed my images when I was starting (almost never, anyway) because I'm never 100% happy myself, and I whenever I think about posting I always critique them in head so much there's no point! Plus I HATE being critiqued. (But at least I know it!!!)

[ChuckingFluff]

I would of tried a diffused on camera flash to see what it looked like. It's hard to bring blown out sky and trees back. You don't need to bounce all the time, off camera flash is great if you can shoot through a soft box or umbrella. Have fun with it I like a lot of these shots. Just to add you can always get a reflector and a stand to get some light in there.