family photoshoot - batch 2

[ionian]

This is a continuation of the images I posted in the previous thread, which can be found here. There will be one more series to follow after this. All c&c welcomed.

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[IzzieK]

I really like #4 and #6 shots here...the compositions are very nice...I wonder what the kid was thinking while she is in the comfort of Daddy's big arms? #6 is a soft look. One of those 'awwwww' moment...

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Simon,

You know there are lots of things 'right' with these, so I'll concentrate on identifying a few areas which I would have dealt with if mine. I think you can probably guess some of these
Also, I mention some things just to encourage discussion, rather than being things you could necessarily control at the time, especially as it was your first foray in this area. I know I make new mistakes (and repeat old ones!) each time I shoot Chloe and (hopefully) learn in the process.

#1 - Since the out of focus cuddly toy is not identifiable, I feel it shouldn't be in shot at all. There's a small black bit of lint on blanket below the subjects mouth that could have been zapped in a click with spot healing tool in PS (or ACR/LR). Does it need that much space above the head?

#2 - Not a particularly flattering 'pose' captured here, but it may mean more to the parents.

#3 - Couple of things;
I'd definitely clone out that bright strip above the subject's head (reflection from flash?).
Ideally, this needed to be shot with far more distance between the subject and the wall, you probably know that and there may be reasons why that wasn't easily done at the time; anything ranging from a muddy lawn to risking the subject losing interest. You have captured a good expression though - and balanced the flash and ambient well, although, perhaps the result is a little 'flat' left/right, but we can still see his facial contours well enough. There's a lot of wall (and ivy), but I don't mind too much.

#4 - Going mono handles the red BabyGro nicely
I might have cropped a little off right hand side, closer to Dad's head, but not clipping it, just to get the eye positions of Dad and Baby nearer the 'thirds' intersections and balance the composition more.
Ideally, Baby would be looking at Dad, but at just 17 days, I appreciate this may not have been possible by 'encouragement methods' that will work in a few weeks time and is largely random chance when they're so young, but perhaps worth waiting for, time permitting?

#5 - Nice expression on the lad, just a shame the baby isn't looking that way.

#6 - Nice grouping, although I might crop a bit tighter on left and right sides myself. Ideally a bit more at lower edge would have been nice. Perhaps needed a slightly greater DoF than f/1.8 used? - Requiring more light and all the issues that brings

I think you definitely had the best in the first batch, but since we learn more from our mistakes than successes, perhaps this is a learning exercise on your part (I do the same sometimes).

Hope that's as helpful to you as I find our discussions on these subjects, Dave

[ionian]

Thanks Dave and Izzie - sorry for the delay in replying. In a way, I'm happy that the criticisms you note broadly fall into the shoot-management category, for which I know I need more practice. A couple of things to note:

Images 3 and 4 were both undirected shots between set-ups, taken with the gx7. The lad was a real poser (and I mean that in a positive way of course)! I was trying to capture more natural moments to go with the posed sessions.

I'd agree that the best were in the first batch - I think I felt that I should be offering around 15-20 images in total from the shoot, but why I picked those arbitrary numbers I do not know. I should just offer the best and bin the rest, especially as I won't be held to a number. It would be different if I was being paid for the images, but I'm not.

I'll look at alternative crops etc as suggested - thanks for this.