[IrishEyes]

I found this really cool spot and found someone who was interested in using for some portraits.  These two are 15 and 17 years old.  They go to the Alternative High School that I work at (yeah, hell froze over, I finally started working again!)  We had so much fun.  Brandy wants to be a photographer, so I am trying to teach her what I know (which is not a lot, I know, but she has no one else!)  CC is welcome and appreciated.  Thanks!

~Andrea

oh, by the way, I do realize that their hands are in their sleeves most of the time.  It was really cold and they just would not take them out.  Kids! 

[BobEdens]

Andrea: when your subject is not closest to the camera you can't use average focus. (you should know this) The part of the image closest to the camera is in focus, the subject isn't.

If you pull the kid 6 or 8 feet from the background with aperture as big as you can go the background would be softer causing a frame aroind your subject.

The shots are good overall, but I think you still need to know your camera better.

I read my manual for the gazillionth time just the other day, just in case there was something that would make more sense to me now than the last time I read it. And I "discovered" something I have used for the last couple of weeks so READ THE BOOK again, you'll learn from it.

[Marian Murdoch]

Andrea, remember that you are in control of the scene, not the kids (no matter how much they THINK they are). Unfortunately, you let them have control and their hands in their shirts totally ruin the pictures and there's nothing you can do to salvage that, short of doing a really tight crop to eliminate them. In the last picture, he put his hand in his pocket, and it makes it look like he has no hand at all. If you had asked him to just bring a thumb out, it would've helped. I won't get into focus, as Bob has already mentioned that. I think you have a wonderful location there, and would love to see you do more with it. Try to compose your subjects so that they are not dead center of the photo. That opening the girl is sitting in would make for a wonderful frame to her doing some posing inside of it. (why is she wearing flip flops if it's so cold!? Kids today, I swear... ) Also, try to avoid the guy "crotch shot" like what you have in the third photo. I think the shot of the girl would've looked so much better had you gone down on your knees instead of shooting downward at her. Watch out for dark colors on dark colors. See how his head covering disappears in the first photo? I do think you've got something here, it just needs a rework. This location is made for shooting teens!

[Mike Hodgson]

If you are looking to have the wall as the art piece, then photograph it alone.
If the people are the main subjects, then use your wall as though you were in a studio. The people are too small in a couple of cases.

The other thing, bring em out about 8-10 feet, and use a shallow DOF, that would be a neat effect on the background.

Now that you have the basic blah studio kind of shots, now, you can go ahead and tell them to act out some kind of scene, angry, cool, fun, jumping, playing around, goofy, you get what I mean.

Love to have that wall!!!!!!!

[IrishEyes]

Thanks for the help you guys.  I knew that they weren't great.  This grafitti is in a really random spot.  This place is out in the middle of nowhere.  Kids have been hanging out a place about a mile down the road (affectionately refferd to as "The Cliffs") since before my mom was in high school.  I guess some of them just decided to go for a walk down the road one night with some spray paint.  Pictures do not do this place justice.  It is truly a work of art.  Anyway, thanks for the help.

I told them many, many times to get their hands out their sleeves.  It may have "ruined" the shots, but ultimately, they are their photos anyway.

Mike-
I really tried to get them to dance around and act crazy (they do it at school all the time) but I think they felt awkward doing it in front of the camera.  Any tips on how to get them to loosen up???

Thanks again
~Andrea

[Ginnypenny]

Any tips on how to get them to loosen up???

Dance with them!  Seriously, it's no fun to be goofy in front of a serious picture-taker.  You need to loosen up and be cool.  Build some rapport with them by talking on their level and then don't be afraid to be a little goofy yourself.  And then just realize some kids aren't going to be as crazy in front of the camera as others.  Some kids just like adults are more reserved.  Try to capture their personality not a personality that will just look neat in a picture.

These are just some ideas.  You will get better with more practice.

[Mike Hodgson]

DITO