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Snowy Family Portraits

Pro Critique

December 29, 2007, 04:40:03 PM

Let me know what you think. This family includes the couple from the engagement shoot I posted earlier, but they were taken at different times in different locations. The couple gave this family portrait session as a Christmas gift to her mother, and we just shot them two days ago while everyone was in town. This image was the first one I have edited so far.

All comments and critiques are welcome. One thing I would have done differently was to have the girl on the left put her hand closest to the camera in her back pocket to show seperation from her arm and body and would have broken up all those hands. And I know the lines of snow in the background on the steps are distracting, but they wanted this location, although they don't bug me as bad as I thought they would.

BTW, it was a SUPER COLD day, my fingers were about to fall off since I can't shoot with gloves.

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Susie
www.charlesbarnardphotography.com
www.definitionimages.com

Mike Hodgson

Pro Critique

Reply #1 - December 29, 2007, 04:41:47 PM

Excellent shot,

One nit, the "fanning of the hands" not a fan of it, no pun. Wink

Graphically, I think it does work, the snow on the steps etc. Cool shot.

« Last Edit: December 29, 2007, 04:43:40 PM by Mike Hodgson »

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Travis Minnig

Moderator

Reply #2 - December 29, 2007, 05:00:31 PM

I don't think the lines from the steps hurts the picture too bad either. I think it works. I do think you could have done a little more with the placement of heads though. Not like tilts, but with actual placement in the picture. They are very much in a grid pattern. The bodies leave some lines resembling a triangle, but the faces are too 'predictable', if that makes sense. I wonder about possibly moving the girls in closer to each other and one of them a little higher, and the boys both on the right with one a little higher than the other. I don't know for sure, but an idea anyway. Mom's white blouse is really standing out, too, maybe you could have hid it some more with the placement of the boys. I think what you have is a very 'safe' photograph. That's not necessarily bad, it's just not super creative. Of course, family groups are difficult for me that way as well.

Travis

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Travis Minnig Studios

Cindy Crabb

Pro Critique

Reply #3 - December 30, 2007, 06:56:27 PM

I like it too. I didn't notice the hand thing until it was mentioned, but then I couldn't quit seeing it. :-)

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Proud Member of: WPJA, WPPI, TPPA, PPA, and NAPP

"I want to warn you, my photos will always be a bit more fantasy than reality."

BobEdens

Moderator

Reply #4 - December 30, 2007, 08:38:46 PM

before I read anything I noticed the girl second from the left is FREEZING she has a WHY IN HECK AM I HERE look on her face.

Probably not much you could do about it, and since nobody else mentioned it, could just be my little mind.

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"I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one heck of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult. "- EB White

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Ginnypenny

Pro Critique

Reply #5 - December 30, 2007, 08:47:04 PM

Considering we were all freezing... in the evening up in the mountains I probably had the same look on my face...

I was concerned about driving home safely, I couldn't feel my fingers or my feet.

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Susie
www.charlesbarnardphotography.com
www.definitionimages.com

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