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Truth be know i don't even like kids (i mean that in a nice way of course). They smell, make strange noises, and have all sorts of gooey stuff coming out of every orifice (can ya tell I don’t have any) But I tried my hand at a paid “family” shoot today…..here are some early favs. I wanted the images to look like those of a Just Jeans commercial/catalogue. Please C&C needed……cheers






Dan

Number 3 is such a classic!
Frame it and sell it

I like the shots. Just seems you have blown all the highlights in the water and on the white shirts....

admajic wrote:Just seems you have blown all the highlights in the water and on the white shirts....

I'm not sure about this case, but that can be intentional with this style (also notice the blues are waaay over the top).

Friendly bump

I need advice on these.....as i havent done this type of thing before?

I have intentionaly upped the blues and the contrast.

Cheers

Thanks for the comments so far!

Dan

Dan - I don't think there's really anything 'wrong' with these images. What it comes down to really is how the client reacts when they see them. I'm not a huge fan of the excessive blues but it is indeed a 'style'. I think some more intimate shots would have been good, some real closes ups and perhaps some more candids. When I do a family shoot with young kids I make a real effort to make it fun. I ask the kids that we'll do some photos sitting down, then allow them to 'run around' for a bit (when I try to get some candids) then pull them in again for a few more formals if possible. Working with kids is indeed achallenge but the reactions and beautiful smiles you can get is worth the 'hard' work. A technique that often works well with families or kids alone is to get them to walk/run towards you, often the enthusiasm of the littles ones running their legs off towards you can achieve again, some great shots. Do you have any more you can show us from this shoot?

I don't mind excessive blues, but I find these too harsh on the contrast, especially for colour where there isn't a high degree of Bokeh (isn't really any Bokeh at all).

Numbers 1 and 2 seem to be the best done on it, but you cropped the foot on number 2!!! Leave a bit more space to really make the kid stand in the ground.

I'd say number 4 just pushes it too far. It's bordered on blowing out and it feels almost as if it's over-sharpened as a result and not that brilliant PP work, no offense.

Great shots Rach /Dan

I think you have got the just jeans look .The last three look fantastic and i imagine will look good printed .Can't put my finger on it but the first one is missing something .I like the idea though .

Dan,

Yes, I think that you've taken #4 too far - not just the contrast, highlights and stuff, but I suspect it's oversharpened as well.

Basically, they're good and very vibrant though. Not sure about the pushing of the blue; my gut feeling is that the white dress should be white, rather than the pale blue it currently seems to be, but you've stated that you're pushing this in that direction, so please take that on advisement.

The clincher here would be what does the client want to see: a white, or a blue, dress. Answer that question, and you'll know how far you want to push this.

Thanks guys.....very welcome help!

Dan

Geoff wrote:Dan - I don't think there's really anything 'wrong' with these images. What it comes down to really is how the client reacts when they see them. I'm not a huge fan of the excessive blues but it is indeed a 'style'. I think some more intimate shots would have been good, some real closes ups and perhaps some more candids. When I do a family shoot with young kids I make a real effort to make it fun. I ask the kids that we'll do some photos sitting down, then allow them to 'run around' for a bit (when I try to get some candids) then pull them in again for a few more formals if possible. Working with kids is indeed achallenge but the reactions and beautiful smiles you can get is worth the 'hard' work. A technique that often works well with families or kids alone is to get them to walk/run towards you, often the enthusiasm of the littles ones running their legs off towards you can achieve again, some great shots. Do you have any more you can show us from this shoot?

Yes mate here are some more traditional ones






Cheers
Dan

Dan,

#s 1 and four ... you need to cut back just a tad on your sharpening - these seem to be oversharpened.

And you say that these are more traditional; in that statement are you also saying that you're not looking at pushing the blue colouration here?

Please take what I'm saying here within the context of that - both sets, even with your statement that you're pushing for a blue tinge, look to me to have too much of this blue to them.

In #s 3 and 4 from this most recent set, the girl's dress which I suspect should be white, simply is not. This was evident too in the earlier set of images.

As a parent, I think I'd be looking for something a tad more true to life from prtraits of my kids. Taking that to the next level, my kids' grandparents - which I think might be reasonable expected point od sales for these images - would simply not understand what you're doing with these: a white dress (or shirt) ... should be white, not blue.

So .... while you may be satisfying your creative urge in doint what you're doing, from a commercial PoV perhaps it might be wise to consider your market for these images.

And perhaps you already have, and this is the result; I don't know, but I do know people, and - unlike you - I am a parent.

Cheers.

gstark wrote:Dan,

#s 1 and four ... you need to cut back just a tad on your sharpening - these seem to be oversharpened.

And you say that these are more traditional; in that statement are you also saying that you're not looking at pushing the blue colouration here?

Please take what I'm saying here within the context of that - both sets, even with your statement that you're pushing for a blue tinge, look to me to have too much of this blue to them.

In #s 3 and 4 from this most recent set, the girl's dress which I suspect should be white, simply is not. This was evident too in the earlier set of images.

As a parent, I think I'd be looking for something a tad more true to life from prtraits of my kids. Taking that to the next level, my kids' grandparents - which I think might be reasonable expected point od sales for these images - would simply not understand what you're doing with these: a white dress (or shirt) ... should be white, not blue.

So .... while you may be satisfying your creative urge in doint what you're doing, from a commercial PoV perhaps it might be wise to consider your market for these images.

And perhaps you already have, and this is the result; I don't know, but I do know people, and - unlike you - I am a parent.

Cheers.

I should have explained also that my "brief" was for "something different and unusual from normal Portstyle images" ......Yeah thanks Gary - more one and four i suppose i meant - just one point on the sharpening, that is just these resized images for the web that are sharpened (its an action in CS3). I do not sharpen at all my large print versions (D200 is as sharp as a tack with Pro lenses on it).

So yeah.....i will look at cutting back on the blue cast!

Invaluable advice!

Dan