Family Fall Portraits

[CLKunst]

I decided to get a drop on my own family portraits this year and have made a new commitment to myself to do this quarterly. (:cryin: My children are overjoyed.) I wish I had cooperative kids like Alison's. Anyway, I thought I would share them here and would like to hear your input on creative posing suggestions for families. Sometimes I get stuck in a rut creatively because most clients just want the same old thing. I hope to use these sessions with MY family to experiment and try out some new tricks.

[CLKunst]

And a few of the alternates. . .

[GB1]

CL - Nice lighting and overall portraiture. I take that this is you and your family (can hardly tell, the way you worded it)? If so, you obviously had to use the self timer, and that sometimes puts you at a disadvantage. I like the background but feel that the fellow here is a bit close to the edge of the frame (he's 'on the edge'.. sounds good). The second shot, she is a little to cramped in the photo I think. I would have backed out a little. The bottom shot is interesting,.. you shot for only getting her face in focus in the photo. I think it worked, but her face could be sharper - can you sharpen it up?

GB

[CLKunst]

Hiya GB!

Thanks for commenting. Yes, it's me and my family, my most available subjects. Not always cooperative, but available. I'm working with a remote but having trouble making it respond to the camera without having my arms come flying out at some awkward angle. (see second post) It is a disadvantage for me. I've tried using the 3 sec. delay with the remote but this makes it more difficult for the kids to focus as there isn't anyone to react to. But the point of this exercise for me is to get more creative with my portraits (not necessarily self portraits) so it's all a part of the process.

The portait of my oldest is all about her new haircut, lost tooth and her age, which she is flashing. Since these are her most recent big changes I wanted to highlight them, so I shot it tight.

The portrait of my youngest is that soft because she began running to me as I snapped the shutter. There's really not much there to sharpen. Although I did a small adjustment to the eyes. Both grandmothers chose this as the favorite from the three but they're hardly impartial. I like it because her hair is so wispy with this effect it makes it look like clouds.

As for the group shot I had wanted to include the path leading into the tunnel of leaves in the background but wasn't so thrilled with the darkness of the shadows once I got it home. I cropped it to try and achieve some balance with it but I guess I didn't leave enough space to the left. I'll look at the dng and see if I can re-crop for more breathing room. Or perhaps do a selective mask to lighten the leaf tunnel and restore it to full perspective?

Did you have a suggestion for something new to try?

[GB1]

Hiya GB!

Thanks for commenting. Yes, it's me and my family, my most available subjects. Not always cooperative, but available. I'm working with a remote but having trouble making it respond to the camera without having my arms come flying out at some awkward angle. (see second post) It is a disadvantage for me. I've tried using the 3 sec. delay with the remote but this makes it more difficult for the kids to focus as there isn't anyone to react to. But the point of this exercise for me is to get more creative with my portraits (not necessarily self portraits) so it's all a part of the process.

Yes now that you mention it I do see the remote. Guess ya gotta learn the little tricks to working w/ it (and hiding it). How about this: Every time you do a remote shot w/ your kids, or any kids, you give them one of those little miniture candy bars. They'll make the association before long and be smiling like crazy in anticipation!?

The portrait of my youngest is that soft because she began running to me as I snapped the shutter. There's really not much there to sharpen. Although I did a small adjustment to the eyes. Both grandmothers chose this as the favorite from the three but they're hardly impartial. I like it because her hair is so wispy with this effect it makes it look like clouds.

I tried a little more sharpening - whatya think? I think it might be on the line of oversharpening though.

As for the group shot I had wanted to include the path leading into the tunnel of leaves in the background but wasn't so thrilled with the darkness of the shadows once I got it home. I cropped it to try and achieve some balance with it but I guess I didn't leave enough space to the left. I'll look at the dng and see if I can re-crop for more breathing room. Or perhaps do a selective mask to lighten the leaf tunnel and restore it to full perspective?

Did you have a suggestion for something new to try?

The selective mask thing might work. I use Corel PhotoPaint and it's mask generating tools are fairly easy to use, and the results are usually quite undetectable.....

Suggestions? I always have ideas, though most are silly... How about some pumpkins on the far end of a table and the kids poking their heads above the ends of the table so that it looks like their heads are the same size as the pumkins, where you can't see their bodies? Ask them to use the same expression which are carved in the pumpkins. :

Another strange idea (one a guy would think of) ... How 'bout a girl in a black bikini with full-body orange body paint, wearing a witch hat...... Maybe in a background that looks like Kansas.. ?

[Alison]

I have only just seen this thread and saw my name mentioned
It's nice to see my name being mentioned in such a positive way. Thank you CL.

I am always stumped for poses but here's one you could try with your family.

Have a nice woodland scene or whatever.

And then, IF, and that's a BIG IF, your little one's will co-operate, you and hubby in the bg off to one side, blurred a little, with your children in the foreground nice and clear.
You can then set the timer going with the focus on the little one's and you run off to hubby and have a hug and a smooch in the bg.

And vice versa, children off to one side in the bg, focus on hubby in the foreground, set the timer going and run to pose with hubby.

I know, I ramble on but it's a portrait I really, really want to do with my hubby but my two babies definitely WILL NOT co-operate

The big girls will be fine. Maybe I could photoshop Wesley and Trinity in afterwards lol

Let me know if you manage to do them and be sure to post the results. I'd love to see them.

[CLKunst]

Thanks for the great ideas GB and Alison.
GB~ I have serious doubts I can come up with a bikini model at this time of year who will be very cooperative or warm, but it is an interesting concept. One question comes to mind; how will I explain it to the kids? "Don't worry about the girl in the bikini kids, she's just for decoration!" On the other hand Dad will love it. :hand: The pumpkin idea is intriguing -you may see that one come to fruition soon in a forum near you.

Alison - Thanks! I think your DOF suggestion is a swell idea which I will try to carry out in the next few weeks before every leaf drops off the trees and the area looks less woodland-ish. I'll have to wait for healthier kids though, because at the moment everyone has a snotty head.

I want to do one where everyone is lying down with their heads together but I have to get a more trustworthy tripod first. And I haven't even tried to get the family hounds into the act. That's more juggling than I am worth at the moment but someday. . .

[Alison]

Well, in the end I have to make do with freestyle

I just said to the kids, "This is a nice place for a pic". Then they just all piled in and arranged themselves. I only took two shots. This was the best of the two.
Wish the poses looked more studio like, but hey, they look like they were having fun, so I guess that's what counts.

Sometimes I think you get more natural smiles that way anyway. Getting the babies attention is a big problem which I will have to try to combat one day or just wait till they are older.

I can't stop the twins from being clowns especially Lisa. She almost always puts her fingers up behind someone's head and pulls a silly face.

[adina]

I like these!

What's most important, is that you went out and did it, regardless of whether they are technically perfect or not. How many of us have roped our family into this recently? Not me, that's for sure.

And while, yes, you do want to work on getting them perfect (or as close to as possible) the practice ones are fun too.

[adina]

Also, you might try dad sitting, have the kids pile in his lap, and then slide in there. That way the kids are immobile, and dad will be more relaxed.

[CLKunst]

Alison,
I agree with you the best and truest smiles are captured on the fly. That's a big part of what I do with other people's families, if I can convince the parents to cooperate. But for me it's nigh impossible to do AND have me in the pictures. Love your group shot of the kids! They're naturals!

Adina,
Thank you for your thoughts on this. You are right, practice can be fun and the more we do things the easier they get. That is a big part of my motivation. I am constantly abashed when people ask me to see pictures of my kids and all I have on me is the school photo. Oh for shame!!!
I like your idea of everyone on Dad's lap that serves a double function of keeping him from edging out of the shot as well. That will definitely go into my bag of tricks.

[Alison]

How about dad laying on his tummy with the two little one's piled on top and then you dive and sit to one side. I've no doubt everyone will be in fits of laughter lol. Nice natural smiles.

[muso]

Very nice smiles... :-)

[CLKunst]

With my kid and family clients I AM the entertainment. I turn into an absolute fool. :crazy: :arf: I think I do get a little too serious with my own fam. sometimes and forget to be more of a clown. I get a little too much into the "Let's get this done" mode. Thanks for reminding me about that Alison! Great Suggestion! :thumbsup: