Aurora

[Marie Hass]

My 44 year old cousin came for Thanksgiving week and she brought her 10 year old daughter with her. I have not seen my cousin since she was a babe in arms. Her daughter was like a beautiful young gazelle - all legs and body, but the face still babyish and full of wonder.

Needless to say, she agreed to be my muse for the week so that I could hone my portraiture skills. Please tell me what you think?

1. Formal Portrait (24-105 with flash)

2. informals (24-105)
a.

b.

3. At the Festival of Lights (50mm prime, no flash)

4. Her hands holding the last 4 "real" farm fresh eggs. Over the course of the week, she alone ate close to 2 dozen fresh eggs. (50mm prime, no flash)

I am asking for C&C - posing, lighting, PP. I have a wedding to shoot on New Year's Eve, and while a different situation, I am still working on getting the best shot from maybe less than ideal circumstances.

[Shadowman]

All very nice, first is a bit severely cropped.

[terrib]

First, I don't do people so my opinions are as a viewer, not anyone with any expertise in this area.

I really like the first 2 shots. But how different they are!! I like the pose and environment in the first one and you've captured that sweet 10 year old. I absolutely love the second photo but if I was her mother, I'm not sure if I would. Everything about this photo makes her look older than her age. But what a nice photo of a beautiful young girl!

[GBO25]

To me the second image is the best.
The light is less harsh, the eye contact along with the look in her eye is quite professional and the slight angle of her head means a slightly sideways glance which enhances almost any portrait. Aurora's pose with coffee cup is also very nice.

[rpcrowe]

I like #2A and #3 the best. She seems more relaxed and self confident in shot #2A and it gives us a preview of what a few years might bring to her, while #3 is just a lovely image of a young lady who is at the age when she can revert back and forth from young lady to little girl when the occasion arises.

#4 is a neat image that is somewhat spoiled by the bitten fingernails...

[wilgk]

What a beautiful name! For a lovely young lady.
And what a nice time you have had together.
I like the first for a formal pose, it is on the mark, there is a rule of thumb, don't crop at joints, so more of the elbow, would be good. The lighting is nice, the background a teeny bit busy.
The second is indeed the pick of the bunch, her hair, her expression all just lovely.
My only suggestion here is the horizon through her head, is distracting... Does that make sense?
I would prefer if the horizon line was just that teeny bit lower. That is a small point though, as it is a lovely image.
Similarly with 2.b if the horizon was just a teensy bit higher it wouldn't cut through her head.
#3 is a nice image showing the wonder of a child.
Well done on these & I hope plans go well for the wedding!

[ST1]

Well done Marie, on a great set of images. For me the second and third images are the stronger of your set. However that doesn't mean that the others are not good images. I do think the first is cropped too tight and there are marks on two fingers of her right hand, I think the lighting works on this image but...the background (not the chair) detracts a little. I think you have lit the subjects body (my eye are drawn to the whites in the dress pattern and the buckle) rather than her face. That said you do have a shadow under Aurora's chin which with flash photography is good as shadows give depth. Were you using a built in flash (on camera) or was it off the camera?

[Marie Hass]

John,

first is a bit severely cropped.

Thank you for commenting! The image is not cropped. But for me, just that my background was less than ideal (as noted by Peter) and I made a conscious decision to get a closer shot.

'Rie

[Marie Hass]

Dear Terri,

Everything about this photo makes her look older than her age. But what a nice photo of a beautiful young girl!

Thank you for your commentary! I agree that these pictures show exactly the conflict I had when I looked at the RAW images. How do I portray the essence of Aurora? At times, she was all that a 10 year old is, but at others, wise and grown up beyond her years.

Mom did give me permission to post here, LOLS. Her comment when she saw 2a and b.? "Holy $#%#$@". I guess that means she might agree with you.

'Rie

[Marie Hass]

Hi Graham!

the eye contact along with the look in her eye is quite professional and the slight angle of her head means a slightly sideways glance which enhances almost any portrait.

Thank you for your input! For a 10 year old, her line from head to toe is quite elegant and I wanted to capture that.

I do need to study more on posing so I do not struggle quite so hard to get it right!!!!

'Rie

[Marie Hass]

Oh my gosh, Richard!

at the age when she can revert back and forth from young lady to little girl when the occasion arises.

Thank you for taking the time to comment. How very true that statement is!!!!! - and that is what shows with all of these images.

Regarding #4, LOLs on the bitten nails. I would never be a hand model either.

'Rie

[Shadowman]

Hi Graham!



Thank you for your input! For a 10 year old, her line from head to toe is quite elegant and I wanted to capture that.

I do need to study more on posing so I do not struggle quite so hard to get it right!!!!

'Rie

Sometimes the candid shots (#3) make up for what you feel is a struggle to get it right. It may take more time to get that perfect one, but the exercise will provide you with some of the learning.

[Marie Hass]

Hi, Kay!

the horizon through her head, is distracting... Does that make sense?
I would prefer if the horizon line was just that teeny bit lower.

Agreed, Kay, and that was one of my dilemmas - where to place the horizon. What are the guidelines there? I do not know.

'Rie

[Marie Hass]

Dear Peter,

Thank you so much for your thorough evaluation. It was extremely helpful.

The green that you see on her fingers is window marker - kind of like dry-erase. i cannot tell you how we scrubbed trying to get it off!

I do use a flash bracket, Speedlite, and Joe Demb Pro diffuser (thanks again for that one, Richard Crowe). That way, I can flip orientation from portrait to landscape and back at will.

'Rie

[John 2]

I'm not a portrait photographer and so no comment on technique or technicalities from me but aesthetically it's 2a, 2b and 3 in that order. 2a for sheer quality, 2b for personality and the third because of the added artistic viewpoint. A very nice set of images.

[bnnrcn]

+1 to John's ( John 2) comment

[Brownbear]

Hi Marie,

Just to say that #2 is my favourite, followed by #3 - beautiful!

[wilgk]

Hi, Kay!



Agreed, Kay, and that was one of my dilemmas - where to place the horizon. What are the guidelines there? I do not know.


'Rie

Hi 'Rie,
The horizon 'rule' is of course, just a guide & like all can be broken, ignored or followed as you choose... But basically it means either you take a higher or lower (but that risks the up the nostril look, not good either) vantage point, so that the horizon line, in the background, is either completely above the subjects head, or completely below, so as it doesn't chop the head in half (as it were).
It is I think in the category, when one is looking at a Portrait & something nags you as a tiny bit off, but you can't put your finger on it, then this 'rule' might be it.
I will see if I have an example, when I finish work, which will help more than my words.
The fact that they are photos of someone dear to your heart, does trump any silly 'rules' of composition of course.

[Marie Hass]

Dear Kay,

The fact that they are photos of someone dear to your heart, does trump any silly 'rules' of composition of course.

Not really. I am in this to learn - and I did shamelessly beg and bribe the child daily to sit for me. I think she was quite tired of me by the time they were ready to leave on Sunday.

lols, 'Rie

[Marie Hass]

John 2, Binnur and Christina, thank you for your comments. It is good to hear from you!!!!

These shoots were lots of fun and Aurora was a very good sport to indulge me.

'Rie