TOF guy wrote:
Steve, you make great pictures, and your call for comments show
that you're only interested in better results.
First I usually don't like that kind of posed pictures. I often
have the impression that people look kind of stiff, in unnatural
poses. IMHO this applies somewhat to the man and the kid. I even
wonder if the man in particular was really confortable lying the
way he is in the picture. If he is in an position that's really
artificial then to me the picture does not look right (but frankly
that's only me).
The most difficult part in this kind of a picture is ... a person:
the baby. I know Mom and Dad are going to hate this, but you should
really insist on removing the pacifier, because we can't really see
how cute baby is. Suggest that the parents take their time to find
a way distract the child and remove the dear thing, because an
upset baby won't help either ...
Further, babies don't respond to "Smile ! " ... But ideally you
have to find something to make him just do that. And whatever you
try to get his attention must be in a way that make him look at the
camera (i.e. your friend making faces must be behind the camera).
The baby is nearly looking at the camera in this picture.
In terms of overall composition, you did a good job. But (again
that's me) I hate missing limb parts (in this case most of the
father's legs). This is accentuated by the fact that we can see the
body of all the other members of the family.
"A good background is a blurred background", as is the say for
portraits. Certainly the case here. IMHO (and really a question of
taste), this background is kind of sinister. I find it mystifying
that portrait protography professionals use it at all. But I have
to admit that this is a popular choice.
I find the lighting of the subjects very good, except for the man's
face and the background behind him. One cheek and the tip of his
nose shines, yet his neck is very dark, and because the background
is not very well lit behind him his (dark) hairs are hard to
discern against the background. Still you did a pretty good job.
And I'll conclude my comments on a positive one: I really like the
woman in the picture (photographically, of course), because she
seems more natural to me, relaxed, smiling but not in an exagerated
way. Again in this kind of pictures I personally think that the
photograph must try to get a result that does not look rigid,
forced, although this is hard to achieve in such posed pictures.
One detail I really like: her hairs that very so slightly cover a
little of her face (although maybe a little too much because we
don't see well one of her eyes). Indeed that's the natural way her
hairs spread on her face, and that is what I look for in this kind
of pictures.
Oh ! And one more thing, thank you for sharing, Looking at this
picture with a critical eye reminds me of a few things that I
often forget when I take pictures. So we all learn,
Best regards,
Thierry
