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A few pictures from my latest shoot.

You take good pics! 🙂 What is your setup?

Also, how do you make money doing this? I've been interested in trying myself on the side for some pocket $$$, but everyone on craigslist is so damned cheap its not worth my time.

Any tips would be appreciated 🙂
 
I like the last pic. I just got an SLR myself and have trouble taking portrait pics when 2 objects next to each other need to be focused at the same time. I use manual or AV mode and set the aperture a little higher but it becomes blurry overall (no tripod). What am I doing wrong?
 
Originally posted by: rh71
I like the last pic. I just got an SLR myself and have trouble taking portrait pics when 2 objects next to each other need to be focused at the same time. I use manual or AV mode and set the aperture a little higher but it becomes blurry overall (no tripod). What am I doing wrong?
Click to expand...

Use a really low aperature like F22 and focus on the closer object

or

Take two photos at a low aperature, one focused on the near object, one on the far and then combine them in photoshop.
 
I really liked number 3...love how the leaves play in the picture as well... very good! wish I could take pictures like that! lucky
 
Gobadrs: XTi, Tammy 17-50mm f2.8 & 85mm f1.8. A very budget-conscious setup. I wish I had some L-lenses that produce very beautiful bokeh (blur). The blurry part of the fifth pic wouldn't be harsh. I picked up photography last November... wow it's been a year already. I was sucked into it like a video game- read few books and countless hours on potn forum. I shadowed (second shooter) about 3-4 weddings for free. They were either friends or from craigslist.

I guess networking goes a long way. This is my first paid gig and the bride liked my shots from her friend's wedding that I was shadow shooting. Sooooo I'm relatively new myself with tons to learn. 🙂

rh71:
A basic rule of thumb is that your shutter speed should at LEAST match or be faster than the focal length. Anything less than that, shaking occurs.

Example-
You use a portrait lens (85mm) x your cam's crop factor of 1.6 = 136mm is the effective focal length. This means your shutter speed should be a minimum of 1/136 seconds (the crop factor assumes that you have xt/xti/xsi/30d/40d/50d).

When you take a couple portrait, I stick with f3-5 range so both faces are in focus. So a higher f-stop like Gobadgrs is correct... but you wouldn't use all the way to f22. That'll produce a really low shutter speed around 1/20-40sec even in the sunniest day which will be shaky and blurry.

f16-f22 are great for landscape photography for exacting sharpness and no bokeh.
 
Right now I am only using the 50mm 1.8 lens that everyone raves about.

I should also mention I don't like using flash because of the unnatural white it adds. In simple 1-object portrait pics indoors, I've found that natural light works great and gives a real natural look to any pic, but like I mentioned I can't get it to work when there's more than 1 object. Is no-flash a problem for this even with high aperture?

In pic #3, it says flash was used, is that correct? Is it normal to do that in outdoor pics with plenty of light?

 
Originally posted by: Clair de Lune
Gobadrs: XTi, Tammy 17-50mm f2.8 & 85mm f1.8. A very budget-conscious setup. I wish I had some L-lenses that produce very beautiful bokeh (blur). The blurry part of the fifth pic wouldn't be harsh. I picked up photography last November... wow it's been a year already. I was sucked into it like a video game- read few books and countless hours on potn forum. I shadowed (second shooter) about 3-4 weddings for free. They were either friends or from craigslist.

I guess networking goes a long way. This is my first paid gig and the bride liked my shots from her friend's wedding that I was shadow shooting. Sooooo I'm relatively new myself with tons to learn. 🙂

rh71:
A basic rule of thumb is that your shutter speed should at LEAST match or be faster than the focal length. Anything less than that, shaking occurs.

Example-
You use a portrait lens (85mm) x your cam's crop factor of 1.6 = 136mm is the effective focal length. This means your shutter speed should be a minimum of 1/136 seconds (the crop factor assumes that you have xt/xti/xsi/30d/40d/50d).

When you take a couple portrait, I stick with f3-5 range so both faces are in focus. So a higher f-stop like Gobadgrs is correct... but you wouldn't use all the way to f22. That'll produce a really low shutter speed around 1/20-40sec even in the sunniest day which will be shaky and blurry.

f16-f22 are great for landscape photography for exacting sharpness and no bokeh.
Click to expand...

No. Lens sharpness sweet spot is f/8-11.
 
Very nice shots. A little constructive criticism (not intended to be a bag at all):

#1 - The focus point seems to be on the watch. I'd go for her eyes...or maybe the ring if it's an engagement photo. I might even crop in a bit on the bottom and right if you are focusing on the ring.
#2 - Nice, but I think your focus point is on the wall a bit more than the couple.
#3 - Once again, it really seems like the couple are a bit soft and out of focus. Very nice shot otherwise.
#4 - Nice, but be careful of distracting objects like the numbers at top that pull your eye away from the couple.
#5 - Like most of your shots you have some competing hot spots in this image. Remember that the viewers eye normally goes directly to any hot spots.

Outdoor portraits are tough unless you can control your light a bit more. Maybe a large defuser to even out the light a bit and kill some of those harsh hotspots, if you can find one big enough. Then a reflector or fill strobe to fill in the faces just a bit.

Overall your stuff is really, really good. A few fine touches could put your work on the next level. Keep it up!
 
Originally posted by: rh71
Right now I am only using the 50mm 1.8 lens that everyone raves about.

I should also mention I don't like using flash because of the unnatural white it adds. In simple 1-object portrait pics indoors, I've found that natural light works great and gives a real natural look to any pic, but like I mentioned I can't get it to work when there's more than 1 object. Is no-flash a problem for this even with high aperture?

In pic #3, it says flash was used, is that correct? Is it normal to do that in outdoor pics with plenty of light?
Click to expand...

Yup natural light always pwns. But in portrait photography, photogs use flash for what they call 'fill-flash' or 'catch light'. They use an external flash for light control and they match the flash light with the ambient light. So the model's eyes/face gently catch the light and adds the amazing pop.

Here's a good example. The photog used 530EX as a catch light. The result is a stunning pop effect of the baby's face, not to mention the glimmer in the eyes.

I used fill-flash because without it, their faces would be too dark being under the leaves.
 
Originally posted by: Paladin3
Very nice shots. A little constructive criticism (not intended to be a bag at all):

#1 - The focus point seems to be on the watch. I'd go for her eyes...or maybe the ring if it's an engagement photo. I might even crop in a bit on the bottom and right if you are focusing on the ring.
#2 - Nice, but I think your focus point is on the wall a bit more than the couple.
#3 - Once again, it really seems like the couple are a bit soft and out of focus. Very nice shot otherwise.
#4 - Nice, but be careful of distracting objects like the numbers at top that pull your eye away from the couple.
#5 - Like most of your shots you have some competing hot spots in this image. Remember that the viewers eye normally goes directly to any hot spots.

Outdoor portraits are tough unless you can control your light a bit more. Maybe a large defuser to even out the light a bit and kill some of those harsh hotspots, if you can find one big enough. Then a reflector or fill strobe to fill in the faces just a bit.

Overall your stuff is really, really good. A few fine touches could put your work on the next level. Keep it up!
Click to expand...

Thanks. I have been frustratingly battling with the focusing issue. I'm trying to figure out if it's user error or the lens. I mean it's not hard to just point, half-shutter to focus for a split sec, then snap. I'm obviously red-dotting to the subjects, but they still come out out of focus.
 
Originally posted by: Clair de Lune
Thanks. I have been frustratingly battling with the focusing issue. I'm trying to figure out if it's user error or the lens. I mean it's not hard to just point, half-shutter to focus for a split sec, then snap. I'm obviously red-dotting to the subjects, but they still come out out of focus.
Click to expand...

Some times even brand new lenses can have the AF off a tiny bit. Since you have pretty fast lenses the viewfinder should be pretty bright, so I would learn to double check the focus with your eye. Rock the focus in and out manually and watch the critical point pop in and out of focus.

The cameras AF is a wonderful tool, but you can't totally trust it or you will occasionally get burned.
 
I do have to add, they're some good shots. If you want to get some good ideas, start studying engagement and wedding pictures online. There are a lot of public albums available so you can see what works and what doesn't.

If you get into wedding photography, there can be a lot of money, but you have to be good enough not to rule the wedding. You need to have the ability to take really good pictures so you don't need as many. Knowing how to use Photoshop is also very advantageous. A friend of mine is a photographer in Charleston, SC and is loving the work.
 
Great shots but you really should check the focus.
Even in that tiny size, I could tell that the focus is badly off, imagine what'd be like if those get printed.
Keep it mind that if you're getting paid for shots like those, focusing is one of the very basic things to make sure.

 
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