What’s Your Preference?

ali1977 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-01-2010, 09:32 PM

Ok, so I don't market myself as a pro photog. I don't tell people I'm even a good photog. Anyway, I posted about this a few weeks ago, but here I am again. I took these basketball team pictures as a favor to a friend. Long story short, I have to go and do retakes. These people cancelled my original offer for retakes (which I never should have done in the first place), but now they want them. The pictures are not good. I am the first to say this. I didn't want to print the orders, but they insisted. Now, they want retakes and are insisting that I reprint their original orders at no charge. I don't feel like fighting with this, so I said fine.
Anyway- I'm going to do the retakes tomorrow. What should I have done differently?
I used my Nikon D60, no flash. I only have my in-camera flash, so I kind of thought that would just look bad if I used that. I'm thinking I might go and pick up an external tomorrow.
I DO NOT run a portrait or school picture studio! I take pictures of trees!!! So, I am really not trying to spend a ton of cash on lights or anything else as I am saving up for a bigger and fancier camera. I have yet to see how/why I would need lights, external flash, etc...
So, what do you think?
I had no say in the composition, but I have insisted that I can compose the shots how I wish. So- NO RED BACKGROUND!!! I would love to see these CHILDREN smile, too, but I can't force that.
I'm thinking that if I have them stand closer to center court, and if I can stand on something (kind of a shorty!), then I can make the crops a bit better.
HELP! These parents are really rude and I really just need to be done with all of this so I can go back to my quiet trees!
HELP!!!!
Thanks!
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Camera: Nikon D60
Exposure: 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture: f/5.0
Focal Length: 32 mm
ISO Speed: 800

Thanks again! Any help will be greatly appreciated!

cherrygirl · #2 (**permalink**) 03-01-2010, 10:02 PM

Since you admit you are not a pro I would stay away from trying to get "action" shots. Just pose the children and have them smile. You could look around on the Internet for some nice poses to use...no need to be fancy.

Glad you are rethinking the red background! If it were me, I would pull them farther away from whatever background you use since these are portraits meant to highlight the children.

I actually played basketball in high school and our photos were the simple kneeling holding the ball to one side...I admit that was the 80s and I am a girl! But none the less I think a similar pose would be appropriate for this.

Looks like lighting was a problem...if you have access to some strobes, use them. If not make sure to adjust your white balance to kill the ugly tint they have.

Overall I would just go simple. Like they say...less is more.....JMO

Good luck!

Ray Dockrey · #3 (**permalink**) 03-01-2010, 10:13 PM

I agree with above. The gym lights are causing havoc with your white balance. If you were shooting in RAW you could adjust it to make it right in a photo editor. If you are editing in Lightroom or something like then you can just take them in RAW and adjust in Lightroom.

lputman · #4 (**permalink**) 03-02-2010, 12:37 AM

Outside of the background, the pose is perfectly fine as long as they weren't in the actual action of shooting and just standing there as a pose. Setting a custom white balance and shooting in RAW could help with that issue.

Yes, bring them into center court and be at a higher elevation and you should end up with the court being your background for the most part. Using a flash would help and I think it might best be used if bounced off a reflector. You'd need someone else to hold the reflector so the flash is pointing behind you and bouncing off the reflector. Decrease your ISO, increase your shutter speed and go for it.

karen_s · #5 (**permalink**) 03-02-2010, 12:51 AM

I totally agree with the Raw suggestion. You can do a lot with the WB in PP. I would also try to find a better background ... maybe it's the WB issue but their uniforms kinda clash.

I was in a dingy gym this weekend and noticed it had some hot spots. I looked at the ceiling for the brightest lights and camped out near them. Maybe you can find a bright spot and make it work for you.

If you can get a flash, do so so you can knock down the ISO down. The higher ISO really cuts down on the sharpness. Iputman's suggestion of a reflector would be a big plus.

And this is a crazy out there kinda suggestion, but if you live in a reasonable climate, maybe you could go outside to a school playground or public bball court? Just wild thought.

And I think their poses look pretty good. They seem to know the look ;-)

Good luck!

ali1977 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-02-2010, 01:04 AM

I did shoot in RAW. The WB was definitely giving me trouble. The poses were poses, not action shots. I had nothing to do with the composition. The pose and the background were not what I wanted. I said it would look bad, but no one believed me. Now, I'm stuck having to fix these pictures when half the reason why they were so bad was because of where they were standing. Under bad lighting, red backdrop, etc...I got screwed on this one. I asked for something to stand on, but they said no.
Do you think I should fork over the cash for an external flash or do you think I could get away with my in-camera flash?

lputman · #7 (**permalink**) 03-02-2010, 01:28 AM

Personally, I would get an external flash as that is just something that I always want with a camera. If you don't think you'd ever have the need for one, maybe you know someone that you could borrow from? Or, if you can rent one from a local camera store. I really don't think the built-in flash will do proper justice.

Again, the poses are fine, it's the background that is the problem.

karen_s · #8 (**permalink**) 03-02-2010, 01:33 AM

Well, if it were me and I was going in to re-shoot because of poor art direction on their part, I would make a few demands ... politely as possible of course. I'd demand to select the spot at the very least. I suppose they can pick their poses but that doesn't mean you can't refine them and make them better. Sometimes you just have to say, "I am the photographer."

As for buying a flash, buy one if you think you will use it in the future. I am a fellow tree shooter and bought a flash last fall. I am glad for the investment. It's opening up a whole new world to play in. If you do get a flash, find a way to get it off the camera, bounce it, or diffuse it.

And that friend of yours, make them buy you a beer or something ;-)

Cheers.

ali1977 · #9 (**permalink**) 03-02-2010, 03:47 AM

yeah- kinda don't want to be friends anymore. Not after this. My friend is the coach and his wife. I did not appreciate getting bossed around only to end up with this nightmare!
What's really making me so mad is that EVERY parent came and approved the proof when I put it on my computer. These are the team pictures of your kids, people! They are not works of art. I saw the other team's photos, and mine were no better. He just had them smiling and put it on some sort of wannabe baseball card looking thing, so they were cute.
This is a freaking nightmare and i will NEVER do this again. I'm going to buy a flash tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll use it again, but I've gone this long without it...