Couples Shoot (Please help!!)

[Alexandra Hall]

I have recently started doing photos for friends for free to start learning so I can start a photography business. I have little to none formal training in photography. I took two classes in high school and my mom was a wedding photographer so I have been around it my whole life. But thats it. So, I was curious about the following picture. I feel as though something is distracting about it. I think its a good picture, just something feels off. Also, how is the composition? Could that be what is distracting about it, if in fact it is distracting? And is there anything else I could have done to improve the shot. Either in the taking of the picture or post processing.

Exif Data (I have yet to comfortably venture outside of the world of auto )
Camera Nikon D3000
Exposure 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 55 mm
ISO Speed 125
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash Auto, Did not fire


[IMG][/IMG]

[Rentham]

Originally Posted by Alexandra Hall

I feel as though something is distracting about it. I think its a good picture, just something feels off

It's distracting because it doesn't have a clear focal point. Obviously the photo is about the couple, but they aren't visually offset in an interesting way. The eye is drawn to the sharpest and brightest part of the photo first. The couple is neither the sharpest part (everything is in focus) nor brightest part (plant on the bottom left and the highlights in the tree foliage).

To make the couple sharp and everything else softly out of focus, you'd need to shoot with some combination of: wider aperture, longer focal length, or less camera to subject distance with more subject to background distance.

You could also use light to visually direct attention to the couple. In this composition it would almost certainly have to be off camera lighting. I would probably find my correct exposure for the scene, then under expose it by 1 or 2 stops. Then, using off camera flash, bring the subjects back up to the correct exposure using a modifier like a softbox or umbrella. The environment would be darker and recede into the background while the couple would be brighter and pop out at the viewer.

[metallion58]

First, I think that all the elements are there. Just remember that "if it's not good enough, you're not close enough"
I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of doing a little PP on your pic (if you do mind, just tell me and I'll take it down )
Just a little tighter crop and adjustment layer.
Tell me what you think.

[Alexandra Hall]

Thank you so much for the advice! It helps a lot. I definitely see how the couple isnt the focal point and how that would be distracting.

And I absolutely don't mind you editing the photograph. I think it looks so much better with what you did to it!

[kristoferjohn]

Terrific photographs,cropping is well,both are looking fantastic,surround is also nice.I like your concept.Thanks for sharing photograph.

[roostabunny]

Cute couple, great smiles, great setting, pretty good exposure and focus.

I agree with Rentham that they're lost in the background (and could be a bit brighter) and with Metallion's assessment that you can fix your issues in post.

You can play with various crops to see what you like best, and if you've got a tool that'll let you blur the background some you can "fake" a shallower DOF. Might be able to brighten them some as well and darken the overall exposure.

I shoot a lot on aperture priority (AV on my Canon, not sure about your Nikon) because I love portraits and like to have control over DOF. In that mode the main dial controls my aperture size, and the camera picks a shutter speed to match. Another option is to shoot in portrait mode (usually an icon with a woman's head) which tends to cheat the automatic settings toward wider apertures/shallower DOF.

It's not that shallow DOF is a portrait requirement, but like Rentham mentioned, it's a classic way to help your subject be the most visually attractive object in the image.