Candid photos from a family reunion... please critique!

I've been reading threads on this site for about two years now, and there is

alot of good information here that has made me a better photographer. But I

still have SO much to learn!

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My best friend asked me to "take photos at the family reunion." I asked if she

thought people would want posed shots, and she said no, just candid.

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I used my D70, with an 85mm 1.8 lens (it's so old, but it's fast... I have to

use a matchstick as a "tab" to get the camera to detect and use the lens).

After doing some test shots between the two areas of activity (BRIGHT sun

outdoors, midday, and under a pavillion with fluorescent lights), I settled on

AWB, 400 ISO and f/8.0. I found myself pivoting alot from under the pavillion

to immediately into the bright light, depending on what was going on. The only

adjustments I made as I shot was shutter speed (1/250 under the roof, and 1/800-

1/1000 outdoors) and the manual focussing.

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It was very challenging to get my shots, and out of 1000 photos, I gleaned

about 230 that were useable.

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The lighting was poor, and I opted to go flashless for this, since I get

intimidated with the thought of ME being the one to interrupt the action with

my presence -- I wanted to be invisible.

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I'd like some feedback on composition, subject and photo execution, if you'd be

willing to give it... also on what you would have done differently. I don't

think I'll be quitting my day job anytime soon, LOL! Thank you, all!

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<center><B><a href=lynnbycko.smugmug.com/gallery/3302389>Family Reunion

photos</a></b></center>

Whoops. It would help if I gave the right link..

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<a href=http://lynnbycko.smugmug.com/gallery/3302389>Family Reunion Photos, take 2</a>

</center></b>

Lynn, I enjoyed the photos and commented on a few. I would definitly suggest going in and right click protecting them. Loved the little dog!

Lynn I am sorry I have nothing nice to say at all these are all snapshots, all of them. I would expect them to have been taken with a small point and shoot by someone who hardly ever uses their camera. The group shot has a table with drinks on it and there is something in the front on the left, many shots parts of people are cut off. Most shots are far away, nothing much in close. There are cars in the backgrounds, almost all the backrounds show no consideration at all. Points to improve on:

 

1. Watch backgrounds

2. Look at the entire frame - what is distracting

3. Get in close, change your perspectives shoot low, high

4. Watch for emotions - big laughs - get in there, capture expressions, get the little story's and images that say something. Let the family look back and remember what they were thinking,feeling,talking about at that moment. Just snapping away most of them are going to say I look fat or something.

 

Keep at it

Thank you Steve... I really appreciate the comment about the backgrounds. If I mind that particular detail, it will help me also get closer to the subject. I also need to remember that candid and snapshot are two different things.

I miss a connection with your subjects. It seems like you are just observing, you are not part of what happens. Your lens is too long most of the time, get in close with a wide angle. The moments on which you take the photos looks ok, composition and angle is off.

As Steve says, get in close and mix it up. Have fun, if you have fun others will as well and it will show in your photos.

<<I would definitly suggest going in and right click protecting them>>

 

A complete waste of time. Anyone not using IE and anyone smart enough to disable javascript can get around this.

JF, I wish I did have a wide angle for this event. It is definatley next on my list to get. This request from my friend came rather quickly, so I didn't have the opportunity to see if I could borrow/rent one. There is alot that gets lost in trying to crop a small part of a larger image to make a photo, a post processing step I'm not fond of.

 

Next time I will get closer in...

Corri, thank you for your advice. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos, and I believe the dog photo is the best of the bunch. Still lots to learn, though...

I guess I protect my photos for the ignorant ones :0) Not to mention on smugmug its about 25 seconds of wasted time. Lynn, I stand by my response. I too have learned alot from PN and learn more everyday. As long as the "critique" is constructive, as in Steves case, then its definitly worth reading over and over again. I dont know steve, so Im not earning any points here, (am I???) but his work is fabulous and his "tips" should be committed to memory.

Yeah... I leave my car unlocked and the keys in the ignition all the time. Because I know that anyone who wants to steal it will just throw a brick through the window and hotwire it. (assumming they are not running IE and know how to disable Javascript) ;-)

I know the topic has changed a bit from Lynn's original topic. I do seriously believe Lynn or anyone should be worried about someone copying her images - and I would say the same of any photographer past present or future. This in the information age in which sharing creates value. Focus on your photography.

 

Please feel free to share my images - it is the best compliment. If it turns out to be a big enough business for someone I'll hire them as my marketing VP. The only way to actually achieve grandeur is to stop having delusions of grandeur.<div></div>

the image theft/car theft analogy would be accurate only for cars whose doors have no locks. because that's about the level of security possible for any image you distribute on the internet for people to look at in their browser.

 

if someone is looking to use other's photographs for profit, they would know of several ways of getting round the right-click-to-save route, all very trivial to do and practically impossible to prevent.

 

if on the other hand they don't know any other way of downloading the image, it's highly unlikely they want to do anything other than have a local copy to look at when they're not online. if you think it's worth the effort to prevent that kind of 'misuse' (for want of a better word), i guess that's your prerogative.

Here's another question related to my original. I agree with Steve and JF that the photos demonstrate my need to get closer and connect with the subject. How much of that "getting closer" do you do with your equipment (such as selecting a wide angle vs. 85mm), and how much with your feet? And do you ever feel that you are intruding on the subject?

 

Thanks again!