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Image Critiquing

Lesson 26 from: Children's Portrait Photography

Tamara Lackey

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Lesson Info

26. Image Critiquing

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Lesson Info

Image Critiquing

So we're back and what we just left was the massive business overview which were not even quite done with we're going toe pause for a little bit and we're being joined by gerry g bonus in who's a originally from melbourne milburn but is dialing in from madrid, spain to join us and we're going to do an image critique we have a bunch of images we pulled from the thicker pull as well as a few students put some work in and we're going to step through them one by one I'm going to let jerry lead the critique because jerry's awesome and if you're not the mayor with gerry g bonus, he is considered one of the top five wedding photographers in the world and has received such a ridiculous amount of accolades through all his print competitions and album awards and he runs the print print judge panel for the premiere um categories that right, jerry, you've done that, but that is not right that williams and capable hands but let's just, you know let's just say, hey, it's all good. So like I said, he...

ran the category, but you didn't say you did something like that like jerry's just you've been doing print judging and all that sort of stuff he's very, very good at it is the point on dh I sat down with jerry in london last january the same place where I lost my fifty one to lens and I sat down with jerry and I showed him some of my images and I just asked him for some critique and, um, thinking to myself like could be nice to get some advice, but I feel pretty good about what I've pulled together and all of her stuff and he sat down he said, you gotta watch this see this look at that and I was like, dang, let me buy breakfast so jerry's very, very good at this. S o jerry, uh, thank you very much for taking time out of your ridiculous schedule, coming off a five day workshop and a wedding followed by wedding in another workshop in the nine million things you're doing, it is my pleasure always yeah, I really appreciate it. So as you know, we talked about how we had some images that you guys had a chance to select and look through and that we're gonna be looking at together. What we're going to do is put the image on the screen and jerry, we can't see in video because we have some band with issues from where he's dialing in, but that's what we have the gorgeous picture of him up, it was just a bad day that's what? I'm sorry it was a it was a bad hair day thie truth is his hair is like up in a towel right now and he's embarrassed about it but ok, we're going we're going to start with the first image and um jerry, I would love you to start the critique okay, look, I love the fact that you really close up really intimate I find that one thing that people don't don't do a lot when they when they start off photography rationing portrait they showed too much information and I find that it's really cool that gone really close and really tight here what I would love to do these fantasy where that gil on the left there is cross although she is young and of course he has here the way she's crops his crops so close to the airline either. I believe this is one of my rules I either include the hairline or all of it or crop a lot closer to the top of the eyebrows. So that's the first thing that I see obviously the expressions cute from the girl on the right hand side, the girl in the lift expressions not that crazy in the sense that you know when you see importance as well, obviously with children it's not as if you can I guess director as much as adults so there's a lot of forgiveness when it comes to expression from the kid that's really about that that moments but the cropping is a big one, too. May so anything would probably also wanna include a bit more of the hands you know, made after the eyes the hands show a cz much expression against after the eyes, the hands are second to expression. So for me, it's cropping a bit tired from the top, coming down a little bit and perhaps getting a bit of a better expression on the girl on the left hand side from our view. Excellent. Very, very good. I would say I see what you mean about the fingertips. I definitely come to learn that over last few years, that fingertips in hands and where they come into play and how they're shown in relation to faces an ulcer stuff is a pretty huge deal when it comes to bring competitions e I think the a lot of what you said, jerry, I would agree with the only other thing I would comment on was maybe the toning may be kind of cool to see this either go kind of in one direction or the other in terms of the additional toning added to the black and white er, I'm not sure if it's meant to be more nazi bia kind of look and feel what are your thoughts on that, jerry? Yeah, it is. It is a little bit flat. I mean, it's, just one of those things because you're showing it is broad lighting, so we don't really have a three dimensional in the face. And this is what I'm saying. If these were adults, probably critic it a little bit differently here remain. If there were adult, I would say, hey, what's the nose in the eye, for example, in the correlation to a couple, you know, when when the groom kisses the bride, that chick, for example, the nose with never, never should go in the iron now, because they're children, arguably, you might not get that expression from the little girl again if you would ask for it again. But in a perfect world, you'd better expression from perhaps both of them, the eye out of the nose, offering a bit more contrast, a little bit more space, but it's one of those things that swim, if you can forgive a lot more. But you may as well, I just love the subtraction of life. I love saying shadow on the place so that we offer three dimensional you. Yeah, I think the other thing, jerry that's very interesting is we we were shooting, what can I say, who shot the yeah, this was actually shot by nicky here yesterday when we had a, um a very fun and chaotic situation in the studio where we were trying to find the lighting and pulled it together, and then we got it pulled together and the kids were racing around. It wasn't like a normal session sort of thing. So is more of a like grab what you can as you go and indeed accordingly. Yeah, and then and then try to kind of model on the fly and stuff, but, um, just a little shout out to jerry if you guys don't know this jerry goddess has a new organisation called the ice society. It's that is it, I society that calmer, the ice society, dot com, jerry thie I society dot com and and jerry does image critiques on the site, um, as well as instructional videos and good overviews about posing and all that sort of stuff. S o if you haven't checked that out as a resource, that's a very cool resource for learning. Ah lot of the fundamentals that he's speaking to you right now when it comes to modeling with lighting and posing and and all this sort of stuff he's very, very good when it comes to posing and calling women gorgeous. All women all women are obviously garters hold on I think we have a little comment from the internet I just want I want for me and when I say I've already learned so much off just this first picture yeah yeah fabulous um wonderful. Okay, so let's let's step it forward again so we're onto the next one can you see it? Ok. Oh, you're in a few seconds you're in a few second delay, jerry so you're in a seat. I've got a different could get fired about deal computers unplowed benching with myself as we speak can you see it? I can see it. Okay, uh, look, you that doesn't make you a little expression. I think the first thing first thing that I think technically about the topic is lighting because he has his hat on the light has really it's been shielded by the past and so we're not giving that light in the eyes. So I think but if you're shooting in this particular situation on assuming a studio I reflect it would have been really cool to just add no lives to revise and obviously he's kept lights because look catch very powerfully you can see the cat's lights in his eyes that's really hurting us also that's up to the top of the so may you no no hey, jerry yeah yeah hey jerry okay we heard you start talking about the hat and then you disappeared your audio disappeared a little bit can you say that part again that'll be great year I just laid back you know I'm about to see dead people here it's all right so a cz faras the hats then the wyatts crops to mae it's it's not trumped enough for it to be on purpose and there's not enough breathing space also to be on purpose so for me it's just a mistake what I would like to see is there had cropped just above that struggle that little that little cathy bitch on top of the head or allow a lot of breathing space I think my preference would be to cross this image a lot tighter tohave his face on the top left of the frame just allow bit of personal space tio for us for a bit of intrigue I guess I've been a mystery because when you're doing with a portrait like this and it's very strike straight on very forward you need thio incredible mystery and not just having a smiley face you know it's good enough amount that by for example but I just feel like a a different crop negative space in the right hand side and also I'm assuming it's wearing brown there is that right? Is that the brown what was that it's wearing braces oh, I think that's her braces yeah yes, I would like to see those retouched I think what differentiates us from amateur photographer, that we have the power and skill to be able to reach out there. That being said, her mother might like that time of his life, where he was a little bit awkward. And perhaps, you know, vibrations are very important to the mom to the kid. Yeah, and that's, you know, because jerry was teaching yesterday other us who had been glued to the screen watching this, but the one of the things we're talking about, jerry was exactly that, like lifting the hap a little bit, pulling the reflector under and getting the catch lights, notes or stuff. So you're basically I'm going to just tell you you gave really great advice. Oh, not that you just made redundant. We just don't need care. No, no, you're jerry, no, I think you're exactly right on dh you're kind of, you know, from an image critique perspective, you know, kind of double its this is fabulous, too here, um, and when you said you wouldn't come down on that hat a little bit more was part of your desire to see the eyes a little higher in the frame from a composition perspective. No, not so much the eyes I could see it too may things have to be very clearly and defined on purpose. So for me, like I said you're beginning there is that it's cropped on the top of the hat it's not it's not trumped enough beyond purpose there's not enough breathing space for it to be done on purpose it's right touching it so for me, I just wanted to be a crop to the right so we have more negative space in the right cropped so we have a little bit of brotherly space above that that's trapped there would you call that, um and about the other things I mentioned as well? Right? So it's the idea of kind of committing to it in that respect like we're gonna be running the edge go up or go down, give us space or cohen but left in lift like that it's a little unfinished yeah and very touching touching that hair on the left hand side are left on his right down the middle of his I mean, the hair on the right hand side doesn't bother me, but it's that left one just coming all the way down that that logically, you know, from a professional photographer I'm assuming it's professionally if not, then I would get to that stage more retouching that that here okay, okay. Excellent. Very good. Alright, let us up. And one other touch thing I would say justify we're finishing this image for client is the lips look a little kind of chaps to me, and usually sometimes I will aid that by just softening them a little bit. Because again, I don't want your eyes go to the point of most contrast and also kind of if you see a lot of texture can pop out sometimes, and I would just want to soften that a little bit. So again, you know, the your eyes were going to the eyes of the subject, you know, cherry chapstick? Yeah, suggested. Okay, moving on. You got it, jerry. I've got it. I'm waiting for you. Got you? Yeah, this little girl that's what? They're there. Okay, yeah, yeah, I see you. You see the image of the little girl with the colorful skirt on the I think yes, she's very she's wearing australian done good so far. She's adorable, adorable picture I guess. You know, we're taking here. Just just to remind the audience is that obviously we're being very harsh, very critical. A lot of parents will not really pick up on the things that were signed, but collectively by will in other words, if you were a photographer, that tech took care of all these images and on the website, you know, things would look consistent and perhaps the viewers or mother's potential parents of, you know, off people, it'll be photographed, they'll know after a while the little things that we're talking about so that's what I'm trying to get as far as this image is concerned, the number one's being in photography is lighting in terms of technique, so the lighting is only really hitting her nose and he's getting really her left cheekbone and it's softer everywhere else. And may I feel like I want a bit more modeling and this is where perhaps the lighting is coming from a little bit too high, perhaps the lighting coming a little bit lower and allowing a bit of forgiveness for the fact that that child is a certain height. So that's the most important thing in perhaps we can turn to the right I feel like the way she's sitting part of my saying so, but it looks like she's like a toilet roll holder. You know those little dolls that were they dressed things of bullet roll wait, it looks like her. Why do you say it looks like she's sitting like she's on it? Like she's like oh you're saying like one of those kind of doyle is that go over a toilet roll is that we may get a little oily they go over the toilet roll that's what's basically making you look she looks very wide and obviously she's sitting on a chair with the dress draped over but what I think would have worked with this image is just dropping a lot tighter and vertical or perhaps horizontal that's um negative space the hands of gorgeous I mean that they be nearing hand the beautiful the lighting like a city suffering to mate but the expression is very cute I guess you know whatever I'm photographing a portrait whether it's a little child or something else than technically we have to be very sound very solid and obviously this forgiveness when it comes to children but when you have a cooperative child like this you suggest that the photography should really control the lining a little bit better and cropping you know may my golden rule is if I don't like something in a shot I hide it if I can't hide it crop it and if I can't crap that I just don't shoot so that's pretty much more philosophy did somebody write that down so I can't say it again well if you don't like something in a shop you hide it but you can't hide it crop it you can't trust them don't shoot excellent very nice, but very concise. Um and then just to give you a little feedback, this image was shot. We had a hair light to the left, but I believe she moved over to the right and did not have katie's in our audits. Uh, what did? It was very brave to shoot this because actually I don't believe she was super cooperative at this point, I think was this was just like a quick with her running around crazy, she was not posing here, so I think that you know so much, she said, if we had been able to either pull the hair light over a mover over and pull the reflector in, this would've made a world of difference on this shot wait, you didn't have children that are going very fast over there, speckle scatterbrained, you know they're looking left looking right? I would probably sacrificed the potential of the hair light to allow for more even this in the front, if if that's if that's a problem. So what I'm saying is the risk that you've taken with a hairline, I think that what what sacrifices that risk is a little bit full lighting in the face I would rather not the headline and it be even yeah, what do you think about in this situation? If you can picture this, you're looking straight on at uh at a white seamless background okay and you've got a hair left left and the child has moved over to the right um and you had the opportunity to just reflect the light back up to go ahead and broadly at least more broadly light the face in that exact instance recognized that you're moving with a very you're moving along with a very fast moving subject um what would your suggestion be in that situation? Well, I don't know if she's fast moving she looks very stationary to may I don't know what's going on there but are you saying generally speaking yeah just general spend yeah, I just think we have some video I was watching this little girl flying and katie like racing to get it she's obviously looks good at sitting for a second, but I would probably can't run off like that. Okay, uh your sound sound has been something happened to your sound didn't go as well you sound like your mom doesn't work and you take it again with okay, I'm speaking into a regular one while they probably check out my mike to make sure it works. Okay, can we go back to that last image, greg, I just wanna say one more thing um one of the thing and forgive me if I missed it, jerry is I would I would think about cropping in I think this would be a really interesting image where you kind of cropped in a little bit from the top and had some ah a little bit more negative space to kind of showcase her little nous you know, I think that would be kind of an interesting shot for for this image that's a nice thing word that little american word little nous yes, it is but it's actually a technical composition terms we call it size in australia you would it's little nest check your handbook check your handle you'll see. Okay, fantastic let's move on to the next one. Okay? Okay have you guys got the image on screen? You yes, we have it we have it. Okay, very good. Look, I love the team thing. This is beautiful. Um the countess of mother you can really dated the war did mountain looking down I love that negative space just under your mom's chin. You know, sometimes a little bit of known I was if you got mass changed the rest on the back on the right and on the night of the other little baby her face would have gone forever so we because it's flat lighting you need a separation so I applaud the publisher actually for allowing that and if they hear and I flipped it don't admit it just it was on purpose it's the yawning concerned that it's a really beautiful thing I mean, obviously there's a suggestion there that the bag doing so pretty uncomfortable or just go to sleep, which is beautiful on the composition is very nice too picky. Hi, kate background is beautiful. What I'm not enjoying is that ridiculously strong highlights blowing it on that on the shoulder of the baby and also the off the moon. But apart from those two things, I find that yeah, I love it. I love the image. Yeah, and I think this is a studio shot hopefully you could have controlled for that if that were the lighting coming and bison sort of, um, you know, some way of stopping down the light a bit in that section that could have made kind of a big difference one of things hopefully, jerry and why I asked the last image to is because we're hoping to do image critique as well as like, but maybe you could have in that sort of situation as best I can read it tried this this in this instead, you know? Yeah, I mean it's difficult to know it almost might be in front of a window on dh the windows that are blowing out perhaps I'm not too sure but that's what I'm thinking but it's one of those things where expression bates perfection you know often when you've got a beautiful expression of one of the few about the guard to the little baby and do a baby whisper things, eh? I don't know demand he wanted running again you know it's just not gonna happen so this is where it's sort of okay, I guess from my perspective are likely to be fitted to the madness and I call it a system spontaneity and I think you know about encouraging one of the listeners there especially if you newcomer to the industry um is I normally work in five steps so the first thing I looked for the lighting they take anything I do is look at the locations so the background I'm shooting number three I'm looking for the concept for the action or the pose so when I say concept action or pope depends on if you're creating the image azzan from scratch its creation then you think anything if you wanted to look natural you're gonna say to yourself, okay, what are they doing in that position? You know what? Why are they there is an accompanying moment between the baby and mum, but if we had a lighting a location right and then we put them in that rough position there number four for mei is technique where I get my exposure and the number five is expression that that's the soul that's the spirit of the so if we had those things all lined up if if you go for the expression of last then you have the lighting you have the location you have the concept action pose you have to take make your exposure allotting your wife felons and you now the expression and so for me I honestly and obviously I'm not suggesting the dueling jerry's way that'll be boring it's doing in your own way but those five steps keep me honest and keep me grounded as a photographer and that that's why I don't freak out when I should've wedding or a port it's every wedding in siri's of five steps from a yeah and jerry and I are really close friends and I admire his work consider billy and he thinks I'm okay and I think that one of the interesting things that we both find is that with in terms of shooting different subjects in different styles were kind of going for different things and I think if I put my list together I would start with I would know it would start with moudan expression first, but I'm talking about like the fact that we're chasing these humans often and that's a little bit different than when you're shooting you know, um you know st a human being that you can actually um directing is looking at you like you're a rock star because most of jerry subjects look at him that way you know what I appreciate what you say but I can guarantee you I shoot the portrait's in fashion the same way so mine carriage minnie's let's say if you had a child who was on the loose so freaking out of whatever then what I was putting the mother or the father in the area that you think the charles billion so the lighting is at least okay you know as good as it can possibly be in the confines of whether kids going to rome for example like well you needed to bay you know obviously the concept and action or opposed depending the age of the child you give yourself every opportunity at least for it to be as much as you can then the technique and get the exposure you contest all this on somebody else and then let them let them loose and then you giving itself there opportunity what were you doing the babies like this you can't run or tumbler who is going to be there for you obviously you can use those five steps even more so but at the very least test on another subject or even someone walking by the park for example if you're going to get out of the park or something uh yeah and you give yourself every opportunity but yeah anyone looking beautiful I love it okay excellent excellent run through yes, the internet would like to know when jerry's workshop starts that created a jerry's getting married first line jerry they're gonna bring it on and I get to wear a cat suit in the wedding that's the bridal party gear all right, I didn't even hear that. What did she want to know when your workshop is next? When with the thing with that? Well, you know, they just don't ask me now that's all that you know no one cares you've got two women so far and no men there's been a there's been zacarias came here and stand on my own wedding. Okay? Okay. All right. He makes the distinction like it's becoming very masculine suddenly like no manly with women. Okay, um okay masculine man. And by the way, when we're done with the show want you to tell me about all the toddlers you've met who will sit still for you alright, very teo fairytales submissive announcer next next image it's called joker got valka you look really, really cute shot obviously beautiful expression there it's cool that actually just one thing that bothers me a little with portrait with children but in terms of what they're wearing, I know at the same time, I know what I'm going to tell me here is that the t shirts a reflective of the kids are and everything like that I find t shirts with printed material of them condemned substantially and you know, for may I tend to want to get them out of the way like a shirt or a t shirt with no branding, but that just made but apart from that I find that this image is tilted a little bit and it just bothered me a little bit I don't really know why it's bean tilted it just gives a bit of a hierarchy the guy on the left a little bit on the left who already had a little bit taller so children in that wave actually making him look taller again but the expressions really cute obviously you know that every mother would buy this image, but there's not much wrong with this, you know, I wouldn't really fix the legs are fine that the legs are always indicative of off their personalities, you know, obviously little one is is barely, you know, barely big enough for the city and he's on there for big brother is holding holding in which I think is really cute, big brothers and selection than our problems and the little boy in the right hand side is a little bit quirky in the ways that his hand there so I wouldn't I wouldn't fix these pose obviously will do that the effect of their age, their age group there but just killed bothers me, but otherwise I love it I think yeah I would agree with you about the tilt I think whenever you have something that's clearly got a lot of very distinct lines and stuff like that it becomes even more parent and I would probably want to crop in a little bit not have so much foreground of the sidewalk and I think in terms of the opposing if I were sitting there shooting if I had the opportunity to go shooting close up with the wider angle lens um I would quickly jump in there and move the hands a little bit away from the um the little private spots because I think that's something that's done very naturally with children especially little boys and and and that's uh something that often like when you're what are you trying to say you're saying that boys like you saying that boy look spread is that what you're trying to say I'm saying that little boys want to make sure everything's still there there's got ok I still got it but that's just that's when you by just the experience of photographing a lot of boys there making sure it's an envy it's an envy thing you just gotta let it go just relax I mean if you had one you'd understand a and bringing it back moving with our discussion going back to the only person he begged me to have it take it and just not have a lot with you showing now no, not at all and you you know what? I'm not gonna make the next joke I was gonna say about little boys growing up in the men so we're back here the thing I would d'oh be too quickly jump in and move those hands out of the way because that's not an uncommon thing to see that often when you're running around, especially with boys this age I would love to see a little bit more light in the eyes, especially on the left, the left in the middle when I was if I were doing this shot and then but otherwise I like the background ah lot and I think the expressions are really cute on the two boys in the end, especially and and the other thing I would say as long as we're talking about the hands and private parts that's just something that's just them thing to keep in mind because it's not unusual, especially if you're photographing a mom who's holding onto a toddler boy or taller child on marie really, really common thing is that they have got a lot going on there trying to pose one child hold the other one and there's this very common thing where they hold their wrists they're just holding up the child and their hand is placed on their bottom are on their front between their legs and it's just a common way that one might cart around a child but caught in a still image it looks very awkward and just teo kind of clutching or something it's just it's not a really attractive image and it's something that probably every other portrait session I do. I have to remind people of that because they don't quite recognize how they're holding each other or something like that. So just something to consider when you're photographing children a lot and you're thinking about posing. Sure, I'm sure the same goes for grooms, right? That would be the same advice for grooms let's move on to the next image very spiral down before okay, can you guys see why love jerry? All right, you're on, I'm cute little follow here, but that's unfortunate about all that is I find that, you know, when you're looking it's so close to being in a really, really cute shot, I think it's simply as a wrong, respected photographer, obviously the lot coming from behind the little child if we stepped around right a little bit and, you know, a little bit tired, but it's just beautiful, like not really used. Well, unfortunately, and I understand that with a little child and it's had to work with, but it looks like we can't see with sitting, but it looks like they're exactly and being nasty interview could turn any direction we want but it looks a little bit too much doubt and look a little bit and also I can't really see a point of focus unless I'm wrong revolution okay yeah I see what you mean about the I think one of the issues is more camera angle we want to see a little bit more of either the expression of the eyes and if if the and tell me if you think so as well jerry but I think the light is coming from the right and kind of the right in a little bit further out I would love to see oh yeah I would love to farther out from well I'm saying further back I would love to jump in front um and get an image of even the eyes cast down words I think that might be a more impactful shot the other thing I sing in here and everybody can look and tell me if I'm getting this wrong but it looks like there's kind of some mess going on underneath the nose and that's one of things that stands out to me pretty sharply when I'm photographic annabelle c yeah that's one of the things that stand out really sharply to me when I'm when I actually have a child in front of me like that you made him wee in it some wet ones we call australia what once he goes over say that again savory to us with wet ones oh yeah no I got you gerry craig just told me that people are retweeting your comment if you had one you'd understand you don't understand I don't I just don't ok so um moving on back to this baby back to this it is a child you like that calm it's one thing to look at the cropping of that image whenever you crop that tightly it looks like the head goes on forever so you need some breathing space yeah yeah I agree one of the one of the worst things you can do when you're photographing especially toddlers and babies who are very head heavy they have not grown into their heads yet is make it look like that head is just is just huge on dh that that's about that's kind of one of the ways you can do it and I think that maybe the maker was considering the fact they wanted you know kind of certain parts of the face at the and an access point in terms of the rule of two thirds composition and maybe that was the consideration but I would have come in a lot more as well if I were shooting from this angle so just about on that on that hole wet ones thing the the idea of carrying around really kind of clean nappies are wet wet ones or what what they called here wet wife's okay is because even if if this is happening in front of you catch it, fix it right now you don't want later tohave to clean this up and post you don't want to go in there and uh can I suggest if the mother is watching two gods give the child a haircut what's going on with you? I mean, look at the bank I mean gerry, you have to look no that's adorable that's a little baby hair I disappoint you what I ever did it bumps into something they will but they're looking adorable well himself in the mirror bruises all right, next image moving on if you're this child's but there you're doing a great job don't worry about it. That was a little bit condescending but that's okay, I know you see the next image I do I do. Okay. The first thing I notice is those cars and unfortunately, whenever you your your eye goes to something indifferent to the way you want you wanna go, then you've got it wrong. So those cars just the wrong perspective really and this kind of shot could be done anyway but when a double of you know walks they wanna walk anywhere and really you have a choice to put them anywhere so although at least we have a shallow depth of field that's a bit of a problem I love the wind a little he's up, and that gives us a feeling that they're about to walk in the shadow of the with the awkwardness and they're, you know, that's, the way they're balancing of little children, I think it's gorgeous cropping is too tight for me on the on the feet, so I want some more breathing space. Also I've been getting is just too heavy, you know, from a this it looks like with, you know, we're gonna be too heavy on the on in partnership afterwards and it's just too dead to something that that, like, you know, for me, it reminds me of something a bit dark and moody, but it's not sitting in a darkened movie image, or it should be anyway. Yeah, I mean, I think a couple things, um, you know, to kind of pick it back off. He said, if I were to think about how if I weren't in this exact same position, what would I do differently and shoot it differently? Um, if I couldn't move the cars and I still wanted to shoot right here, I would change my body position, so the camera angle is then has them may be off a little bit, and I'm showing a little bit of what looks like a nicely wooded area behind them over there to the left it looks like you could go out a ways and show them you know again show off the size of the little child in relation to the adults who's holding her hand and kind of all of that behind her so make you know, make a combination of the background and the subject and really show more of ah beautiful capture that way as opposed to going in really tight and center composing with a darker been yet yeah it's kind of the emotion as well when people are walking when this air between legs like that from from the adults, it gives me the impression that the adult stationery so I find that when I'm whenever I'm doing the walking shot whether it's a little child whether it's an adult I normally have one foot in front of the other it just tends to slim down the body it gives the feeling that there's motion even if they weren't emotions so one foot in front of the other and that would have really helped yes, absolutely um okay, and then the other thing too I think on the left hand side either being able to see that hand all the way or see it in motion so it didn't kind of look like, um it was just a coat hanging with a absent hand or something it looks a little bit sinister I find sort of like you know you know what maybe you know what? Jared we might be looking at this image all wrong maybe it's meant to be that way and we're trying to make it bright full and cheerful yeah, you know it's probably like dexter's child that's what it is yeah I just saw that episode I freaked out that's the fourth season of dexter the last beside that freak me out a complaint that happening in is if you don't know what I'm talking about you have to watch it okay I probably want previous figure out but you know and again just to pull back a little bit you know these kind of things that the suggestions we would make to kind of make the image looks a little stronger I do think that the photographer was you know, had their heart in the right place in terms of wanting to show this connection and the holding of the hands and all this weird stuff and so there's definitely a sweetness here to make sure that we come in on yeah okay next innit? Really cute shot a beautiful beautiful expression you know, normally in australia most people just drive with the dogs with the head at at the window but I don't know this is a legal legal in most countries so I'm not too sure what's going on but I can't see the driver that's just not that's not right. I think we should report this appearance to child services. Safety issue really is the first thing you feel. Yeah, and someone someone happened to be driving on the other side of the ride along with charles on the off camera flash, but just so happened to match the disguise. That's. That's. Very clever. Right? Okay, moving on. All right, look, cute expression. You know, obviously, with we're dealing with a camera flash coming from the side, you know, when we're broad lighting someone it's, probably ok today on a child because we're not really looking at that swimming the child down. At least we have some dimension on the left hand side. There's well, of course, may what bothers me a little bit is that highlight off the off camera flash on the bottom left hand started a car. So for that raise is nothing to be I'm distracting something fun that that the summer you could have done here is maybe it's emotion blur, you know, in the background on dh had the feeling that the car was moving, which which would be fun, you know? I mean, obviously we're you know, we're having it up a little bit in the car there, but it would have been fun, tio to do something like that? Yeah, I think you know a couple of the things I'm noticing that there's some death spots on the blue sky. One thing to think about a lot when you're shooting is dust getting on your sensor and this is the kind of perfect situation where you can see one, two, three, four, five, six desk spots I know exactly what they look like cause I get them tio and just to get really really careful about keeping your sensor clean or just make sure that if you've got a beautiful shot you love and you see that too go ahead, boehner patch it out because that could be a little distracting and taking away from such a cute expressions such a sweet expression, I I agree that I would I would like to see if not the car emotion behind at least see a little bit more of that better that truck kind of see that the story continue, you know, one way or the other either going back a little farther or are shooting forward a little bit more in terms of how the china you have been called to do, actually, but that would have been really cool to to actually shoot over the shoulder or the little child and shoot through the rear view mirror and get the reflection of the mirror and stuff that have been fund as well yeah, that would be really cool thing to is, if you have the opportunity and you want to kind of make the shot better either why you're in front and actually shooting it, try to switch your angle up so you don't have the telephone wires behind you so much because of the way that they kind of go into your frame, um, or just try to be careful about removing them in post, can I just give a crime? You just all you do is you just pressed. Command l on the line, go. Can I have your keyboard? That sounds amazing love, they have no idea. I have no idea now, but I would also like tio congratulate the photographer on the, you know, keeping obviously the way the child was lit in relation to keeping the sky well exposed and that blue kind of popping and it's fun to see the green medal, the truck. I agree I'd love to see a little bit more across because there's so much potential with this image, you kind of want to keep going with it and kind of get all that together. Comments on the internet parachute I'm sure that you'll love this, you may have to relate to him, um, penelope, in the chat room says that they need to make an american idol version for photographers and jerry needs to be on the way we need to make a american idol version from photographers and they want you to be fantasia wasn't she the african american girl that had been keeping short here? I just remember she had incredible voice all right let's move I it's about the next picture this time I recollect my memory because I probably someone beside from that from that year but I wouldn't be good jobs because I just want to sing all the time that's true yeah, yeah, but yeah, but you would be like ryan secrets because of the way you get your nails done and you makes your hair is perfect and your jeans fit your bottom just right that would be it would be an awesome ryan seacrest except you'd want to see I will be home jones off the world all right, you see this next image popped up yeah, I love it. I think it's gorgeous um it's really hard to protect the city. I love everything about it. I mean, this is fun, you know, they're propping it nice perhaps a little bit tired of proper but it would be cool but a little mind twenty kids is beautiful. I really fix it this is the kind of moment that you try to fix and you just get it back again the show that is really beautiful I think that the mass pain converted to black and white in the turning is quite pretty, too. So you know, a ll congratulations to the author, I think it's fantastic, yeah, I think I also like the addition of the soft foreground kind of that it leads to the soft feeling that you, um, that is being conveyed in terms of the expression with each other and the sweetness, and so I think that kind of adds a lot of that much. I really like that too. I just have a just thought of a question, jerry, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. What? What is that? Maybe one or two things that you would love to improve about your own photography to be paid a lot more for less amount of time that's all I'm saying not the not the structure of your business, your actual art um, improved I think you made the last several years. You know, I've been really trying teo connect with my even more than I already do in terms of being able to evoke emotion a lot quicker, so over the years of work, you know how to make people laugh and make a fool out of myself to get that happening, but it's being able to ask for things and evokes emotion from people that will evoque a real moments so rather than photographing opposed I'm actually forgetting a moment, but I actually prompted it so I've always been a teacher in a beaker of that, but I just find that I'm just doing that more and more these days and just due to the fact that I've found a lot of value in my relationship and obviously a lot of life changes this year, you know, a newfound appreciation for the people who had found their soul mates a cz I have done this year and having two parents that are getting on in age and boast about survivors of two types of cancer you know, I'm really getting connected with the way photographing say parents through the eyes of the bride's photographing the bride through the eyes of the parents and if I was photographing children, not having children myself, I would try to see the children and through the eyes of the parents so it's being able teo shoot with more empathy, which I'm certainly doing but you know, I really wantto improve on that even more so and get to that destination a lot quicker, good, good I think that's a wonderful answer actually and it and it ties in really nicely to the fact that we have to go to break right now but um jerry, thank you so much for joining us and for making us laugh and for, you know, suggesting new hairstyles for children and all the other wonderful, pretty that you have and do me a favor and just all they ever give melissa a big hug. And we're all excited for your upcoming nuptials and and everything. Ask congratulations. Thank you so much. I'm really excited about it myself, and I'm looking for the sharing some photos that that I actually did a dream shoot. I photographed the matador in the bullring with a bit of an editorial shoot, so I can't wait to show that off in various ways in the future. But looking forward to seeing you guys love you. Tamara. Love the audience and big kisses from a madrid.

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Ratings and Reviews

Amy
 

I cannot thank creativeLIVE enough for the opportunity to learn from Tamara in such depth. Not only did we have the chance to see Tamara at work, but she also shared a ton of great business tips as well. I think it is amazing that CreativeLIVE offers photographers such a great opportunity to learn from the best without breaking the bank to do it. Not only is Tamara an inspiring photographer, teacher and businesswoman..she is also an exceptional human being. Her positive energy shines through in everything she does. She reminded me of everything I love about photography and also of how to keep contact with that part of myself. That is a gift that I could not ever put a price on. Thank you so much, creativeLIVE, for the awesome workshop. I am really looking forward to future ones. I highly recommend creativeLIVE!

a Creativelive Student
 

AWESOME! I would (and have already) recommend CreativeLIVE's Tamara Lackey workshop to anyone and everyone. CreativeLIVE has put together a game-changing channel for business owners - the Tamara Lackey workshop not only was fantastic for anyone looking to improve their photography skills - it was a huge eye opener for anyone who is or is considering becoming an entrepreneur. The live audience format was perfect and it was great to have the CreativeLIVE visionaries engaged in the workshop as well. Kudos and thank you!

a Creativelive Student
 

This was a fun, entertaining, insightful, and - no less - highly educational workshop. I really like Tamara's photographic work and was mostly curious to see how she gets to her results. This expectation was fully met by both the on-location and studio sections included in the course. In addition, Tamara is a very good instructor and made the videos a thoroughly enjoyable experience. She is very open and answered honestly and personably to all questions asked. Although I am an amateur photographer, I was intrigued by the business section and could imagine a professional would like to see a deeper dive into the subject. If I were to mention improvements to the course, I think the scope was a bit too wide or, the other way around, the duration was too short: the business section, live shoots, work-life balance part could all have been more in-depth. But they could also be added as stand-alone topics, in my opinion. Overall, I loved this video format and Tamara's presentation. I surely learned a lot and had a good time watching this! Really, really great job!

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