Senior Picture help

[Lane123]

Hello! I am new to TPF and am already addicted! I have to check it every day. Had a question I wanted to throw out there for some feedback & opinions. We just finished doing some of my daughters senior pictures & she has decided that she would like to enter a model cover contest that requires a head shot & full body shot. Since I have never done any modeling shoots, I thought that I would throw it out there and ask ya'll what you thought. Your opinion, on which, if any of these images, would be suitable is very much appreciated. I also welcome comments, critique & suggestions on the photograhy side as well. I am always willing to learn!
Thank you!

[Lane123]

Being new to posting images on here, I am afraid that I may be posting images in the wrong size and am lowering the image quality to much in order to upload them. Any advise on that is appreciated as well. Thank you!

[FireHeart Photography]

first - your daugther is really beautiful - and I hope that she does well - it is critically important that she look perfect in photos that she wants to use for a head shot and body shot. Unfortunately there are some technical problems with the photos themselves - you might be able to fix those... here is my notes... take them and use what you like trash the rest -

1. The lighting in this photo is totally flat and when you converted to B&W it just went grey - B&W must have clear whites with detail (not blown out) and blacks with details -
2. same issue just in color - however she needed to open her back shoulder to the camera - the crop is too tight at the bottom - her arm fold needs to be removed - the fold in her neck needs to be softened and eyes need color and more defined catch lights
3 - three is flat too - her bra is showing - her arm pit needs cleaning up in PS
4 - is a great idea - but center catch lights look weird and unnatural - the light is flat and all of the moles on her face need to PS - the whole image looks a little soft to me - and her hand posing is distrating because of her thumb placement.
5&6 - the posing is an issue here and she is competing with the bridge and the tower camera right - she is obviously very thin - that said for a cover shot - she has to be perfect and with the camera angle her arms look big and could use some liquid love - also she has a tiny roll that needs to be removed - her pose would have been better if she opened to the camera a bit with the bottom of her body and so we saw some of the back leg instead of just from calf down.
7 - this is my fav as the tone is great I just wish the cars were not there and the walkway was not cutting through her chest
8 - she looks to posed in this shot and like she is working too hard - don't think the camera angle does anything for her beautiful body
9 - this image is too soft - postioning - it would have more impact if she was between the two poles.

Please know I am trying to help - she is really beautiful... and just needs some posing coaching and some PS work ...

[Lane123]

Francie,
Thank you very much for your imput! That is why I threw these images out there. There is always something to be learned :) I have not really done anything with these in ps yet as she has until Nov 1 to send her entries in. We may regroup & try again. Not sure if we should have someone else shoot a few as it always seems harder for me to shoot my own child vs someone elses...for every decent pose ending in a good shot, you spend 10 minutes hearing "that can't possiblly be cute" and getting those goofy funny faces. LOL (funny, those I the ones that I personally love though)
Anyway, thank you again for your advise!
Anyone else out there like to comment?

[Redneck]

The girl is stunning but the photographs don't do her justice. While the poses are o.k. the pictures lack of brilliance, sharpness and clarity. If the images lost quality by downsizing consider hosting them somewhere else than TPF.
If this contest is important you might want to consider asking a pro for help. I'm sure some people will shoot such beautiful models on a TFCD basis.

[David Whatley]

Sharon, if you would like to bring her into the studio for the headshots, I would be glad to let you do the shooting and work with you.
Send me a PM if interested.
david

[toverman]

Also watch background elements, use a longer lens/smaller aperture to blur out some of the backgrounds to bring focus to her and definitely try to get more sharpness/clarity/pop in the lighting. Easier said than done, I know. Also, watch out for active railroad tracks, which are illegal to venture onto and can be dangerous.

The last shot has the most potential. A tweak of the pose to make her other arm somewhat visible, some more light on her to separate from the background, and using the pilings to frame her (rather than grow out of her head) could make the shot extremely pleasing. Maybe even slightly deeper water so that she's not cut off right at the ankles.

Studio lighting, and the right kind, is going to be key for submitting images to the contest.

[Lane123]

Thank you all for your comments & suggestions! David so generously offered to help us out and did some shots on Saturday that he has posted as 'Sam, a beautiful young lady'. Not only did he do an awesome job with her but also gave me some good direction also as you all have. I am working on the lighting issues and have signed up for a couple of lighting seminars coming up. Thank you again for all of your help here :)
Oh and thank you Todd for your advice on the RR. We were only a few feet off of the street but I assume it would be considered private property and a photo certainly isn't worth breaking rules or laws in the future.

[Ann Martin]

When submitting modeling photos to an agency, you do not want to use photoshop, or at least you do not want to appear to have used photoshop. The agency wants to see the "raw material". I'd imagine that's true for a model contest as well.

I do agree that better posing lighting and adjusting the contrast in ps would really help. Beautiful girl, she looks like a model to me.

[Lane123]

Thank you Ann. A modeling agency is the one that will be viewing the images submitted so we will not do a lot of photoshop to them. David did take some really nice images of her listed under - Sam, a beautiful young lady and Rainy day Sam. We will be submitting a couple of those for the contest as they will not not photoshop work :)
Thank you again for your advice.