Post Your Best Portrait Shots!

I was out two days after thanksgiving and nabbed a few candid portraits with my family. Its fun being around family, and having a slightly longer lens, people aren't running as much :) All the pictures were on an XTi, and the Sigma 150mm f/2.8 Macro EX lens hand-held ISO 400.


f/3.2 1/250 Rosana (my sister) and Abby (my wife)



http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2633/...07d277de65.jpg





f/4.0 1/400 Mom



http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2526/...a6c25ae7cb.jpg





f/2.8 1/160 Leaves on a vest (could be a product shot?)



http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2668/...d4669ab547.jpg





f/2.8 1/125 Rosana



http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2613/...0bbaabb0a0.jpg





f/3.2 1/250 Samuel (Brother)



http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2766/...71c6f47782.jpg





f/3.2 1/250 Me, taken by Abby.



http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2573/...54b4b13303.jpg


Sorry for the length of the post. I haven't shot people in a while (at least not with a camera), so I'm excited. Critique away.

@Whatsreal: Good choice of lens! It's one of my top 3 lenses and a dark-horse favourite. A bit heavy to hand-hold, though...especially with the Rebel body - I bet the lens outweighs the body! I use mine with 1D Mk IIs with great result, as much a portrait lens as a macro still life lens. The reach of the lens really helps in being the unobtrusive portrait photographer. You get people to relax a bit more, I think. Congrats on the shots, your composition is good!

@Rob: Thanks. It is currently my favorite lens as my other one is the 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 II. That is why you don't see to many wide angle pictures from me ;) And yes the XTi does kinda dangle off the back of the lens. I don't find it too heavy, maybe because the body is so light it compensates. On a crop body the 210mm equivalence is nice. I kinda am drooling over both the 17-55 2.8 and a longer lens (3-400 range), but those are in the distant future (something about the $xxxx + books I spent out of pocket for seminary this year)

5D, 24-105 @ 105, f4, 160, iso 160


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Here's two from Thanksgiving weekend while I was in California with the 35L. I'm ashamed at myself I didn't use my camera and that amazing lens more while I was there. These are the only two photo's that came out good, out of less than 10 I actually took. [:(] I'm probably going to get the 35L again for Christmas or try out the 24L II.


http://sleekupload.com/uploads/5/smll.jpghttp://sleekupload.com/uploads/5/smll2.jpg


Canon Rebel XT - Canon 35mm f/1.4L - @f/1.4 ISO100 - 1/500 - 1/800





A small note; I'm a bit puzzled as to why these two photo's had so much noise when I took them at ISO100...? It isn't reallynoticeableon these resized ones, but it's reallyapparenton the full sizes.

Shot at Eden Park, Cincinnati, OH





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Canon Rebel 1000D - 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 43mm f/5 1/100s ISO100 w/o Flash





Love the reflection in the glasses lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Garrett-Grimsley

These are the only two photo's that came out good, out of less than 10 I actually took.

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Of the <span style="text-decoration: line-through;"]photo's photos, 2 out of 9 is a decent keep rate in my opinion, especially when people are involved.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by peety3

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Garrett-Grimsley

These are the only two photo's that came out good, out of less than 10 I actually took.

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Of the <span style="text-decoration: line-through;"]photo's photos, 2 out of 9 is a decent keep rate in my opinion, especially when people are involved.
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Heck, I usually shoot about 80 shots and I'm lucky to get 5 I really like. :-)

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Originally Posted by Sean Setters

Heck, I usually shoot about 80 shots and I'm lucky to get 5 I really like. :-)
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That makes me feel better

Here's my view - I don't care how many shots it takes to get the look I'm going for, as long as I get it (or something reasonably close). In the days of film, such a technique would have been cost prohibitive. With digital, I'm only sacraficing a little more of my time and a bit more wear on my shutter. If I shoot 80 shots, and the customer really likes 5 of them, then I've likely given them more than they would have gotten at a chain studio for less money.