Portrait of Brother and Sister
 

I have been commissioned to do my first oil portrait, of these two children. These images are from the first photo shoot where I took over 100 pics. I am only happy with one or two, and the first one here our favorite. Question: Can I lower her shoulder without it looking fake? Or am I destined for another photo shoot?

This is what the other 96 pics look like, more or less! The kids were adorable, but they were very typical sister/brother and brother did not want to be so close to his sister!!!

Re-shoot!

I agree on another photo session.
Try to think before you go there what pose and composition you want. Then, when you arrive, you make them pose like you want ( more or less) and if you can have someone just behind you reading or telling a captivating story you will see them begining to relax, stop grinning, and forget your presence. This way, you will obtain much more interresting facial expressions.

Patricia,

Two person compositions are very tough. Try introducing an third element, as in this Allan Banks composition. Also, my preference would be to come inside where you have more control over the light.

Best of luck.

I agree with Marvin. Re shoot.

But figure out 1 or 2 compositions before hand, and control them (IMHO)

Re-shoot. Here's what can help you next time:

Many parents offer "incentives" to their kids for good behavior during portrait sittings. Sometimes they offer a treat, or going out to a movie later, etc. Even my own kids wouldn't pose for me unless they knew they were getting ice cream afterwards!

If the kids are really young or particularly unruly, another option might be to set up a portable DVD player on a table behind your shoulder.

Mike's suggestion about going indoors is a good one. Decide ahead of time where they will pose in relation to the light. Use the mom or other person as a stand-in to see what the light is like in various locations. If you decide to go outdoors, know what the lighting will be like in certain locations and plan for that.

Plan some poses ahead of time. Look on the Stroke of Genius artists pages to see how other people compose two-person portraits.

Don't go for the toothy grin look. Though sometimes it's hard to avoid (strong client preferences, etc) a pleasant, more relaxed expression gives a more classic feel.

As Sharon Knettel often says, planning is the key. A successful portrait sitting/photo shoot requires lots of advance work before you take any pictures.

In answer to your question about lowering her shoulder in the first shot you posted: I don't think it would work at all. There's no way of knowing what her chin and neck look like behind that shoulder. Perhaps a much more experienced artist could attempt it (I wouldn't) and especially not if it's your first oil commission.

Patty, here are a few suggestions:

1) Definitely have another photo session! I don't mean this personally, but It puzzles me why artists would rather work from bad references than GO BACK AGAIN! :bewildere If I can, I try to schedule more than one session, just because people are usualy much more relaxed with me the second or even third day. Of course that is not always feasible, but if these people live in your area there is nothing stopping you. It is not a sign of being unprofessional; rather, it is an indication that you are taking the time to get it right.

2) I agree with the advice to avoid toothy grins. Tell them not to smile. But get them talking and talk to them. As they listen you might get some interesting expressions.

3) Try other poses in different lighting conditions. Sometimes you can start with one or two ideas and end up preferring another, completely different idea. What about inside, next to a window or open (glass) doorway? What about under a porch, with one side of them lit by daylight?

Going for session two, after reading your helpful suggestions.

Mike, I love the idea of including a third element and will think about options. I wish I had more confidance in taking indoor pics, but if they have the right window I will give it a go.

Marina, I like the idea of someone captivating them, or, as Michele suggested putting a DVD behind me (the incentive with this sounds like a good plan to me, can I have ice cream too?)

Alexandra, I would love no smiles but I will have to convince mom and dad, and the boy, by nature seems to hold a scowl, which is why a DVD may work good. He is young and his attention span is typical for his abe, I lost him completely after 30 minutes. The girl, however, loved to be in front of the camera.

Will post the next slew when I get them. Thanks for all the advice.

Now, I am off to look at SOG paintings...