All the shots from my camera are untouched so a true assessment can be made. note:
Alex posed as a lighting test subject, no direction of posing was made.
For the rest, I will list what needs improvement on posing and lighting.
-Shot all on 85mm with varying aperatures of f4 and f5.6. I started out with this error without realizing it until after the shoot; the apertures were too low. There is lack of focus on the two person shots, the subject behind is blurred. Shoot at least f8 or above to grab both planes of focus.
-The rim lighting is a miss. Here, the light became more of a side lighting; a better position would be placing the light high above and more behind the model. My Manfrotto clamp would be useful in that case.
-Some distracting elements in the foreground, caught unaware by me until importing into the pc. Taking the time to move objects is worth the effort.
-Shooting from behind the shoot through umbrella caused light leak into the camera causing lack of contrast - those images where it had whiteness throughout.
-Unnecessary shadows under the noses, caused by light source being off axis of subject's face.
-Poses could be pushed more by introducing more angles, not viewfinder-wise but by bending the poses themselves. More tilts, weight leaning, elbows out.
Post your suggestions in the Comments. And hope this will help out in your scenarios.
