First timer sharing some kid shots

divamum

I've been trying to get up the nerve to post something for a while, but this is scary! That said, C&C definitely welcomed (you'll see I have lots of questions!), but remember it's my first time.... :wink

About me: started w/a Pentax ME Super as a teenager so I could take pictures of my equestrian friends, but never took any classes or learned any real technique - let the camera do most of the work. Last year made the jump from a digital P&S+ Elan 35mm to a dSLR and am loving every moment with it.... although I'm still pretty clueless technique-wise! Have acquired just enough knowledge to know I'm ignorant, and am just trying to learn, learn, learn.

These were taken at a party last weekend. Rebel XT w/50mm 1.8 or 55-250is, natural light (adding fill flash was impractical, even where it would have been photographically helpful!). I'm also just starting to try doing more in post than merely cropping and adjusting contrast; thanks to this forum I have now found noiseware, and am playing around with that, too. Learning curve in all things!

I see so much that is wrong with this one, but I keep coming back to it again and again. I see the oddly placed patch of light (is there a way to post process that out without much ado?), the child's non-smiling expression, the cropping of her head (that was the way it was shot - I haven't cropped it at all in post) but I can't figure out WHY it keeps speaking to me. Is it because I'm still seeing "the whole scene" around the shot, or I'm so enamoured with the IQ of the new 55-250 that my judgement is clouded? I've lost all perspective on this one, but I figure since I'm still thinking about it 3 days later, it's time to let other eyes have a look



And this (pretty "standard issue" kid shot, but I like the way the lens has interpreted it)



Lastly, this one, catpured with the 50mm 1.8 from a deck above the pool. This is the first one I've really used noiseware - to me, it makes the skin look a little oversmooth and "plastic"... or maybe I'm just not used to seeing my own pictures noise-corrected? Also unsure of the crop with this one. Needs work, but again, it just kind of jumped out at me when I went through my disk.



And here's the original - can't decide if I like it or the crop better


Thanks for looking, and thanks for such a wonderful site! I've been lurking for a while, and have learned so much from all the wonderful posts - it's definitely the way the internet SHOULD be, and a wonderful resource.

Scott_Quier

Welcome!!!!

Of the three photos, the first one really stands out.

There's nothing wrong with the cropping - loosing part of the head, as you've done here is fine because the subject really is her expression. And, you've got that in spades! The hightlight on her right shoulder is pretty much there to stay, unless you crop it out and that would lead to a shot that way too tight on her face. Oh, well - it is what it is...

divamum

Thanks! I'm glad it's not just me that finds the intensity of #1 kind of compensates for some of the other shortcomings.

The funny thing is that she looked like that because she saw the camera and looked away juussssttt as I snapped. There are some others in that series where she's more or less glaring at me, which was pretty funny. I was standing at a fair distance from her (I'd need to check the exif, but judging by the blur I'm guessing I was closer to the 200mm end of the lens), but she still saw me and was definitely not having any. Cracked me up.

I did some work on that one - lightened it, brought out the highlights a fair bit, added just a tiny bit of extra warmth and saturation to make her eyes pop out a little more, but other than that it is, as you say, what it is! Thanks for the feedback.

For the swimming pool shot, any comments on 1. the "plastic" effect denoising made on the skin and 2. how to crop it for maximum effect?

Scott_Quier wrote:

Welcome!!!!

Of the three photos, the first one really stands out.

There's nothing wrong with the cropping - loosing part of the head, as you've done here is fine because the subject really is her expression. And, you've got that in spades! The hightlight on her right shoulder is pretty much there to stay, unless you crop it out and that would lead to a shot that way too tight on her face. Oh, well - it is what it is...

Scott_Quier

divamum wrote:

For the swimming pool shot, any comments on 1. the "plastic" effect denoising made on the skin and 2. how to crop it for maximum effect?

OK - I was trying to be nice but you had to go and ask for it

I don't think the swimming pool shot is worth the effort. I don't get bent out of shape over noise - I remember what one would get from ASA 400 color print film of days or yore. This is nothing. This is just a snapshot from an unusual and, IMO, not very good angle.

divamum

muahahahaha That's "not nice"?!? Wow - you clearly work in a less cutthroat profession than I do

I actually agree with you - it IS essentially a snapshot, but I liked that I managed to catch them in mid-throw (and that the background was clean and clear), and thus thought I'd see what I could do with it - we're not talking any pretensions about "great art" here, simply using what I captured to try and improve technical concerns with what I have on hand. Essentially, the entire series was me trying out the new lens, so ANYTHING from this batch above and beyond "thoroughly banal" is actually a surprise and a bonus!

Thanks for the feedback- it is mightily appreciated!

Scott_Quier wrote:

OK - I was trying to be nice but you had to go and ask for it

I don't think the swimming pool shot is worth the effort. I don't get bent out of shape over noise - I remember what one would get from ASA 400 color print film of days or yore. This is nothing. This is just a snapshot from an unusual and, IMO, not very good angle.