my little girl, feedback please
TOTAL NEWBIE - I downloaded a trial version of Lightroom and I was playing around with some pictures I took of my little girl. Problem was, I couldn't get her to look into the camera and smile (until we got to the playground after I took her out of her dress) I'm very very new at this and would like some feedback. Thanks in advance!
1. I know it's not sharp enough, but I have the very very basic equipment, d40 and kit lens. I sharpened it in LR, but i didn't want to overdo it. So her eyes don't stand out like i'd want them to Also maybe I need greater DOF? This was my first time trying something like this for real so you live and learn right?
2. She was holding her bunny and I wish it wasn't in the way but not much I can do now, I'm not good at cloning yet! Also think the side of her face may be too hot but I kinda like it
3. This was just for fun. Notice-straight into the camera and smiling! what a stinker. I desaturated it a lot because the color of the tunnel was yellow and I just couldn't recover the color from it. Again with the sharpness though...would that change with a better lens or does the body have a lot to do with it?
1. I know it's not sharp enough, but I have the very very basic equipment, d40 and kit lens. I sharpened it in LR, but i didn't want to overdo it. So her eyes don't stand out like i'd want them to Also maybe I need greater DOF? This was my first time trying something like this for real so you live and learn right?
2. She was holding her bunny and I wish it wasn't in the way but not much I can do now, I'm not good at cloning yet! Also think the side of her face may be too hot but I kinda like it
3. This was just for fun. Notice-straight into the camera and smiling! what a stinker. I desaturated it a lot because the color of the tunnel was yellow and I just couldn't recover the color from it. Again with the sharpness though...would that change with a better lens or does the body have a lot to do with it?
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http://www.photosbycynthia.com/
Keep shooting and posting!
Caroline
#1 - Do you have an exteral flash unit. Using that to fill some of the shadows on her face would have greatly improved this shot. Either a flash or, like Caroline suggests, a reflector would be a big help here. Turning her more from the sun would as well as it would reduce the extent of her squint.
#2 - I don't "kinda like it" - I think this is a real wall hanger! Very nice! BTW - the clone tool would be of almost no help at all in any attempt to get rid of the bunny. The best you could do would be to crop it out a bit, but I don't think that would really improve this image. I say leave it alone - the treatment and composition really work here.
#3 - This is a good start. I think it would be improved with a bit more contrast. You need a white and a dark/black somewhere in the photo. This conversion is all about grays. If you wanted to keep it in color, a simple WB correction would/should overcome the cast induced by the yellow plastic tunnel. As for the pose - this is looking solid. I like the slight head turn, but her eyes are all on you. I do think a slight crop from the top and the left would improve it a bit - her face is dead center in the photo, usually not something you want.
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Scott- I agree about the flash or reflector…I don’t have any other equipment yet, I just got the camera about a month and a half ago so I’m still learning how to work it. Also, she was not being cooperative AT ALL, so it was a little difficult to get her to do what I wanted to. I actually have some where the shadows are better and lighting hit her face better but this was the only one of her actually smiling. They all have her squinting though, the sun was bright and I did try facing her differently but in return got a warehouse in the background. I needed a better location but like I said I just wanted to get out there and see what I could do. It was my first time shooting like this. The third picture was tough to work with because the tunnel was yellow, and the sun was beating in on it. I played with white balance a lot but I couldn’t get it. I will play with it some more to see what I come up with. Thanks for the advice! I liked number 2 a lot too, thanks for the great comment about it!<o:p></o:p>
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Caroline and swoodward- Thank you for the great comments, I am floored over the responses! <o:p></o:p>
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I have one more photo I played with last night from the same day.. Let me know what you think about it<o:p></o:p>
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My Photos
Thoughts on photographing a wedding, How to post a picture, AF Microadjustments?, Light Scoop
Equipment List - Check my profile
My Photos
Thoughts on photographing a wedding, How to post a picture, AF Microadjustments?, Light Scoop
Equipment List - Check my profile
http://www.photosbycynthia.com/
I love the composition. The pp also works nicely.
Don't apologize for your D40. It's a great camera. Keep shooting and learn to use it to it's fullest potential.
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
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thanks! I actually don't have photoshop, I am using a trial version of lightroom 2 just to see if I like it enough to spend the money on it. I am nowhere near experienced enough to justify spending the money on cs4, although I have considered elements. I'm just still debating on elements or lightroom 2. I'm leaning toward lightroom, but may also get elements in the near future. Can you get those downloads for elements?
thank you very much! I'm not a huge fan of vignettes either but couldn't resist it with this shot!