another collage of my son

Elaine

Some casual shooting near a window yesterday + some different processing + a collage format =



All shot with 50 1.4 at 2.2. (Missed a lot of shots due to shallow DOF and completely missed focus. This lens isn't a speedy focuser!) I was after those eyelashes! I don't normally go for too much of a desaturated look, but for this set, it seemed to fit. I started with a preset called Daydream by Rachel Devine.

I've not been around as much lately, but I enjoyed seeing those years in review folks posted! Hopefully, I can do some catching up this week. Happy clicking, everyone!

adbsgicom

Really nice look there Elaine. Those are amazing eyelashes. I'm not sold on the top-left image, but the rest are really nice. The center one is really great!

Elaine

adbsgicom wrote:

Really nice look there Elaine. Those are amazing eyelashes. I'm not sold on the top-left image, but the rest are really nice. The center one is really great!

Thanks, Andrew! I agree...the top left is the weakest. I suppose I could have done a different arrangement with just four, but...well...the bit of fake smile is just him right now, so I kept it. Thanks for the comment!

CTUphoto

Oooo, I like....
I like the desaturated look you've got here. I think it plays really well with that creamy natural light you've got from the window. Maybe some of that is the lens too, but regardless, it all mixes very well IMHO. I've been playing around with that kind of desaturated look a bit on some of my images. I'll have to check out that link you posted. Also, I've been debating making the jump to a nice bright prime lens like that, but the point you highlighted makes me nervous. Such a challenge with super thin DOFs.

Great work Elaine!!

~jb

divamum

Slow to focus - really? Mine's fine. Not as fast as the L glass, but not slow

These are lovely, as always. You sure know how to grab the light!! (was this also a LR collage, or something else? Love the layout!)

bendruckerphoto

This is very well done. I like the layout, the processing, and of course, the window light. Not much criticism I can offer. My only gripe is the bottom right photo. All the others show his eyes but that one doesn't. It doesn't have the same depth as all the others.

But really, very well done.

Elaine

CTUphoto wrote:

I like the desaturated look you've got here. I think it plays really well with that creamy natural light you've got from the window. Maybe some of that is the lens too, but regardless, it all mixes very well IMHO. I've been playing around with that kind of desaturated look a bit on some of my images. I'll have to check out that link you posted. Also, I've been debating making the jump to a nice bright prime lens like that, but the point you highlighted makes me nervous. Such a challenge with super thin DOFs.

Great work Elaine!!

~jb

Thanks, JB! A nice, bright prime is always a good thing. Don't be deterred by my little comment. I have really enjoyed having that 50 1.4. It can be challenging to work with super thin DOF, but that's not the only thing primes are good for. I think I was pushing the focusing ability in this case because I was quite close to my subject, so I was on the edge of the minimum focus distance. And when you know you are working with a shallow DOF (and you're trying to pinpoint an eye and eyelashes), and your subject doesn't exactly hold still, and you're teetering between the lens saying "You're too close!" and "Ah, now I can see!"...well, it can make you feel like it's not a fast focuser.
Get a prime! You won't regret it!

met

I really like the overall tone and feel of these, Elaine. I always enjoy pics of your son - he is very photogenic and just looks like the sweetest kid.

Elaine

divamum wrote:

Slow to focus - really? Mine's fine. Not as fast as the L glass, but not slow

These are lovely, as always. You sure know how to grab the light!! (was this also a LR collage, or something else? Love the layout!)

Thanks, Diva! This collage was a Foto Fusion collage. It took just a few minutes to throw together. I don't think the color of the background in LR collages can be anything but white, and as I wanted it a bit softer for these pics, I went to Foto Fusion. And it's just SO easy to put together groupings of various sizes and shapes in FF. So, when I want straightforward, uniform photo shapes on a white background, I'll often use LR. Otherwise, I use FF.

I explained a bit of my focusing comment above...I think I was pushing it a bit with this set. Under more "normal" circumstances, it's fine. I do think some others I have focus faster/better, but it's not an issue that makes me dislike the lens. I'm sorry if I gave that impression!

met

Elaine wrote:

Get a prime! You won't regret it!

Ditto. I picked up a 50 1.8 and fell in love. It is a pretty cheap lens for how great it is. Really want to get a 1.4, but can't justify the money right now.

Elaine

bendruckerphoto wrote:

This is very well done. I like the layout, the processing, and of course, the window light. Not much criticism I can offer. My only gripe is the bottom right photo. All the others show his eyes but that one doesn't. It doesn't have the same depth as all the others.

But really, very well done.

Thanks, Ben! I can see what you're saying about that photo, but...it does show off the eyelashes rather well (they're even peeking out from the other eye that you can't see at all). I plead a mother's viewpoint on these! Even so, I see your point and I appreciate your comment!

Elaine

met wrote:

I really like the overall tone and feel of these, Elaine. I always enjoy pics of your son - he is very photogenic and just looks like the sweetest kid.

Thanks so much, Molly! He is a sweet kid, and my favorite photo subject!

lilmomma

Beautiful elaine! is that a spit bubble in the last one?!? That boy has gorgeous eyelashes!

Are those presets worth the price? I've never paid for presets, always gotten free ones but find that most of them don't work that well unless you have *just* the right image, and even then there's only a handful that i use. I like them a lot but i'm nervous about spending money on them!

Elaine

lilmomma wrote:

Beautiful elaine! is that a spit bubble in the last one?!? That boy has gorgeous eyelashes!

Are those presets worth the price? I've never paid for presets, always gotten free ones but find that most of them don't work that well unless you have *just* the right image, and even then there's only a handful that i use. I like them a lot but i'm nervous about spending money on them!

Thanks, Melissa! Yep, that would be a spit bubble! Boys!

The presets I linked are the first ones I've ever purchased. I've only collected free ones before this, and I only bought these because she had them 25% off for the New Year and I like her style. I agree that presets are tricky and picky...they seem to only fit particular images. I'm sure there are a number that I won't get much or any use out of, so it's hard to put a value on the set. But the few that I've used I've liked a lot. I think if I tried some of her suggested uses, I would get even more mileage out of them. She suggests applying a preset to a copy of a photo, then bringing both photos (original and preset photo) into PS in separate layers, then adjusting opacities, etc... to get a final look. Anyway, it's more detailed than that, but I haven't tried that as I'm lazy and tend to stay in LR if at all possible! I do like using presets as a jumping off point, and sometimes, as in this set of photos, I end up with something I didn't expect. I guess I don't mind paying for some every now and then as I haven't spent any money on the others I have, but I don't plan to make it a habit.

Well, that was a mess of words! I hope there is a thread of something helpful in there somewhere!