My first post here

my3peasmy3peas Registered Users Posts: 19 Big grins
edited October 28, 2006 in People
I'm still new to the DSLR. Point and shoot was extremely easy, but this is so much better!

Anyhow, I gotta start somewhere! Here are some of my first better shots of my kids. I think there were 20 out of 400 that were good :)

C&C welcome--help me learn please!
(click to enlarge)
th_PA070323.jpg

th_PA170762-1.jpg

th_PA170753-1.jpg

th_PA170761-1.jpg

th_PA170720.jpg

th_juliana6.jpg


Comments

  • OwenOwen Registered Users Posts: 948 Major grins
    edited October 20, 2006
    I played with the first - I hope you don't mind. A vertical crop always draws more attention to your subject. He was getting lost with the fence and the trees.

    Rotated 4' CW (to line up the fence)
    Applied contrast curve
    Sponge tool @ 40% Saturate background/shirt
    Highlight tool @ 15% on catchlight in the eyes
    USM @ 100/.3/0
  • my3peasmy3peas Registered Users Posts: 19 Big grins
    edited October 20, 2006
    Thanks, Owen! I love it! The glimmer in his eyes looks great! And I thought about there being too much background- just didn't know what to do. Thanks for giving me the details, I'm going to have my try at it tomorrow and hope I come up with the same thing. I really need to toy around with PS. It's all coming at me at once right now! I'm in a system overload with all these things I need to learn :)
  • my3peasmy3peas Registered Users Posts: 19 Big grins
    edited October 25, 2006
    Anyone else?
    :)
    Thanks!
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited October 25, 2006
    Hi Clacy - welcome to dgrin and thanks for sharing! wave.gif

    I liked the look of this thumbnail... th_PA170720.jpg so I clicked on it. A good shot, different, I like it. Technical advice: Straighten it out!!! I know the young lad is leaning a little, but should the wall trim be off kilter? :D Secondly, I wish the stool wasn't partially chopped off. You could hack it off more and be OK, but as is, its just missing a little = distracting.

    Keep posting!
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]

  • DeeDee Registered Users Posts: 2,981 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2006
    Watch the background
    I like the expression of the boy, but the drape on the window is cutting his head in two! :D

    Also just a tip -- if you can place the children where reflected window light will fall on them, you'll get beautiful natural lighting.

    Another tip -- find a big piece of cardboard and paint it white -- or buy a piece of white poster board. Set this up on a chair so that it reflects window light on your subject. It makes a nice soft fill light.

    Silly tip -- IF you have an off camera flash and are in a small room, bounce the flash on a wall behind you) and you'll get a nice soft light without harsh shadows.

    Another tip -- go to google and find some "stock photography" sites like veer, comstock, etc. Do a search for children and study some of the results you like for poses and lighting. You don't have to copy them, just use them for ideas.

    Hope this helps to give you ideas...
    http://www.deegolden.smugmug.com
    http://www.twitter.com/deegolden
  • my3peasmy3peas Registered Users Posts: 19 Big grins
    edited October 25, 2006
    Thanks Dee and Erik. Great tips; I'm definitely going to try these.

    Erik, I've read there is a straightening tool in PS. I have CS2, but have yet to find it.
  • 3rdPlanetPhotography3rdPlanetPhotography Banned Posts: 920 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2006
    very nice! Number 3 is what I feel like at my day job!
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited October 25, 2006
    clacy3k wrote:
    Erik, I've read there is a straightening tool in PS. I have CS2, but have yet to find it.
    I think there may be other ways, but my method of choice is using the measure tool - in your toolbar, it's underneath the pulldown for the eyedropper (bottom right, above the magnifying glass), looks like a ruler. With the ruler, you then make a straight line corresponding to what is supposed to be horizontal or vertical in your image. Then, you go to image > rotate canvas > arbitrary, the measure tool will have automatically filled in the value for this tool to make your line vert/horiz.

    Simple to do, hard to write up! lol3.gif

    If that didn't make sense, I bet if you just went to CS2 and put in measure tool, it would give you everything you need.
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]

  • RogersDARogersDA Registered Users Posts: 3,502 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2006
    And this link shows some pictures of what was just described:

    http://www.photocritic.org/2005/straightening-an-image-in-photoshop/
    David
    GreyLeaf PhotoGraphy
  • SenecaSeneca Registered Users Posts: 1,661 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2006
    Awww that tear broke my heart - I'm a mom so I would do the obvious and pick the baby up. Nonetheless the pictures are beautiful. Beautiful babies.
  • my3peasmy3peas Registered Users Posts: 19 Big grins
    edited October 26, 2006
    :) Thanks! Yeah, that one seems so "loud" to me--I can just hear her screaming!
  • Sask2005Sask2005 Registered Users Posts: 140 Major grins
    edited October 28, 2006
    The child on the wooden stool is my favorite - an inspirational shot which is different, great eye level and his face looking stage left is terrific as it brings in a sense of "what is he looking at". 10/10.
  • my3peasmy3peas Registered Users Posts: 19 Big grins
    edited October 28, 2006
    Sask2005 wrote:
    The child on the wooden stool is my favorite - an inspirational shot which is different, great eye level and his face looking stage left is terrific as it brings in a sense of "what is he looking at". 10/10.

    Thanks
    :) It was the TV.

    I used the help from the PPs and straightened it out:

    PA170720-1.jpg
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