I'm learning - practice on my kids

just4fun

My husband is the real photographer in the family. We just recently set up a smugmug account and I've been reading the posts on this site. I have enjoyed looking at your wonderful photography and learning from your comments.

I don't know anything about the technical part of using my husband's camera, but I hope to learn. I picked it up a while back and took some shots of our kids. I was really happy with how some of them turned out. (of course I can't help but be biased - they are MY kids)

I'm a little nervous about posting them, but would like some CC so I can learn from your expertise.

These were taken with a Canon 30D using the midmorning light coming through my bedroom window.

The complete gallery can be seen here: http://www.davickphotography.com/gallery/4536860_aMUNz#267215652

I have five kids so I'm going to post one of each child, I hope you don't mind.

#1 My oldest:



#2: My second:
Now that I have photoshop maybe I can figure out how to clean up his nose a little bit. I should have caught it before I started shooting, but when you are trying to get pics of five preschoolers by yourself it is hard to notice all the details.



#3: One of the twins:



#4 The other twin:
Probably cropped too much of her face off, I'm sure she was being perfectly still - but I like the expression, and it is clear.



#5: My baby
It was very difficult to shoot him, he wanted the camera, not his picture taken. Again, it was a spur of the moment shoot and I missed the detail of his shirt being unsnapped.



Thanks in advance for any for your CC - I'm bracing myself.
-Sara

Moogle Pepper

Hi!

I looked thru your gallery! I think the photos are a little dark, on my monitor at least. They are cute kids, give them brightness!! [just not too bright ho ho ho!]

Richard

Hi Sara,

I don't see any pics in your post. You might want to look at the tutorial on including pics in a post.

Regards,

just4fun

Richard wrote:

Hi Sara,

I don't see any pics in your post. You might want to look at the tutorial on including pics in a post.

Regards,

Thanks, I tried again.
Hmm... didn't work again.

Now I think I figured it out - I wasn't allowing external links - fixed it.

just4fun

Moogle Pepper wrote:

Hi!

I looked thru your gallery! I think the photos are a little dark, on my monitor at least. They are cute kids, give them brightness!! [just not too bright ho ho ho!]

I'm sure part of my problem is the calibration of our monitor. I've been reading trying to figure out an inexpensive way to check that. If I knew it was correct then I could try to lighten them up in photoshop. I've been reading some of those tutorials - I'll have to try some of those techniques out with these shots.

joshhuntnm

I'd use levels to brighten them up a bit.

Also, I'd warm the color tone a bit toward the reds.

Elaine

Wow! You have your hands full, don't you? Beautiful children! You got nice and close with these. I think they are a tad underexposed, so these can be tweaked in photoshop. For next time, try bumping up the exposure a bit in camera. And the white balance seems a little cool. You got some nice even light across the face and eyes for all but #2. The catchlights in his eyes are barely there, whereas the others have nice bright eyes and no shadows. Congrats on having so many photo subjects to practice with!

just4fun

Elaine wrote:

You got nice and close with these.

Do you think it is too close? I know that is all a matter of taste, I was trying to get their faces, specifically their eyes, but I'm not sure if I got too close.

joshhuntnm

I like close, so, no, I don't think it is too close.