My sweet cousins...

[Beeej21]

Took this shot at a friend's house of two of my beautiful cousins. Using a 10D, my 85mm 1.8, and natural lighting; the room had tons of large windows and it was a sunny evening. I'm so proud of them both: They're gonna be supermodels one day!! :D

[davidfig]

Somethings wrong. Looks like camera shake or front focus. What is the camera settings for this one?

[Beeej21]

Somethings wrong. Looks like camera shake or front focus. What is the camera settings for this one?

I don't recall the camera settings I used for this shot.. what you may be seeing is the soft blur I used in post production, which gets slightly heavier further away from their faces.

[davidfig]

How about the original? Helps us comment of composition and exposure, etc.

[Beeej21]

How about the original? Helps us comment of composition and exposure, etc.

I appreciate your eagerness to view and comment on the original shot, Davidfig, but actually, the reason I ever do any post work is so that people don't have to comment on the original shot. :D I tend to correct composition, exposure, etc. in my post work if the shot needs it,.. that is why I do it. Sometimes my shots need extensive work (exposure, composition, etc.), but othertimes they need only a little help ( composition, sharpening, etc.),... and then, every once in a while.. wallah! I get a shot that I dare not even touch in post production!! Whatever the case, it's almost always a secret between me, my camera, and Photoshop. :D :D

[malla1962]

Well I think Wow,superb shot.:D:D:D

[bikerider]

Nicely composed shot of two beautiful women, the effect looks overdone to me as it gives the impression of 'faintness', as if lacking in substance. Were you going for an etherial look?
Roger.

[Salleke]

Beautiful lady's and nice picture. But it looks a little strange on the lighting. Good luck.

[kpiela]

Beautiful indeed! They already have that "bored supermodel" look down pat! Lovely :)

[Sean-Mcr]

I'd always keep an orignal (everybody does, right?), because as good of a shot that is, i personally think you've over done it with what ever filter you've used , don't really need to know the exif has it's obvious that the look is down to a PS filter ect and not in camera.

A nice moderate soft focus filter can work well, (i have that lens and it can show any flaws in the skin) but when it gets to the point that it's the main thing you notice rather then what a good shot it is (which it is) then i'd go back to the original which i'm sure you must have

[PEACHMAN]

I like it just the way it is,,the soft focus fits the soft dreamy look in thier eyes...man they are just beautiful girls!..very striking photo..! Nice composition..

[Big John]

Absolutely lovely! I too have been guilty of over-softening pics and I think what might help here is just a little more erasing the blur from your cousins' features, most specifically the eyes. I do love the dreamy feel of this and your right, they are both photogenic enough to be models. You are a very lucky man indeed to have access to such beautiful women in your family and you do a great job of letting their beauty shine through!

[Kevin]

Great models for photo work. I like the softening effect, I only wish their arms didn't fall out the bottom. We should see more of these two in the future.

[Beeej21]

Nicely composed shot of two beautiful women, the effect looks overdone to me as it gives the impression of 'faintness', as if lacking in substance. Were you going for an etherial look?
Roger.

Yeah, actually, I was trying to go for a very "Dreamy" surreal effect, kind of that "lost in supermodel world" feeling. I may have overdone the softening though, as some have suggested. I am so grateful for these forums; it's great to see the various takes on the same photo.

[symes]

Yeah, actually, I was trying to go for a very "Dreamy" surreal effect, kind of that "lost in supermodel world" feeling. I may have overdone the softening though, as some have suggested. I am so grateful for these forums; it's great to see the various takes on the same photo.

I think this is a very hard look to attain if the background is white...it the background has some colour than the dreamy look is really effective and makes your image pop...as it stands the white doesn't look "dreamy" and makes the rest of your post work look out-of-focus...

I like the pose though...

Cheers,

[PEACHMAN]

Yeah, actually, I was trying to go for a very "Dreamy" surreal effect, kind of that "lost in supermodel world" feeling. I may have overdone the softening though, as some have suggested.

Many of us (as I am oft reminded of by the words of M/condyke) are so driven by the perfect focus of a sharp crisp graphically perfect photo that we sometimes forget there is some art involved in the final cast, and that what the artist invisions , captures and presents is the work...and that work will probably be loved, liked, hated and inturpeted in unending ways... I happen to think this soft is lovely...at the same time I understand why others may think too soft....you have great tallent here and absolutly beautiful models to work with...follow your own insitincs with your work and trust your own presentations...all of our input is interesting but you gotta please yourself first!!

[Beeej21]

Many of us (as I am oft reminded of by the words of M/condyke) are so driven by the perfect focus of a sharp crisp graphically perfect photo that we sometimes forget there is some art involved in the final cast, and that what the artist invisions , captures and presents is the work...and that work will probably be loved, liked, hated and inturpeted in unending ways... I happen to think this soft is lovely...at the same time I understand why others may think too soft....you have great tallent here and absolutly beautiful models to work with...follow your own insitincs with your work and trust your own presentations...all of our input is interesting but you gotta please yourself first!!

Thanks for the insight, Peachman! Your outlook is a very encouraging one, and above all, I truly appreciate your words of acceptance and approval!! I am grateful.

[BottomBracket]

I like the effect that you used. Great job!

[berrylish]

your cousins are gorgeous! softness is just a personal preference. i'd like it a teeny weeny sharper.
so one has blue eyes and the other has green? wow

[Beeej21]

your cousins are gorgeous! softness is just a personal preference. i'd like it a teeny weeny sharper.
so one has blue eyes and the other has green? wow

Yeah, I've pretty much decided that this shot was softened too much by now. But thanks for the compliment towards my cousins! My whole family is super attractive ( I'm on the lower end of the totem pole), so I'm lucky to have these built in models! lol. As far as their eyes, that was done in post production, they both have brown eyes, and they aren't sisters. We are all first cousins.

[Sean-Mcr]

I've no issue with it having a soft focus look to it, it's obvious that's what you wanted, i think for portraits it can often be kinder to the subjects. In the words of Henri Cartier-Bresson - "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept" :)

I just think because you've used natural light, the filter makes it look like you've used studio lighting losing the the natural aspect of the light if you see what a mean. But it's still a very good portrait and many would pay to for such a photo