First post, looking for feedback on pic

[re_guderian]

Hey all,

First post here. Got my XTi a few weeks ago, and looking for some brutally honest feedback on composition, PP, crop, focus, etc. etc.

XTi, 17-55 IS, shot at 55mm, ISO 800, F2.8, 1/15th.

There was a window to a screened-in porch off to the right for natural light and some (OK, a lot) of cropping was done to get the TV out of the frame.

Despite the scrunched up face, I like the first one better because of the way the baby's head is framed by hair curls and closed eyes.

What could be done to improve this next time? or heck, even this time in PP?

[re_guderian]

If it helps, here's a jpg conversion of the raw file as shot, uncropped and no PP. Shot in neutral picture style.

[BSBXTi]

I want to expect a better image coming out of this Camera/Lens combo. I can't seem to place why the images are so soft. I think shooting at your parameters into the window light threw off the camera meter. IF you are hand holding your going to have to bump up your shutter speed to something alittle faster.

[Robert_Lay]

The IS probably saved you on this one. That lens at 55mm is about equivalent to an 80 - 90 mm lens and the slowest shutter for that lens without the IS would be 1/80. The IS should be just barely capable of holding the image quality at your 1/15".

I think you called it correctly on #1 being the better composition.

If you ever want to use more of the picture, all you really had to get rid of was the red dot - but I like it the way you cropped it.

Nice work - congratulations!

[AlphaChicken]

The first and last being the same shot are great compos. I'm assuming all the crappy/blocky image quality just comes from the web/JPEG conversion. At least I'm hoping that your copy is less blocky than these. :) I have no worries though.

As Robert_Lay mentioned, and what I agree with, is that you could just remove the red-dot on the TV and the shot would be perfectly usable. I'll also put forward that I like the last one the best as far as angle and framing.