something missing - cc please

[fxm911]

Hello everyone,

Just been finding my way around the new camera and snapping crazy, trying various thing and so on (still very basic though to most of you probably).

Took this shot last night of my 3 year old. I really like the shot but something is quite not right to me, like it is missing something. I have been thinking of trying to do things to the pics in GIMP but don't really know where to start.

Help appreciated (how could I have made this shot better in the first place and what could be done to it now to make it more sticking).

Thanks

FXM
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p222/fxm911/photo%20on%20the%20net/IMG_0725b.jpg

[David Ransley]

Maybe color adjustment and a little sharpening? The eyes are a little soft.

[S.Horton]

What do you think is wrong?

Do you not like the 'flashy' look to the photo?

Not sharp enough?

[superstes]

something missing

That would be the 50mm 1.8 II, A.K.A. the nifty fifty :D

What mode do you shoot in.

[David Ransley]

What do you think is wrong?

Do you not like the 'flashy' look to the photo?

Not sharp enough?

No the actual eyes are slighty soft, I normally go for a slightly sharper look. Try and count the hairs. If possible, next time around the fill in can bre more subtle to reduce the effect of the flash.

[fxm911]

Thank you David,

Could you tell me what software you are using and what you did to the pic (what criterias did you change and by how much roughly). This will give me a basis to start trying to enhance my pics.

Thanks again

FXM

[AndreaBFS]

In my opinion, the main issue was composition. Her eyes were right in the center of the frame... that's one of those things that gives people a "something not quite right" feeling about an image even though they can't quite figure out what it is. Also, skin tone was off a bit. Here's my crop (didn't want to crop off her ear and it's still not perfect, but it was the best I could do) and edit to reduce the flashy look:

http://www.andrearubash.com/POTN/IMG_0725b copy.jpg

[David Ransley]

In my opinion, the main issue was composition. Her eyes were right in the center of the frame... that's one of those things that gives people a "something not quite right" feeling about an image even though they can't quite figure out what it is. Also, skin tone was off a bit. Here's my crop (didn't want to crop off her ear and it's still not perfect, but it was the best I could do) and edit to reduce the flashy look:



I concur, and the results here is worth while noting. Thanks.

[S.Horton]

Before:
http://midnightblue.smugmug.com/photos/401885991_zAGPE-XL.jpg

Quick retouch:
http://midnightblue.smugmug.com/photos/401885965_ojm7Z-XL.jpg

If you have CS3 and want to do retouching work, here is a great place to start!
http://www.digitalretouch.org/