Need C&C (good AND bad...) please

[GAinGa]

Okay........ my third attempt at playing with my new lens and "new" camera, seemingly, as I now WILL NOT shoot in AUTO mode!! lol Trying to re-learn the basics while catching some moments for friends (Christmas Money $$$) ha ha ha

My Second indoor attempt but "first" attempt with 50mm lens (I didnt even manage to FOCUS right!! Wrong mode!! lol) LINK: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=603568

And today ......

[tonydee]

Top one's definitely the better of the two... slightly friendlier and less uncomfortable looking pose and facial expression, better lighting levels across the face reinforce depth. It looks like she's wearing lipstick (which would be absurd for a girl that age). Usual issues re central placement versus Rule of Thirds - makes the whole presentation a bit in-your-face. I've never been one for these kind of shots - sorry - consequently, can't help but feel she needed to be having a lot more fun to bring out some warmth the viewer would want to relate to. Regards, Tony

[TheHoff]

A little muddy in the contrast; a little green; and a little too saturated in the reds when the contrast is fixed. This can come from either not shooting in RAW and going with the JPG or your monitor is a bit off in calibration.

http://i33.tinypic.com/29xxf92.jpg

Levels: middle and right brought in a bit
Color balance: midtones -4 magenta, +3 blue
Saturation: -5

Cute model and I think she doesn't mind the posing, so you'll have a few more chances...

[chauncey]

Well let's see, you're going for a formal portrait with a child that needs a bath (dirty hands and fingernails in both images), why?

Like Tony said, lipstick is not appropriate at this age.

Ditto TheHoff's comments.

Another session is needed.

[Benji]

Love the hair light, the 45° turn of the torso and her expression. I don't like the dirty fingernails and the unposed little right hand/arm. Also the black background lends nothing to the image.

Benji

[GAinGa]

Well let's see, you're going for a formal portrait with a child that needs a bath (dirty hands and fingernails in both images), why?

Like Tony said, lipstick is not appropriate at this age.

Ditto TheHoff's comments.

Another session is needed.

WELL....... honestly, what I was going for was learning white balance and some form of lighting balance to improve upon my last wreck!

The mom brought the child to me like this.... yes, nails were horrible, I did attempt to fix her hair and I washed her face off. I even managed to find this cute little dress...... she had on wriinkled clothing and dirty shoes...) I guess not every one starts off with rich high flyin clients? lol

Aside from the lighting, white balance and focus issues, I could not control the rest. These were practice for me and while mom knew this, she was hoping for something to print to send to family that was better than her point and shoot.

SHE IS NOT wearing lipstick.... jeez........ She LOOKS like this all day long!! And her eyes are burning bright as well......... she is like a doll baby.

The only thing I did to the photo straight out of the camera is sharpened the eys (maybe too much) and in one, I attempted to blur the mess of a coffee table that I had her on( edges were worn and rough). I have no "equipment" other than the black backdrop (and white) and 2 cheap lights... a piece of white board for reflection.

I know I asked for C&C but maybe I should have posted a disclaimer of some sort to show my experience level?

or.... From the sound of your post, perhaps I should have turned her poor mom away and sent her to a personal hygiene class and gone back to using stuffed tigers as my subjects??

I did the best with the equipment on hand, including this beautiful little girl.

Thanks, anyway, for your "C&C"........

[TheHoff]

In the future you may want to click on the person's name -- read through their previous posts -- before you value, or devalue, any C&C they might provide.

I do think the fingernails stand out and that isn't any statement of money or class, just cleaning your kid up before a photo. I also thought she had lipstick on! I'd selectively desaturate that color a bit. It isn't your fault with that, Canon's have quite an active red channel no matter what you do.

[GAinGa]

A little muddy in the contrast; a little green; and a little too saturated in the reds when the contrast is fixed. This can come from either not shooting in RAW and going with the JPG or your monitor is a bit off in calibration.

http://i33.tinypic.com/29xxf92.jpg

Levels: middle and right brought in a bit
Color balance: midtones -4 magenta, +3 blue
Saturation: -5

Cute model and I think she doesn't mind the posing, so you'll have a few more chances...

Thanks for the C&C. I dont have the trained eye to see much difference in the one you fixed, excpet the SIZE is easier to view on my monitor and seems less "in your face", lol

I have PS Elements 6 and will attempt to see if I can do what you have posted here and see it as I make these adjustments.

And here I thought this was a great improvement for me. :oops:

I had 5 kids under the age of 8 running thru the house wild while I tried to keep her attention on me. I survived for the next round so maybe it wasnt so bad after all. ;)

Thanks again for posting............... Ga.

p.s. I have RAW shooting capabilities, but find I need to learn more about RAW editing and re-saving to JPG before I go there. Again, taking baby steps, perhaps too small for some........

[TheHoff]

Seriously, slow down and don't take us so seriously.

I would've been more encouraging if I knew it was one of your first tries like this, but instead I just posted short and quick. Take it at your own pace... no one is expecting perfection but you did ask for comments and critiques.

If you can't see the difference in the images what about side by side?

http://i37.tinypic.com/t0hgk7.jpg

Mine is on the right. See? They were close, not much difference.. That is a good sign! I'm picky with color balance (not that I'm always right) so I'll always try and post a fix if I see it, even if it is minor.

As a quick trick, have you tried throwing a pure white towel in to the frame for one shot and then using that to white balance later when you process?

[kiwichris]

A good crop helps.

322503

[GAinGa]

In the future you may want to click on the person's name -- read through their previous posts -- before you value, or devalue, any C&C they might provide.

I do think the fingernails stand out and that isn't any statement of money or class, just cleaning your kid up before a photo. I also thought she had lipstick on! I'd selectively desaturate that color a bit. It isn't your fault with that, Canon's have quite an active red channel no matter what you do.

HOFF....... I didnt intend to "devalue" ANY C&C. I am here to learn. I just thought the lesson on the table was lighting and white balance....... and not "your ideal model for practice shoots", and honestly, I was put in an awkward situation with mom bringing her to me like this. Wasnt my fault, and as I said, I cleaned her up ALOT! Under the same circumstances, please share with me what you would have done..... (in MY shoes)

I have apparently suffered from "tunnel-vision" as I was expecting C&C about
the light quality/color balance, etc (as YOU did) and not on the model herself.

MY APOLOGIES!

And the only reason I did get up the nerve to post on here is because aside from a few wild strays, for the most part, this is a professional and exciting place to learn with a world of knowledge. I definitely GET THAT.

Thanks again........ I think.

[kiwichris]

BTW, shoot in raw, convert to jpg if you wish in DPP which came with your camera. It really is easy, and not too long ago I thought like you and shot in jpg only, it is a mistake as you are letting the camera make decisions you have little control over particularly in jpg compression.

[GAinGa]

Seriously, slow down and don't take us so seriously.

I would've been more encouraging if I knew it was one of your first tries like this, but instead I just posted short and quick. Take it at your own pace... no one is expecting perfection but you did ask for comments and critiques.

If you can't see the difference in the images what about side by side?

http://i37.tinypic.com/t0hgk7.jpg

Mine is on the right. See? They were close, not much difference.. That is a good sign! I'm picky with color balance (not that I'm always right) so I'll always try and post a fix if I see it, even if it is minor.

As a quick trick, have you tried throwing a pure white towel in to the frame for one shot and then using that to white balance later when you process?


WOW!!! YES! I see, I see (said the blind man!)

THANK YOU!! And no, never even considered the white towel thing!!!
Awesome......... thank you!!!! (my ugly coffee table could have used a white towel covering it up! ha ha ha)

And I know, I am the one who asked........... I am not fired up or anything. I did feel quite embarassed for the mom, though...and that fueled me a little bit. ;)

THAKS again for your help!!!!!!!!!!! Georgia Anne

[GAinGa]

BTW, shoot in raw, convert to jpg if you wish in DPP which came with your camera. It really is easy, and not too long ago I thought like you and shot in jpg only, it is a mistake as you are letting the camera make decisions you have little control over particularly in jpg compression.

Thanks kiwichris,

I should have done that quickly whenever my ugly table kept catching my eye instead of her beautiful eyes!!! lol

I totally forgot that RAW editing software came with my camera. OOOPS!
THANKS!! Because whatever I have on here now allows me to make adjustments but I cannot save the file to JPG to post............. so I let it go for now.

THANKS AGAIN!!!! Georgia Anne:D