Outdoor Portrait

[mblanton]

I took this portrait of my daughter Jessica a couple of days ago with my 10D, 28-135 IS, and 420EX.

Exif Data:
Program, 1/60 tv, 5.0 av, Evaluative Metering, 0 ec, 400 iso, 0 fec, Cloudy white balance.

I am trying hard to learn to make the most of my flash and compose well. Please post honest opinions only. I know I can make improvements, just tell me how. Thank you very much.

Mike

[cactusclay]

It could be my monitor, but it looks like the fence is overexposed. The rest looks great. Try one without the fence and the flash.

[exposingmyself]

It could be my monitor, but it looks like the fence is overexposed. The rest looks great. Try one without the fence and the flash.

i agree about the fence.

That's the most inviting and cutest gate keeper I've ever seen. Nice job.

[weemannie]

I have to agree about the fence too, it almost detracts from your lovely daughter :)

[George Chew]

Greetings,
Maybe you should get a diffuser to cover your flash to prevent the harsh flash onto her face and the fence. Open up your lens to decrease the DOF. And finally, a tighter crop will surely give your sweet girl the attention that she deserves.
Enjoy

[serissolutions]

I also noticed that the skin color does not look natural.
maybe the white balance was off?

[Reflection]

I think that if you took the picture with less of the fence and more plain grass to the left, or perhaps as landscape with less fence. I feel that with the fence being so light, and her being behind it, it takes away attention from the girl. Also, if you could take the shot in late afternoon sun, that would be ideal - it would warm up the fence a bit and light up the girl's face in a less harsh way than the flash.

It's a wonderful idea though, and a great little kid!

[HMetal]

For this photo, I would have used a tripod and only used the flash in hi-sync mode, to produce catchlights in her eyes.

The flash output here is just a bit too strong. Maybe get yourself a Lumiquest Softbox or similar diffuser. I haven't taken the Lumiquest off of my 550EX since I bought it. I want to get another for my 420EX slave.

Anyways, a softbox is excellent for soft lighting and also softens the shadows. Additionally, try dialing in -1/3 of FEC. If you get a softbox, that'll reduce your flash output slightly so you might not need the -1/3 FEC.

http://www.pbase.com/image/40117879/small.jpg

[mblanton]

Thanks for all the comments. I am learning alot of great information here. I can't wait to try again.

Mike

[tim]

The light's a bit harsh for my tastes: try and get some variation in the light onto your daughters face. I'm not sure how to do that in an "on location" shoot, but a diffuser of some kind might help. It's a nice photo though :)