Critique on Technique

[guitarman]

I shot this over the weekend and played around with some effects in PSCS2. The background didn't blur the way I wanted it to so I added gausian blur. Also converted to sepia for no particular reason. I thougth the sepia look added a nice effect. I liked it better than the color version. Just looking for some feedback on what I've done. Don't worry about hurting my feelings. I know I'm a begginer.

http://guitarman.servepics.com/Braedon1Sepia.jpg

[AjP]

I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[guitarman]

I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow that was fast. Thankyou for the compliment. I want to add my own critique. Just something I didn't really see till after I posted. I don't like the top of the shot in relation to what I did to the edges. It looks like I faded out three sides and not the top. I did the top evenly but the white siding of the house seems to hide this.

[Rigrider]

Well, you beat me to my critique! lol. Because of the siding it looks like you've got a weird angle on the border and that you just "missed" some at the top. But you've already said it so I won't.....

Wait...

Lol, L8r,

[MCB]

I like it. Nice composition and the sepia works well. Try the lens blur instead of gaussian blur.

[fotogeek]

That's nice work. I see why you tried to tone down the background. Honestly though, I would try and replace the background completely, I like the blur and tonal difference, but the AC unit and the bike detract from the cuteness of "kid with hose". I think it would be worth the effort, his expression and posture make a great photo.

[guitarman]

I like it. Nice composition and the sepia works well. Try the lens blur instead of gaussian blur.

I will try that. Thanks for the suggestion.

[guitarman]

Well, you beat me to my critique! lol. Because of the siding it looks like you've got a weird angle on the border and that you just "missed" some at the top. But you've already said it so I won't.....

Wait...

Lol, L8r,

I kind of like the weird angle that it gives to the photo. I just don't like that the top of the shot is a straight line while the other sides of the photo are not. I'm going to work on this photo tonight using some of the suggestions in this thread to see how I can improve.

[MCB]

I like the bike in the background, but maybe you could get rid of the AC unit, like fotogeek suggests. The healing brush should have no trouble with that. And after bluring it, you won't even know it was there.

[Sabina]

I might try getting rid of the box thing in the background by copy/pasting a piece of the house over it, then erasing right up to the edge of the box behind what I pasted, flattening, and then using clone, and healing brush alternately to make it blend.

[cameron]

it's a nice composition and the sepia is great. i think that if the photo blended to white a little more smooth... you would have a winner. right now, the edges are too harsh IMO.

[guitarman]

it's a nice composition and the sepia is great. i think that if the photo blended to white a little more smooth... you would have a winner. right now, the edges are too harsh IMO.

How would I do that? I lassooed around near the edges then selected inverse. then I filled with white. I then selected a feather of about 50 to 75, can' t remember. Should I feather higher to get it smoother?

[mackb]

Maybe it's just me, but I like the picture just the way it is (even with the uneven border). Kids are so unpredictable and out of balance, this picture makes me feel as if the kid himself took the picture. It kind of has that scrapbook feeling as if I'm looking at a childhood picture of my dad (I know that's the sepia, but the border helps)

The AC unit is perfect, like I said kids are out of wack and the AC unit places this scene in the backyard or somewhere that's definitely not a studio.

If you do change it, still keep the original for 10-20 years from now, when AC units and bicycles and the child look alot different