How would you improve this picture?

[kona77]

This is another pic of my son playing around. I am just wondering, in your professional opinion, what you would do differently to make this picture a great picture.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v413/hunterlf/hunterwebswingcopy.jpg

Thanks.

[Mike Smith]

It would help to get the EXIF info, as well as what camera and lens you were using. I like the composition (maybe crop some on the left and bottom) and the timing of the shot, but the lighting is awful.

I would try to take the shot on a sunnier day. Use a larger aperature to blur the background, and remove those green things on the ground behind him.

[Titus213]

Camera Make: Canon
Camera Model: Canon EOS 20D
Image Date: 2005:05:15 00:42:11
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 30.0mm
CCD Width: 2.57mm
Exposure Time: 0.0040 s (1/250)
Aperture: f/11.0
ISO equiv: 400
White Balance: Auto
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: program (Auto)

[michael.luczkow]

way too saturated. I oversaturate a lot, but it's hard to do when everything in you picture is red green and yellow ;-) get a faster lens, shoot wide open. crop tighter. and just fill a card with shots and see what you like. try different bokeh too... the sky, the ground, straight on, sideways... catch him on the upstroke, the downstroke.... things like that.

I guess what i take that scene and imagine in my head a great picture of it. it's a shoulder height portrait. tight crop. wide open for good bokeh, and mostly about the facial expression.

[storeman]

It tilts too much IMHO and way too saturated. It does come out quite nice with PP and rotating ccw by about 6 degrees. Masking out the red of the swing, desaturating and some levels adjustment results in a nice skin tone - less saturated barkchips under the swing and little change to the colour balance of the greenery in the background without affecting the vibrant red of the swing.

[kona77]

Thank you all for taking the time, it is appreciated. I see that my EXIF info is posted, thanks. I do have a bad habit of over saturation, I will go back and start from the beginning.

I will take out the green things in the back, and I will rotate it a bit.

Storeman, what do you mean by "PP"?

I wish it was sunnier but we can't pick the day.

Thanks all, I will post again when I have tried some of your corrections.

[storeman]

PP - Post Processing.

This is what I came up with

[MattyB]

thats the cutest photo i've seen
made me smile

oh how i wish i was a kid again. he's having so much fun lol

[VividRyan]

Maybe try a tighter crop to add more fun and focus on your son :)

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/2568/kid1mp.jpg

[René Damkot]

Maybe next time open up the aperture and take a lower position, so the background is less distracting.

[soupdragon]

OK, just my opinion.

Stand square on to get rid of the diagonals (I know that means another day in the park, but he's worth it).
Use the longest lens you can get at the largest aperture you can (without compromising shutter speed I would say at least 1/250th), this will go some way to obliterating the distracting background and give the picture some POP.
I don't feel with this type of shot that much more than the face and eyes need to be in focus.
Experiment with view angles (standing up or kneeling down)
Another thing which has worked for me in the past is square on diffused flash, a good way of obscuring the background if you can get your sons face correctly exposed.
All that said, it's still a heart warming shot and should get pride of place in the family album.

[kona77]

WOW, some excellent comments, greatly appreciated. I will try all of your comments..

Thanks soup for your input and kind comments.

Matty, thanks for the nice comment.:D

TO: 1LT Mike Smith
LSA Anaconda, Balad, Iraq, I forgot to say "Thank you for your service":!:It is always greatly appreciated.

Here is another pic on the same day, totally untouched.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v413/hunterlf/IMG_0152copy.jpg

File size: 125011 bytes
File date: 2005:09:13 18:53:09
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon EOS 20D
Date/Time: 2005:05:15 00:42:03
Resolution: 600 x 900
Flash used: No
Focal length: 30.0mm (35mm equivalent: 48mm)
CCD width: 22.48mm
Exposure time: 0.0050 s (1/200)
Aperture: f/11.0
ISO equiv.: 400
Whitebalance: Auto
Metering Mode: matrix
Exposure: program (auto)

[zacker]

i like the tilted version.... what a happy kid... "i was happy once too, then i became an adult and the weight of the world crushed my spirit!"
-Homer
lol..
-zacker-

[lostdoggy]

A little level, channel and some motion blur

[kona77]

i like the tilted version.... what a happy kid... "i was happy once too, then i became an adult and the weight of the world crushed my spirit!"
-Homer
lol..
-zacker- ROFL, nice quote. I will write that one down. :D

Lostdoggy, nice work. Thanks.

[soupdragon]

Now that's more like it (the tight crop one).
Asides the distracting hat in the background that picture has enough emotion to last a lifetime.
Sorry to say this but, it looks a tad over saturated.

I'm nearly crying with happiness in my armchair here ya know.

[soupdragon]

Actually, just as I scrolled down the page, the top of my screen cropped a tiny bit off the hat rim and got rid of the background distraction completely.

[soupdragon]

You know! each time I look at your picture (tight crop) I feel so much better.

[kona77]

You know! each time I look at your picture (tight crop) I feel so much better.

HAHAAHAH Soup, thanks for the compliment. That is the kind of picture that I am trying to take. One that delivers something special to someone.

Here is one of my favorites. Tell me what you think.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v413/hunterlf/HunterBunnysmileSummer2004029copy.jpg

[Raj]

HAHAAHAH Soup, thanks for the compliment. That is the kind of picture that I am trying to take. One that delivers something special to someone.

Here is one of my favorites. Tell me what you think.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v413/hunterlf/HunterBunnysmileSummer2004029copy.jpg

Lovely photo, he looks like a cute bunny :-)

[soupdragon]

Still cute but doesn't give me that "you can't buy this feeling"
(if you know what I mean?)

[kona77]

Still cute but doesn't give me that "you can't buy this feeling"
(if you know what I mean?)

HAHAHAHA, ok I will work on it for ya.:lol:

[InskiP]

He's having some serious fun isn't he...

I like the tilt in the first one-gives me the sense of motion. I also like the off-center composition.
Maybe just crop off the bottom a bit. I think PS CS2 has a lens blur filter but haven't tried it yet.

[PEACHMAN]

Ya, go baby ! the yight crop swinging face capture is really there !!

[Titus213]

Kona77 - that bunny picture is a riot. I love it. Lostdoggy did a terrific job on the swing picture and it turned out great too. Nice job.

[kona77]

Kona77 - that bunny picture is a riot. I love it. Lostdoggy did a terrific job on the swing picture and it turned out great too. Nice job.
Thank you very much. I enjoy watching and listening to different views of my pictures.:D