Ask me what you want.

[digidiva]

Just one question......Can I come live with you until I have learned ALL your tips?
Please? Hmmmm?....I can cook!

[Siggy]

Originally Posted by digidiva

Just one question......Can I come live with you until I have learned ALL your tips?
Please? Hmmmm?....I can cook!

Me too? I live in the US, but I'm willing to travel.

Thanks for this post. It's nice that you are so candid about your set-up and technique. I always have questions for photog friends, but sometimes feel like I'm annoying them with so many of them. Thanks again.

[mercersmoments]

While I'm in the asking mood here, I noticed in another thread on here, you posted a setup of your setup for a shoot with your daughter. I was wondering if would talk a little about your backdrops. You have a black backed by a slightly larger white one. Why the backing (assume to prevent unwated light from coming through the black one)? Also, what sizes are you using here? Neither looks particularly long or wide, although the white appears to be wider than the black one.

Do you handhold your shots? I don't think anyone else asked this.

The white backdrop is vinyl, I put that down first for a couple of reasons, A: to protect my carpet from naked babies who pee ! lol and B: it's a backdrop as well, so I just flip over the black backdrop and the white is there, ready hung and ready to use.

I have 2 - 6 meters by 10 meters and about 6 meters long and 3 meters wide - I think ! lol they are folded over the back of the backdrop stand in that photo, so you can only see half of the length.

yes, everything is handheld, I only set up my tripod to take night shots of lights.

Just one question......Can I come live with you until I have learned ALL your tips?
Please? Hmmmm?....I can cook!

Sure, I can't cook to save myself !

Me too? I live in the US, but I'm willing to travel.

Thanks for this post. It's nice that you are so candid about your set-up and technique. I always have questions for photog friends, but sometimes feel like I'm annoying them with so many of them. Thanks again.

More the merrier, as long as you can live with 3 kids, hubby, dog, cats, snakes & crazy neighbours!

[azpix]

Originally Posted by mercersmoments

my secret weapon for making kids look at me !

I am going to try this tonight with my kids. Maybe they will look if they see Buzz Lightyear tied to the camera.

[Siggy]

[quote=mercersmoments;10662558]
To get good catchlights, have the light coming in from behind & slighly above you & onto your subject, a good way to determine good light is to look at the person's eyes & face. If you see good even light without sun blinding them, then you're good to go, you then meter from there. quote]

I've thought of some questions I would like to ask.

#1. This shows how green I am, but what do you mean by metering? Are you talking about the meter in the camera (getting it in the center)?

#2. You said you didn't like to do a lot of PP on skin. I see so many photographers in my area who are going overboard with editing skin. They look somewhat like glamour shots, even on the kids. People oohh and ahhh over them, but to me it makes the people look fake. What do you consider too much skin softening?

#3. I use a 7D (crop camera) I have a Tamron 28-75 2.8 lens that I love, but I would really like to have the Canon 24-70L 2.8 Do you think this lens would work w/ a crop camera?

Thanks for all your help on this site. I've been following a lot of your suggestions like starting a notebook with my best camera settings and practice, practice, practice

[mercersmoments]

#1. This shows how green I am, but what do you mean by metering? Are you talking about the meter in the camera (getting it in the center)?

When using Manual mode, you need to use your light meter inside your camera to gain correct exposure, so yes in the middle is normal exposure, though I like to expose slightly to the right & also like my shutter speed above 160th sec.

#2. You said you didn't like to do a lot of PP on skin. I see so many photographers in my area who are going overboard with editing skin. They look somewhat like glamour shots, even on the kids. People oohh and ahhh over them, but to me it makes the people look fake. What do you consider too much skin softening?

When a person looks like Barbie.
I will soften a newborn's skin at about 10 opacity if they have dry skin. Most of the time I don't need to do much with skin, unless there is a scratch or sore, then I'll clone it out, if there is redness to the skin, like eczema I will use a soft white brush at about 8 opacity, then clone a little and skin smooth the area until it's even.

9/10 I dont need to worry though.

#3. I use a 7D (crop camera) I have a Tamron 28-75 2.8 lens that I love, but I would really like to have the Canon 24-70L 2.8 Do you think this lens would work w/ a crop camera?

I use the 24-70 on my back up 30D (crop) and it's lovely, the 24-70 is a brilliant lens- on any camera crop or full frame - as long as you get a sharp copy, so test it when you get it, as I have had to have mine calibrated in the past.

[kevindar]

subscribing also. thanks.

[Siggy]

Originally Posted by mercersmoments

I use L series lenses, I'm addicted to them. But the main way I get sharp photos is the toggle the focus point to the eye area, have my lighting spot on & have my shutter speed spot on,good focus is to do with your camera's settings, a typical outdoor portrait type shot for me would go somthing like this - depending on the light of course - iso 200 f/2.8 1/250 sec - I always aim to shoot aboove 1/160s

Seona, I tried your settings above this weekend, also aiming to keep it above 1/160 and I was excited with the results. The sharpness was great and I was referred to another client because they liked their pics so much. Thank you (((HUGS)))

[mercersmoments]

Seona, I tried your settings above this weekend, also aiming to keep it above 1/160 and I was excited with the results. The sharpness was great and I was referred to another client because they liked their pics so much. Thank you (((HUGS)))

Awesome ! I'm so pleased to hear ! I'd love to see the photo - if you are allowed to show them.

Great work - you've made my day !

Seona

[Siggy]

I used to post pics on here via Flickr, but I can't do it now. Does anyone know another way or place I can use to show pics?

[petedam]

Originally Posted by Siggy

I used to post pics on here via Flickr, but I can't do it now. Does anyone know another way or place I can use to show pics?

Go to "action" "view all sizes" right click or control click and "copy image address" then just insert the image address here.

[Rivest]

Or ''Share this'', then ''Grab the HTML BBCode'' than select BBCode, copy the text over it and paste it here

[Siggy]

Seona, here's some of my recent pictures. I welcome any comments or suggestions, especially on the editing. My husband just bought CS5 for my birthday so I can't wait to start using it.

Thanks everyone for the help on uploading.

Pic20-4x6 by Salina27, on Flickr

Pic18-4x6 by Salina27, on Flickr

Pic1-4x6 by Salina27, on Flickr

Pic9-4x6 by Salina27, on Flickr

[mercersmoments]

EXCELLENT Siggy ! You toggled the focus between her eyes, love it - to me sharp eyes = sharp photo, eyes are so important.

Love your warm processing. Looks like you have used flash - nice, the images are evenly lit and smooth.

- have you tried the same settings, with a higher ISO just using natural light ?

The only thing I would say is, if you are going to chop off heads on purpose - take more head off, or make sure you have all the head in the frame, so don't take only a little bit off, as it makes it look like you accidentally cut off some head - if you know what I mean ?! lol

So the last one - I would have left all head head in

I am a fan of close chopped heads, I do it alot, but you have to get the amount you chop off right !
lol - I'm confusing myself here ! lol

Otherwise these are lovely, I am glad the settings I suggested gave you such lovely clear pics.

seona

[Siggy]

Untitled by Salina27, on Flickr

Okay, I re-cropped this one to keep all of her head in the frame. Where do you usually crop on the head (middle of forehead?)

I've only had the Canon 7D for a few weeks and I'm still learning to get the ISO correct. On my older camera I couldn't go above 200 or it would start showing heavy noise.

Everytime I shoot I learn something new. It's really starting to become addictive. I have a full-time job but I'm doing a bit on the side after work or some weekends. Since we don't have children it makes it a little easier to have the extra time