Fall Fotos

Hey guys -- I took some shots of my nephew, would love to see what I should have done differently. I'm pleased, but did see a few opportunities.

Set up was:
Canon 450D
50-250mm ƒ/4-5.6 IS Lens
Sigma EF 530 DG Super Flash hitting a 33" (i think 33) umbrella, camera right
sun back left, but these were shot in the shade so no direct light.
If you would like the exif I can provide it, or you can follow the link to flickr, it's available there as well as a few more shots.
PP all in LR4 and with the exception of #1 all very minor which was pleasing.

1: I downsized this a bit further since it was portrait not landscape.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/53541218@N04/8​092898596/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/53541218@N04/8​092893861/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/53541218@N04/8​092893991/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/53541218@N04/8​092899200/

Great images. Really like 2 and 3 but they are all awesome. What a neat idea in image 2

I really like number 2 but hard to see the baby in the last two since he is so well camouflaged.

Great set, and quite baby. Looks like #1 is a bit overexposed, and you added vignetting.

Love the composition on #1. Too bad he had his hand in his mouth. #2....Perfect!

Three and 4 are great, but as you said, brighten #3 a bit.

Wow, thanks everyone. I was expecting to hear more criticism, so I'm extra flattered not to.

Northwoods Bill -- I liked the idea, but cannot claim it as my own... but I will give everyone a tip. Get it warm before you drop a kid in there... for some reason they don't like cold and slimy pumpkin against their skin, lol.

LOL@Rioni

Bianchi - yes, you hit it right on the head. I was going for that light and fluffy kind of look. I didn't quite get there. I had to use the white vignetting to kill off some dark corners as the shot is a crop from the same location. I then tried to pull his tones back a tad and brighten things up to balance it all. Over all I'm fairly pleased with the results; but would gladly hear suggestions on how I could have done it differently or better. The starting point was the same set as #2, him in the pumpkin - only I shot it in portrait and "zoomed" in to 232mm from the same distance as #2 which was shot at 55mm. This shot on flickr is nearly identical to the staring point I used.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/53541218@N04/8​092898680/

2&3 are fabulous! Not liking the white vignette in the first, but like the tight crop.

love the Expression in #3, also like the idea in #2. Great looking Kiddo there. GJ

Cute. I like them. Work on the exposure on #3 a bit though. Are these cropped at all? I'd put him on the right of the frame if possible.

Flo -- many thanks! It seems like the white vignetting isn't as appealing of a design as I hoped. Oh well, that's why I posted it here, to get honest feedback.

Thanks McMongo.

Q-man -- thanks, and yeah 3 definitely needs a touch more light. As far as cropping I don't have the originals on me at the moment to verify completely, but I think 3 and 4 are strait out of the camera and 2 may have been touched for alignment; but basically no cropping to those 3. The first one was cropped down pretty heavily. As for putting him on the right, I was thinking the same thing since he was looking off frame instead of into it; but he was moving so much during the shoot I was just glad to get keepers, lol.

However -- As I remember it, my wife was directly behind me trying to get hit to smile, but his mom was to my left. I should have had her to my right, then I bet i would have have him facing in frame more. I'm glad you mentioned that. These are the little things that I over look and having a place like this where people will give actual feedback makes you think a little. Next time, maybe I will remember that! THANKS!!

#2 comes out OK. The other two seem to be blended in with the background too well...

#1 is cute but the white vignette looks like it was added to cover a blown background. I see by the original that's not the case. I like the original better.

#2 is really cute but....the pumpkins on the right are a bit too bright and draw my eye away from the baby. And I think you've cropped to close to the bottom losing part of his foot. Framing that will lose even more.

#3 is OK but needs some light to make him pop.

#4 is actually my favorite, even with that foreground leaf oof. That's one happy baby.

Overall a pretty decent set of images.

Post 1863, that is too cute!

Titus -- wow, thanks for the critique!

On #1 I didn't think about it looking like a cover up...I wonder how many of the shots I've seen similar to that were just coverups. Good point though.

#2 - I did notice my eyes wander over to the pumpkins. I thought it was just me, but you're right -- that second pumpkin especially does fight for your eye. I should burn it down a bit. As for his foot I did clip just a tad of his heel, the rest is behind the wood of the wagon; but regardless, that does create a problem in a frame and I didn't take that into account. I need to learn to leave more dead space around the fringe for that. Excellent incite.

#3 Yup, easy fix.

#4 - I was trying to have him appear to be "hiding" in the woods using the foreground leaves to frame with. Most of the shots failed though...or he was trying to eat the tree, lol. And YES he is one happy baby. This shoot he was actually more fussy than normal, but still a great munchkin.

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it!

Flo -- here's your 1863 as requested: My wife liked that shot because of the "thumbs up" he looked like he was giving, lol.
This was shot in direct sun (back left) otherwise same set up as the previous 4.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/53541218@N04/8​092893531/