Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM

xpfloyd wrote in post #16390602
http://farm8.staticfli​ckr.com/7298/104270692​35_92891abdd6_b.jpg
Callum - 27.07.13 - 25 Days Old by xpfloyd, on Flickr

Awesome shots of your little one. You're going to love looking back at these. Keep it up!

xpfloyd wrote in post #16390570

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16/52 - 22.10.13 - Callum by xpfloyd, on Flickr

I think you took this one a bit too far in post.

P_Elting wrote in post #16390627
Awesome shots of your little one. You're going to love looking back at these. Keep it up!

Thanks mate

facedodge wrote in post #16390651
I think you took this one a bit too far in post.

I'm always keen for a bit of feedback but can you elaborate a bit? I didn't really do much with this in post apart from tonal contrast tweaks and a reduction in the midtone contrast to smooth it slightly

xpfloyd wrote in post #16390800
Thanks mate

I'm always keen for a bit of feedback but can you elaborate a bit? I didn't really do much with this in post apart from tonal contrast tweaks and a reduction in the midtone contrast to smooth it slightly

It's a little over smoothed for my taste. Did you do any touch up with the eyes? I think it's partly due to the skin tone.... a little orange maybe?

It's all a matter of taste of course. I would just dial it back a bit myself.

Priceless expression and cute as can be!

Thanks for the c&c mate. Nothing done to the eyes although I did think it was too orange. I said to my wife and she thought it was fine but you have confirmed my suspicion. I should have went with my gut. I think I will dial the orange down a bit

Rainerfaw wrote in post #16389729
Great Pics guys. Luv it!
My shot:

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …98382386@N02/10​421423563/ IMG_8365-as-Smart-Object-1-3 by rainerfaw, on Flickr[/IMG]

Neat color

xpfloyd wrote in post #16391835
Thanks for the c&c mate. Nothing done to the eyes although I did think it was too orange. I said to my wife and she thought it was fine but you have confirmed my suspicion. I should have went with my gut. I think I will dial the orange down a bit

Hey Eddie,
Lovely photos, and I'd also like to "chime in" if that's OK?

First, did you whiten the eyes at all?
If not...."wow!" springs to mind. What huge, clean whites the wee lad has!

As to the orange and PP in general, all I'd say is that various styles come 'n' go. So whether the skin is too smooth or too orange is something you can only really judge locally.

BUT, using the 35mm lens at, I guess, such a close working distance could have made the baby's head/eyes look a bit distorted.

Impossible to know unless you also took a shot with a 50mm (or thereabouts) FL. But to me, those eyes just look too large...?! Maybe?!?!

Regards for now, and keep it up!

Simon b==d

I didnt do anything to the eyes at all. People do always comment on his eyes when they meet him as he always looks very alert. The closeness of me to him when taking the photo may have caused some distortion though, im not sure. Also the angle may be coming in to play as the lens is closer to his forehead than his chin.

Here are a few other recent pics of him (all taken with this lens). Nothing done to the eyes in any of them although I do apply an unsharp mask to the entire image each time.

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IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/xpfloyd/1002677​7176/

Hey Eddie,

Thanks for the response....I'm AMAZED at his eyes! They really are so big and clear
Quite, quite beautiful!!!

As to skin smoothing, of course, it's your choice. But generally speaking, baby-skin is 'known' to be the best, so to see those tiny-teeny pores is all we need to know it's the genuine finish, and not something done in PP.

Anyway, he is gorgeous!

Regards for now,

Simon

Thanks Simon, skin smoothing (on adults) is something I need to work on to get that natural look. Ill keep at it.

One other thing I forgot to say is that I'm normally taking these shots between f/1.4 and f/2.8 focussed on the eyes so the shallow dof is smoothing much of the face, but I'm perhaps doing a bit more beyond that unnecessarily .

Now I'm paranoid my wee guys eyes are too big lol

xpfloyd wrote in post #16392123
Thanks Simon, skin smoothing (on adults) is something I need to work on to get that natural look. Ill keep at it.

Now I'm paranoid my wee guys eyes are too big lol

Your wee guys eyes are perfect, and the pictures are great, but I second others on the skin smoothing. He's a baby with flawless skin, I also prefer completely non-smoothed skin in post ; ) It's all preference of course, but that was the first thing I noticed about the picture. They are too good of pics to need the skin smoothed in post IMO.

Keep up the good work, and embrace the feedback as that is how we all get better! I remember some of my first images I posted here someone pointed out there were no subjects whatsoever in them, and it helped me immensely.

GuitarDTO wrote in post #16392130
and embrace the feedback as that is how we all get better! I remember some of my first images I posted here someone pointed out there were no subjects whatsoever in them, and it helped me immensely.

Thanks again everyone. I have no problem receiving feedback good or bad. Like you say thats how we learn. Prior to my son being born I shot 99% landscapes so all of this is a new learning curve for me and Im trying to learn all the time.

I will definitely take these comments on board. Im dying to get home from work now to try a re-edit on that last one!

try to stop down so you can get most of his skin texture as what simon was looking forward. just a suggestion.