First time shooting a 1 year old. Please be harsh!

Sorry links broke! Should be fixed.

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Where can you improve? By adding fill light so that you dont have the blown out spot on the crown of his head. Failing that, get him in some light thats more consistent across him (open shade) so that you dont have such a disparity between highlight and the rest of the image.

gonzogolf wrote in post #16111417
Where can you improve? By adding fill light so that you dont have the blown out spot on the crown of his head. Failing that, get him in some light thats more consistent across him (open shade) so that you dont have such a disparity between highlight and the rest of the image.

I do have a flash (YN 560iii), but I need more practice with it for sure.

Thanks for the advice!

chubbyone wrote in post #16111429
I do have a flash (YN 560iii), but I need more practice with it for sure.

Thanks for the advice!

Manual flash outside seems daunting, but its pretty easy once you get the hang of it.

Is it just my monitor or does his skin tone appear really warm?

I agree with gonzogolf about the fill flash and while manual flash is pretty easy I think with a subject that doesn't quiet yet sit still e-TTL flash would work out better, now granted that would maybe force you to put the flash on camera unless you had a e-TTL capable trigger to get the flash off camera.

The location of the shots is a bit distracting as well. I find myself singing my ABC's instead of looking at the photo. There's a nice spot of shady grass in the back ground in #1, I would have probabaly gone over there instead.

What aperature were you using?

Those may have been wide open at 1.8, i think the exif backs me up on that. I stopped down some after I realized.

This was pretty impromptu and I decided to just see what I could accomplish with my new and limited skill set. I like the results I got for only being ~2 months into this whole hobby, but I know I have a ton to learn to perfect it.

Thanks for the feedback!

rivas8409 wrote in post #16111489
Is it just my monitor or does his skin tone appear really warm?

I agree with gonzogolf about the fill flash and while manual flash is pretty easy I think with a subject that doesn't quiet yet sit still e-TTL flash would work out better, now granted that would maybe force you to put the flash on camera unless you had a e-TTL capable trigger to get the flash off camera.

The location of the shots is a bit distracting as well. I find myself singing my ABC's instead of looking at the photo. There's a nice spot of shady grass in the back ground in #1, I would have probabaly gone over there instead.

What aperature were you using?

first one i can see what you are talking about. might just be cause there is so much brown surrounding him. 2nd one doesnt look too bad as far as warm skin but it could probably be ever so slightly lighter.

personally id say not bad. i like how the entire subject is for the most part in complete focus.

my only gripe would be as others have said with the lighting.

all in all well done

cschultz wrote in post #16113680
first one i can see what you are talking about. might just be cause there is so much brown surrounding him. 2nd one doesnt look too bad as far as warm skin but it could probably be ever so slightly lighter.

personally id say not bad. i like how the entire subject is for the most part in complete focus.

my only gripe would be as others have said with the lighting.

all in all well done

Thanks!

I just had those first two shots printed, as first edited, at my local Walgreen's and at my local "pro lab" (a local camera shop). The difference is unbelievable between the quality of Walgreen's and a nicer lab (I know this is old news). I will for sure be supporting the local shop for now for my limited printing needs. 4x6's are the same price and 8x10's only 1$ more.

The colors are a little too contrasty and warm in print though. The shop offered to calibrate my monitor for free! Which is a bonus, but they said they couldn't give me printer color profiles. I'll have to look into that more I guess. Maybe the one guy just didn't know?

Here's another shot that day of the whole family. Again, any criticism is welcomed!

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/90717616@N08/9​265747164/

maybe its just my bad eyes but the kid seems to be ever so slightly out of focus and kinda bright. still though a wonderful shot and everyone seems to be enjoying the time which is what matters.

1 year old can be hard if their movers!

He is hot with too much contrast in the first two photos. The images are overexposed.

The BW he is very muddy, probably because that is overexposed too.

Keep practicing! You'll get there

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I like the first edit, but the skin tone on the face/hands is out of wack.
What I'm guessing is that it was bouncing off the colored plastic.

This is where fill light is another huge advantage, you can color the light how you want it.

kids are hard, its why i pretty much refuse to shoot kids except my own,i just cant guarantee good results consistently. i truly respect anyone that can.

close the lens down, get a wider DOF and get a camera that can track them or at least a lens that can focus faster than a nifty fifty, otherwise you are fighting and uphill battle.

maverick75 wrote in post #16115593
I like the first edit, but the skin tone on the face/hands is out of wack.
What I'm guessing is that it was bouncing off the colored plastic.

Didn't even think about that! Awesome, this is why I I come here. I am for sure gonna fire up the flash next time.

mike_311 wrote in post #16116355
kids are hard, its why i pretty much refuse to shoot kids except my own,i just cant guarantee good results consistently. i truly respect anyone that can.

close the lens down, get a wider DOF and get a camera that can track them or at least a lens that can focus faster than a nifty fifty, otherwise you are fighting and uphill battle.

My wife rushed out and told her friends I can take pictures so they all flocked. I don't want to sell prints, just take some decent shots as a friend. I did just get the canon 50 1.4 to pair with the t4. It performs far better than the sigma 50 I had calibrated, and the 50 1.8. Even if my keeper rate isn't terribly high, I hope to catch a few decent images and my friends can't really argue with free!

I agree these images should have been stopped down some, what's a goto aperture for daylight portraiture in an open setting? 2-2.8 is my thought.