Mac & Butters

[Gunsotsu]

<a href="http://flickr.com/photos/gunsotsu/2210874182/" title="Mac &amp; Butters by Will (a la gamingwithbaby.com), on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2137/2210874182_e01a330e16.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="Mac &amp; Butters" /></a>

I don't have all the fancy toys usually associated with photography. The only flash I have is the pop up. I have no refelectors or diffusors. But I pride myself on trying to get by with what I've got.

This was taken at the end of our tiny hallway. I closed off all the doors, turned off the lights, and grabbed a white three ring binder. I used the binder to redirect the flash off the wall to the right while shooting handheld. I then converted to black & white in PS.

Fire away.

Camera: Pentax *ist DL
Exposure: 0.02 sec (1/50)
Aperture: f/5
Focal Length: 28 mm
ISO Speed: 200

[Sandie]

I really like the eyes, open clear, sharp. I like the soft expressions...loving and comfortable. For the most part the skin tones are nice and even...no deep shadows or extreme hot spots (just the little on the baby's cheek). Your DoF is good too.

What I would like better is a different cropping. Portrait and looser on the headroom, or almost square and very tight on the faces.

Very nice shot.

[geotography]

Gunsotsu,

Nice photo! Great black and white portrait. If you could just lighten up the eyes a smidgen and some level of cropping on right, either tight or even just to the right of the child's sleeve.

[annie12]

Gunsotsu,

beautiful kids, great natural pose, brilliant improv, great converstion to b/w but maybe the cropping suggested by Sandie could improve an already good shot!

Prob not possible under restricted conditions outlined but I would have liked the reflected light at a slightly different angle so that the faces were more even in the shading.

But overall - well done!

[Diana1979]

Awwww . .
Very nice. The details in the kids' faces are very good for what you had to use. It goes to show that we don't all have to buy expensive gear to come up with good portraits.

[hsroxas]

<a

I don't have all the fancy toys usually associated with photography. The only flash I have is the pop up. I have no refelectors or diffusors. But I pride myself on trying to get by with what I've got.
.

First, allow me to congratulate you for "trying to get by with what I've got". This is the kind of attitude that to my mind makes winners. No excuses, just a creative lighting approach, which frankly is pretty effective.

The image to me is beautifully captured. The only minor thing that bothers me is how the arm wrapped around the baby appears. Is the camera lens a little bit too near the arm?

[Gunsotsu]

Is the camera lens a little bit too near the arm?

I was about two feet from them when I shot it.

[KathrynWilson]

It's a nice shot and a fairly good conversion too. My only piece of advice for you is to point out that you can tell it's a flashy shot from the pinlights in their eyes. Catchlights would have really made this a wonderful portrait.

[Gunsotsu]

It's a nice shot and a fairly good conversion too. My only piece of advice for you is to point out that you can tell it's a flashy shot from the pinlights in their eyes. Catchlights would have really made this a wonderful portrait.

Did you bother to read how I actually managed to do this?