Girlfriends at Party!

[TomTomTuning]

Jenny & Mickey(My GF)

I normally do Car photography but i am super interested in doing Portraits etc.
I wasn't really trying to do any portraits or anything, it was just snapping pictures at a party.

This shot was low lighting.
40D w/ 50mm f/1.8
60 f/1.8 ISO-1600 (No flash)

The background was SUPER busy, and already had some blur, but i added more. And i honestly think it screwed it up. Alot of people like it, but i plan on doing the PP again.

The 50mm f/1.8 doesn't focus well in low lighting, i found this out afterwards.

Here is another one.. Its a little out of focus... (Just sharing)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2127/...f0e31d2c_o.jpg

I have more pics from another party that i really like (Just sharing)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomtomt...7603703296384/

[xxpinballxx]

Nice work for being just party snapshots!
I like the blur around it. I would pull in and sharpen and touch up the eyes a bit to bring then out and maybe dodge their faces ever so slightly to bring them out a little more.

[TomTomTuning]

Originally Posted by xxpinballxx

Nice work for being just party snapshots!
I like the blur around it. I would pull in and sharpen and touch up the eyes a bit to bring then out and maybe dodge their faces ever so slightly to bring them out a little more.

Ill definitly give that a try. The shots came out a little soft, and i believe its due to back AF with the 50mm and low lighting. Ill try to sharpen it more.

I did run a unsharpen mask on that edit, but ill play with it again.

Do you think the additional Blur was ok?.. I believe i used Gaussian blur, should i try lens blur, so it looks a little more nature?

[Olivier H]

Nothing to do with your picture, but as you post into the Critique my shot section, it is clear that you seek critiques and comments
Therefore maybe you should put in a more relevant topic title, such as a short description of the photo ("portrait of two ladies" for instance), or the title you could have given to your picture.

This said, the light in the shot is quite cool, so is the pose, but I think there is too much unused and unusable space above the ladies. Their eyes could sit on an horizontal at about a third from the top of the frame.

[xxpinballxx]

I like the blur....and I know it doesnt give a 100% natural look but I don't care. It works for me. Something I've seen on shots like this is a bit of motion blur as if everything was going on around them and they were frozen in time. Seems to me it gives a feeling of the beauty stopping time. Hard to explain but really neat effect and doesn't take alot of motion to be affective.

[TomTomTuning]

Originally Posted by Olivier H

Nothing to do with your picture, but as you post into the Critique my shot section, it is clear that you seek critiques and comments
Therefore maybe you should put in a more relevant topic title, such as a short description of the photo ("portrait of two ladies" for instance), or the title you could have given to your picture.

This said, the light in the shot is quite cool, so is the pose, but I think there is too much unused and unusable space above the ladies. Their eyes could sit on an horizontal at about a third from the top of the frame.

Can some one re-name the thread title to "Girlfriend & Her Friend @ Party"... xxpinballxx?

When i re-do the PP tonight, ill try a crop on it... What about the sides.. i think that is ok.. what about you?

[Olivier H]

I personnaly would try either a square crop or a 4x6 crop, with the ladies slightly to the left, with in both cases less space above their heads.

Nice photos throughout your photostream

[TomTomTuning]

Originally Posted by Olivier H

I personnaly would try either a square crop or a 4x6 crop, with the ladies slightly to the left, with in both cases less space above their heads.

Nice photos throughout your photostream

Awesome, i think i will try to get that white shirt in the background a little less noticeable. i believe i tried to burn it but that didn't do much, so ill just do an adjustment layer and mask that off.

LOL, thanks... There are a few funny ones in there..

[bigdoggold]

I actually like the blur that you added, I think it adds a nice dynamic feeling that is a party with tons of things going on, but in this moment you were able to get two women to stop and look at you, the blur makes me feel like it was a good party, and things were flowing really well.

I feel that party shots need to feel that way, cause a good party is crazy, and you need to show that in your photography of people there.

OO yea Slow Sync Flash can be your best friend at a party, try it out

[TomTomTuning]

Originally Posted by bigdoggold

I actually like the blur that you added, I think it adds a nice dynamic feeling that is a party with tons of things going on, but in this moment you were able to get two women to stop and look at you, the blur makes me feel like it was a good party, and things were flowing really well.

I feel that party shots need to feel that way, cause a good party is crazy, and you need to show that in your photography of people there.

OO yea Slow Sync Flash can be your best friend at a party, try it out

I appreciate that.

Once i get home i want to try a couple more things, so i am going to start over with that same image. And i will post up all 3. (original, first edit, and second edit)

It wasn't hard to get those 2 to come to my camera.. lol Girls just love taking pictures.. lol

Check out my flickr, and go to bob's party. I really like those pictures. They were all un-edited. but still have alot of feeling to them.