Mr Pouty

[Val1064]

This is my son on our walk yesterday. He was ready to go and I was not moving fast enough for him. I could not resist his little puppy dog eyes so I had to take this. I cropped out part of his stroller. Here is the photo detailsExposure: 0.003 sec (1391/500000)
Aperture: f/2.7
Focal Length: 6 mm
ISO Speed: 80
Exposure Bias: 1/2 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Orientation: Horizontal (normal)
X-Resolution: 72 dpi
Y-Resolution: 72 dpi
Software: Version 1.1100
Date and Time: 2007:10:06 14:13:25
YCbCr Positioning: Co-Sited
Exposure Program: Normal
Date and Time (Original): 2007:10:06 13:53:45
Date and Time (Digitized): 2007:10:06 13:53:45
Compressed Bits per Pixel: 16/5 bits
Shutter Speed: 848/100
Maximum Lens Aperture: 286/100
Metering Mode: Center Weighted Average
Color Space: sRGB
Exposure Index: 80/1
Sensing Method: One-chip colour area sensor
Digital Zoom Ratio: 0/10
Focal Length In 35mm Film: 36
Subject Distance Range: Macro
Compression: JPEG
Image Width: 2323 pixels
Image Height: 2304 pixels

Thanks for looking!

[clockdoc]

Cute shot. Needs a catchlight in his left eye to bring more life to it. You may also want to play with cropping it a bit tighter to remove some of the distracting background. I realize this is unavoidable in many circumstances but sometimes we are so anxious to getthe shot off that we forget to check the background.

[phlyersphan]

Maybe try blurring the background a little to simulate a more shallow depth of field? Of course, I've been obsessed with blurring backgrounds lately, so that could just be my insanity talking! Cute catch

[Val1064]

Is this better?

[xxpinballxx]

That seems a bit unnatural.....I have never really tried adding them to photos but after the two posts today regarding catchlights I will now.
Hopefully clockdoc will chime back in and let us in on how best to add them.

[clockdoc]

Hi all,
Catchlights add life and sparkle to the eyes. There are probably times when they are not needed and should not be applied wholesale. However, I feel it is always better to experiment with adding them when there are none and see for yourself. It all boils down to a matter of personal taste. If you also look at the works of the old master portrait painters, you will find that a high percentage always added the catchlight to the eyes. However, since they painted by the light od larhe open windows, their catchlight shapes may be different shapes and not the round ones (from the shape and size of reflectors used) we see in photographs.

I mentioned in another posting that you can use as many lights on your subject as you need but there should only be one catchlight in each eye, typically at the 2 or 10 o'clock position. If the eyes have no catchlights, I will used white or a light tint of color with a small soft brush in Photoshop to place a light in each eye using the pupil as a guide if visible. By that I try to place the catchlight on the perimeter of the pupil where it meets the iris. You will find that some studios use large umbrella lights and will leave the large catchlights in the eyes. Again it is a matter of personal preference. Study how these lights appear and see what works best for you. Please let me know if you have any questions.

[Val1064]

Lee, Does this look better to you? I adjusted the curves and found there was a catchlight and enhanced it a tad.

[clockdoc]

Yep, I like this version much better. You made a good point---sometime the catchlight is dim or just not visible until you enlarge it or adjust the levels. That helps in locating the original spot.

[xxpinballxx]

I think it looks just right now....looks natural....

[Val1064]

Thanks for all your help! I am happy with the way it looks now.