Another Go around--at the Beach

[Nieton21]

(Level:beginner)

I did a pic somewhat similar to this the other day, different location but same person. i tried to learn a lot from the mistakes I made and the critiques I got (thank you so much) and hopefull this turned out to be a better result, at least in my eyes it is! One question I keep asking myself about is how should I set my focal length, and if this is the right lens for the job. Any and all suggestions are so cheerished I love learning about Photography and improving! Thanks so much for your guys' help!

camera info:

Exposure: 1/100
Aperture: F. 5.6
Focal Lenght: 47mm
Mode: Aperture Priority

there is more info here
http://flickr.com/photos/nieton21/378950029/

[Nicole]

I think that you have improved with this shot. The background is much nicer, you've used a larger aperture to blur it a bit more. So I think that the composition is really improved.

The only thing that I wish were different is that I wish her face was a bit lighter. This probably could have been accomplished by using your flash (I know, it seems counter-intuitive to use a flash on a reasonably bright day). But it would've lit up the face, and gotten rid of some of the shadows by the eyes.

Since you've said it's ok to edit and repost your images, here is what I've done with this one:

I'm using Elements here, so you get an idea of what I've done. I selected your model with the magnetic lasso since it's a pretty simple shape thanks to the hoodie. Then I created a new adjustment layer and adjusted the levels and I brought up the levels to brighten the face a bit. Just a quick edit, I'm sure more could be done, but I'm still a relative newbie at photoshop stuff.

[alissasanderson]

I was going to say exactly what Nicole said...I wish her face was lighter. Not only can flash help with that, sometimes I use a piece of white foamcore board as a reflector. $.97 at K-Mart, and it can make all the difference in the world. Just hold your camera with one hand (or better yet, use a tripod) and use the other hand to hold the foamcore under your chin or over your head or out to the side or whatever to reflect some natural light onto your subject. I've heard cardboard covered with foil works, too, but I've never tried it...

Besides that, I think this is a great shot. I really like the offcenter composition.

[hsroxas]

I had to look again at your first post just to have a reference.
Yes, for a portrait shot this definitely is an improvement over the first one. Just like, the earlier comments it looks underexposed for my taste.
On the matter of using flash, Canon has a wonderful tutorial at http://www.photoworkshop.com/canon/.
On the matter of the lens, yes, the kit lens can do the job. On the matter of the focal length, it seems to me you have a handle on it. I would have used the same focal length with a kit lens for that kind of a shot. Using the wide end for that kind of a shot would mean that you have to be closer to the subject (sometimes causing your subject some amount of discomfort) and might introduce distortions as some body parts like the nose would now be closer to the lens. For some ideas on Canon Lenses, may I recommend http://www.the-digital-picture.com/.

[Nieton21]

Hey thanks Hsroxas I just checked out the canon tutorial that had a lot of great information. I'll deffinately check out that other link as well... I can't believe I didn't even think about it before! This site is so great for information, I'm recommending it to all my friends!

[marc_714]

Compared to your first post this is a great imrrovement on style and setup. I like the off center approach ( some people don't but I do a lot of it.

[Nieton21]

I went with the offcenter so you could get a little bit of a apreciation of the location along with the model

[PCYarrow]

I keep coming back and looking at this photo because I think it is great. I do prefer the one that has been adjusted to remove the darkness from around the eyes.

Great photo

[Digidave]

Originally Posted by marc_714

Compared to your first post this is a great imrrovement on style and setup. I like the off center approach ( some people don't but I do a lot of it.

This really is a perfect picture to illustrate the effects of having your subject off center like that. Keep up the good work!!