Stylish Little Man

[Ash Fuehrer]

Today I decided to try to get some family and holiday photos, but a grumpy baby equaled a crazy session. Here is one of the few decent photos I was able to get.



EXIF
f/5.6
1/60
ISO-400
20mm

Looking for any cc as I'm still new to photography and any advice is helpful. I haven't done any post processing yet, looking for advice on where to go and what to do. Please keep in mind for any post processing suggestions I have Elements 8.

The rest of the photos are available here Family Holiday Practice - a set on Flickr

[jdepould]

Probably should've steamed/ironed the backdrop and used a larger aperture.

[MrJones]

if you're going after studio photography (meaning at home with a backdrop), you'll need serious lightning.
it's hard to do this with the available light, or should I say unavailable light indoors.
you're using a slow shutter speed for a kid, and that's why you got that motion blur in his eyes. try bumping up the ISO, using a larger aperture and faster shutter speed, it will blur the backdrop a bit but not enough to get over the wrinkles.
what you need to do for next time is get extra lightning, wether it is flash units or ambient lightning of some sort and point one at the white backdrop. plus, as jdepould said, ironing it wouldn't hurt

[BK553]

Quickly, just a couple:

• Collar is folded
• Background not smooth (may be able to fix in post)
• top of head/forehead poorly lit
• motion blur in hands
• red blotches on face
• drool on chin
• partial R ear distracting
• image noisy for iso 400
• pink background clashes with white

ask and you shall receive

[Ash Fuehrer]

Thank you everyone. Any help/advice I get is very helpful, I know I can't get better if I dont try and well yesterday I tried, and I rushed (I know that its better to take my time) but I can use everything as a learning experience and with the advice I received I can start to get better.

Thank you again.

[sbakewell1101]

i have worked with crying babies for years and while i am not really a lighting expert, i can tell you how to get that unhappy kid a little happier, one invest in a tripod and a remote for your camera. Now this is me personally subject to other criticizes of course, but i "frame" a little loose when dealing with children so that not if they move, but WHEN they move i still have them in frame. I also am very animated when working with kids.. putting something on my head and "sneezing" it off works for me. :-)