Still Learning!

[AesBreCov]

OK, so I've gotten many tips from this forum, and I really appreciate it.....now, I'm trying to figure it all out a little at a time!

The first thing I figured out was the single point focus, which REALLY helps when my camera doesn't know what to focus on (and I can't move fast enough in manual) when my two-year-old is the subject! This is just a snapshot, but I loved how it captures his personality. My biggest question is, even messing with the focus points, does it look like I got it, or did he still move too fast?

Also, I didn't try to get a close-up, because I think the context is lost without the rest....that said, do you think I do need a tighter crop to keep him the subject, or is it ok?

I don't know what the heck I'm doing in post, to be quite honest, but I played with it a little, because his face was a bit underexposed.....does the exposure look ok now? Also, the colors were kinda blah, I guess, and I don't think there was anything I could do, just because those are the colors of the season, I suppose....so, I just played with it until I got an effect that I think I like, but if it looks totally stupid to you, then other suggestions are definitely welcomed.



Camera Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 55 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire

[Guitarplayr34]

I'm no expert, but I really like the story of this shot. The look on his face is great! The post processing doesn't bother me either (again no expert) There are 2 things I would change. First get a little lower, closer to his eye level. And I would have had him on the other side of the shot. With the hose curving to the right, it makes me want to keep looking right. That being said I'm sure that's a photo you will show him for years to come!

[AesBreCov]

Originally Posted by Guitarplayr34

I'm no expert, but I really like the story of this shot. The look on his face is great! The post processing doesn't bother me either (again no expert) There are 2 things I would change. First get a little lower, closer to his eye level. And I would have had him on the other side of the shot. With the hose curving to the right, it makes me want to keep looking right. That being said I'm sure that's a photo you will show him for years to come!

Thank you! I agree, it would have been better if I was down at his level....I usually try to, but I was holding my 2-month-old at the time, so it wasn't as easy moving around. I see, now, what you mean about the hose making you look off to the right....I didn't really notice that before!

[yulchick]

What a cute lil guy, I think its a great shot, and doesnt need to be cropped, I like how he isnt in the middle of the frame but rather to the side, and the brenches to the left add a lil something special to the shot and I think the post processing works well for this shot, with it still being yucky outside

[superduperwesman]

I really like the photo!

The focus doesn't bother me at all, composition is good, exposure is good, post is good.

Great shot IMO.

[itsTylerRandall]

Wow. I really love this picture. I am not a pro, but I do know many things about photography, and I can tell you that this is a great shot.

The composition in this is great, the exposure is pretty much spot on and the post processing isn't too much.

In all, amazing shot

[SusanH1970]

I think it would be a much stronger image if the garden hose (or whatever it is) was cloned out. He still looks a tad underexposed to me and while I like the processing, I'd back off just a little.

Love the expression on his face!

[AesBreCov]

Haven't been on in a while, and came back to see I had a lot more responses! Thank you all for the compliments and the tips. I may try cloning out the hose in the background....but it may take me a while to figure out how!

[shauncunninghamphoto]

Excellent shot in my opinion. Has real character about it. I was immediately drawn to his expression. It's as though he saying, "I have a hose and I'm not afraid to use it!"

I would offer the following critique:-

Cloning out the hose would be a matter of personal taste. For me, it works better with the hose.

Composition is good but could be great! If you were slightly lower (i.e. if you weren't holding another child lol), and slightly closer you may have achieved a greater impact. Firstly, you would've managed to get his eyes just on or about the top right golden mean point (the point at which the RoT grid intersects between the upper horizontal and the right vertical. See here for a more detailed description: Jodie Coston: Lesson 1 - MorgueFile). The result would be that your son's face would be a little higher, a little more to the left and due to being closer to him, a little larger. This would draw you to his eyes even more directly. Secondly, being closer would've made the end of the hose a little larger too (but subtley) adding further perspective and complementing your son's "attitude."

Lighting: I like the lighting in the shot and I like the shadowing on yor son's face. It adds to the attitude in my opinion. That said, I can't help but wonder what some fill would've done. A reflector disc positioned low and to your son's right (i.e. roughly in the middle of the shot) facing back up to his face to deflect light back onto it might've made his eyes "pop"

Vignette: I think the vignette complements the character of the photo but is slightly too much in my opinion.

Overall, I think it's a fantastic shot. It's defininately a keeper!

Thanks for posting.

Shaun

Home - Shaun Cunningham Photography

[AesBreCov]

Originally Posted by shauncunninghamphoto

Excellent shot in my opinion. Has real character about it. I was immediately drawn to his expression. It's as though he saying, "I have a hose and I'm not afraid to use it!"

I would offer the following critique:-

Cloning out the hose would be a matter of personal taste. For me, it works better with the hose.

Composition is good but could be great! If you were slightly lower (i.e. if you weren't holding another child lol), and slightly closer you may have achieved a greater impact. Firstly, you would've managed to get his eyes just on or about the top right golden mean point (the point at which the RoT grid intersects between the upper horizontal and the right vertical. See here for a more detailed description: Jodie Coston: Lesson 1 - MorgueFile). The result would be that your son's face would be a little higher, a little more to the left and due to being closer to him, a little larger. This would draw you to his eyes even more directly. Secondly, being closer would've made the end of the hose a little larger too (but subtley) adding further perspective and complementing your son's "attitude."

Lighting: I like the lighting in the shot and I like the shadowing on yor son's face. It adds to the attitude in my opinion. That said, I can't help but wonder what some fill would've done. A reflector disc positioned low and to your son's right (i.e. roughly in the middle of the shot) facing back up to his face to deflect light back onto it might've made his eyes "pop"

Vignette: I think the vignette complements the character of the photo but is slightly too much in my opinion.

Overall, I think it's a fantastic shot. It's defininately a keeper!

Thanks for posting.

Shaun

Home - Shaun Cunningham Photography

Thank you for all your tips! I am still a beginner and learning as much as I can (hoping I start to get things right to where my husband will actually let me invest in some good equipment - even if it is just to photograph my boys!). As for the reflector disc (and really any lighting or other equipment), do you think that's something I should invest in ASAP? I understand what you're saying here, and I do wonder now if that would have really helped....but right now I'm still trying to learn my camera and basic composition (with whatever light is available).....I'm not sure if my brain is ready to try to figure in any other elements - does that make sense? And if it does, am I completely stupid and should be figuring out everything all at once, instead of later? I know I kinda went off on a tangent there, but I've been reading all the critiques throughout this forum, not just mine, and there are so many references to other things that I haven't even thought about, so it gets me thinking I'm going about everything completely wrong to begin with!

As for the vignette - the more I look at it, the more I tend to agree...just a little heavy-handed on the mouse that day, I guess!