My 'Black & White' Baby Niece

[swiftmed]

Hey Guys,

Well, I am very new to photography, only had a DSLR for a month and am still learning a great deal. Very recently, I have gotten to like some of my photos in Black & White. I was never fully happy with the B&W conversion in Aperture, so bought the NIK Software package and am getting some great results.

Here is a picture of my niece that I took earlier today. The sun was shining through the blinds onto her face, so there are some lighting patches on her face. Only post-processing I have done was to turn it into B&W in Silver Efex Pro, and am looking for any constructive criticism you can give me on any aspect of my photo.

Thanks very much.

[SusanH1970]

Hi Andrew,

She's a little cutie! Unfortunately, the lighting here is not good. The highlights are blown, and the shadows are really harsh. There's no light in her eyes and she's squinting.

Keep an eye on your backgrounds - the throw rug and the toy or whatever to the right of her face are distracting.

Composition-wise, she's more or less centered and you've shot from above; a common thing new photographers do. Try getting down to her level.

She's certainly a doll and good for you for posting for crtiique, it's how we all learn! Keep shooting and posting. Hope this helps.

[swiftmed]

Hi Susan,

Thank you, yes we love her to bits. Thanks also for your feedback. I was reading somewhere a while ago how 'sometimes' light patterns (through window blinds/stained glass windows) onto a subject can look quite good. In this case, this picture was taken purely as a candid, so the background wasn't set/cleaned up, nor was there any attempt to direct or remove the light coming through the window, resulting in the above picture.

More recently I have been getting down on her level, and have managed to get some lovely pictures by doing that. (see pic attached below). But the truth of the matter is i still have a hell of a lot to learn. Im just beginning to get my head around manual mode, I now have to learn more about composition, lighting, and everything else related, which is why - to me - this forum is a goldmine.

Thanks again for your input - it really is very much appreciated.

[SusanH1970]

Definitely playing with light to make interesting shadows is fun! Here is an example that work well (not my image, just did a search on Flickr):

Blind | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

A good habit to get into is to look at how the light is falling before you even click the shutter. Look for odd shadows and move your subject if necessary. Also look for light reflection (catchlights) in the eyes, and again, watch your backgrounds, even in candids.

In the 2nd pic you posted, the POV is much more interesting. Play with angles, it's a great way to learn. If she'd been facing more toward the window, you'd have gotten great light!

[swiftmed]

Thank you for the advice, Susan. I will certainly take all that into account and hopefully make myself a much better photographer with time and practice.

I also like the POV in the second picture. I can definitely see what people mean when they say to get on their level when photographing children. It makes a hell of a difference.

[SusanH1970]

Glad to help, Andrew.

Just to illustrate my point with looking at the light before you click the shutter, here's a client's daughter, around the same age as your niece. Sliding glass doors were camera left, a reflector camera right. She wasn't a fan of sitting still so I had to shoot fast!

2web | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Blue eyed beauty! | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

And, sometimes looking down at your subject can be fun, for quirky stuff using wide angles :
Wide angle fun! | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Hope my photos give you some ideas!

[Nicole Hanna]

I am new to photography myself and admittedly know very little about the "science" behind a good picture, but I like what I like and really don't take much care to remember "rules" while I'm shooting so long as I enjoy the image (which is probably a big no-no among professionals or pro-sumers, but eh....). I think your shot here is totally candid, therefore I don't mind the squinting. I think it's quite cute actually. I think another doe-eyed shot would have bored me at this juncture. It's not always the most honest portrait a photographer can capture. I think from above is a great level depending on the pose of the subject, and compositionally I think she's where I'd prefer a subject in the frame. I don't, however, like the toys and rug in the background, but I understand this wasn't a planned shot therefore it's not easy to avoid those kinds of background "noise". The highlights don't look blown to me, though they probably are, if I were to look at the histogram (and understand it LOL) but I don't mind bright brights and dark darks. So much of it is subjective, despite the rules. All of art is.

[swiftmed]

Thanks for those samples, Susan.

I have to admit, those shots have blown me away. Especially the first black and white one of the baby. Absolutely amazing pictures. As I said on the picture itself, If i could be 10% as good as shots like that one day, ill be a very happy young man!

Thanks a lot for your feedback and kind words Nicole. Very kind indeed. I am also of the opinion that I know what type of picture I like and those pictures don't have to conform to any specific set of rules - as long as it's pleasing to look at, im happy.

Having said that, I also want to become a better photographer, and to break the rules, I need to know the rules in the firstplace, hence my participation in the community.

[Nicole Hanna]

Exactly. It's a personal mission to learn what I can and then choose to disregard it as often as humanly possible. LOL

[autofocus]

Ahh...I love a free spirit! But let's talk about rules for a second. I feel like chiming in on this one. Without rules, there's chaos, whether it be in art, photography, or life in general. The basic elements of art and design were not invented yesterday by some upstart photographer. They go back centuries to the time of the masters. These same rules worked for them, and they still work and can be applied today. Yes, you can break them from time to time, but if it becomes the focus of your style you may just as well be taking photographs of rigid posed subjects with flagpoles growing out of their heads. And BTW, if you choose this route, don't quit your day job.