My first critique

[ckchef]

Playing with my new 50mm lens with my favorite subject. She asks to have her picture taken so it is great. I am new to DSLR's and went big with my selection. I dabbled with an old film cammera years ago and decided I would see what I could do about rekindling that. I feel like this is one of the best portrait shoots I have taken. I was simply using the portrait mode of the camera and was struggling with the fixed focal length a bit, but I love the shoot I ended up with. Is it just a daddy's love of his little girl or did I do alright?

From mia 4-3-11

Date Apr 3, 2011 10:33:05 AM
Width 683
Height 1024
File Size 58158
Camera Canon
Model Canon EOS 60D
ISO 100
Exposure 1/125 sec
Aperture 2.0
Focal Length 50mm
Flash Used false
White Balance 0
Metering Mode 5
Exposure Program 7
CCD Width 22.987
Exposure Bias 0.0
Focal Plane X-Resolution 5728.177
Focal Plane Resolution Unit 2.0
Artist C K
Date and Time (Original) 2011:04:03 17:33:05
Color Space 1
X-Resolution 72.0
Y-Resolution 72.0
Resolution Unit 2
Software Picasa
Date and Time 2011:04:03 17:33:05
YCbCr Positioning 2
Date and Time (Digitized) 2011:04:03 17:33:05
Subject Time 65
Sub Sec Time (Original) 65
Sub Sec Time (Digitized) 65
Custom Rendered 0
Exposure Mode 0
Focal Length (in 35mm film) 78
Scene Capture Type 0
Interoperability Index R98
Related Image Width 5184
Related Image Height 3456

[tyasa81]

#1 I am new to DSLR's and went big with my selection.
#2 I dabbled with an old film cammera years ago and decided I would see what I could do about rekindling that. I was simply using the portrait mode of the camera and was struggling with the fixed focal length a bit, but
#3 I love the shoot I ended up with.

#1 congrats on your 60d..
#2 since you're used to film, why did you use the more automatic modes of the camera? i'm guessing you should understand the effect of aperture, shutter and iso right? if not, then try to analyse this picture...
#3 50 is the lens that makes me love photography too... and i've not touched a film camera before
#4 i think you missed focus... i'm not sure how advanced you are, but for this kind of portraits it's best to focus on the eyes and let everything else be soft... cute kid! how old is she that she can ask for her pictures to be taken? mine usually runs away from the camera instead of approaching it... welcome

[BigFuzzy]

You should be happy with it as you seem to be because it means something to you and, in the end, that's the most important thing.

Having said that, all that tyasa said is true and relevant, particularly on the focus issue.

Purely looking at it objectively, and in my opinion, such a portrait is all about eye contact and that's completely lost without focus being on the eyes. I know it's tough with a 50mm especially when shooting with a wide aperture due to the DoF, but it's critical that the eyes are sharp. Seeing as you had 1/125th shutter speed, that wasn't the issue, so it was an issue of where/how you focused.

So it comes down to how you want to look at it. :
1. Are you happy with it as the persone it's intended for? If so, then success!
2. If you're asking in a more traditional, objective sense, to me the failed focus kills what otherwise is a great great shot.

By the way, I love the tight crop, that's great!

[ckchef]

Thank you for the comments.


tyasa81: It was 20 yrs ago that I dabbled with the film camera, and I did not dabble enough back then to gain an understanding of settings, nor did I have any available information to learn from. I have more understanding now from reading on this site, but chose the auto mode this time.

I understand the focus on the eyes point. I was trying to shoot from below her perspective, and as I would lay on the floor , she would lay down also. So it was difficult to keep everything in place.

She is 2 and will ask for "piccha" without even seeing the camera.


BigFuzzy: That is actually the full image. I did not crop it at all. Had I had some distance I think I might have gotten better focus, but as you can see she is right up in the camera.

[o.pulido]

Great composition; great subject; too soft around the eyes.