Realistic Uncropped My Baby Picture

[ccting]

Well, I am still a newbie of Photography.

Unmodified Lighting condition: very low as 2.9 EV (Compared to normal room lighting EV-5-7). Night time, room litted by 2X5 watt bulb
Lighting Props : N/A
Camera: Nikon D5100 Entry level
Len : VR Kit Len 18-55mm, widest aperture at 34mm is F5
Autofocus Speed vs 50mm f1.8 AFS : Much much slower (stupid len = super slow len), sometimes, it takes more than 10s to fire after I press the shutter button.
Principle of shooting: No Flash for baby, No AF indicator assistant
Baby behavior: Very active, runing here and there, never stop
Aperture: F5 (widest)
Focal Length: 34mm
Shutter Speed : 1/20
ISO: 6400
Exp Compensate: +1.3EV
Aperture Priority for widest possible
Metering : Matrix (reasoning for not using spot: lighting not consistent, and shoot almost fill frame which assume matrix almost correct even low light)
Active D-Lighting:Normal (best at low light)
Picture control: Vivid instead of portrait

Questions:
1) Forget about lighting as that is the maximum lighting I have in that bedroom. Forget about Flash and AF assistant, I will never switch them on for my baby. Forget about tissue on flash too

2) How is the Framing of the picture- Frame size, Frame orientation, in-camera crop? The framing I did 100% using in-camera. What in my mind is, eyes should be dead center in this case for sharpest, while leaving some negative space at left and bottom corner to balance out the view way. I follow the golden section where the ratio of head : Body = 1.61: 1. Nice placement?

3) How is the color? Line? etc etc

4) Besides shooting high, what is the perspective to hide surrounding from viewers. Hard to fill the whole frame is he is moving too frequent.

5) Any improvement?

6) My baby always want to take my camera from me when I try to shoot him, how to stop him? The AF is too slow..

7) Have you notice any kind of noise? Color noise on his face?

8) Any distortion notice for this 34mm (34X1.5 = 51 Normal) focal length? Distance from him 3 inches to get blur effect of his body.

9) How do you think about his pose? haha

10) Do you think I need 35mm F1.8 or 50mm f1.8 for my baby photography? Why?

11) Why I did not use Grey card? ==> My baby will get from me before I use them.

Well, I know this pic is taken in easy way.. but just want to have your opinion.

[dmann]

Cute kid.

Why is your ISO 6400? The highest i have mine go is 800, or i see a bit of noise. I see lots of noise in this pic and I believe that's the culprit.

I would have maybe tried to get him to look up, my eyes don't really know what to focus on. If he was looking up that may fix that.

As for the framing I a,m not one for pictures being angled, I find you should only do that if it adds something to the picture otherwise for normal shots it makes it akward to look at.

Hope that helps.

[dmann]

Oh and as for your question about the 35mm or 50mm, I have been using a 50mm 1.8 and it's great for portraits. I would say that's the one most used for portraits. so I would go with that.

[ccting]

Why is your ISO 6400? The highest i have mine go is 800, or i see a bit of noise. I see lots of noise in this pic and I believe that's the culprit.
==>It is extremely low light in the bed room. It is only 2.9 EV and you can't even read a book. Furthermore the widest aperture that i have is f5


I would have maybe tried to get him to look up, my eyes don't really know what to focus on. If he was looking up that may fix that.
==>By the time he lookup, I don't have chance to shot as he will take my camera away from me. The Autofocus is so slow where it takes at least 2-4 seconds to focus at best case. Sometimes it takes more than 10 seconds. Perhaps manual focus will do but that needs experience. Therefore I just can't let him see that I am holding a camera..

As for the framing I a,m not one for pictures being angled, I find you should only do that if it adds something to the picture otherwise for normal shots it makes it akward to look at.

==>Thanks. Another reason why i exclude surrounding is I don't want viewer to look at my bedroom

[dmann]

I would maybe still try to lower your ISO and slow down your shutter speed a bit, I understand with moving babies that may not be an option.

I wonder if you could lower the ISO and have a darker image but lighten it in post? Just a thought, I am learning too so take this all with a grain of salt.

[ccting]

Originally Posted by dmann

I would maybe still try to lower your ISO and slow down your shutter speed a bit, I understand with moving babies that may not be an option.

I wonder if you could lower the ISO and have a darker image but lighten it in post? Just a thought, I am learning too so take this all with a grain of salt.

The lowest speed that can go is 1/15. The VR does not work for focal Length less than 50mm, which will ensure blur at that shutter speed 1/15. The VR only work for 2 stop at 55mm. . Another reason for not lowering the speed further is, the shorter distance between camera and moving subject, the faster shutter speed is needed, because the movement is more drasmatic

At the light condition and widest f-number (5)

ISO Speed
6400 = 1/20
3200 = 1/9
1600 = 1/4
800 = 1/2
400 = 1.2"
200 = 2"
100 = 4"

[TheMoons678]

Why not just get a bounce flash ? It's not always ideal but it makes taking shots of the kids indoors beyond easy if you want to catch a moment without worrying about lighting/slow shutter.

This was taken i think the first day I got my sb600.

iso 320
50mm 1.8
f/2.8
1/60 (auto)
flash bounced straight up

The raccoon eyes arent ideal, but it was first shot and no flash would have left me at 1/15 or 1/30


compare to built in flash:
(first day I got my 50mm)

[ccting]

I don't have speedlight..

[TheMoons678]

I'd get one, or improve the lighting because you might as well use your camera phone which will produce better images.

I remember being frustrated when I first got my camera during an outing when shots were just not turning out and I felt the lighting was getting in my way. Since then, I have come to terms with the fact that shots will not always turn out amazing in every lighting situation. No need to beat a dead horse and force a shot out of nothing.

In that situation I probably would have just used the pop up flash (maybe even in Auto mode if I cant get it right myself). The image would look flat, but would still be useable. If I had time i might try to bounce the pop up flash off a nearby wall with a 3x5 card or try to diffuse with some tupperwear from the kitchen.

PS here is the first flash I got, this is on amazon for $89 used and is more powerful than my SB600.

Amazon.com: Bower SFD926N Nikon i-TTL Power Zoom Flash: Camera & Photo

[ccting]

SB600 costs more than USD 400 in my country. A Good tripod costs more than my D5100, I am not going to get any of them as i will not become a professional photographer. Never buy from Amazon, but i believe the tax is not cheap, 200-700%? Imported car costs around 7 times more expensive.. I think it is more useful to get 35mm f1.8 than 50mm f1.8. 35mm f1.8 is sharper than 50mm f.18. 50mm f1.8 is sharper than 50mm f.14.

The bokeh of 35mm is better than 50mm f1.8, but with that short focal length, it is quite hard to get blur background..
I don't like to switch lenses. 35mm can be used for everything.