My Niece running on the walk

[Naala]

Hello, Im new to this community and to dslr, this is my first submission So I took this photo of my niece today, I love what it became but I am very subjective and I want to know what others think. I am learning with the goal to be a child and family photographer so I really need some objective opinion.

I would love to know what you think about focus, exposure, positioning, cropping and the PP.

If there is anything else that catches your eye that could be improved?
My thoughts:
> I kind of dont like that black spot (window) on the wall behind her head.
> I wish she was sharper by default not trough PP. I think EF50mm f/1.8 II has a very slow AF?

Thanks

[graciousness]

Very cute photo and a very cute child

There are only very minor things that could improve this photo as it is well exposed and you have captured a great expression on the child's face. Where it could be improved is the composition.

I do shoot a lot of children and I know how difficult it is so kudos for a good job in capturing this moment. In regards to composition, though, I find that the subject is too centred. Whilst you can't tell the child to walk or run this way or that way so her position is not quite so centred, however, you could have moved more to the left or right so that she is more to either the left side of the frame or the right and she's not so centred with the road. I would have liked to have seen the road leading out of the frame and she is framed either more to the left or right. I can't explain it any better than this so I hope you understand what I am trying to explain...

Seeing that she was following you and your camera, by you moving more to the right side (out of the center of the road but on the side of the road), you could have framed her more to camera left of the frame and you would, then, see the road leading out curving a little to the right. Same could have been done if you were to the left side of the road and you could have positioned her to camera right, the hedges curving away to the left.

You do have to watch out for lines in your images and you want to position subject and lines so that they compliment each other.

In regards to sharpness, if you were shooting RAW, this wouldn't matter as raw will always be softer with sharpness and colours and this requires adjustment in post processing according to how you want it. As it is, she is quite sharp to me and she's fine.

If you have good eyesight, use manual focus. It is known that the 50mm has slow autofocus. I have one (albeit pseudo macro at f/2.5) and yeah, I find the autofocus very slow and I use manual focus. I have bad eyesight, though, and sometimes I do miss. But I take the chances as I find that I do better job focusing manually than completely missing shots because of the slow AF.

Great job and keep posting! I hope this helps and you comprehend what I have written.

Cheers,

Grace

[Wendianne]

I like the shot, and though you could have put her more to the left, I like the feel of the road perspective running back to the house on the right, helps express her movement forward I thought!

[Naala]

Thanks for both of you for comments!
I do understand what you are saying Graciousness, thanks for explaining.

In regards to road being too centered, I did later think of that too, but I have to practice to think of it while it is happening There is really so much to consider in short time, where the line goes never even crossed my mind!
There was my mom on the left and I had to crop her feet out, and my sister with my baby paralel to me (yes, a lot of us), and I was just thinking about keeping her attention and whether she will be focused or no. Now that I look at it after reading your comments I see a lot of space for improving composition. The least would be having more space on the right...

I did couple of similar shots with her running towards me until she reaches me, and I was thinking of having them as a set of 3, it would be really perfect, if the last one wasnt too out of focus... and she didnt want to play anymore. Huh, children
I do love to use manual focus but for this kind of action where she is running I dont think thats possible or I am not there yet.

Practice makes perfect I guess...

[metoo]

I like it. The window is a little annoying, but I'm not sure it would have bothered me if you hadn't pointed it out. lol

[Naala]

lol, I just saw it when I was posting the thread, and it bothers me since then