Say What?

[RLucas]

I just got my hands on an old SB28 sppedlight a week or so ago, I haven't had time to practice too much with it, but Landon got settled down enough last night to pop off a few frames. This was one of my favorites, so I thought I would post it here for a little critique.
I know how I feel about it, but I would love some feedback on this, since I broke some obvious composition rules.
Mainly this is what I want feedback on. What do you guys feel about where I placed him in the frame? Does it work for you? Either way, Why or why not?

Feel free to critique anything else you see. This is only about the 10th frame ever I've shot with any kind of speedlight. So any comments on that would be helpful. At the moment, I only have the ability to bounce. I haven't gotten any gear to get it off camera yet.

p.s. BigFuzzy, if you see this, I know it's a baby shot, and I'm sorry!

Edit: This is a replacement photo based on color suggestions.


Say What? by RLucas2009, on Flickr
EXIF:
Exposure 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture f/6.3
Focal Length 110 mm (VR)
ISO Speed 400
Exposure Bias +1/3 EV
----------------------------------
Flagged and bounced from camera right, slightly forward, pointed between wall and ceiling. 1/2 power.

[Bruce A]

Luke

First the cons:

image size rules misdomeanor
I don't really like how Landon's ear is touching the frame and I think chopping off the top of the head doesn't suit this shot.

Pros:

Landon's a real cute little fella and his expression is terrific. For a newbie with a speedflash I think you did a bang up job - no background shadows and his face is well lit albeit a touch bright on his left. Still, it's a lovely shot of which I'm sure your proud.

[graciousness]

Can I eat him? He's delicious!

I would love to see more of his eyes. They are big and wide and I would love to see the colours pop out more in his eyes! I wonder if post processing can help just bring them out just a touch? Not a lot but just a little...

I agree with Bruce on the crop, however, this is still such a keeper. Love the negative space and actually, I wish you had pulled back a little bit more to give more room around. More of his head in the shot, a tiny room on the left, more negative space on the right. I guess this would be one of those times when it really helps to frame wider while taking the shot as it's easy to crop in the end, rather than lose space that you can't regain in edit.

I do love the tones. I do think there's too much redness on the splotchy bits (which is quite natural with babies) but I like to bring it down just a little by reducing the red, either on the entirety of the image or just on the bits where required by way of masking. I wouldn't completely remove it as it's part of the baby, but at least it wouldn't be as apparent if helped just a little bit by reducing redness.

Ahhh he's so cute! Post more!! Do one with him looking a little bit up then you'd really see his amazing eyes!

Great job

[RLucas]

Thanks Bruce and Grace!
Ahh, I was afraid it was too red! I looked at it through Chrome, IE, and Firefox, and they all were different, so I thought it was just me.

This was mostly SOOC with a WB adjustment, and some vignette. I'm going to try his eyes, but I have a real bad tendency to overdo it.
The composition, for whatever reason, I like, but for whatever reason, my tastes seem to be wildly different than a lot of people's. Not that it's a bad thing. I just thought it fit the expression he was giving.

Grace, I do have a couple where he was just looking up, and his eyes do pop, but they kind of reminded me of an old Olan Mills shot. lol! I'll post it up this evening when I get home from work.

[ccting]

Great pics.. Since after I bought my first camera June last year, I feel that I haven't improved anything...

Originally Posted by RLucas

I broke some obvious composition rules.

I wander what composition rules you have broken...? Leaving negative space on the right for eyes to navigate???

[RLucas]

Here you go Grace and Bruce.
A little different composition, and color balance based on your suggestions.
I tried to go as easy on his eyes as I could. They are naturally dark to begin with, so i didn't want him to look like a zombie. Thanks for the feedback!


Landon Feb12-7 by RLucas2009, on Flickr

[Mark Engelhart]

The last image posted is great! I love the expression the eyes and the hair going this way and that. This is a keeper. Tones and exposure look excellent on my monitor. Well done...

[graciousness]

Ohhhhh love it! That second one is yes, a winner!

Now let me put him in between 2 pieces of bread and eat him.

Great to see the photos and thanks for sharing

EDIT: Just saw that first one replaced with corrections and love that one, too! Much better tones and now you can see those gorgeous eyes more Great job!

[RLucas]

Originally Posted by Mark Engelhart

The last image posted is great! I love the expression the eyes and the hair going this way and that. This is a keeper. Tones and exposure look excellent on my monitor. Well done...

LOL! That hair cracks me up! Thanks for the feedback

Originally Posted by graciousness

Ohhhhh love it! That second one is yes, a winner!

Now let me put him in between 2 pieces of bread and eat him.

Great to see the photos and thanks for sharing

EDIT: Just saw that first one replaced with corrections and love that one, too! Much better tones and now you can see those gorgeous eyes more Great job!

Thanks Grace! It's getting much easier to edit now that my exposures in camera are closer to where I want them to be. I don't shoot as regularly as a lot of people so my learning curve is taking much longer. The hardest thing for me has been to lay off any contrast adjustments which usually shift colors around too much. I'm trying to get in to the "less is more" mindset.

[SusanH1970]

I'm going to go against the grain here and say I prefer the lighting and the tones of the first image. The second one has blown out areas and the light is flatter all around, and thought I haven't checked officially, it appears the red channel is blown.

I also prefer the comp of the first, though I do agree about the chopped ear. A tiny bit more room camera left and that would have been a winner for me.

Do you have a SOOC of the first one you could post and would be willing to let me play with?

He is far too stinkin' cute, by the way!