We All Scream for Ice Cream!

[JetFanZee]

I'm a first time poster, and new to the photo world. I snapped this one of my daughter while on vacation in Costa Rica, but want move on from snap shots to something more. The original as taken seemed a bit washed out, so I played around in Lightbox to get the attached results. As you can tell I'm new to the post production world too! I'm pretty happy with the composition, but can't seem to get that crisp "Professional" look I like so much. Any suggestions on how to add depth to the final product will be very much appreciated.


Camera: Pentax K200
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: +0.5 EV
Flash: No Flash

[zona5101]

cute picture...first thing I see holding it back is the focus point. Eyes are out of focus while there is a segment of the hair that is sharp.

[JetFanZee]

I guess I've been lazy and relying on the AF too much! Thanks for the good tip!

[olgabe]

Nice shot, and I agree with the focus comment.
This particular shot was taken looking down on the girl from adults' height - it works in this one for me. Something to keep in mind is that most pro images are taken at or below kid's eye level - that little hint may help you.

[JetFanZee]

Thanks! I was just lucky she stayed still long enough to get the shot!

[denja]

Adorable memory making image! I took the liberty of making some tweaks to it. First of all I applied an unsharp mask to the entire photo. Then, I dodged and burned the eyes to help them "pop" a little, and then applied another unsharp mask to just the eyes. If you would like me to take this down, please let me know.

Jim