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DPChallenge Forums >> Individual Photograph Discussion >> First attempt - your opinions/suggestions?
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 12/30/2008 01:00:42 PM · #1
Ok.. Got my camera a couple of days ago and got my 85mm lens in today... this is the first shot I've taken and it turned out fair I guess.. your thoughts? very minimal photoshop - just mainly resizing. This is my baby girl :) she turned 1 yesterday.



Message edited by author 2008-12-30 13:00:54.
 12/30/2008 01:32:42 PM · #2
The highlights seem a bit blown and the color balance seems off. Can you be more specific in the settings you used, lighting, ISO, stop, speed, etc.
 12/30/2008 01:41:19 PM · #3
The technical wizards will give you more advice on, well, technicals, but I LOVE the shot. Truly a delightful capture of a delightful young lady!
 12/30/2008 01:52:26 PM · #4
I like the hi-key look on the shot and as Deb stated it's a cute capture of a pretty little girl, beautiful eyes and lovely hair;-). I feel, as a matter of preference, that taking the color out or partially in the background would give you even more emphasis on your little girl.
 12/30/2008 01:58:21 PM · #5
Yes very cute, and I love the eyes. The finger in the mouth is classic, and she looks like she woke up from a long night of teething! ;) Melethia is just happy to see a lovely creature that is not a pigeon!

I'm not a technical wizard, but I'll give you my two bits. Did you use a flash or is the light coming from a window? Did you shoot in RAW, you can bring down the highlights to improve her skin. I think PGerst is referring to the pink cast on the skin that is not blown out. I'm sure this will look good in black and white along with a crop that moves her away from the center of the photograph.

Congrats on the new gear. The 85mm prime is a great lens, I love it.
 12/30/2008 01:59:50 PM · #6
Still a total noob so I'm sure a lot was wrong with it lol.

settings were: 2.2, ISO 400, 1/50

Lighting was her in front of the window.. :)

Used my 85mm 1.8 lens and Canon XSi body.. No flash...

12/30/2008 02:01:43 PM · #7
Your baby girl is too cute for words! Looks like the flash fired [or it was a sunny day]. They're so fast at that age, never still, big photo-challenge but lots of motivation for a daddy, your reflexes will soo be even more sharp. Please take about a million more!

Message edited by author 2008-12-30 14:02:43.
 12/30/2008 03:31:29 PM · #8
Originally posted by pixelpig:
Your baby girl is too cute for words! Looks like the flash fired [or it was a sunny day]. They're so fast at that age, never still, big photo-challenge but lots of motivation for a daddy, your reflexes will soo be even more sharp. Please take about a million more!


No flash on that one, or the stuff in the near BG would be illuminated flatly, and it isn't. Just overexposure of the skin tones, is what it is. Great shot otherwise, wonderful expression.

R.
 12/30/2008 04:17:30 PM · #9
Cool shot, try a BW version to see what it looks like. Make sure and post it!
 12/30/2008 06:29:59 PM · #10
Here's the B&W version :)

12/30/2008 06:31:45 PM · #11
Much better in BW, IMO. BW is the savior of white balance and other technical mistakes. ;-)
 12/30/2008 06:34:13 PM · #12
yup, much better imo as well.
 12/30/2008 06:34:51 PM · #13
Wow - lovely in B & W, and see how much better it is after cropping to place her off- centre?

Great shot!
 12/30/2008 06:42:53 PM · #14
IF you shot in RAW, have a play around in lightroom or Photoshop, but a warning, you will be hooked at editing ;)
 12/30/2008 06:45:51 PM · #15
I think it's wonderful!!! You're really making me want the 85mm now. I've got a baby on the way any day now and was SO delighted to receive a 50mm f1.4 to replace the 50mm f1.7 that I dropped off my dining room table a few months ago. Really wanted a fast prime for baby picture taking! But that 85mm just steals the breath away, as does your darling little girl :-)
 12/30/2008 06:47:14 PM · #16
So for future reference - how do i prevent the overexposure??

I posted my settings a few posts up... and it was just light coming in from the window...
 12/30/2008 06:48:30 PM · #17
and THANK YOU everyone for the compliments on my little girl :) She's my sweetie... well... most of the time ;) lol.
 12/30/2008 07:00:01 PM · #18
Originally posted by malenurse1979:
and THANK YOU everyone for the compliments on my little girl :) She's my sweetie... well... most of the time ;) lol.


lol at sweetie, she looks like trouble to me Mr Male Nurse, welcome to this little corner of the web they call dpc :)

heres my quick and dirty edit....

12/30/2008 08:09:10 PM · #19
I like this photo a lot. The high key works for me.

Just bringing out a little of the highlights with the shadows/highlights tool, give this:


A couple of quick black & white coversions using virtual photographer presets:


12/30/2008 08:29:17 PM · #20
Originally posted by malenurse1979:
So for future reference - how do i prevent the overexposure??

I posted my settings a few posts up... and it was just light coming in from the window...


Well, you have choices. I would just turn the ISO down to about 200 but you could also boost the shutter speed up or close down your aperture to about f5 or so.
 12/30/2008 08:35:27 PM · #21
Originally posted by malenurse1979:
Ok.. Got my camera a couple of days ago and got my 85mm lens in today... this is the first shot I've taken and it turned out fair I guess.. your thoughts? very minimal photoshop - just mainly resizing. This is my baby girl :) she turned 1 yesterday.

seems like the exposure is off, unless it was intentional.
the face lacks details, but again this works if you're going for the high key stuff.
cute baby i'd like to add.
 12/30/2008 08:37:54 PM · #22
Originally posted by malenurse1979:
So for future reference - how do i prevent the overexposure??

I posted my settings a few posts up... and it was just light coming in from the window...


If your camera was in any one of the auto exposure modes (auto/aperture/shutter) i.e. pretty much everything not full manual, it looks like it's exposing for the full frame rather than for your subject. Check your settings, you'll probably find one something like 'centre weighted average', which will expose more for your subject (the centre of the focal area plus some surrounding area) rather than the whole frame.

Sorry for sounding a little vague on the settings, I don't know what they are all called or where they are on Canon's :)
 12/30/2008 08:41:43 PM · #23
Originally posted by Covert_Oddity:
Originally posted by malenurse1979:
So for future reference - how do i prevent the overexposure??

I posted my settings a few posts up... and it was just light coming in from the window...


If your camera was in any one of the auto exposure modes (auto/aperture/shutter) i.e. pretty much everything not full manual, it looks like it's exposing for the full frame rather than for your subject. Check your settings, you'll probably find one something like 'centre weighted average', which will expose more for your subject (the centre of the focal area plus some surrounding area) rather than the whole frame.

Sorry for sounding a little vague on the settings, I don't know what they are all called or where they are on Canon's :)


LOLOL!! Oops! I assumed he was shooting in Manual!

You are right on the money. It is in the exposure/metering menu. One of the little buttons on the right around your menu button on the back. Should have a symbol that looks like this: [0] only sideways.
 12/30/2008 08:47:56 PM · #24
The other option here is to use your histogram to see if the image is over exposed. If it is you can compensate to bring it back into proper exposure. My XTi chronically under exposes and since this is a new camera it is possible you have the opposite problem.
 12/30/2008 09:13:58 PM · #25
Yes, its what I am referring to. 16 % of the pixels are between levels 250 - 255, and 9 % between levels 254 - 255. I refer to that as being blown out.

Originally posted by bspurgeon:
. I think PGerst is referring to the pink cast on the skin that is not blown out.


Message edited by author 2008-12-30 21:14:17.
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