C&C child photographs

[redtippmann]

Not likeing the flash and could fix the skin tones in Photoshop

 

[blash]

In ALL of these photos, the eye sharpening is MUCH too overdone. No eye looks like that naturally and the result is FREAKY.

1) Overexposed. You can start to see it in the left shoulder, and the irises start to bleed into the retinas because the light from the iris is spilling over to the part of the sensor where the retina is being captured. I'd crop the left side a little more to de-center the head. Fill flash is required to get rid of the shadows on the face from the sun - especially the shadows being cast by whatever hair isn't plastered to his head by the water. Look into buying a Nikon Speedlight SB-400.

2) Centered head that fills the frame. Go use Google to educate yourself about composition, and about infant photography in general - a mouth agape is not a smile.

3) See #2. Also, before the shoot touch-up the blotch above the right eye.

4) Much too overexposed. Don't even see why you bothered to keep this one, much less post it - this is a throwaway. Needs more space on the left, see: composition.

5) DID I MENTION THE FREAKY EYES? GOD! Background is under-exposed. Just because there's a little pop-up flash on your camera does not give you license to create very hard shadows being cast underneath the arm and fingers onto the neck and shirt and completely underexpose the background. Again, see: composition.

6) These eyes would've been nicely done, with the light reflected in them, if they weren't CREEPY. Very harsh lighting is also evident here - it's almost dismissible in the previous photos but here? You can get better results with a point-and-shoot and a small amount of attention given to lighting. Also - does this kid have jaundice? Sure looks like it.

7) This is the best of the lot and would probably be a keeper if it wasn't for a) the eyes and b) the total lack of expression on his face. Don't forget that the only way I know that the background is water is because the little guy's wearing some kind of a swimsuit/life vest - too bad the water is completely blown out for me to be able to actually tell just by looking at it! You may want to Google and buy a circular polarizer filter.

8) Again, previous comments still apply and by now you should know which ones I mean! Particularly about harsh, direct flash right in her delicate face with a particularly asinine expression.

9) Let's see here: *pulls out laundry list* overexposed? Check. Needs fill-flash? Check. Composition problems? Check. And is that vignetting I see? You could get away with it in the previous ones but here - mmmmm no. Oh yeah I almost forgot - EYES. CREEPY.

I know, the eyes are REALLY starting to get to me. Did I mention the eyes?

Like others have said before me - it is the tough love that improves you work. Think I'm being too harsh? Learn from my criticism. Newbies need to learn what constitutes a keeper and what doesn't. I was once in the same position as you guys (my older posted work is horrible) and in fact, in many ways I am still a newbie myself. I probably missed some stuff here, and someone with more experience may dismiss some of my criticism as being idiotic. Take it for what I offer it.

But don't even think that what you have is considered acceptable for professional purposes. Just because you got yourself a soccer-mom DSLR doesn't mean you are a professional - it is a tool, much like a brush. And just like a brush, you can either make a few simple strokes and call your kindergartener's fridge-worthy piece a Picasso, or you can take your time, practice, learn, fail, succeed, try again, laugh, cry, pick yourself up, try again, and finally polish off something to be proud about.

To everyone who said that the above works had nothing wrong with them - once again, stay away from C&C threads. You're not helping the people who post the pictures, and you're not helping yourself. If you like the photos at hand for some reason or another and don't want to see them fall of the front page then bump the thread and let someone with more know-how come in and give a proper critique.

 

[redtippmann]

To everyone who said that the above works had nothing wrong with them - once again, stay away from C&C threads.

Thank you!

 

[Jon0807]

As others have said, I think the eyes are way over processed. They look unnatural. Some retouching to bring them out is fine, but what you've done here makes it look painfully obvious. That said, #4 and 9 are my favorite. I actually don't mind overexposure if it works in the picture to bring out your intent/emotion and it does that in #4 but I wish the top of the boys head wasn't nipped off. With #9 again the eyes are overdone and the lighting is a bit harsh and distracting but the overall composition is pleasant.

 

[musicaleCA]

Thanks for all the CC! Especially the detailed ones. I really DO appreciate it. I'll stick with the 3 pics or less rule from now on, too.

My husband was very freaked out by the blue eyed pics... guess he was right on that one. Perhaps I went a bit overboard while editing.... I'll try to make them more human-like.

Does PP mean photo processing? If so, I used photoshop, and some actions I found online. Still experimenting with all that.

Thanks again! Any other cc is welcome.

PP means "Post Processing". I highly suggest learning the ins-and-outs of Photoshop so that you have much more control over your editing, rather than using actions you find elsewhere. When you learn the fundamentals of editing in Photoshop, you'll end-up creating your own actions that suit what you do and what you most often want to achieve, not what someone else does.

 

[Barking Mad]

I find the post processing on the eyes is way too heavy. It doesn't match the kids. I'm all for some touching up and sharpening, but I think its overboard, specially in 2...the kid looks possessed.

I like the overall compositions of the shots

I have to agree with the comments about the eyes. They kinda seem a tad over processed and unreal. OK, I was being nice...they are freaking me out! It could just be that I finished a vampire book and can't sleep, but if I have nightmares tonight, it's going to be the eyes of those beautiful kids staring back out at me and not the vampires! I know there are some niche photographers that do it on purpose, but they also use selective colouring and there's one photog in particular that makes the kids cry and then over processes the eyes...the children in your photos are beautiful, but sadly they reminded me of that photog. I don't think your aim is weird-make-kids-cry-then-over-process-the-photos, is it?

Although, I will admit, this is exactly why I only use PS Elements and a few low-end PP software packages...I'd be way too tempted to go overboard and embellish my images...and I tend to be a purist and want what comes out of my camera to be as genuine as possible.

Other than the OP of the eyes and some exposure issues that others have already pointed out, I think you are off to a decent start, especially having only been shooting a relatively short amount of time.

 

[ktanady]

still a noob, but I think some of your photographs are too composed, try some candid, that will surely catch more livelihood of the kids to your pic..
nice pictures though.. like the way you emphasize the eyes..