C&C Please- More kiddos!

[McMommy]

C&C Welcome! I am practicing with colors in photoshop to bring attention to the things I love the most... sorry if they seem over-processed, it's just the style that appeals to me! If you have any suggestions for that style though, I'd appreciate it, or any other feedback. You guys have helped me so much already in the short time that I've been here, and I thank you all for that! I feel like I've gotten better in the last week alone, I can't imagine what the next year or so will bring!

These are some I took today at Logan's playgroup... nothing planned or posed, just what I caught! It was fun!!

 

[kassad]

Looks like these shots were taken early afternoon. That bright light produces harsh shadows. For shots like 2 & 3 try using fill flash.

 

[reznap]

Looks like these shots were taken early afternoon. That bright light produces harsh shadows. For shots like 2 & 3 try using fill flash.

:scratch:

I see no need for fill flash here. Unless you want the table illuminated in #3..?

An off camera flash wouldn't be bad on 2 and 3 to the left of the kids, just to add depth and even the lighting out. I'm not really schooled in lighting so take that with a grain of salt.

What I do see that bugs me a bit is the skin tones on #1 and #2. They both have a greenish-yellow tint in places, red in others. #3 doesn't seem to be affected by that.

Also I like what you've done with the eyes. Some may think it's overkill but most parents would be delighted with photos with that effect applied.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

:scratch:

I see no need for fill flash here. Unless you want the table illuminated in #3..?

An off camera flash wouldn't be bad on 2 and 3 to the left of the kids, just to add depth and even the lighting out.

Uh, that would be fill flash.

 

[McMommy]

Looks like these shots were taken early afternoon. That bright light produces harsh shadows. For shots like 2 & 3 try using fill flash.

:scratch:

I see no need for fill flash here. Unless you want the table illuminated in #3..?

An off camera flash wouldn't be bad on 2 and 3 to the left of the kids, just to add depth and even the lighting out. I'm not really schooled in lighting so take that with a grain of salt.

What I do see that bugs me a bit is the skin tones on #1 and #2. They both have a greenish-yellow tint in places, red in others. #3 doesn't seem to be affected by that.

Also I like what you've done with the eyes. Some may think it's overkill but most parents would be delighted with photos with that effect applied.

Thank you (to everyone, not just you )

I noticed the skin tone off too, but wasn't really sure there was much I could do about it. Delaney must have bonked her forehead or something, but it is definitely greenish by her left eye. I could definitely warm up Liam's skin a little bit, thanks for the tip there!

I don't have an off-camera flash (yet) and won't likely get one for a long time. I'm really new at this, and have to work with what I have for the time being. My camera does have a flash but I try to avoid using it because it always does things that I don't want it to (overexposing, red eyes, etc.) I am sure I just have to learn to work with it!

Also, I definitely took these just before noon, when the lighting was ultra bright. I have about 6 moms scheduled to take photos of their kids (for free!) and have them all set in morning and afternoons just before sunset. I hope to work better with the lighting there. It's interesting to me to see firsthand the differences between taking a photo at 9am on an overcast day and taking the same one at noon on a sunny day! I know you read about it, but actually doing/seeing results has a bigger impact!

Thank you again, all! I don't think I'm doing too bad for being only 2-3 weeks in with my camera. :lmao: That said, I have a LONG way to go!

 

[myfotoguy]

I think that fill flash would help. It lifts the shadows a bit, and for scenes where the face is shaded helps you control and even the lighting so the white balance of the face and the rest of the scene are closer to each other.

The key to fill-flash is adjusting the compensation (+ or -) to get the balance you are looking for. Even the on-board flash can be helpful. Again, the key is (through trial and error) learning to use the exposure compensation.

True, with a speedlight it's easier, but the on-board can still be very useful. One thing to be mindful of with the on-board, is the lens hood. With some lenses and focal lengths you'll get a shadow in the lower part of the image (remove the lens hood when you do).

Your photos have appealing DOF, nice job with that! Composition looks pretty good too. I might have gone portrait orientation on the last one, but I know with my kids I sometimes like to include a bit of the surrounding too, to show where we were at.

Edit to add: Only 2-3 weeks with your camera? Your doing great, I'll bet your having a blast getting shots of the kiddos!

 

[PerfectlyFlawed]

Wow..the little boy in the first pic looks so much like my nephew, Nathan, around that age...even the bright eyes he's a adorable!

 

[McMommy]

I think that fill flash would help. It lifts the shadows a bit, and for scenes where the face is shaded helps you control and even the lighting so the white balance of the face and the rest of the scene are closer to each other.

The key to fill-flash is adjusting the compensation (+ or -) to get the balance you are looking for. Even the on-board flash can be helpful. Again, the key is (through trial and error) learning to use the exposure compensation.

True, with a speedlight it's easier, but the on-board can still be very useful. One thing to be mindful of with the on-board, is the lens hood. With some lenses and focal lengths you'll get a shadow in the lower part of the image (remove the lens hood when you do).

Your photos have appealing DOF, nice job with that! Composition looks pretty good too. I might have gone portrait orientation on the last one, but I know with my kids I sometimes like to include a bit of the surrounding too, to show where we were at.

Edit to add: Only 2-3 weeks with your camera? Your doing great, I'll bet your having a blast getting shots of the kiddos!

Thank you! This is incredibly helpful information! I think I am still intimidated by the flash since it usually resulted in red eye and overexposure on my point & shoot. I will practice more with using the flash and adjusting the compensation manually! Thanks again for the great advice! And yes, I'm having a blast taking photos! These are the ones I always wanted, but could never seem to get, with my p&s. I'm so excited to be learning this!

 

[myfotoguy]

I know what you mean about the red-eye. With an on-board you will still get that from time to time. Thankfully, you can do something about it in post to help afterward.

You might find yourself budgeting for a speedlight after a while. There is SO much you can do with bouncing the flash, inexpensive diffusers, etc. More to learn I understand that equipment does get expensive though and has to wait.

 

[myfotoguy]

Thank you! This is incredibly helpful information! I think I am still intimidated by the flash since it usually resulted in red eye and overexposure on my point & shoot. I will practice more with using the flash and adjusting the compensation manually! Thanks again for the great advice! And yes, I'm having a blast taking photos! These are the ones I always wanted, but could never seem to get, with my p&s. I'm so excited to be learning this!

This motivated me to write an article on fill-flash. I hope it makes sense and is useful information. Myfotoguy: Use Fill Flash for Better Outdoor Photos