C&C Please

[DaveLe]

A few shots this weekend and I would appreciate your criticism.

#1

#2

#3

 

[AnotherNewGuy]

First one too centered. Second one is really cute but maybe too dark and soft. Third is good. Could have lit up the eyes more and maybe whitened the teeth in PP. I like them all by the way, just some stuff to improve on.

 

[C-Towner]

They are fun and nice, definitely more than just snapshots. I mostly agree with AnotherNewGuy, but I wonder if the third photo would look better with a WB adjustment, it looks a little warm.

 

[SoonerBJJ]

#1- Agreed that it is too centered. Face and eyes appear soft. Not enough contrast between background colors and skin tones for my taste.

#2- Cute but soft again.

#3- Face/eyes soft yet again. Agreed that the skin tones look off. Adjust your WB?

 

[DaveLe]

Thanks for your replies, I definitely appreciate the comments. I have yet to play with my WB setting (I keep it at Auto) because I still don't understand it.

I'm at the point now where I'm getting better with composition and very comfortable with the camera. I will look at some guides on WB but I still don't have an "eye" for when skin tones are off.

Any quick advise on setting WB and determining skin tones?

 

[Dominantly]

Well you are working with a D700 and the 50mm f/1.4 so you have some nice equipment, but these photos have some fundamental flaws.
I think a big part of it, which can't be corrected, is you were shooting at f/1.4 and have some DOF issues. I would have stopped down a tiny bit and locked onto the eyes.

 

[SoonerBJJ]

I think a big part of it, which can't be corrected, is you were shooting at f/1.4 and have some DOF issues. I would have stopped down a tiny bit and locked onto the eyes.

I had the same "problem" when I first got my 50mm/1.4. I was so enamored with the speed of the lens and it's lowlight ability that I ran around shooting everything wide open. That explains why the first week or so of snapshots are all so soft.

 

[DaveLe]

Your absolutely right, I should have opened it up. Location was not desirable so I was hoping to get as much of the background out of focus as possible.

It was too damn cold to find a better location

To get out of focus I'm used to using my 70-300 (3.5 - 5.6). This probably would have been a better option.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Dominantly]

Yeah, if you use a zoom, you can get good bokeh.
Try and put your subject so you have distance between them and the background. Im not sure what was around you during the shoot of the boy, but if you were to have swung around and put an empty field/street/anything behind him, it would have blurred out quicker.

With the 50mm you can get right up on something and have the background completely melt away, but you will have to be careful with your DOF.
Like this photo for example, I was using the f/1.4 and got right up on the face and took the shot. The arm right in front and the wall that curved behind it melted away pretty quickly.

 

[FarrahJ]

definitely more than just snapshots

sadly, I have to disagree...these are mostly JUST snapshots. they are all too soft. =(

 

[DaveLe]

definitely more than just snapshots

sadly, I have to disagree...these are mostly JUST snapshots. they are all too soft. =(

Still trying to get my head around "softness". Do you think that it's because of the WB, Shooting too open or simply post processing?

I would appreciate any tips to help improve. It was a really overcast day and I used auto WB.

Thanks

 

[SoonerBJJ]

In this case "softness" is an issue with your focus and shallow DOF.

 

[DaveLe]

Does anyone know what the "sweet" spot is on the Nikor 50mm 1.4?

 

[Dominantly]

Do you know how DOF works? I think once you fully understand DOF and the relation between your focal points and Aperture, you'll be able to better understand "softness".

 

[DaveLe]

Do you know how DOF works? I think once you fully understand DOF and the relation between your focal points and Aperture, you'll be able to better understand "softness".

I'm familiar with DOF and it's impact on focus and background. I guess I wanted the background to be "the most blurry possible". I guess the difference between 1.4 and 2.8 would have been negligible with the background while expanding the DOF. Especially outside, I could have easily used F8.