First attempt at outdoor portraits with my girls. C&C please

[myko5]

I was trying to just get a little fill light with the flash, not trying to actually make it my main light. It was also off camera held by another kid.

Based on the catchlights and shadows, the light was pretty much dead on the subject, which is why the lighting looks flat. I could be wrong, but that's the way it looks. either way, move it around some!

I have a couple umbrellas I could have used, but I was just rushing them out the door before it was too dark. So I didn't think to grab a stand and umbrella.

There's always next time! Doesn't have to be an umbrella either, since those can be cumbersome. One of those snap on modifier caps you can get from eBay for $3 is surprisingly effective in a lot of scenerios.

Nope, All OCF. Guess I need to work with it a bit if its still looking like its on camera.:???:
Snap on modifier? Like a sto-fen?

 

[myko5]

I did process them in CS6. I did not "paint" them white (I assume you meant with a brush) or try to whiten them. Not intentionally anyways. I selected both eyes and adjusted the exposure and contrast on them. After looking back on the picture, yes I agree they look over processed. I will have to go back and tone it down a bit. Post work is still a work in progress with me, so I tend to jack things up.

If you do all those changes before cropping, you can use the history brush to clean it up. Just go over where you don't want the changes to be applied. When I edit eyes, my main goal is to make sure no one can tell. I don't edit them very much. Sometimes not at all. Only when I feel it's necessary. Where were you having the other kid stand? It doesn't do any good to get it off camera unless they are off center. The lighting still looks flat if you point it directly at the subject. A reflector would have provided the fill light you were after. You can use flash, but in this case I would crank that baby down even further. If its extremely noticeable, it's too much.

He was off camera left and 5-10' in front of me. Hmmm... I don't know. I thought it was off center. Guess I will have to pay closer attention next time. I just picked up a reflector from the buy/sell forums. I feel like I could have used it many times instead of trying flash. I just have not had anything to really grab for one.

 

[Stradawhovious]

Like a sto-fen?

Yep. Like that.

Sometimes they work well, YMMV. T

he only reason I have one is because A. I made it out of the bottom of a rubing alcohol bottle and it was free..... and B. they are easier to lug around than an umbrella. Personally I would prefer an umbrella or something else equally better suited any day of the week.

 

[myko5]

MTVision, this is one that is only RAW processed. No additional post to the eyes. Do you like this better?

 

[Designer]

myko5; I think the flash should be placed farther from the camera. In these shots the light is too flat.

 

[Designer]

After the first 2000 exposures, they'll stop posing and smirking.

yeah then they will just close their eyes and hide their faces .

Honestly though, I don't even try for smiles anymore.... I just talk to my kids and shoot for eye contact and genuine expressions. If they are feeling silly and you can make them laugh awesome! But serious looks top fake smiles any day in my book

Um, yea. The kids around here alternate between manequin smiles and hiding their faces. Their mother has taught them "how to pose" for the camera. Oh, and they still say "cheese". I'm working on it.

 

[The_Traveler]

MTVision, this is one that is only RAW processed. No additional post to the eyes. Do you like this better?

No personal offense intended but I think you are going at this wrong.
IMO, working on off camera flash before you get the basics of composition, correct dof and subject management is the wrong emphasis.
In this example above, the right eye is OOF, the right side of her head is cut off while the left side of the picture is completely useless and her smile is a grimace.

The emphasis here on TPF on the use of flash and/or reflectors to correct natural light, means we get lots of badly done, unoriginal pictures that are marginally better lit.

Lew

 

[myko5]

Lew, I take no offense to things said on here. If someone has recommendations to how I go about learning, I welcome it. Suggestions are just that, I can use it, or ignore it. My main goal in photography is to capture some memories of my family, and mainly my two girls. Along the way, I try to better everything I know about this subject, but I also realize my personal taste might vary from someone else.

I love to fill the frame with faces. If some of the top or side gets cut off I am ok with that, in fact in some cases I actually like it. In this case, I happen to have my 70-200 on camera, and she moved that close where I could not have the extra room for cropping. Could it have been a better picture with the top and side included, possibly. I still cherish the moment and the image that represents that.

As for the DOF, yeah that is something that I agree with you on. I need to work on it and I am trying to get it down. The picture you were referring to, I actually did not use flash, nor a reflector. I asked MTVision about the eyes in particular because it had to do with my work in post. Something else I am working at. I probably should have posted that picture up in a different thread for C&C as it was not really from that same set.

I do appreciate all your time and comments on my photos, all of it is taken into consideration. I did laugh about your last comment though. I guess in my case they are unoriginal and still poorly lit. :thumbup:

 

[paigew]

No personal offense intended but I think you are going at this wrong.
IMO, working on off camera flash before you get the basics of composition, correct dof and subject management is the wrong emphasis.
In this example above, the right eye is OOF, the right side of her head is cut off while the left side of the picture is completely useless and her smile is a grimace.

The emphasis here on TPF on the use of flash and/or reflectors to correct natural light, means we get lots of badly done, unoriginal pictures that are marginally better lit.

Lew

THANK YOU :hail:

 

[paigew]

myko. if you truly want to capture memories of your children you should become an observer instead of trying to get them to pose for you. Let them play and be patient. Suggest areas for them to play in, point out cool things behind you, document real life!! No need to have hundreds of 'posed' shots.

 

[myko5]

myko. if you truly want to capture memories of your children you should become an observer instead of trying to get them to pose for you. Let them play and be patient. Suggest areas for them to play in, point out cool things behind you, document real life!! No need to have hundreds of 'posed' shots.

A vast majority of the pictures I have of my kids are just that. Snapshots of the moment. Obviously I want some posed shots of them and thats what I need to work on. I realize I am still quite the beginner at this, and I will definitely try to improve my composition and DOF before worrying about OCF. I will just have to keep ignoring the "needs fill light" comments when I post up future pictures for C&C.

I guess the one major downfall of learning things on your own is the lack of structure and order in which you learn it.

 

[paigew]

myko. if you truly want to capture memories of your children you should become an observer instead of trying to get them to pose for you. Let them play and be patient. Suggest areas for them to play in, point out cool things behind you, document real life!! No need to have hundreds of 'posed' shots.

A vast majority of the pictures I have of my kids are just that. Snapshots of the moment. Obviously I want some posed shots of them and thats what I need to work on. I realize I am still quite the beginner at this, and I will definitely try to improve my composition and DOF before worrying about OCF. I will just have to keep ignoring the "needs fill light" comments when I post up future pictures for C&C.

I guess the one major downfall of learning things on your own is the lack of structure and order in which you learn it.

What I do is set a goals for myself on mastering different things. So first is to master manual mode. Then maybe post processing, mid day sun, golden hour, shooting at wider apertures. etc. Pick what is most important to you and work on that first! Good luck

 

[The_Traveler]

A vast majority of the pictures I have of my kids are just that. Snapshots of the moment. Obviously I want some posed shots of them and thats what I need to work on. I realize I am still quite the beginner at this, and I will definitely try to improve my composition and DOF before worrying about OCF. I will just have to keep ignoring the "needs fill light" comments when I post up future pictures for C&C.

I guess the one major downfall of learning things on your own is the lack of structure and order in which you learn it.

Disabuse yourself of the idea that snapshots - pictures taken quickly - are necessarily bad or ugly or unsophisticated or unmemorable.
What I, and probably you, want are pictures that look good and aren't posed- or if they are posed, the nature and personality shines through.
Train your children not to see you when you are taking pictures; you can do that by taking so many that the sight of you with a camera is normal.
Untrain the 'cheese' smile by walking away when they make that grimace - don't take a picture.

What 99% of people get with OCF and pictures of children are Walmart poses, faces frozen.
You might as well just use a stock photo and switch the heads.

 

[paigew]

exactly Lew!

my 'snapshots'. All unposed and naturally lit.

 

[Derrel]

After the first 2000 exposures, they'll stop posing and smirking.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^YES, diz-actly! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^