2 toddlers

JimmyJaceyMom · Apr 14, 2008

I dont have my regular monitor back yet - let me know if these look funky to you.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Can anyone suggest a different crop for this one? The full size in camera crop makes her hair look really silly but she moved to fast I had to snap quick to catch her! This is what I ended up with for a crop!

5.

I know this seems weird maybe but I might try to use it in a storyboard or something. When these little ones grow up they don't always keep those little curly Q's. I like to take ones that will help them remember.

7.

And here is smiley little Shelby. Adorable smile.
8.

I know this is centered (bad comp) but i like it that way.

9.

Sarah23 · Apr 14, 2008

I love the curls! ohhhhh, so cute! My little girl is BALD BALD BALD...haha!

I like the cropped ones best of the first child...the ones where ALL her hair is showing does make it look a little...uh...over curly?

That second little girl has the most beautiful eyes!! So sweet!!!

kellylindseyphotography · Apr 14, 2008

I think they are all mostly really good! Some of the eyes are overdone IMO, (but only some) others they look awesome.

JimmyJaceyMom · Apr 14, 2008

sarah23 thanks for commenting. Yes she does have some very curly hair. I think though, that the capture of those curls will be what attracts the parents to the photos, Its certainly unique to have THAT many curls. lol

Kelleylindsayphotography - Hi. Thanks for taking the time to tell me what you think.

Can you let me know which ones you think the eyes look overdone in? On my monitor they all look fine and I didnt even dodge these ones. The only one that I did a very strong defog in was number 5 - mostly because I do that often in black and white's. But tell me your opinion on the others if you get time, I appreciate all feedback.

thanks.

NateS · Apr 14, 2008

I like 2 the best and it's better in color IMO. I agree that the eyes are a tad oversharpened on all of them from 3 to 8 (except 7).

JimmyJaceyMom · Apr 14, 2008

NateS - hi thanks for the feedback. I'm not sure why the eyes are looking oversharpened with exception of number 5 because of the heavy defog but I'll go in and take a very close look at them in my editing program. When i pp'd these I didnt do much at all, not even a dodge on them. I'll go take another look.

Most of my parents LOVE a nice charp detailed eye. Maybe for this kid it doesnt work out?

NateS · Apr 14, 2008

In my opinion, I always want the eyes to look really nice and sharp and do a sharpening on them in my photo's too. However, my end goal is to make them look as sharp as in real life (maybe just a hair sharp). In the above photos, while the eyes look so sharp that they look like crystals and it's a cool effect, but it makes them look a tad fake.

Whatever lens you were using, it appears to be super sharp (the entire photo is sharp and it's GREAT!!). Possibly the photo was just so sharp that any USM is amplified in PP.

Great images regardless and I hope I can take portraits like that someday.

Edit: After looking at them again, Number 8 looks okay to me I think. The others, what may be throwing me off is the black circles around the outside of the area with USM.

NJMAN · Apr 14, 2008

Looking at the EXIF data, it says they all have a focal length of 85mm, so I assume you used the prime 85mm f/1.8. No wonder they look so sharp.

I'm sure that anyone who's used this lens will attest to the fact that it takes amazing sharp images when focused well, and you don't have to spend the money on L quality.

And according to the aperture, you set it to 2.8, which gives them a very nice dof, and accentuates the sharpness of the eyes even more. I'd say you have a pretty damn sharp lens there.

I personally love sharp eyes, so i may be a little bit biased, but overall, they look very pro IMO. I bet the parents will be thrilled to death. Gorgeous images.

NJ

AprilRamone · Apr 14, 2008

Hi Kathy,
Boy oh boy you are gettin' good girl!
I am particularly drawn to the first 3. I think in #4 the eyes look a little overdone (not sure why, maybe it is just the sharpening, but they look lighter in that one than they do in #3). I totally see what you were trying to do in #6, but I think there must be a way to show off the gorgeous curls in a more visually interesting way. It's just not much fun to look at the back of the head with not much else going on in the frame. In fact, I think you can see the curls really well in the first few. But, maybe some sort of image where it is the side if you want to show off even more curl?
#8 is so cute. She has a cute little face.
And I hope this doesn't sound too mean, but that last isn't doing anything for me. I think it has to do with the outfit. Her hands are hidden and it's just sort of an average outfit...a cute dress with a bow on the back would have made this pose make more sense. But, it's also not appealing to me because of the background. (Houses aren't so great usually). And also the light is pretty harsh here.
But with that out of the way, I just want to say again that I really like #1. I think the B&W works really well there.

JoannaWilcox · Apr 15, 2008

These are really sweet! I think some people don't understand how difficult it is to photograph small children! Nice job!

JimmyJaceyMom · Apr 15, 2008

Hi Nate, I'll try another edit, this time leaving the eyes alone but I think I know what my issue is. When I look at the pictures I used to have done, or taht people have hanging on thier walls from the department store studios there is usually not very sharp focus on the child's eyes. Usually they don't even have enough light on them to even show their beautiful color. I think I'm just determined to give my clients better than that. That child does have amazing little flecks in her eyes that I was wanting to really show off but maybe since I am using the 85mm 1.8 and it is a very sharp lens I don't need to do em up.

Thanks for your time I appreciate that.

NJMAN - yupper I LOVE my 85mm 1.8! I'm addicted to it! I'm going to redo one of those pictures and print both versions and see which looks best in print. Because I also seem to notice when pulling them both up that my resize for the web looks different than my fullsize for print version. I'll let ya know what happens.

AprilRamone- glad to hear you think I'm getting better. I am trying SO HARD! It's all I do in my spare time, reading, looking through posts, magazines, tutorials, attending classes with other photogs in my area.
And thanks for your critique too.

As I said to NJMAN I am going to print and see what that looks like, I may not be resizing for the web correctly.

I agree that the one of the back of that little ones head is not as interesting but usually what I'll do is add it to a collage or just add it into the slideshow for the client. It's kind of like the pics you might take of the new babies feet. I know how much my children's features change just in a matter of months and parents really appreciate having a well focused image to help them remember those, plus a lot of my moms seem to be into scrapbooking, which is funny. But thats good for me.

They want more pics because of that need for their album.
And the little one with the clothes hanging off. Of course you don't sound mean, silly.

LOL she's a cutie but quite a tomboy! Thats her though, clothes haphazard, hanging off and she's so tiny. It's pics like those that can show off a personality without even seeing an expression, you'd be surprised how many moms just melt over those odd ones.

They don't order any 8by10's of course but they know when I say I'll capture their kid I mean it! LOL

JimmyJaceyMom · Apr 15, 2008

Thanks JoAnna! Although I might be a liar if I said the first child was hard because to date she was my easiest just turned 2 year old.

but normally yes! When a session with a child that age is over I'm ready for tylenol and coffee!!!

kellylindseyphotography · Apr 15, 2008

Hi
to me 4 and 5 look overly sharpened... I *love* sharp, crisp eyes.. who doesnt? But for some reason 4 and 5 give me an eerie quality. It might be something that I am seeing only though.. I think they are all mostly really good!!

Los Angeles · Apr 16, 2008

I think these look great. That being said on some of them the eyes do look a bit glossy, but I like it.

Hope its okay if I ask are you doing something in PP to make the eyes look that glassy. IF so what is it?

Lastly I would say that centered does not always mean its a bad frame. You dont always have to use the rule of thirds. There is somehting about the tree the child and the house that works. I do agree with the above poster the wardrobe is off and it would have been nice to see the hand.

But again I think these are fantastic photos and if that was my kid and I hired you I would be very happy with the results.

JimmyJaceyMom · Apr 16, 2008

KelleyLindsayPhotography - Hi there. Thanks for letting me know which ones you were thinking of. I appreciate you taking your time in helping me out. I think I may just print them and see how they look. I replied above that I think the issue may have something to do with my resizing for web. I think it might not be necessary to do the last bit of sharpening when posting them.

Los Angeles - Hi. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I do zoom into the eye very close and run the sharpen tool over the iris at a very light pressure then back out ans then i add a defog (unsharp mask, usually about 20,40,1 or so) except in the case of the black and white - i did a stronger one of 40,60,1 but I will change that one to be lighter since everyone seems to agree its a bit much.
The clothes on the little one. It started getting chilly, we were all done taking pics and she was standing there being herself in her own front yard looking down the street. There was just somethign about that moment. She looked so little and ragamuffinish. And thats just HER. Know what I mean? So I snapped it. I think that my goal in a session is to capture not just perfect children but personality. When this little wildwoman is a big kid and they show her this they can look back and smile.