A few recent shots for C&C

[myko5]

These were all shot with a D600 and Sigma 35mm 1.4. OCF TTL SB900 for fill. I am just looking for some C&C to hopefully improve.
Thanks.

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6.

 

[tirediron]

C&C per req:

1-4: In general too little child and too much empty space. I would tighten up the framing and look for elements which don't cause the child to be lost in the frame (esp. #4!) and don't compete with the eye for attention.

5. Step back a little, open the composition up a bit; this is just a bit too tight, 'though without the Dutch tilt, it may have worked better. I would also revisit the conversion and see if you can recover any of those highlights in the clothing.

6. What??? That should have been deleted in-camera!

Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.

~John

 

[DanOstergren]

C&C per req:

1-4: In general too little child and too much empty space. I would tighten up the framing and look for elements which don't cause the child to be lost in the frame (esp. #4!) and don't compete with the eye for attention.

5. Step back a little, open the composition up a bit; this is just a bit too tight, 'though without the Dutch tilt, it may have worked better. I would also revisit the conversion and see if you can recover any of those highlights in the clothing.

6. What??? That should have been deleted in-camera!

Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.

~John

When I worked in infant photography I found that parents order prints in all sorts of sizes, and in order to make sure that you can easily fit any of the shots to look good in any print crop you have to shoot loose. Shooting tight could mean that you can't fit a shot into a particular size print, which is bad. Personally I think the loose composition lends to some really great story telling, adds a peaceful and unique mood, and also keeps the client from missing out on certain prints of the shot because it wont properly fit into the crop.

I agree completely with everything else though.

 

[Derrel]

These were all shot with a D600 and Sigma 35mm 1.4. OCF TTL SB900 for fill. I am just looking for some C&C to hopefully improve.
Thanks.

1.
2.
3.View attachment 50760
4.
5.
6.

This shot shows the really ugly side of the Sigma 35/1.4--harsh, nervous bokeh that looks very unpleasant when used in situations like this. I can barely focus on the baby because the background rendering is so attention-getting and ugly. The lens might behave differently at a different f/stop, and with a different subject/background distance. Bokeh is somewhat variable, and is not a constant, unyielding thing; even lenses with so-called good bokeh, can demonstrate unpleasant looks if the situation is set up just right (or, wrong, in this case). I would try to figure out a way to get away from this exact type of foliage rendering.

These are shot kind of loose, yes, but the baby looks peaceful. Shots 4 and 6 though, are not all that appealing to me. In #4, the setting is just a bit odd for my taste, and the bokeh the lens is imparting is hurting this shot, which has large parts of the image out of focus. I like the flowers in #1, and the second shot, with the basket on the stairs, shows the baby with some flowers in bloom, and in a quiet, shady area with some nice dappled light coming in, and the whole setting seems serene.

I think the last shot, #6, is shown processed too bright. I like bright, ethereal, dreamy shots of babies,m but this is just a little bit too bright I think.

 

[kathyt]

I actually like the negative space. I think you are off to a good start. #6 is super overexposed and #4 might give you some backlash. I love the bending of all the tones you have in 1-4. The harmony is very appealing.

 

[frommrstomommy]

I like them.. except 6.

That location is lovely.. and its nice to see outdoor newborn shots as opposed to all indoor studio stuff like you normally see. I think 1, 2 and 4 could have been cropped a bit tighter but not necessarily drastically.. as I like the location. 3 is fantastic as is for me.. though I do see what Derrel is saying about the funky bokeh... but I like the pose, framing, etc. I'd like to see 5 with a much wider crop, showing us the location I think.

 

[rexbobcat]

I like #1 and #6. There's something about them that is feels very natural, as opposed to a baby laying on a shawl on a wooden floor or in a basket on someone's counter. Those two give a really good vibe.

#2 is good also, but I would crop in a little bit for general purposes. There's a little bit too much foliage in that one.

The one I don't like is #5. (On #6 I'm sure you could decrease the exposure in PP and it would look fine). In #5, their faces are just too dark for me. It gives the opposite vibe of #1 and #6. It needs some fill flash or a different area, so it doesn't seems so...dreary? Ominous? I don't know how to describe it. If I was the parent, it wouldn't make me go "awwww."

 

[myko5]

Thank you everyone for the feedback. It is nice to get some constructive negative feedback after all the praise from the family and friends. The one thing that did stand out to me was #6. I thought it was too overexposed, but couldn't really decide if I liked it that way or not. Turns out the mother actually asked if I could tone it down a little bit. It has since been redone, and she is happy with it.

I personally like the loose crops as I like to involve the environment when shooting outside. This location was special to the parents, so it was intentional. Kind of my personal taste. I did just happen to post up more of the loose images, but I do have ones with a closer crop. I wanted to limit the images I posted in effort to get more critique out of them.

Derrel - I see what you mean about the lens. This was actually my first shoot using just this lens. 1. I wanted to get some use out of the lens and try to learn its quirks. 2. I wanted to challenge myself to use a prime. I have relied on zooms and felt this would be a good opportunity to break that trend.