Candid Father & Daughter

poorstudent · Dec 3, 2006

I took this candid of a friend and his daughter on my first real outing with my new dSLR. If i had one wish, i'd love to have a chance to retake this photo with a larger DOF in order to keep dad's ear in focus - but alas, a candid, by definition, cannot be re-posed (I did try, but I couldn't get them to look spontaneous)

Anyway - please tell me what you think...

mysteryscribe · Dec 3, 2006

I like it a lot but I think I would have cropped a little off behind the girl's head.

Alison · Dec 3, 2006

I didn't notice the ear until you pointed it out. The expression you captured is wonderful, thats what makes this photo great for me!

JimmyJaceyMom · Dec 3, 2006

with a child that flippin adorable I don't see how you could go wrong! She's beautiful. And I think even though I know nothing about photography I wouldn't crop out the hair on the right side personally because I think it adds something but I don't know what.

I just like it. But then again - Mysteryscribe knows what he's talking about so you might listen to him before me!

poorstudent · Dec 3, 2006

JimmyJaceyMom said:
with a child that flippin adorable I don't see how you could go wrong!

I won't lie - she really does make it easy! And she's just one of those kids who loves the camera and plays to it.

Christie Photo · Dec 4, 2006

poorstudent said:
...i'd love to have a chance to retake this photo with a larger DOF in order to keep dad's ear in focus...

It doesn't bother me. In fact, I think I prefer it this way. Since you have so much of the back of dad's head, I feel he's more of a prop in this one. The shallow depth of field gives the image a foreground, pulling the eye right into her face. With all this in mind, I like the framing too. Did you try adding just a wee bit of vignetting?

Pete

markc · Dec 4, 2006

I agree about both the crop and the ear. A slight crop will help the balance without taking off too much hair (and a touch off the left might help too), and the blurry ear doesn't bother me; the eyes are the important part, the the blur helps lead my own eye to her eyes.

emogirl · Dec 5, 2006

great shot....DONT crop off any of her hair....that would be horrible..if you want to crop, crop off some of dad...

LaFoto · Dec 5, 2006

Actually, I quite like the DOF chosen and the fact that in the end your focus fell RIGHT where it belongs: on this very cute girl, capturing this emotional moment between father and daughter.
I also say: leave her hair as it is. Don't crop it. I think it is good just the way it is.