Criticism please

[Lmphotos]

k

 

[thetrue]

It's a cute concept and a decent photo, but it feels like there is no depth in it whatsoever. I think some sort of fill light would have helped a lot. Just my opinion though.

 

[tirediron]

It wasn't posted in the correct forum.

 

[Robin_Usagani]

Looks pretty darn cute. When I maximize the photo, it looks soft. It may be the forum compression flaw or the photo isnt very sharp. If it is sharp though, it is a nice photo.

 

[tirediron]

I have been working hard on finding and harnessing natural light....

What exactly does that mean? I agree with Jeff - the lighting is very flat and less than exciting, and combine with the fact that the child's skin tone is very similar to the background wall... It's not a bad shot...

 

[Lmphotos]

I have problems with depth......all my photos looks very flat. But I see all these photographers who do natural light and get very dimensional photos I'm working on it.

 

[Lmphotos]

Looks pretty darn cute. When I maximize the photo, it looks soft. It may be the forum compression flaw or the photo isnt very sharp. If it is sharp though, it is a nice photo.

I think it's a compression flaw it looks sharp on my original.

 

[Lmphotos]

I have been working hard on finding and harnessing natural light....

What exactly does that mean? I agree with Jeff - the lighting is very flat and less than exciting, and combine with the fact that the child's skin tone is very similar to the background wall... It's not a bad shot...

This was done in my basement with reflectors from small window light. I kind of liked the wall color I thought it made it a very neutral and clean feel :S but these are all things I'm working on what would you have done differently?

 

[texkam]

Cute shot, but the washed out left side of basket and purple in the whites bother me more than the arguable lack of depth.

 

[Derrel]

There is a severe hot-spot in the center of the images...which appears to have been caused by excessive burning-in of the border areas. The front edge of the basket is out of focus, which is visually distracting, and the bottom of the basket is cut off..and yet there is a huge amount of top-space above the baby (the space where the giant watermark is) AND you show us the fake baseboard running across the back,bottom of the photo. The baby's head also has no obvious support, and seems to be dangerously far across the rim of the basket. This shot uses the same basic props that most newborn natural light shooters are using: a basket,filled with stuffing, a sleeping baby, and then a small section of fake wooden flooring, a fake baseboard, and then a fake wallpaper backdrop. So, it has most all of the basic checkmarks, but the composition of the photo is a bit less than optimal, and the depth of field is shallow, and there's a hotspot and a major watermark that just really,really stands out.

I think toning down the hot spot would help a lot. I also think that showing the flooring/basket bottom juncture would make the shot feel "stronger"...with the bottom of the posing basket cropped off, but the FLOORING and baseboard shown, and then all that space above the baby, the "framing" of the shot is not optimal. i think if you work on this set more, it'll only get better and better!!! it is a pretty simple formula, with very standard props. On thing--that sharp,"pokey" piece of wicker on the basket...that is unsettling to me. You need a new basket.

 

[Lmphotos]

I have problems with depth......all my photos looks very flat. But I see all these photographers who do natural light and get very dimensional photos I'm working on it.

There is a severe hot-spot in the center of the images...which appears to have been caused by excessive burning-in of the border areas. The front edge of the basket is out of focus, which is visually distracting, and the bottom of the basket is cut off..and yet there is a huge amount of top-space above the baby (the space where the giant watermark is) AND you show us the fake baseboard running across the back,bottom of the photo. The baby's head also has no obvious support, and seems to be dangerously far across the rim of the basket. This shot uses the same basic props that most newborn natural light shooters are using: a basket,filled with stuffing, a sleeping baby, and then a small section of fake wooden flooring, a fake baseboard, and then a fake wallpaper backdrop. So, it has most all of the basic checkmarks, but the composition of the photo is a bit less than optimal, and the depth of field is shallow, and there's a hotspot and a major watermark that just really,really stands out.

I think toning down the hot spot would help a lot. I also think that showing the flooring/basket bottom juncture would make the shot feel "stronger"...with the bottom of the posing basket cropped off, but the FLOORING and baseboard shown, and then all that space above the baby, the "framing" of the shot is not optimal. i think if you work on this set more, it'll only get better and better!!! it is a pretty simple formula, with very standard props. On thing--that sharp,"pokey" piece of wicker on the basket...that is unsettling to me. You need a new basket.

Thanks for all your input. But the baseboard, wall and floor are all real this is my basement as for the baby the basket is well weighted, mom is 2 inches away and baby was completely asleep before attempting. There is also positioners under the head. I'm a PICU nurse and I promise I would not let anything happen to the baby

 

[Lmphotos]

Cute shot, but the washed out left side of basket and purple in the whites bother me more than the arguable lack of depth.

I noticed the purple in the whites too....there is no purple anywhere in the house plus it didn't show up on the hat any idea what caused this?

 

[thetrue]

Cute shot, but the washed out left side of basket and purple in the whites bother me more than the arguable lack of depth.

I noticed the purple in the whites too....there is no purple anywhere in the house plus it didn't show up on the hat any idea what caused this?

White balance, one might assume. I believe the hat's white is slightly more yellow than the blanket, plus where did you have the reflector? The blanket's direct light source maybe have been different (believe it or not) than the hat's. If the light from the reflector is going up, it will catch that blanket and not the hat as much because baby is hidden a little inside the basket.

 

[KmH]

The key to creating depth to both strobed and available light portraiture is controlling the ratio of light between subject and background so the subject is separated from the background, and controlling contrast in the scene.

That generally, but not always, means having the background darker than the subject based on the basic visual art tenet - 'Light advances, dark recedes'.

Shadow definition also creates a sense of depth. No shadows, no sense of depth.
Sharp edged shadows are pretty harsh, so shadows having some definition, but with a more diffuse edge, are usually desirable.
Shadow edge definition is a function of the apparent light source size. The bigger the apparent size of the light source, the more diffuse and undefined the shadow edges are.

Using available light accords the photographer the least amount of control, because light source apparent size, location, and direction are often beyond the photographers control. You can't move a window, and you can't turn the Sun's brightness up or down at will.

No doubt, high quality photos can be made using only available light, but not whenever you want, like can be done in a studio using strobed light.

In summary, using available light successfully generally requires having more photographic lighting knowledge and experience than what is required for doing strobed light photography.
Using only available light also often requires using more light modifying equipment, than required when using strobed light.

Professional Secrets of Natural Light Portrait Photography
Existing Light Techniques for Wedding and Portrait Photography

 

[pixmedic1 1]

instead of working so hard with just natural light, get a speedlight or two, some stands, and diffusers. you will have a lot more control, and a much easier time of it. you'll spend less time waiting for that "perfect light" to come through the window, and more time taking pictures.