Critique Newborn Photos (again)

[runnergirl]

Hi there, I have posted once or twice about my beginner photos. I originally got a DSLR camera a few months ago because I am pregnant and want to learn how to take good photos of my kids, and I also wanted to take some nice newborn photos for my sister who had her baby this week (yay!). I have a Sony alpha 200 and I also have an external flash. I took some pics of my new nephew a couple days ago and wanted to ask some feedback so that I can incorporate new tips into more photos of him and, in a few months, of my own baby.

I posted my favorite three. Here is my own critique of my work: First, I forgot to turn the ISO down (oops, I know, silly mistake) so the first two that I posted here had an ISO of 800. Whoops. Also, I am trying to learn how to bounce the flash and sometimes I succeed and other times I don't. I am only starting to figure it out. I used aperture priority with f/5.6 for all of them because a) that's as low as my camera goes and b) I'm not good enough to do manual yet (but I promise I practice manually on other things!). I still don't know quite how to get better light - with a decently powerful external flash and my aperture as wide as it can go, any ideas why my shutter speed still was as slow at 1/60? Fortunately he wasn't moving too much, but I'm sure as the kiddos get older I will have to get better at lighting so that my shutter speed can be fast enough to catch them!

The only post processing I did for these was cropping (and adding black and white to the first one). I appreciate any and all tips! Thanks in advance for your help.



Peter #1 - F/5.6, ISO 800, 1/60



Peter #2: F/5.6, ISO 800, 1/60


Peter #3: F/5.6, ISO 200, 1/60

 

[fjrabon]

I think you're falling into the idea that the subject has to take up the whole frame on every shot. Try zooming out (or moving away) a tiny bit for at least some shots to give the subject some room to breather and give a better feeling of context.

 

[DigitalDave]

The eyes are nice and in focus. The second one could use a bit of catch light in his eyes.

I'm actually opposite in opinion to the previous poster in that I would have liked to have seen his face closer, not that it hurts to get some establishing shots too. The problem with many mid type shots is that they don't really say much at all. Neither close-up with impact, or wider with the baby within his surroundings, like the previous poster suggests.

The expression on the babies face in the first one isn't great, but is nice in the second two, although number two would have been really nice if he was looking in the camera or you changed your angle so he was.

Just one last thing not really related to the pictures, you said 'I used aperture priority with f/5.6 for all of them because a) that's as low as my camera goes...'

It's as low as your lens goes, not the camera. Change the lens, and depending on the lens it'll open up wider.

 

[mommy-medic]

Not bad at all for just starting out. I too would back up a bit (or crop not as tight- if you crop tighter you'll be cutting off parts).

What are you using for post processing? Number 1 looks really blotchy, and babies (especially newborns) can be red.

Try different angles- you didn't do it too much in these but make sure you avoid up-the-nose shots (can be easy to forget with babies).