Aayria
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2010
- Messages
- 787
- Reaction score
- 40
- Location
- U.S.
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos NOT OK to edit
I've had two real "shoots" in the past couple of months, and I feel like I'm hitting a big huge wall with these. I was pushing and pushing all last year to improve, and now I'm just not sure where to go!
Something positive- I have at least had to spend wayyyyy less time editing my shots. (yay!!!). Most of these were completely edited in LR only which has been a huge goal for a long while. The most recent were the pictures of the baby here...and I literally spent like five minutes TOPS on most of the edits! I used to spend nearly an hour or more on every.single.picture I edited, so I'm really happy with that at least.
But I still question if my edits are working or not...
Anyway..I'll go through and offer at least what I like/dislike about each of these, but I completely welcome any other HHCC that you can think of, and any advice you have to help get over this plateau! Do you think it could be because I"m not shooting as often? Most of the time I do semi posed/semi snap shots following my own kids around, versus the three "real shoots" per month I was doing for a while there of strangers and friends/family. So maybe I'm not getting as much solid practice like I used to?
Here's what I've been working on:
1) My brother and his beautiful wife, I took these as an anniversary gift for them, in the garden where they were married:
What I like about this shot: I was really happy with the clairty and the light in this. CC: I fumbled with posing, though..and this was a pose they came up with on their own. I'm not sure if it really works well, and I'm not sure about my color/tones in this edit. Also feeling like maybe the light was too flat for the mood I wanted. But overall, this was probably my best shot of that day. I think Heather's (my sister in law's) skin is a little bright on her arm, and maybe it's just my eyes, but they still seem a little pink to me? Also not sure about my brother's hands in his pockets.
2)
What I like: I also like the clarity and light here for the most part..and I was happy with the reflection in his sunglasses. CC: This was a shot my brother wanted for a "cool profile picture on facebook" LOL... So it doesn't scream "anniversary pictures" in that regard I feel like it was cropped too tightly...I still struggle with remembering to back up enough with my 50mm 1.4, and give my subjects room to breathe. I'm also not sure on the color here..he still seems pink to me, and the burning/dodging seems too obvious.
3) This was a 9 month shoot for a sweet friend's baby girl, just for fun. We went across the street from my house into a little grotto/garden for some sunset pictures. It turned out to be a very overcast day, though..so I didn't get to play with the look I'd hoped for. Anyway: Here's my favorite shot of baby Claire from that evening:
What I like: I was pretty happy with the coloring and mood of this shot, and the clairty. CC: I feel like the background is distracting, and I wish I'd left more room in the top right for her gaze...More with the needing to step back- I almost chopped her pinkee.
4)
What I like: I felt like this shot was framed a little better, and I liked the eye contact. CC: Chopped her cute little foot off!! *CRY*...and I feel like I should have moved the chair to the left so it was covering the dirt path area. It also seems to be lacking the clairty of the others, I think I may have just missed focus. (I shot this session completely wide open at 1.4, unlike my ussual 2.0 -2.2 range.) Also, more with the pink-ish skin to my eyes.
And a portrait orientation similar shot:
5)
What I like: I loved her expression here, obviously =P I also made more of a conscious effort to step back and get a better composition without chopping limbs. CC: I feel like the color may be oversaturated, and she seems pink again. The dodging/burning seems a bit obvious again too.
6)
What I like: I loved the sweet happy look on mom's face, and the composition here feels better... CC: The color still seems off to me, I don't like the gate going through mom's head in the background, and I don't feel like my greens are "rich" enough if that makes sense.
If you have anything to offer thank you SO MUCH in advance!
Something positive- I have at least had to spend wayyyyy less time editing my shots. (yay!!!). Most of these were completely edited in LR only which has been a huge goal for a long while. The most recent were the pictures of the baby here...and I literally spent like five minutes TOPS on most of the edits! I used to spend nearly an hour or more on every.single.picture I edited, so I'm really happy with that at least.
But I still question if my edits are working or not...
Anyway..I'll go through and offer at least what I like/dislike about each of these, but I completely welcome any other HHCC that you can think of, and any advice you have to help get over this plateau! Do you think it could be because I"m not shooting as often? Most of the time I do semi posed/semi snap shots following my own kids around, versus the three "real shoots" per month I was doing for a while there of strangers and friends/family. So maybe I'm not getting as much solid practice like I used to?
Here's what I've been working on:
1) My brother and his beautiful wife, I took these as an anniversary gift for them, in the garden where they were married:
What I like about this shot: I was really happy with the clairty and the light in this. CC: I fumbled with posing, though..and this was a pose they came up with on their own. I'm not sure if it really works well, and I'm not sure about my color/tones in this edit. Also feeling like maybe the light was too flat for the mood I wanted. But overall, this was probably my best shot of that day. I think Heather's (my sister in law's) skin is a little bright on her arm, and maybe it's just my eyes, but they still seem a little pink to me? Also not sure about my brother's hands in his pockets.
2)
What I like: I also like the clarity and light here for the most part..and I was happy with the reflection in his sunglasses. CC: This was a shot my brother wanted for a "cool profile picture on facebook" LOL... So it doesn't scream "anniversary pictures" in that regard I feel like it was cropped too tightly...I still struggle with remembering to back up enough with my 50mm 1.4, and give my subjects room to breathe. I'm also not sure on the color here..he still seems pink to me, and the burning/dodging seems too obvious.
3) This was a 9 month shoot for a sweet friend's baby girl, just for fun. We went across the street from my house into a little grotto/garden for some sunset pictures. It turned out to be a very overcast day, though..so I didn't get to play with the look I'd hoped for. Anyway: Here's my favorite shot of baby Claire from that evening:
What I like: I was pretty happy with the coloring and mood of this shot, and the clairty. CC: I feel like the background is distracting, and I wish I'd left more room in the top right for her gaze...More with the needing to step back- I almost chopped her pinkee.
4)
What I like: I felt like this shot was framed a little better, and I liked the eye contact. CC: Chopped her cute little foot off!! *CRY*...and I feel like I should have moved the chair to the left so it was covering the dirt path area. It also seems to be lacking the clairty of the others, I think I may have just missed focus. (I shot this session completely wide open at 1.4, unlike my ussual 2.0 -2.2 range.) Also, more with the pink-ish skin to my eyes.
And a portrait orientation similar shot:
5)
What I like: I loved her expression here, obviously =P I also made more of a conscious effort to step back and get a better composition without chopping limbs. CC: I feel like the color may be oversaturated, and she seems pink again. The dodging/burning seems a bit obvious again too.
6)
What I like: I loved the sweet happy look on mom's face, and the composition here feels better... CC: The color still seems off to me, I don't like the gate going through mom's head in the background, and I don't feel like my greens are "rich" enough if that makes sense.
If you have anything to offer thank you SO MUCH in advance!