:( disappointed

[mrsdthompson]

Ok, so I looked at your gallery. My first thought is that you need to study and practice a ton more. Exposures are all over the place, composition is non-existent, Subjects are stiff and uncomfortable, white balance is off. Postprocessing is a definite need when you have bellies. You dont want to see all the imperfections.

Credit to you - You actually got off the computer and took some portraits. Do it again, again, and again.

Based on the portraits, I'm guessing you shot at sunset, with a kit lens. Which means, tripod and slow shutter or High ISO, because you can't shoot at f2.8 or wider. My thought is that you had a slow shutter and no tripod which causes the out of focus problems.

You really need to get a grasp on getting proper exposures and then work on composition.

Thanks for the reply. I actually had a fast shutter had to because it was to dark without it. I didn't have a tripod though. My lens only goes to f4 It's time's like this shoot that I wish I had a flash or a wider lens so I could get close enough for mine to work. I really do want a tripod. It's on my list of wants. I LOVE to practice so that should be no problem. I also plan on getting into a class or two as soon as I can but for now with 4 little ones the youngest being 6 I have to wait until I find reliable babysitting (not many want to sign up to watch 4 kids! LOL) I keep hearing I need to do something about my composition. Can you give me a starting point to practice this?

 

[vtf]

Ok, so I looked at your gallery. My first thought is that you need to study and practice a ton more. Exposures are all over the place, composition is non-existent, Subjects are stiff and uncomfortable, white balance is off. Postprocessing is a definite need when you have bellies. You dont want to see all the imperfections.

Credit to you - You actually got off the computer and took some portraits. Do it again, again, and again.

Based on the portraits, I'm guessing you shot at sunset, with a kit lens. Which means, tripod and slow shutter or High ISO, because you can't shoot at f2.8 or wider. My thought is that you had a slow shutter and no tripod which causes the out of focus problems.

You really need to get a grasp on getting proper exposures and then work on composition.

Thanks for the reply. I actually had a fast shutter had to because it was to dark without it.????? I didn't have a tripod though. My lens only goes to f4 It's time's like this shoot that I wish I had a flash or a wider lens so I could get close enough for mine to work. I really do want a tripod. It's on my list of wants. I LOVE to practice so that should be no problem. I also plan on getting into a class or two as soon as I can but for now with 4 little ones the youngest being 6 I have to wait until I find reliable babysitting (not many want to sign up to watch 4 kids! LOL) I keep hearing I need to do something about my composition. Can you give me a starting point to practice this?

Your shutter speed was too fast, a standing still person at 70mm and you can probably get away with 1/60. Aperture was f4.5. A small off camera flash and it's easy peasy. I would not suggest delving into a new lens until you fully understand the exposure triangle, those that are at 2.8 or wider have a very shallow dof and that's a whole new bull to wrangle.

 

[mrsdthompson]

Man! It's just so hard to get back so far but I do agree I'd like to tackle this lens first (although I'm learning that I'll always be learning) And I meant to put that I had a slow shutter because it was too dark. LOL! I must have really looked dumb there! LOL! But I also have a shakey hand so I couldn't put it as slow as if I had a tripod so I agree it was still to fast I think a tripod may be happening before another lens does. So I'm trying to understand the whole croping thing. Does it decrease the picture quality when I zoom in? and does crop and zoom (which seems to be my only option if I want a blurred background) in a sense mean the same thing? I'm just a little confused. I finally figured out what DOF meant while I was laying in bed trying to fall asleep last night! LOL!