Family Stroll C&C Please

[killbill]

Yesterday I got a shot of some new Goslings and their Mom & Dad going for an afternoon stroll.

Any input and or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[Joel_W]

Your picture has possibilities, but as it is now, it just missess the mark. For starters the background is just too busy, and basically in focus, where a Bokeh background would have been the way to go. Both issues takes the viewers eyes away from the "family", which is to small compared to all the space given to the background. I would also have opted for Portrait rather then the landscape format option you decided on. As it stands now, your picture is unbalanced.

 

[killbill]

Thanks for the pointers....what could I have done to minimize the "busyness" in the background? I tried to get as close as possible without the proud "Papa" chasing me

I hear a lot of mixed things about using UV/ Polorized filters....thoughts?

 

[Joel_W]

Thanks for the pointers....what could I have done to minimize the "busyness" in the background? I tried to get as close as possible without the proud "Papa" chasing me

I hear a lot of mixed things about using UV/ Polorized filters....thoughts?

Why would you think about using either a UV or Polarizer to solve the issues I mentioned? There are some contrast and highlight issues, but those are secondary in nature to the other issues I mentioned.

To solve those issues now, you need a good editing program that will allow you to isolate the background and soften the sharpness. Crop to a portrait mode, position the family so that you don't have that much dead space below and almost none above them, then work on the contrast, saturation, etc. If you prefer the landscape format, then apply the same guidelines.

To avoid those issues in the future, you need to use a lens somewhere in the 100-200 mm focal length range. That will make the DOF shallower. Also try to adjust your exposure so that you're using a aperture no larger then f8, so that you're also limiting the DOF.

 

[killbill]

I was thinking a filter might cut down on the contrast.....please forgive me...I am very new to this and still learning.

I have been using Photoscape as a basic image editor but also have the Nikon editing s/w. Do either of these allow for the editing
of the background to soften it?

I'm working with the standard 18-55MM Nikon lens currently.

 

[Joel_W]

I was thinking a filter might cut down on the contrast.....please forgive me...I am very new to this and still learning.

I have been using Photoscape as a basic image editor but also have the Nikon editing s/w. Do either of these allow for the editing
of the background to soften it?

I'm working with the standard 18-55MM Nikon lens currently.

Nikon's View NX is good, but it's a watered down version of Capture DX 2.3 which would easily handle all your editing programs. I know, because it's what I use as my main editing program.

There are times when your equipment limits what you can and just can't do. In this case, given the conditions and surroundings, your kit lens was really limiting what you could and couldn't accomplish. As for the compositional issues, that's up to you. Look at the whole image in your viewfinder to see what's what. What you missed in composition, you can make up in PP is if it isn't that drastic.

I would at least reprocess you image for composition and what exposure changes you can make. Make it the best you can, then repost.

 

[killbill]

Thanks for all the great C&C.....it is very much appreciated.

I edited the original image in View NX2 and cropped to portrait style.......thoughts?