First Birthday Party

[Beaner96]

My little girl's friend had her first birthday last weekend and I brought my camera. I again would call this a snapshot because the background is busy I wish I had a better lens so I could get a better background blur but I'm still saving up. I made it black and white because the balloons were nuclear pink and casting a very pink glow on her and her skirt was also very nuclear pink lol. I couldn't get the coloured version to look right so I decided to go black and white.

Shot with my Canon T3i with the kit 18-55mm lens and no flash. I also used a reflector but I honestly don't know how to use one but the little girls mom had one she got second hand and she let me borrow it for a bit to play around.

I finally saved enough to buy lightroom and this is my first edit so what do you think?



IMG_3061 by JadedFantasy, on Flickr

 

[Beaner96]

It's funny as soon as I post something on here I look at it and think...man I should have...

This time I think maybe a tighter crop? What do you think?

 

[PinkDoor]

I am okay with the b/w and okay with the crop. . . . it's the photo that I am stuck on. The sippy cup blocks her expression, and that's where I am totally lost on it.

 

[Beaner96]

I am okay with the b/w and okay with the crop. . . . it's the photo that I am stuck on. The sippy cup blocks her expression, and that's where I am totally lost on it.

I didn't even think about it but thanks for pointing it out! I thought it was cute at the time because she was so thirsty after eating all that cake but your right it doesn't make for a good picture.

Do you think I could have shot it from a different angle and it would have worked better?

Here are two other's from the same day but with no sippy cup better?


IMG_3148 by JadedFantasy, on Flickr


IMG_3064 by JadedFantasy, on Flickr

 

[michael9000000]

I didn't even think about it but thanks for pointing it out! I thought it was cute at the time because she was so thirsty after eating all that cake but your right it doesn't make for a good picture.

Do you think I could have shot it from a different angle and it would have worked better?

Here are two other's from the same day but with no sippy cup better?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81152094@N02/7492425734/
IMG_3148 by JadedFantasy, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81152094@N02/7492429626/
IMG_3064 by JadedFantasy, on Flickr

I think photo 2 has magic potential if you can brighten her eyes.

 

[cayto]

Photo 2 is a very good photo, the expression and their eyes hold us to look and look again to the picture...

 

[PinkDoor]

Two and three are so much better!! I would love to see them in color too. I think the cake color on her face is important

 

[allison_dcp]

Also would love to see the close up cake photo in color!

 

[Beaner96]

Okay so I tried to lighten and brighten the eye's in picture 2 and I attempted a colour version what do you think?

Black and White


IMG_3064 by JadedFantasy, on Flickr

Colour


IMG_3064 by JadedFantasy, on Flickr

**edited when I uploaded the picture uploaded the picture before I brightened the eyes by mistake on the coloured version

 

[Jaemie]

...I wish I had a better lens so I could get a better background blur but I'm still saving up.

No need for a different lens, imo. Your Canon EFS 18-55mm lens should be able to handle this quite nicely.​

The exif says you shot this at f29. That's great if you want everything in-focus. But, you'll get very little blurring, if any, at such a small aperture. Try shooting in Aperture Priority and dropping your f-stop to under 11 (try several shots at different values). The focal length can stay the same - this was 33mm. You'll get a tighter DOF.

^ Sorry. I had the wrong exif data.

​

 

[TheKenTurner]

No need for a different lens, imo. Your Canon EFS 18-55mm lens should be able to handle this quite nicely.

The exif says you shot this at f29. That's great if you want everything in-focus. But, you'll get very little blurring, if any, at such a small aperture. Try shooting in Aperture Priority and dropping your f-stop to under 11 (try several shots at different values). The focal length can stay the same - this was 33mm. You'll get a tighter DOF.

I'm gonna guess and say the OP was using auto. Back when I used it last summer outside, it would give me about f/22 ISO3200 and 1/60 shutter. My camera can barely handle ISO 1600!!!

-Ken Turner

 

[Beaner96]

...I wish I had a better lens so I could get a better background blur but I'm still saving up.

No need for a different lens, imo. Your Canon EFS 18-55mm lens should be able to handle this quite nicely.​

The exif says you shot this at f29. That's great if you want everything in-focus. But, you'll get very little blurring, if any, at such a small aperture. Try shooting in Aperture Priority and dropping your f-stop to under 11 (try several shots at different values). The focal length can stay the same - this was 33mm. You'll get a tighter DOF.

​

Thats really weird that it's saying I shot it at f29. I did shoot in aperture priority and my camera was set to f5.6.

 

[Jaemie]

...I wish I had a better lens so I could get a better background blur but I'm still saving up.

No need for a different lens, imo. Your Canon EFS 18-55mm lens should be able to handle this quite nicely.​

The exif says you shot this at f29. That's great if you want everything in-focus. But, you'll get very little blurring, if any, at such a small aperture. Try shooting in Aperture Priority and dropping your f-stop to under 11 (try several shots at different values). The focal length can stay the same - this was 33mm. You'll get a tighter DOF.

​

Thats really weird that it's saying I shot it at f29. I did shoot in aperture priority and my camera was set to f5.6.

You are probably correct. I think my exif plugin is grabbing your avatar's information. Sorry for the confusion. But, doublecheck your camera settings in Properties for photo #1. It just doesn't feel like f5.6 to me, though I could easily be wrong.

 

[Beaner96]

It's probably my avatar and I double checked my camera because it's sti on the same settings and it's f5.6 and iso 200. It doesn't say anything in properties in the picture but it's my computer.

 

[paigew]

beaner96 the second two are so cute!! I think the eyes are a bit overdone in the last photo. In photo #2 she is squinting a little so for next time I would be sure her back is to the sun or you are in open shade so her eyes can open.

You can get a 50mm 1.8 lens for 100$! It is great to learn on if you don't have the cash for the 1.4