First Photos, Just My Husband

Mijoh · Jan 7, 2008

These are just me getting out there and playing with the new camera. I'm upgrading from my old P&S and have had my rebel for a few days nows. My husband agreed to pose and I literally had no idea what I was doing. I read the manual enough to know how to change some settings, but I still have no idea what does what. A lot of them were done on Auto or Portraiture setting, some I just messed with stuff until I liked how it looked.

CC most welcome and appreciated! Any thoughts?

They're mostly straight out of the camera, just some crops and slight curves adjustment.

1)

2)

3)

4)

Mijoh · Jan 7, 2008

Shameless bump for the night crowd.

Any thoughts?

Offbeat · Jan 7, 2008

I like number 2 and 3 but the focus on the others seems a bit soft.
Cant knock you for exposure though(Y)

Mijoh · Jan 7, 2008

Offbeat said:
I like number 2 and 3 but the focus on the others seems a bit soft.
Cant knock you for exposure though(Y)

Thanks for the input! You're right, the focus does look soft especially on that last one. I'm not sure where the focus fell on #4, but it def. wasn't on his face. I wonder if #1 would benefit from some sharpening?

There was some really beautiful light going on, so it helped a lot on the exposure. Again, thanks for the feedback.

N'Kolor · Jan 7, 2008

Well first, Welcome to the Forum!!!

You have good ideas with your photos and you have a great portrait lens. I would suggest taking some local photography courses, like a "Digital Photography 1" to help you understand aperture, ISO...so on.

I would also listen to members here...you will learn a lot quickly ~ so hold on! Try not to center so much since you are shooting an individual...especially the pics where he is looking off frame. Give him space to look...this also applies to flying birds, try not to center, unless you can't prevent it and give the bird room to fly.

N'Kolor · Jan 7, 2008

Oh yeah, one more quick note on portraits. (You didn't really do this, just a little FYI for future).

Don't crop at joints...in camera or in PP. If legs are shown, cut mid-joints or show full leg, same for arms, hands...so on. Something I learned...don't interlace fingers...looks a little creepy like someone has too many fingers. If you are shooting two people and one has his arm around the other, don't show the hidden arms hand...sometimes can look like someone else's hand has entered the picture.

SteveEllis · Jan 8, 2008

"Just my husband" - Makes the poor bloke sound unloved

I like the depth of field of number 2 and the angle on number 4

Mijoh · Jan 8, 2008

SteveEllis said:
"Just my husband" - Makes the poor bloke sound unloved

No way! He's uber loved! :heart: These were actually taken on our 1-year anniversery and even though we were starving and late for our dinner he posed for over an hour so I could play with my new camera. Who wouldn't love such a sweetie?

I titled it like that because there's another forum I read where people indicate JMK (just my kid) or JMH (just my husband) to show that it's practice shots, not a client or a real shoot or anything.

Thanks for the comments too! I loved that red building but was struggling to get the whole thing in on my 50mm, so I played with the angles.

Thank N'Kolor for the encouragement and advise too. Surprisingly even though I live in a huge metroplex, I'm struggling to find any community college courses. Go figure. I've got a baby due in March, so I can't do it anytime soon, but I have been looking. I've purchased "Understanding Expsosure" and hope that will help in the meantime.

acaldwell · Jan 11, 2008

Hi Mijoh! I wonder if you have checked UTA for any classes. My brother-in-law goes there and tries to get me into classes there all the time. Just a thought. Also, I love that painting in the first picture. Mind sharing where you found this as I also live in FW.

The second is my pick

Ronman · Jan 11, 2008

Well.....I think you did pretty good, I like 'em.

As N'Kolor stated, " Oh yeah, one more quick note on portraits. (You didn't really do this, just a little FYI for future).

Don't crop at joints...in camera or in PP. If legs are shown, cut mid-joints or show full leg, same for arms, hands...so on."
In #4, I like the angle, but with such a tall picture, my eye wondered why you cut off the legs at all. Thats it, really, I like 'em. ron

Mijoh · Jan 11, 2008

Acaldwell: UTA and UNT for sure have courses, but I'm really trying to find a community college course that's cheaper. The closest I could find was Collin County but that's so far.

We actually took these up in Mckinney. It's quite a drive, but the old downtown area there is beautiful. This was actually a mural on the side of a coffee shop I think. Thanks for the reply! # 2 is my fav as well.

Ronman: Thanks for the feedback! Hehe, his legs got cut because I was getting lazy on the foot zoom. I couldn't fit everything in with the 50mm, kept backing up, still couldn't get it, backed up more, finally backed into a parking lot and decided to just take it. I did try to make a conscious decision to cut at the shin rather than at a joint, but I'm not entirely satisfied with the end result.

Ronman · Jan 11, 2008

Ashlee, I figured it was something like that. I noticed you were pretty close at the top. I also concluded it was better to cut mid leg than cut the top of the light post. Is that why you tilted the post.....to avoid cutting him off at the knees?

No softball critiques from me. ron