Getting the best out of what you have - C&C please

[CorrieMichael]

So I have been trying to pick up the camera and capture things that are important to me or things I don't want to forget....moments that make me laugh etc. Today was my youngest and these stinkin boots.....he has been wearing them for a couple of days.....shorts....pants....sleeping.....whatever it may be he wants to wear these boots I recently bought him for the winter....lol.....I think is absolutely adorable. So he wanted them on when he went to bed this afternoon. I didn't have much time....didn't want to wake him up.....so used my 50mm 1.4, I believe my iso was at 1600, I was at a 1.4 for most of the images but did start out at 1.6, and my shutter was anywhere from 1/150 - 1/200. So these are a bit grainy....but maybe that adds to them I dunno? Anyways C&C on these would be great and any info on how you would have used what I did differently, or what you would have kept the same? No time to grab a speedlight, no turning light on again because I didn't want to wake him up THAnks
1. 2.3.4.

 

[cbarnard7]

I actually like the grain! Adds something a little different. I like #1 and 4 the best...the others are neat, but the crib rails are distracting me too much to be honest. Cool pictures either way!

 

[ronlane]

Why shoot at ISO 1600 with shutters of 150-200? Using a 50mm, you could have lowered the ISO and kept the shutter at 50-100 and been just fine, with less grain. It's just a thought.

 

[Mach0]

Why shoot at ISO 1600 with shutters of 150-200? Using a 50mm, you could have lowered the ISO and kept the shutter at 50-100 and been just fine, with less grain. It's just a thought.

+1

 

[Derrel]

I would have stopped down to something like f/3.5. I'm not a fan of f/1.4 shots with 90% of the frame out of focus.

 

[JamesMason]

Nice shots, personally I don't think the grain isn't too much of a problem as the dynamic range has been largely retained. On saying that it would be nice to see whats these look like after being run through something like dfine or similar noise reduction software

 

[texkam]

They all look underexposed.

 

[Granddad]

With a sleeping child you could easily have got away with a slower shutter speed, so long as you can keep your hands fairly steady. I shoot fast moving dancers at shutter speed of 160 - 200.
I like 3 best because it's at his level and I like the way you have his face in focus between the bars.

 

[paigew]

They do look underexposed. My favorite is #3 where the focus is on the eyelashes.

 

[texkam]

Rotate #4 90 degrees counterclockwise.

 

[kundalini]

Alice Cooper's song Dead Babies immediately came to mind when I saw the images.

While I understand these images have an affinity for you, as an unbiased observer, they are a miss. The B&W shot is the only one that conveys a sleeping child. Keep them all for posterity's sake, but critique them yourself later when the maternal feelings for these images have waned.

 

[CorrieMichael]

Alice Cooper's song Dead Babies immediately came to mind when I saw the images.

While I understand these images have an affinity for you, as an unbiased observer, they are a miss. The B&W shot is the only one that conveys a sleeping child. Keep them all for posterity's sake, but critique them yourself later when the maternal feelings for these images have waned.

while I love constructive criticism and really thrive from it even if it is crude..................the first statement about the song is completely uncalled for, now when I look at these pictures I too think of this song.....thanks........ honestly for nothing! If you had of just commented the second part of this critique it would have been enough for me to understand where you are coming from!
Thanks to everyone else who refrained from saying it even if that's what it looks like to them..........kundalini....did you even read my request for c&c or why I took the pictures?

 

[kundalini]

I did not mean to offend Corrie, but I wasn't sure you would appreciate my comments either. That was beside the point. C&C is C&C. Sometimes a jolt from a distanced viewer has made me consider what I think is good, is only because I'm emotionally attached. My gut reaction was the song from Alice.

..........kundalini....did you even read my request for c&c or why I took the pictures?

Yes.

... Anyways C&C on these would be great and any info on how you would have used what I did differently, or what you would have kept the same? No time to grab a speedlight, no turning light on again because I didn't want to wake him up THAnks

I believed you were trying to capture a special moment of your sleeping child. I have two myself, both of which are grown men now and I have the same photos you have taken, albeit twenty some, getting close to thirty years ago. Apart from the one I mentioned, it is still my opinion you missed the mark. Look at the B&W photo. That one tells a story. Build on that attempt because it was the best of the lot IMO. Kids are pretty resilient and not nearly as frail as people might like to think, so excuses to not disturb them really don't hold much water with me.

Again, my intention was not to offend, only to give a first impression.

 

[The_Traveler]

Sorry, these aren't good shots, imo.
Too much is oof and what is in focus isn't particularly interesting.
THese are absolutely personal remembrance shots and not 'pictures.'

 

[cbarnard7]

Alice Cooper's song Dead Babies immediately came to mind when I saw the images.

While I understand these images have an affinity for you, as an unbiased observer, they are a miss. The B&W shot is the only one that conveys a sleeping child. Keep them all for posterity's sake, but critique them yourself later when the maternal feelings for these images have waned.

Not really the best song of choice to throw out there, kundalini. That may have been something to keep to yourself.

Otherwise, I do agree with the others about the shutter speed/ISO change. Maybe an ISO of 800-1000? and a shutter speed at <100 next time.

I'm also diggin' the little Volcom shirt!