Happy birthday!

jovince3000 · Jul 7, 2015

Hey guys, been a while since I posted anything. Just got my arm out of the ... how the heck do I say that in english .... Those things and I managed to get a somewhat functioning arm for my oldest niece's 5th birthday. I think I took some amazing shots there, but I'll post my favorite of them all only.

Here's the shot in question :

Settings are 50mm at 1/40 f/5.6 ISO1600 Canon Rebel t3i

I would immensely appreciate any critiques and pointers, if there's details I seem to have missed, and do you think it's portfolio worthy?

Oh and for those of you wondering, her hat say "happy birthday" in french. "Bonne fête"

Thanks !

v2 from post #17 in this thread:

BrickHouse · Jul 8, 2015

Beautiful little girl with an infectious smile!! (we call that a cast in English). The only critique I have would be a recommendation to try to pull the highlights down just a tad, especially around the hat, and then try to bring the shadows up on the face to get a little more light on the eyes and smile.

Donde · Jul 8, 2015

Or sling...good comments from BrickHouse.

limr · Jul 8, 2015

(The cast is the hard part around your arm. The sling is the thing that wraps around you so you can keep your arm hanging comfortably.)

Oh, and I have nothing against horizontal portraits whatsoever, but I would have liked to see this one in portrait orientation so those things on top of her hat didn't get cut off. (Are they supposed to be candles? Like a birthday cake hat? Awesome. I think I might have to get one of those for myself

)

jovince3000 · Jul 8, 2015

BrickHouse said:
Beautiful little girl with an infectious smile!! (we call that a cast in English). The only critique I have would be a recommendation to try to pull the highlights down just a tad, especially around the hat, and then try to bring the shadows up on the face to get a little more light on the eyes and smile.

Thanks! now that you mention it, I do see some sort of halo around the hat, will fix that later today! On my screen though the skin brightness look fine, maybe I should reduce the brightness a tad on my screen. Will work something out.

limr said:
Oh, and I have nothing against horizontal portraits whatsoever, but I would have liked to see this one in portrait orientation so those things on top of her hat didn't get cut off. (Are they supposed to be candles? Like a birthday cake hat? Awesome. I think I might have to get one of those for myself )

I KNOW WHAT YOU FEEL! I did try to pull off a vertical, but I missed focus on all the image (forgetting to press the back-focus button does that) so I can't use them, stupid mistake, I know >< . This is indeed a Cake hat with candles on top, good eyes ^^

(Oh and btw, thanks for the correction about the cast)

sm4him · Jul 8, 2015

limr said:
... Like a birthday cake hat? Awesome. I think I might have to get one of those for myself )

Everyone else has already covered the C&C quite well, and limr has cleared up the cast/sling issue, so I'll just say:

I want that hat. I NEED that hat. My birthday is only 10 days away and that hat wants to be on my head for my birthday!!
Must. find. Bonne. Fête. hat.

jovince3000 · Jul 8, 2015

lolll, Well, We bought it at walmart, if you're lucky, you can find the same product at one of the store near where you live ?

@sm4him

sm4him · Jul 8, 2015

Well, I did find a cool Birthday cake hat on Amazon, and it's even a price I'd actually pay (I always spout off and say how I must have something, then I find it and suddenly remember, "Oh right. I'm WAY too much of a cheapskate to spend that much!").
Alas, the Amazon one says "Happy Birthday," and I really want it to say Bonne Fête. Might be a deal breaker.

No sense even looking at the local Walmart or any other local store. I can assure you, there is nowhere in my little southern US town that will be selling birthday cake hats with French on them!!

Designer · Jul 8, 2015

Asking for a durcissez que des ressembler à un chapeau de partie around here will get you hard looks.

(please excuse the crude translation)

jovince3000 · Jul 8, 2015

Right, if you want the french one that might be a tad more complicated.

Tell you what, I can go and see if there's any left at my local store. If there is, and you're willing to handle costs, I can ship you one ? Take in consideration that I'd be shipping from Canada, so you can totally expect custom fees and costly shipping ( even more so if you want to receive it under 10 day). But if you're willing, I can do that no problem.

also, @Designer .... wat ? lol

sm4him · Jul 8, 2015

jovince3000 said:
Right, if you want the french one that might be a tad more complicated.

Tell you what, I can go and see if there's any left at my local store. If there is, and you're willing to handle costs, I can ship you one ? Take in consideration that I'd be shipping from Canada, so you can totally expect custom fees and costly shipping ( even more so if you want to receive it under 10 day). But if you're willing, I can do that no problem.

also, @Designer .... wat ? lol

Yeah, see, those customs fees would probably just make me cheap gene kick in. Thanks for the offer though! Maybe I'll just get the Amazon one and tape the words Bonne Fête over the "Happy Birthday". :lol:

Or maybe I'll just act like I'm NOT 8 years old and skip the party hat.

C. Brian Kerr · Jul 8, 2015

Everyone has covered it. i as well would have like to see a vertical composition but she is a cuttie with a great smile.

sm4him said:
limr said:

... Like a birthday cake hat? Awesome. I think I might have to get one of those for myself )

Click to expand...

Everyone else has already covered the C&C quite well, and limr has cleared up the cast/sling issue, so I'll just say:

I want that hat. I NEED that hat. My birthday is only 10 days away and that hat wants to be on my head for my birthday!!
Must. find. Bonne. Fête. hat.

Happy upcoming Birthday Sharon

jovince3000 · Jul 8, 2015

What's the problem with acting like an 8 years old and having party hat!!! You're never too old for a party hat ! lol

Designer · Jul 8, 2015

jovince3000 said:
What's the problem with acting like an 8 years old and having party hat!!! You're never too old for a party hat ! lol

My wife got one of those hats at Disneyland, and she was not a child. The candles were lighted with small light bulbs. She wore it all day.

jovince3000 · Jul 8, 2015

Designer said:
jovince3000 said:

What's the problem with acting like an 8 years old and having party hat!!! You're never too old for a party hat ! lol

Click to expand...

My wife got one of those hats at Disneyland, and she was not a child. The candles were lighted with small light bulbs. She wore it all day.