High Key toddler shoot for C&C

ECshoot · Oct 1, 2019

Photoshoot with a beautiful little girl and my 2nd attempt at high key portraits. Using 3 speedlights with one on the background. Critique welcome and needed. I missed the focus in number 2 and it's a little soft but I went ahead and included as one of twelve keepers to the parents.

Hi-key-205 by EC Shots, on Flickr

Hi-key-202 by EC Shots, on Flickr

Jeff15 · Oct 1, 2019

Lovely shooting.......

tirediron · Oct 1, 2019

I can't help feeling that the DoF is just too thin; just because your lens opens to 1.4, 1.8, or whatever, doesn't mean you have to shoot there. I would much prefer these around f5.6. On the plus side, the lighting is great!

ECshoot · Oct 2, 2019

Jeff15 said:
Lovely shooting.......

Thanks

ECshoot · Oct 2, 2019

tirediron said:
I can't help feeling that the DoF is just too thin; just because your lens opens to 1.4, 1.8, or whatever, doesn't mean you have to shoot there. I would much prefer these around f5.6. On the plus side, the lighting is great!

Very good point. I think the second shot would have been much closer if I had stopped down a little and given myself some more room. Thanks for the feedback.

SquarePeg · Oct 2, 2019

Love #1. The crops a bit tight if they add matting and a frame which I’m sure they will want to. Great face in #2. I agree with your decision to keep it in the mix. It’s not soft enough for that to be noticed by anyone who is not a photographer.

smoke665 · Oct 2, 2019

Overall good high key, and the lighting is great. Adding to other comments, eyes are IMO the single most important feature on a closeup of a baby. Baby skin tends to be a little mottled anyhow, so opening up isn't a bad idea to soften that, but it makes it critical on focus/DOF on the the eyes (both eyes). Backing up and cropping or stopping down is sometimes necessary. Also as mentioned shooting a little wider isn't a bad idea if its likely the end result will be prints.

ECshoot · Oct 3, 2019

SquarePeg said:
Love #1. The crops a bit tight if they add matting and a frame which I’m sure they will want to. Great face in #2. I agree with your decision to keep it in the mix. It’s not soft enough for that to be noticed by anyone who is not a photographer.

Thanks for the feedback. I agree, I didn't give any thought to leaving a little extra room.

ECshoot · Oct 3, 2019

smoke665 said:
Overall good high key, and the lighting is great. Adding to other comments, eyes are IMO the single most important feature on a closeup of a baby. Baby skin tends to be a little mottled anyhow, so opening up isn't a bad idea to soften that, but it makes it critical on focus/DOF on the the eyes (both eyes). Backing up and cropping or stopping down is sometimes necessary. Also as mentioned shooting a little wider isn't a bad idea if its likely the end result will be prints.

Thanks for the feedback.. The eyes are always my target but I definitely missed on the 2nd. I shot this with an older Nikon 80-200 2.8 and the AF along with my skill level couldn't keep up with her. I've switched to canon and have a 70-200 ii 2.8 on the way. Looking forward to my next opportunity.

smoke665 · Oct 3, 2019

ECshoot said:
AF along with my skill level couldn't keep up with her. I've switched to canon and have a 70-200 ii 2.8 on the way. Looking forward to my next opportunity.

They have one speed wide open, which is why as TI mentioned it's important to manage your DOF. Since DOF is a dynamic function of focal length, distance from the subject and aperture it's important to keep that in mind when you're shooting wide open. For example 200 mm at f/2.8 at 10' from the subject will cut your DOF to less then an inch. Any turn of the head and one eye will suffer on focus. By comparison 70mm at f/2.8, 10' away will give you roughly 7 1/2" DOF so even with a slight head turn you can still catch both eyes in focus.

ECshoot · Oct 3, 2019

smoke665 said:
ECshoot said:

AF along with my skill level couldn't keep up with her. I've switched to canon and have a 70-200 ii 2.8 on the way. Looking forward to my next opportunity.

Click to expand...

They have one speed wide open, which is why as TI mentioned it's important to manage your DOF. Since DOF is a dynamic function of focal length, distance from the subject and aperture it's importaby to keep that in mind when you're shooting wide open. For example 200 mm at f/2.8 at 10' from the subject will cut your DOF to less then an inch. Any turn of the head and one eye will suffer on focus. By comparison 70mm at f/2.8, 10' away will give you roughly 7 1/2" DOF so even with a slight head turn you can still catch both eyes in focus.