how to turn kids snaps to portraits?

[manaheim]

'course you know, now I look at my pics again and I realize that those I posted are really actually pretty horrible from a portrait perspective. I'm going to remove them now.

 

[tsaraleksi]

A window can't be big enough for my camera, it doesn't do well inside. I have very little light coming into my house as the window is covered by the porch roof and is tinted with privacy tint as well. Inside shots are very difficult with my max ISO of 400 (too much noise even at that) and slow shutter speeds. I just want to be able to fix a few shots now and then with a good editing technique for the eyes.

No amount of editing is going to create light in the eyes that wasn't there before. If you look at the before and after of the edit posted here, the original had a fair amount of light in the eye, and the edit merely brought that out a little more.

 

[ATXshots]

Great photos!! I LOVE number 3...especially after the edits. How did you get those highlights on her hair?

DRoberts, I would very much like to know what you did to that photo, especially with the eyes. I find it much better to find out from "real world" edits here in the forum than from googling tutorials to learn.

I seem to have a problem with the eyes in all my photos of people. They always come out a bit darker or less noticeable much like the original photo. I want eyes to sparkle and brighten similar to what you did with the edit.

I thought this tutorial was pretty good. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1322481/effective_and_beautiful_eyes_with_photoshop/

 

[mrodgers]

No amount of editing is going to create light in the eyes that wasn't there before. If you look at the before and after of the edit posted here, the original had a fair amount of light in the eye, and the edit merely brought that out a little more.

Yes, it's not as if I don't have light coming into the house from the windows. There is light and there is light in their eyes. It's just that my camera can not work as well overall with the amount of light I have (it really only works it's best in very good sunlight outside). I want to know how to bring that light reflections in my kid's eyes out further just as the edit to the OP's image is.

 

[samal]

2 more attempts to make a portrait out of opportunity - I find it that while concentrating on background choice and light conditions, I miss lots of precious moments of expressions and emotions

I have more interesting facial expressions in the same series but it's either a car or a garbage conteiner on the background that kill the composition or in a rush of capturing a moment, I cut off her legs

both pictures are straight from the camera with no PP, but I shot them in RAW and Jpeg mode, so I will practice with them in the Lightroom when I get a free minute to learn some ropes in that software

I know, I cut off her fingers...again