More beginner shots....manual mode!

[hsmom]

I'm venturing out of auto into manual. Here are a couple of shots of my three year old. I'm sure the exposure needs adjustinIg, but I'm still trying to learn my camera...I'll get to the software eventually

C&C always welcome

 

[tinfish]

I think the exposure looks good. The first one looks like there some highlight's that are almost blown out, but not bad.

 

[mrodgers]

The exposure makes the photo in the first one with the sunlight through a window lighting up his face like that (I assume a window).

Congrats on moving on to manual mode. It's fun, isn't it?

 

[Jedo_03]

Pic 1 looks (to me) that his hair above his ear and the top of his head looks in focus but his face and eyes and all else are OOF... so the DOF was too narrow and you didn't quite nail the focus point (my guess is you prefocussed and then moved the camera for a better comp - in which case, when you're using a narrow plane of focus, you 'shift' the focal plane)
A little blown on the skin-tones: perhaps dial-in +0.5 Exp Comp. Good idea to always take a test shot and look at the histogram and 'blinkies' to check for blown highlights.
Pic 2 - as above - also, his face is distorted: ?due to the lens being too close to the subject
Is this window light? Looks very strong. Is the sun shining directly through the window onto him?
Perhaps try the same shot on a hazy or overcast day - with him closer to the window. The light will be a lot kinder. Use a white reflector to cast some of the light back onto the shadow side of his face/head.
I'm intrigued by the small white speck in the corner of his mouth...
Hope that helps.
Jedo

 

[manaheim]

Yeah looks like lens too close (likely wide angle) on pic 2, and a touch overexposed on both. Still not bad for first try though. Cute kid, too.

 

[hsmom]

Thanks for the suggestions!

Yes, he was very close to the camera and he kept moving. Pretty typical for him The white speck in the corner of his mouth is a piece of cheese cracker....it was snack time


And yes, manual is fun! I'm having a blast trying to figure everything out, so count on lots more photos to critique. I'm working my way through the exercises in Understanding Exposure Ideally I'd like to much better at this by next summer before we go on vacation and before my parent's anniversary party. I'm not sure that's realistically enough time, but I'm willing to work at it. I'd like to take some classes at the local college....but I have to wait until the baby (3 months) is a bit older.


Thanks again!!!