My daughter on the train tracks

[dolphinstreet]

My daughter.

Took in colour, but use Photoshop to grayscale it.

How is it?

 

[KmH]

Her face is under exposed (2 full stops) because she is back lit and it doesn't look like any fill light was used. What metering mode did you use?

The camera perspective is good. You get down to her level.

Notice how dark her eye sockets are. The eyes are the "window to the soul" and being able to see the eyses makes or breaks people shots.

Holding the camera with the long side of the image frame vertical is called the portrait orientation for a reason.

The composition being so central is weak. There is something bright, white and distracting on the left side of the frame.

Portrait poses that have the shoulders parallel or perpendicular to the image sensor plane are not as apealling as when the shoulders are at an angle somewhere in between the two.

Had her left shoulder been back a bit and both shoulders not parallel to the image sensor, you could have included the rail there camera right all the way to the curve.

In Photoshop to convert to B&W I use a B&W adjustment layer so I have more control of the contrast.

I brought the exposure up 2 stops, cropped, and dodged right above her eyes a little, and another to roughly illustrate what fill flash might have done.

 

[Railphotog]

As can be seen by my ID, I am a railfan. I've seen other such photos and/or mention of them on railroad forums I follow, and most receive messages that taking such "family" photos on or around railroad tracks is never a good idea. It can teach children that they are a place where it is OK to hang out. They are industrial areas and can be very dangerous places to be, as well as being illegal to trespass upon. Suggest future photos be taken in a safer environment.

 

[dolphinstreet]

Railphotog, no problem here - the sidewalk goes straight over the tracks, so it's not illegal, and my daughter is not the adventurous type who would be hanging out on the tracks.

KMH, thanks for the feedback and suggestions. Very informative. I don't recall the metering mode (I don't have the camera with me to check). The photo was a quick trial only - no gear like fill light was used. Just "stand there for a second, click, done". So no planning or anything. I didn't intend it to be a close up portrait necessarily either.

 

[Netskimmer]

Someone should photoshop a train behind her.

 

[KmH]

The photo was a quick trial only ....Just "stand there for a second, click, done". So no planning or anything.

I appreciate you letting me know that you were not willing to devote any more effort than that to making the image in the first place.

 

[dolphinstreet]

The photo was a quick trial only ....Just "stand there for a second, click, done". So no planning or anything.

I appreciate you letting me know that you were not willing to devote any more effort than that to making the image in the first place.

It's certainly not about being not being willing - it was just an impulse decision as we were driving by, and as such, I thought the result wasn't so bad, considering that. Had I told my kid we were going to bring out lights and other gear out on the tracks for a photo session, she would have refused to come along...

Thanks for all the feedback!

 

[ghache]

The photo was a quick trial only ....Just "stand there for a second, click, done". So no planning or anything.

I appreciate you letting me know that you were not willing to devote any more effort than that to making the image in the first place.

 

[Ron Evers]

I would have been inclined to stay in landscape view but shift the camera to the right to put the subject more left & show the curve of the tracks moreso behind her. There are lotsa possibilities with this setting.

 

[Keysersose]

I have read a couple of threads on here now where uptight ring pieces are having a hissy fit on the thread starters...........I hope it is not the norm......

 

[SoonerBJJ]

I think the point was that KmH put more time into a response than the OP put into the original shot. If you aren't going to put some thought into a shot then why should anyone else put thought into a response?

 

[lyonsroar]

I have read a couple of threads on here now where uptight ring pieces are having a hissy fit on the thread starters...........I hope it is not the norm......

It is, but generally it's for a good reason.

 

[Derrel]

The photo was a quick trial only ....Just "stand there for a second, click, done". So no planning or anything.

I appreciate you letting me know that you were not willing to devote any more effort than that to making the image in the first place.

Well-played ghache.