New 50mm lens CC please!

[Jeanelle]

1.

2.

3.

4.

 

[Djmorrsee]

Focus looks pretty good in all of them, but they all seem overexposed with #3 being very much so, with all the blown highlights in the background. The pose in #1 looks uncomfortable

 

[Kerbouchard]

I really like 3 and 4. Sure, the background is a bit hot, but when shooting in the shade with a background illuminated by the sun, that is pretty much going to happen every time. Doesn't ruin the shot and doesn't even bother me. Only way to avoid that is to use a reflector or strong flash to bring the subject up to the same level as the background...not exactly the easiest of tasks.

1 and 2 look a bit soft to me. The out of focus hair in one throws it off for me and 2 could use some sharpening and a bit more contrast.

I know it's tempting to shoot a lot wide open when you get your hands on a fast prime, but there is a saying in photography...just because you can doesn't mean you should. I think 1 and 2 would have benefited from stepping down a stop or two.

In any case, nice subjects and some nice shots. Looks like you will be enjoying that new 50mm lens.

 

[lyonsroar]

Stop down and watch the sharpness go uuuuppppp!

 

[Gaerek]

Two things stand out in my mind, right away. All but #2 appear to me to be overexposed. I'm not on a calibrated monitor, so I could be wrong, but my experiences show this monitor is fairly accurate. Second, these are portraits. You're shooting in horizontal, or landscape orientation for all but #1. In #2 and #4, you've chopped the tops of heads off. And you have un-needed dead space in each shot.

#1 - Skin tone is almost all lost due to over-exposure. Her hoodie has pink stripes on it, but, at least on my monitor, the pink stripes almost blend in with the white ones. I'd say you need to bring the exposure down at least half a stop to a full stop. Composition wise, this one is my favorite, though some might prefer if she had been moved over a bit to the right in the frame. I think it's fine how it is.

#2 - Looks like exposure is good here. But I really don't like the composition. Top of his head is cut off. They call it portrait orientation for a reason. Vertical portraits should be the norm, horizontals the exception. The focus is pretty soft, and I imagine this is a result of the f/1.8 aperture. I would stop down, it would likely help you to get sharper focus, and have more of his head in focus.

#3 - Background is blown out. A trick to avoid this is use your pop-up flash. Set it to maybe 1/3 to 1/2 power (check your manual if you're not sure how to do it), then expose for the background. This should get your subject (the little girl) and the background both nicely exposed. This one still has the horizontal portrait problem. There's no need to have that much negative space in this shot. Think about this next time. If it adds to the shot, keep it. If not, get closer.

#4 - I think you know what I'll say about the orientation here...so I'll spare you. This one appears very blown out to me. Her face is very bright, and definitely hot.

Those are some very photogenic kids. I know I probably sound harsh, but please understand, I just want to help. It seems you might be getting the hang of it, but still have some things to learn. Keep shooting, and keep posting!

 

[Derrel]

V
E
R
T
I
C
A
L
and MINUS EXPOSURE COMPENSATION could have made some dandy pics.

 

[Kerbouchard]

#3 - Background is blown out. A trick to avoid this is use your pop-up flash. Set it to maybe 1/3 to 1/2 power (check your manual if you're not sure how to do it), then expose for the background. This should get your subject (the little girl) and the background both nicely exposed.

Your pop up flash can bring a subject in the shade up to the exposure level of a background lit by direct sun? Judging by the looks of the shot, that would be around sync speed of 1/200th of a second, ISO 100, and that still puts you at f/11. In order to bring your ISO low enough and your aperture small enough to properly expose the background, you are going to be beyond the capabilities of an average flash to pull the subject up to the right exposure.

Heck, that same shot will give an SB900 trouble. It would require a very powerful flash to not get an underexposed subject and a properly exposed background. I just don't see how the pop up flash would have helped here other than to bring the shutter speed way down which would have definitely over exposed the background.

Now, when shooting in shade, it is always helpful if your background is something in the shade also.

These shots look like they were taken at around 2 in the afternoon in broad daylight. Not exactly the most forgiving circumstances for photography. All in all, I would say the OP did a good job.

To the OP, these shots would be a lot easier about an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset. They call those the golden hours and they are photographers' bread and butter shooting situations.

 

[vtf]

Stop down and watch the sharpness go uuuuppppp!

+1,111,111,111,111,111,111,111,111%

 

[Gaerek]

#3 - Background is blown out. A trick to avoid this is use your pop-up flash. Set it to maybe 1/3 to 1/2 power (check your manual if you're not sure how to do it), then expose for the background. This should get your subject (the little girl) and the background both nicely exposed.

Your pop up flash can bring a subject in the shade up to the exposure level of a background lit by direct sun? Judging by the looks of the shot, that would be around sync speed of 1/200th of a second, ISO 100, and that still puts you at f/11. In order to bring your ISO low enough and your aperture small enough to properly expose the background, you are going to be beyond the capabilities of an average flash to pull the subject up to the right exposure.

Heck, that same shot will give an SB900 trouble. It would require a very powerful flash to not get an underexposed subject and a properly exposed background. I just don't see how the pop up flash would have helped here other than to bring the shutter speed way down which would have definitely over exposed the background.

Now, when shooting in shade, it is always helpful if your background is something in the shade also.

These shots look like they were taken at around 2 in the afternoon in broad daylight. Not exactly the most forgiving circumstances for photography. All in all, I would say the OP did a good job.

To the OP, these shots would be a lot easier about an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset. They call those the golden hours and they are photographers' bread and butter shooting situations.

Eh, you're right. The real problem with these shots, as you noted was they were shot in the afternoon. It's tough for anyone who doesn't have a small fortune invested in lights to get the right exposure at that time of day. In reality though, it would have been far less noticeable if the OP had filled the frame with her subject, as has been suggested numerous times here already.

 

[Jeanelle]

Thanks everyone for all the great critiques! As you can tell I just got this new lens, and obviously made the noob decision to go with it as soft as possible. Tempting not to do with this wonderful lens, but I will definitely try hard next time that I take it out. I will remember all your great advice next time! Thank you all for spending the time to help me!

 

[Jeanelle]

Oh and I accidentally posted the wrong picture on number one, this is the one that it was supposed to be:

I am sorry about the exposure on these, I actually upped it on them................guess I should have left well enough alone! Thanks again everyone!

 

[Jeanelle]

I took this photo down a whole stop, does it look better?

 

[Kerbouchard]

That's not the kind of stop we were talking about. We were talking about before capture. As in, instead of shooting at 1.8, stopping down to an aperture of f/2.8 or f/4. That gives you a larger depth of field so more of the subject is in focus. Helps a lot with moving kids.

 

[Vtec44]

Is this the Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8 D lens? I just got it today and found that the sweet spot is between f/3.5-4.5.

Great pictures BTW.

 

[Kerbouchard]

Since you have editing okay, here is how I would have edited that last image...levels and curve adjustment, and some sharpening. Oh, and I also brought some of the pinks back in her shirt.