Nikki

[TheLibrarian]

Critique please. Had some trouble getting crisp focusing all the time and forgot to change up settings as often as I intended.

 

[chuasam]

Watch your poses, watch your focus point, a light meter and colour balance chart would help immensely. A lot of the background does not add interest or context.

Use a much faster lens and work on connecting with the subject

 

[Alan92RTTT]

Whats a "color chart" and how would it be used in this context?

 

[chuasam]

Whats a "color chart" and how would it be used in this context?

Colour chart helps you calibrate and keep your skin tone consistent.
Right now some images look way too bluish and some look way too warm.

 

[Alan92RTTT]

As should be obvious by my question, I have no clue what a color chart is. Restating that its used to fix color issues does not answer the question because I lack context.

Could you provide an image or link to one and explain how one would use it to help with color issues of the kind that you have mentioned that the OP has?

 

[AlanKlein81 20]

Pretty girl. You might consider a separate flash. On camera flashes give you those tiny little bull's-eye lights right in the middle of the pupil. It looks unnatural. You want catch lights on the iris at 10 or 2 o'clock, a more natural and realistic look.

 

[snowbear115 46]

As should be obvious by my question, I have no clue what a color chart is. Restating that its used to fix color issues does not answer the question because I lack context.

Could you provide an image or link to one and explain how one would use it to help with color issues of the kind that you have mentioned that the OP has?

X-Rite ColorChecker Classic Card MSCCC B&H Photo Video
Note: not an endorsement, just the first thing in a search

 

[TheLibrarian]

Thanks, I'm still muddling through a lot of things like web and color balancing...? If that's a thing. I read a little about gray cards. The head shot is warmer and the rest are bluer. I thought ooh I got good light by accident. 2 more like that were bluer suppose I should keep a set consistent on skin tone maybe between the two.

Think focus may have been using widest aperture on the kit lens. Maybe you can nail focus but it's a bulls eye you don't always hit. Not good bg blur anyway so I intended to use a variety of aperture settings. Just got caught up trying to pose her and compose and everything else. I just click the camera thoughtlessly.

No flash. I used a little at the end. Had a reflector was going to try but...

Also fiddling with different focus modes. I move the camera too much for the single point. I'm going portrait landscape and back and forth. On the digital screen the box moves slowly and even through the viewer I disliked moving it around so much. Think I may have switched to face detection and left it. I tried zoom and manual focus on the digital screen but then I'd immediately take a step and I assume mess it up.

 

[TheLibrarian]

Pretty sure I turned auto ISO off at some point too. I'll try to turn that on and control A n S. I'm thinking in some of the darker areas it made a longer shutter speed giving motion blur or camera shake. And want a tripod and either a 50 prime or 70- 200 whichever is more versatile for family stuff/ model

 

[chuasam]

a 50mm prime is a LOT cheaper and still very versatile for portraiture.

85mm f/1.8 is also a very good affordable lens for portraiture. I have the 70-200 f/2.8 VR II but I generally prefer my 105mm f/1.4 for my portraits (and lately I've even stopped it down to f/2.o thanks @DanOstergren )

 

[CherylL]

I used my 50mm a lot before I went full frame. Using single point will give you better results. I was slow at first moving the point, but in time it was second nature. Most of my shots are of the grandkids and dogs. Moving targets!