Outdoor Child Portriat Input Please

[AMStrong]

I took this photo of my niece on Saturday, it was an extremely bright day but we were under the shade of some trees and it was very windy too. I was practicing portrait photography with my relatives and was trying to catch my niece and nephew in a more casual mood.
I shot in RAW and jpeg, I have not edited this one at all, just wanted opinions on what I did, what I need to change and what I did wrong.

What I used and settings:
Nikon D3200
Kit lens 18-55 mm
UV filter
Manual Mode
Exposure time: 1/4000 sec.
F-stop number: f/5.6
ISO: 800
It doesn't give me a shudder speed
Handheld no tripod
DSC_5279 -1 by Angelia Marie, on Flickr

 

[SoulfulRecover]

your exposure time is the shutter speed
its very under exposed. Probably could have shot around 1/500th of a second. Aside from that, you could try to get down on her level so youre not shooting down at her which isn't that drastic in this photo. did your flash fire?

 

[AMStrong]

Thank you so much! I am learning as I go!
No the flash didn't fire off, I had turned it off as we were walking around.
I knew something was off on this photo but I didn't know what it was
To me kids are a little harder to get a portrait of, they are always on the move or easily distracted!

 

[SoulfulRecover]

The nice thing about shooting in RAW, you should be able to recover the exposure fairly well with this. Give it a try and see how it comes out

 

[Designer]

..just wanted opinions on what I did, what I need to change and what I did wrong.

Did you see what your meter was trying to tell you when you snapped the picture? When you are in full manual, the meter will make a suggestion as to what it thinks is the ideal exposure. This shot is way underexposed, so I suspect that you didn't notice the meter.

Open shade is usually pretty good, but you still need to look at the meter.

You should be able to lighten this shot in your editing software.

Have fun!

 

[AMStrong]

I grabbed the original NEF file and ran it through my editor, I am using Corel Paintshop Pro X7, I grabbed this editor to learn on as I get used to editing RAW files and how read everything, then I hope to upgrade to Lightroom and Photoshop.
I didn't even think to look at the meter, I just saw my niece actually being still for once so I fired off a shot, I will remember to check the meter before shooting next time.
More photo information:
Focal Length: 55.00mm
Focal Length(35mm): 82mm
Metering Mode: Pattern

I am also very new at editing, so I may have messed up on the slide bars in the editor tinkering with the photo to lighten it up and adjust the exposure.
Thank you all for your help!

DSC_5279editone by Angelia Marie, on Flickr

 

[The_Traveler]

this is way too underexposed to get any real 'learning ' out of.
not sharp and terrible color noise.

You may think that learning using manual is good for you but that gives you so many things to control, someone new just has too much to do.
In this situation shooting in aperture mode, you could control the depth of field by adjusting the aperture and letter the camera figure out shutter speed.
The camera is reading the very bright background and averaging that into the exposure so your niece is underexposed by two stops at least.
When you boost the exposure, you are also magnifying the color noise.
There are real variations even in the shadow exposure.

Instead of fighting the entire gamut of llearning by using a target that moves and running the camera on manual, start taking pictures of targets that are still and softly lit until you learn how to run your camera.
What you are doing is like jumping into an airplane and flying in a race first time.
Learn this step by step.

On the left is your edited file, still underexposed.
On the right is a denoised, and adjusted image - not great but sokme better, but not nearly what the lens cand body can do.

 

[AMStrong]

Thank you for your feedback, I normally don't shoot portraits, especially kids, just branching out a bit and trying something different, I knew that there was all kinds of mistakes in the picture and it was a scratch, the other ones were better or clearer, I just couldn't put my finger on it and I appreciate all feedback thanks!

 

[The_Traveler]

One strategy I learned a while ago was to simplify every situation; the more changes I have to make the more certain it will be that the photos will be terrible and posed.
If I am out and around, shooting people I usually use in Aperture priority with the aperture set to 5.6, and the auto iso on.
(I have another setup for moving objects)
Then, all I have to adjust, no matter the shot, is the exposure compensation.

So, if I'm shooting a dark subject against a lighter background, I add exposure, frame and shoot.
I carry my camera at my waist, make any changes before I raise the camera and the camera is actually in front of my face for perhaps one or two seconds.
Before the target knows I'm shooting, it's done.

 

[Designer]

Portraits, schmortraits. Whatever.

The important things are; 1. you are having fun...2. you are learning...3. you are collecting memorable images.

All good.

Keep up the good work.

 

[AMStrong]

Thank you so much, I will do the aperture priority when I am out again, it was a challenge I set for myself, this weekend practice outdoor portraits and I think I need to keep practicing on that, maybe not with active kids! I was going back through my photos, I do better if I catch people in casual mode instead of them posing, it seems they just go stiff and stick to the 'say cheese' smile, which I have learned never tell them to say cheese!
Appreciate those ahead of me pointing me in the right direction, telling me what it is I need to work on or dial it back and try it over again
I did have fun this weekend and I learned a lot too, it was a Civil War Reenactment, I was able to get out of my comfort zone of just shooting things that don't move and mingle a bit.
I think I pushed the D3200 to its limit tho, there was so much going on and so many people roaming about!

 

[The_Traveler]

all good.
I like reenactments - I put up a few for you to see here Civil War Reenactment | Photography Forum

 

[Designer]

I do better if I catch people in casual mode instead of them posing,

This is called "candid". You can often put your subjects at ease if you don't immediately point the camera, but just nonchalantly place the camera on the table, not pointing toward your subject, and "fiddle" some with the settings. What you are doing, of course, is setting the exposure, the aperture, and ISO in preparation for a quick snap of your unsuspecting subject. You can even set your zoom to something that will help you to make that shot while they are not paying any attention to you. Then, when they are busy doing something interesting, pick up the camera in a casual manner and point and shoot all on one motion. They will hardly know you've done anything, which is the essence of candid portraiture.

 

[AMStrong]

Oh how awesome, you guys are the best. I know I say it a lot but I do mean it, thanks for all your advice for helping me understand photography, I would seek out a mentor locally but the only ones near me don't have the time, so I put myself out there to glean from others
A couple of sentence I like and I don't remember who said them "Take a lot of pictures, keep the absolute best and delete the rest." and this one "If you are not out there photographing then you are not learning."

The_Traveler: I absolutely love your Civil War Reenactment pictures!

 

[JanB56]

I took this photo of my niece on Saturday, it was an extremely bright day but we were under the shade of some trees and it was very windy too. I was practicing portrait photography with my relatives and was trying to catch my niece and nephew in a more casual mood.
I shot in RAW and jpeg, I have not edited this one at all, just wanted opinions on what I did, what I need to change and what I did wrong.

What I used and settings:
Nikon D3200
Kit lens 18-55 mm
UV filter
Manual Mode
Exposure time: 1/4000 sec.
F-stop number: f/5.6
ISO: 800
It doesn't give me a shudder speed
Handheld no tripod
DSC_5279 -1 by Angelia Marie, on Flickr

I'm doing the same thing w/ my family, so know where you're coming from. I have the Nikon D3100, very similar to yours, have you tried using the screen to view before you shoot, I have found that this lets me see what my picture will look like before I hit the shutter button, this also allows me the chance to make the necessary changes while not in the final shot. try that & see if that helps you some. it's not much, but I have found it helps me, I'm a newbie too.