The reason I bought a camera

[Rob4bama]

My son. I guess this loosely fits into sports.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Nice, don't be afraid to hold that sweet cam in portrait mode instead of landscape sometimes too

 

[Rosy]

My son. I guess this loosely fits into sports.

Nice

 

[Derrel]

#3 IS CUTE!!! Future "SEC,SEC,SEC!" shouter!!!! A guy's gotta' love college football! (I sure do!)

 

[Rob4bama]

#3 IS CUTE!!! Future "SEC,SEC,SEC!" shouter!!!! A guy's gotta' love college football! (I sure do!)

Its the most wonderful time of the year!

 

[Camdren]

Well your son is so cute and you have really done a great work by buying the camera otherwise we would miss the chance to see your son. The boy is just fitting well in the red jersey.

 

[binga63]

cute kid...I'd buy a camera for those shots and any others too

 

[SUNR15E]

Great Pics I bought my camera to take pics of my daughter so yes I know exactly why you bought yours.

Can I ask what lighting was used..?? I see an abundance of available light but I am not clear how it has been used. There is obviously less light in the first shot but his face is lite. And in the next two pics the sun is obviously breaking through giving a great light effect but his face is not lite, other than the small smash of light on his cheek.

I am not looking to complain far from it I am looking to learn and ask advice. Would a fill flash have helped with the lighting? Even a diffused flash or a low light output, Or maybe a reflector just to fill under the shadow of the helmet..??

SUNR15E

 

[The_Traveler]

Handsome kid - although I'm against football on health reasons

But..........

Unless it is a portrait where he pretty much fills the screen, get him off the center line. (leave the line in to establish environment.)
Brighten him so you can actually see him, leaving the background darker.

 

[Rob4bama]

Sunr15e - The first picture I was just goofing around. I wanted to try to have a dark background but lighten him so my wife just held my flash to the right of him. I didn't really know what I was doing.

The other two were just as the sun was going down. And the last was with a flash after the sun went down. I had never used this flash before so I was playing with it.

Traveler - Those look great! That's what I wanted but my skills are very limited. Thanks! Also, his uniform is just a "dress up" uniform. Not sure if his mom will let him play in the future.

 

[The_Traveler]

Traveler - Those look great! That's what I wanted but my skills are very limited.

Don't worry, you'll learn. Those are simple fixes with virtually any software.

 

[sm4him]

#3 IS CUTE!!! Future "SEC,SEC,SEC!" shouter!!!! A guy's gotta' love college football! (I sure do!)

And some of us girls, too!!

He's a cutie. Shame you ruined them with that crimson color lol: -- note my location and guess who *I'm* for! But I'm just kidding; I was hoping the Tide would go all the way again. I hope ya'll at least have the decency to crush Georgia in the SEC Championship).

Issues have already been covered; mostly concerning composition. Get the subject out of the center, get rid of all that dead space around them unless there's a reason for the space, shoot portrait mode when appropriate.
I also wonder what your shutter speed was in #3; it's cute for what it is, but if you want a shot like that to be a little sharper, up your shutter speed (you may also need to open the aperture more or bump the ISO up--or use your flash, to compensate).

You did a pretty good job of getting down on his level to shoot, it looks like. That's something new photographers often don't do.

 

[SUNR15E]

Sunr15e - I wanted to try to have a dark background but lighten him so my wife just held my flash to the right of him.

Traveler - Those look great! That's what I wanted but my skills are very limited.

Travler I can see how your edit has helped produce the desired effect. But I assume these pictures were straight out of Camera (SOOC) and as such I can only imagine the effect was wanted SOOC. So I will ask the questions that I know many would be looking to ask or even answer at this stage...and put forward my own ideas.

1. How could the light have been increased on location with the equipment used?
2. Without going to the expense of soft boxes what else could have been used?
3. How far away from your son was your wife at the time the flash was used?

Yes I can see the light you had available was limited. And I can see where you were going with the flash. Understanding light is key to taking pictures in this situation...(I am far from and expert - but I know the more I talk about it the more I learn and the more others have a chance to input their ideas)...so

1. Put the light source CLOSER...it may feel very much in his face...but if the light had been closer...ie just off camera with the flash powered higher you may have filled that helmet with light and filled his face with light. From the lighting produced I would imagine that she was about 90 degrees to him, from the shadow of his arm. Bring the light to 45 degrees get in tight with the light and fill the area you are wanting to see.
2. Take a second person.....set them to the left of shot with a reflector or another flash to fill the area on the opposite side. Flash would be better as a reflector can only work with the light produced by the one flash and that is going to poor and limited from it's location anyway.
3. I Imagine she was about four to 6 feet from him so that he was not feeling as if she was stood in his personal space. To get the light we want and the image we are looking for....we should forget personal space. Our models (friends and family) need to understand that we are training to be the best...(honest we are)... and as such they need to understand the BEST would do it this way. Up close and personal with the lighting and the camera to get the images we need or the client (your family) need to see in an image. treat every picture like it is ONE SHOT make it the best...
Then remember...NEVER depend on that one shot. With Digital we now have a tool we can learn from. The data our camera saves for each shot is a great way to sit back and work out which method was working best and use that for the future. Take more than 1 shot 10 or 20 if you need to so that you can adjust those setting... (20 is too many - but I think you get the idea) Play with the setting until you understand them.

I know some of the above will generate thoughts and ideas. So please if I am wrong or right....TELL US ALL how I am wrong or which bits I got right.

Thanks

SUNR15E

 

[brian_f2.8]

roll tide

 

[SUNR15E]

Ah right the reference to the football team meant nothing until I checked. I hope it is not an insult.??

SUNR15E