V-Day image C&C welcomed

[LBPhotog]

Hey guys:

Took some images of a friend's three-year old back about a month ago and I am "revisiting" (an "autopsy" if you will) them today ...

I am looking for some honest C&C on this image. It's 'CUTE' yes, I know that ... but is it GOOD, and more so is it TECHNICALLY CORRECT? If not, how could I make it better.

I think that one of the best things I could do for this image is to get some white seamless paper and get rid of the muslin wrinkles. I am not super with PS and I would have no idea how to get rid of the wrinkles like some of you do.

I know that my tag says that it's NOT OK to edit my images ... I will give permission for this image if someone out there has a great idea for this image ...

(Tech notes: 1/125 @ f/8 ISO: 200)
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Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[sauce839]

I would invest in a different back drop. The wrinkles in the bed sheet are very distracting.

 

[LBPhotog]

Thanks sauce, but I said that ... someone didn't read the post ... :greenpbl:

And it's not a bed sheet, it's a 16' X 16' heavy duty muslin drop ... I take offense to the "bed sheet" reference 'cause that'd be one nasty color for a bed sheet ...

 

[Trimmed_jennis]

I like the photo, but the hair is distracting for me. make me think she's mischevious.

 

[LBPhotog]

I like the photo, but the hair is distracting for me. make me think she's mischevious.

:lmao: PERFECT!!! I did my job then, I captured the true personality of this child; because, shy, quite and innocent are three things she isn't! :mrgreen:

 

[dancingsphinx22]

For me, something about the colors is wonky. Too many clashing pinks and reds.

I would say either mute (or erase) the rose petals, or mute her clothes a little bit. Doing either one of those would make the focus subject (either the girl or the petals) stand out a bit more.

If you'd like, I could show you what I mean.

 

[LBPhotog]

I think I have the idea ... the clothing, the rose petals and the hair ... all "mom's" idea ... and how dare I mess with that ...

 

[dancingsphinx22]

I think I have the idea ... the clothing, the rose petals and the hair ... all "mom's" idea ... and how dare I mess with that ...

Hahaha yeah, you'd have to be extremely brave to even consider messing with that!

By the way, the little girl and her pose are very cute.

 

[templatephotoshop]

The lighting/color balance seems a little off to me. Do you shoot Raw? If you can't or don't want to afford a soffbox, then at least try a shoot through umbrella, (It's white and you point it at the subject. The closer your light source gets, the softer the light. Good Start, Keep going!

 

[LBPhotog]

it's shot through a 6 foot Octobox camera left and an SB-800 into a 48" umbrella camera right and parallel to the subject ... shot in RAW ... the white point is the XO those are white, the drop, is off white and not pure white.

 

[templatephotoshop]

The light source still needs to be much closer. Almost in the frame, it's that close. Not trying to be negative, just know from experience. Do you white balance to some sort of calibration target? The xo look white, I know that you said that was your ref point, but it looks to me like it wasn't totally neutral white, because the skin tone could look better. When I color correct, I don't care about anything else, but a good, natural, somewhat saturated but still pretty skin tone.

Like the image of my daughter here.

 

[FarrahJ]

She is cute...the photo is not. It's not good or technically correct either. =(

1- Sauce is correct, whether its a sheet or a muslin doesn't matter...the point is the wrinkles look horrible and unprofessional. And what's wrong with off white sheets?

2- dancingsphinx is also correct...the colors look wonky...she looks overall orange. If the mother choose the clothes and props...fine...I would give it to the mother, but I certainly would not advertise it in my portfolio. The pink/red combo are not the little girl's colors...and as the photog, it's up to you to make suggestions to make her look the best.

3- templatephotoshop is also correct...you need to move the light source closer and turn down the power. Also, move the girl further away from the background to avoid the shadow and open up wider...f8 doesn't really make for good portraits of a single subject.