wb, brightness check. pls help!

[mmaria]

There is another technique that you could explore for your purposes. It's deliberately cropping off a portion of a face so that the center of the image is on (say) a torn collar, or stained sweatshirt... This generally creates an unsettled feeling in the viewer since we expect to see a full face, and the eye will search for why the face is partly cut off. But for this to work, you have to get the exposure right, to reveal the maximum amount of detail. In this context, using the meter in spot-meter mode, and meting off the face should give you a well-exposed face, and that will let the other stuff (clothes, etc.) fall where it may.

Taking pictures in bright sunlight also doesn't convey poverty and despair as we tend to associate sunlight, blue skies, nice puffy clouds with wellbeing, happiness, warmth. An overcast day would provide for a duller, flatter light which could allow you to show the dirt on faces, hands, etc. (the overcast sky acts as a large softbox, as long as you adjust your exposure appropriately). This image shows flat light and lots of detail: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/06/09/article-0-1384F792000005DC-815_964x667.jpg

Still another technique would be to blur the background somewhat (ie, use a thinner DOF) to imply a connection. That serves to keep the eye on the sharper bits, which you, as a photographer, select to show the viewers. Although the image is a drawing, it conveys this effect quite well: http://cdn3.thecreativefinder.com/userfiles/members/athenanoctua/13865/optimized-maxW950-kids.jpg.

Photography has always been a tool of propaganda as it is so easily manipulated to show a certain point of view. The key is to know what your intended audience expects. If one of your objectives is to make the viewer feel unsettled, then you'll need to explore the techniques that give that effect.

As for using your laptop to edit... I can connect a good monitor to my laptop, which I can adjust and calibrate, and I use this monitor to edit my images - maybe your laptop allows the same?

First about the calibration. At home I have just laptop, I'm saving for a new camera and lens so a monitor is not in the picture for a fair amount of time. On the other hand I'll be getting better computer and monitor at work in a few months from now.
Currently I'm stuck with this crappy computer and tn monitor at job and my laptop at home. Yesterday I connected it with my laptop (brought it from home), calibrated it and of course it was really no improvement there, after calibration.

Now for photographs....
You gave me some great ideas and I am soo grateful. Thank you! and will do that for sure!

I always use spot metering and never shoot in the mid of the day.

But in this instance (for this visits and project) the time when I'll go to shoot this families it's not up to me. I depend on availability of my friend's camera, official car, driver, my working time and children being at home not in school. On the first visit it was raining, foggy day, this visit was hot, no clouds, like summer time. And I just must think what to do in such short time and in that given conditions.

Also what is restraining here is that I have requirements about what photos I should submit. Here is a quote from them: ... "Make sure your photos are vibrant and engaging! This compels donors to click on the picture and find out more about our project. Also, "Organization" has learned from experience that people are more encouraged to donate to projects with positive, uplifting photos. Posting photos of the beneficiaries is a great idea but we encourage you to show the people in need in an uplifting environment-smiles are always great. "...
and they also want some closeups (I have few of them) and photographs that show their living conditions ( That's way I included the concrete wall behind the boy and stairs and the wall behind children)

Photos posted in this thread are just a part of the set I'm doing.

I'm trying to get as much as possible for this project, I juggle with all conditions that must be the right ones in order to do something decent.

Previous set was with smiling children and comments were about how they don't look like poor children.

Thank pgriz, you've been a great help! You are more then welcome to take a look other photos and give your thoughts ( I posted links above), of course if you have desire and time.

 

[pgriz]

Somehow, "helping" is not the first impulse I get when I see smiling, positive, uplifiting photos. Your "organization" has to think through the message. "We need your help and money!" doesn't go with "kids are happy and smiling". Which is why all the tear-jerker ads on TV for charities almost always start with crying kids in miserable conditions - you WANT to get them out of that situation. Now, if you couple the smiling kids being the "after" shots (meaning, happy after they were helped), then the message become less muddled. Of course, as a photographer, you can't compensate for the inconsistent marketing message from the "organization". But they really should think through what emotions they want to elicit, and how to make that happen.

 

[mmaria]

There is another technique that you could explore for your purposes. It's deliberately cropping off a portion of a face so that the center of the image is on (say) a torn collar, or stained sweatshirt... This generally creates an unsettled feeling in the viewer since we expect to see a full face, and the eye will search for why the face is partly cut off. But for this to work, you have to get the exposure right, to reveal the maximum amount of detail. In this context, using the meter in spot-meter mode, and meting off the face should give you a well-exposed face, and that will let the other stuff (clothes, etc.) fall where it may.

Since I read this I keep :banghead: how on Earth didn't I come up with that!? I kept looking in this girls torn pants that day but couldn't think of this approach and I didn't do a thing to accentuate that!

Thanks once again

Somehow, "helping" is not the first impulse I get when I see smiling, positive, uplifiting photos. Your "organization" has to think through the message. "We need your help and money!" doesn't go with "kids are happy and smiling". Which is why all the tear-jerker ads on TV for charities almost always start with crying kids in miserable conditions - you WANT to get them out of that situation. Now, if you couple the smiling kids being the "after" shots (meaning, happy after they were helped), then the message become less muddled. Of course, as a photographer, you can't compensate for the inconsistent marketing message from the "organization". But they really should think through what emotions they want to elicit, and how to make that happen.

Yeah... exactly what I was thinking when I read their requirements....

 

[KmH]

tn it seems. It is Pavilion g7-1150us

Then accurate editing, color and expousre wise, will be variable, because TN displays have narrow color and exposure accurate viewing angles. A variable laptop display angle, or a change in your head position relative to the display, makes images on a TN display look somewhat different.
IPS displays are better for image editing because they have much broader accurate view angles. That means changes to viewing angle and head position don't make the image look different.

For accuracy and repeatably, a display of any type really needs to be re-calibrated if the ambient light falling on it changes. Part of the calibration process sets the display brightness according to how much ambient light is falling on it during calibration.
So what many laptop users do is plug an external IPS display into their laptop that sits under un-changing ambient light. Even then, the external display should be calibrated at least monthly to correct for aging.

Here is an online tutorial that covers some of the fundamental concepts - Monitor Calibration for Photography

 

[mmaria]

Thank you KmH on your fine explanation, you manage to sum a lot in just few simple sentences! great!

When I bought the laptop, I didn't know anything about different types of displays, calibration issues with tn. Now I do know...something...enough to know that I'm in a very bad place when it comes to editing...
I don't mind calibrating more often but, I'm aware that even after calibrating I wont be able to relay on those results.

Currently I have two monitors available (laptop and at work monitor) and they both are tn.

I've been working in this institution for two months now and I made complaints about computer they gave me, so my boss told me to write new computer specification in terms what I need and they will get me that. I know that I'll need an ips monitor,4g ram, 3ghz, quad core at least so we we'll see...
If I get ips monitor at work, then my problems will be solved, even if I don't get the rest of my needs listed above. If I don't get the rest I'll plug ips monitor in my laptop and it will be ok.

 

[KmH]

Make it 8 GB of RAM if you want to run a 64-bit image editing application, and a wide gamut IPS display that has CCFL back lighting. (CCFL = Cold Cathode Flouresent Lamp)
http://www.necdisplay.com/p/desktop-monitors/pa241w-bk-sv

You'll also want an upgraded video card - Photoshop CC GPU FAQ

 

[mmaria]

Make it 8 GB of RAM if you want to run a 64-bit image editing application, and a wide gamut IPS display that has CCFL back lighting. (CCFL = Cold Cathode Flouresent Lamp)
PA241W-BK-SV, 24 Widescreen Color-Critical Desktop Monitor w SpectraView<sub>II<sub> - Highlights & Specifications | NEC Display Solutions

You'll also want an upgraded video card - Photoshop CC GPU FAQ

All f the sudden my boss came in my office to tell me that we need to go an a business trip/meeting so I used opportunity to complain about my computer. He said "No problem, you just write what you need and we well go in that particular store".......
I went alone and with the guy who worked in the store talked about what I need and what for I need it, for a reasonable price. So we came up with:
HP Pavilion 23x23 in, IPS. (No other IPS monitors available for that price in the store my institution works with)
8 core AMD processor, 8 GB RAM, 4GHz, 8 MB cache, graphic card 1GB, and HyperX something... can't remember.

My boss said, ok He doesn't have a clue about computers.
Now I ask you, is this OK?