What do you think??

[Reyna]

Just practicing with my boys. I really like these shots but wanted to get more opinions.

 

[Gaerek]

I love the eyes on these boys, very pretty blue color. I don't know what camera you use, but I have a suggestion. Turn off the flash if at all possible. You can probably notice how pale white their skin looks. Even if they are very pale to begin with, you should be able to see some skin tone, and with the flash, it's all blown out. Also, with the on camera flash, you get that ugly "border shadow" around their outline. I could also be wrong, but you probably originally had some red eye problems with these shots and edited them out in post production. There's nothing wrong with fixing that if it's the case, but let's see if I can help you with these problems.

Now, my suggestion to turn the flash off may cause you to run into another problem. Like I said, I don't know what kind of camera or lens you're using, but I think I am safe in assuming that your lens has a max aperture of around f/3.5. There may not be enough ambient light to take a picture with an adequate shutter speed. The first thing I would try is to crank up the ISO as high as it will go. I would say that additional noise in the shot is more desirable than blown out skin tones.

If that still isn't enough light. Turn some lights on if you can, and try again (make sure you make white balance adjustments accordingly, or use auto if you have to). Those were the two free solutions, that should work with any camera. If you are willing to spend some money, and you have an SLR, you could spring for a faster lens (50mm f/1.8 lenses are very reasonably priced and easily the best bang for your buck of any lens out there) that would allow you to shoot indoors better, or an accessory flash. Set up correctly, either of these solutions should fix the problems I mentioned above.

You have two very cute boys. I love their poses! I hope I wasn't too harsh here, I just want to help you make the best photos possible!

 

[redtippmann]

Oh yeah there blown out, but if you have a camera with a hot shoe and a external flash there is a $30 fix. (well around that)

The object it not to get rid of your flash but have it off the camera. If you have a basic camera, rebel or D40, you only need one thing. A raido slave set, found here Cactus V2s Radio Slave Set

And you can just hole the flash in your hand and bounce it off a wall or something to soften the light.

OR just leave the flash on camera but just tilt the flash up at the ceiling.

Edit: I see you have a D60, well with its built in flash you can get a white card ( like the back of a drivers licens) and put that in front of it bouncing it onto the ceiling.

 

[Reyna]

I love the eyes on these boys, very pretty blue color. I don't know what camera you use, but I have a suggestion. Turn off the flash if at all possible. You can probably notice how pale white their skin looks. Even if they are very pale to begin with, you should be able to see some skin tone, and with the flash, it's all blown out. Also, with the on camera flash, you get that ugly "border shadow" around their outline. I could also be wrong, but you probably originally had some red eye problems with these shots and edited them out in post production. There's nothing wrong with fixing that if it's the case, but let's see if I can help you with these problems.

Now, my suggestion to turn the flash off may cause you to run into another problem. Like I said, I don't know what kind of camera or lens you're using, but I think I am safe in assuming that your lens has a max aperture of around f/3.5. There may not be enough ambient light to take a picture with an adequate shutter speed. The first thing I would try is to crank up the ISO as high as it will go. I would say that additional noise in the shot is more desirable than blown out skin tones.

If that still isn't enough light. Turn some lights on if you can, and try again (make sure you make white balance adjustments accordingly, or use auto if you have to). Those were the two free solutions, that should work with any camera. If you are willing to spend some money, and you have an SLR, you could spring for a faster lens (50mm f/1.8 lenses are very reasonably priced and easily the best bang for your buck of any lens out there) that would allow you to shoot indoors better, or an accessory flash. Set up correctly, either of these solutions should fix the problems I mentioned above.

You have two very cute boys. I love their poses! I hope I wasn't too harsh here, I just want to help you make the best photos possible!

You were not rough at all. That is why I post my pictures on here so I can get good, honest, professional feedback. I have a Nikon d60, but if I don't turn the flash on, the photos are way underexposed and you can't see anything. I guess turning on the lights and maybe opening some blinds next time would help.

 

[Reyna]

Oh yeah there blown out, but if you have a camera with a hot shoe and a external flash there is a $30 fix. (well around that)

The object it not to get rid of your flash but have it off the camera. If you have a basic camera, rebel or D40, you only need one thing. A raido slave set, found here Cactus V2s Radio Slave Set

And you can just hole the flash in your hand and bounce it off a wall or something to soften the light.

OR just leave the flash on camera but just tilt the flash up at the ceiling.

Edit: I see you have a D60, well with its built in flash you can get a white card ( like the back of a drivers licens) and put that in front of it bouncing it onto the ceiling.

A white card? Can you explain more? Where do you get this? I know that may sound really stupid, but I am new at this :/

 

[Reyna]

Oh, and I took these in camera raw. Maybe I just adjusted them to bright where they look overexposed? I feel like I am never going to get this.

 

[jess28]

Don't get discouraged! Since you shot in RAW you might be able to salvage a little more out of them. Have you played with the white balance and the exposure in post processing at all?

You caught great expressions in both shots, which is definitely something positive. Just keep shooting and practicing.

 

[KmH]

Reyna,

Good photographs don't happen overnight. You still have a lot of knowledge to acquire.

You can jury rig a diffuser. Something like this. It really softens the shadows and make it look more like a studio portrait.

Innovate.

 

[redtippmann]

Better, any your white balance is fine. What i mean by a white card is just something that is white ( even a piece of copy paper might work). Here is a simple drawing I made to help explain.

The flat white object bounces the flash up onto the ceiling, which i assume is also white. And the ceiling bounces the light onto the subject with a nice even light.

I'll tool around with it in LR to even the light out and post them later.

 

[Bee Bee]

Beautiful eyes! xxx