You tell me...

[ThaLadyPit]

Okay, so I went about things the wrong way earlier today before work. I'm giving it another go, in small steps.

#1) Trinity, my 2 yr old, being cute (f/5.8, exposure 1/158 sec, ISO-100)

#2) Chenoá, my 9 yr old (f/6.5, exposure 1/279 sec, ISO-100)

#3) Aiyana, my 7 yr old (f/4.9, exposure 1/112 sec, ISO-100)

It wasn't easy getting these shots, since it was a school night, and the kids wanted to go play instead of putting up with mommy's torture, lol. Comments and critique are welcome. I posted the unedited versions here, as the opposed are all branded with my "mark" and unsightly lol.

 

[mommy-medic]

Aside from the fact that they are *your* children, go back and look at them as a picture of a total stranger. Are any of them flattering? I honestly wouldn't keep any of those images- they all have shadows hiding them in one way or another.

Slow down, compose your shot. Don't just snap snap snap. Don't ask them to pose and say cheese. Try to capture them being kids. If they are facing the sun you'll get squinty eyes and hard shadows. Wait till sunset and put the sun behind them and use a reflector (or a white foam board) to bounce some light onto their faces. Watch your light and shadows.

Those are some odd shutter speeds.

 

[LaFoto]

Apart from what mommy-medic already said with regards to the abundance of shadows (very distracting in portrait photography!), also watch your framing: you cut off your middle daughter's feet (last pic shown) and you invariably place their eyes into the very centre of your photo - a thing that gets boring way soon for the viewer.
Also try to never have the camera look down onto your children, kneel, lie on your belly, do whatever is needed to be on their level when you take their photo.
Consider rotating your camera into the vertical position for portrait photography, too!
Faces are oblong and should be framed accordingly.

 

[tirediron]

It's all been said! ^^ Remember, the beauty of digital photography is that the film is cheap. Practice lots!

 

[ThaLadyPit]

Thanks everyone for your input. I will pay more attention to detail (lighting/shadows). The shutter speeds are probably off b/c I had it on a setting that's labeled Intelligent Scene Mode (Auto). I'll be studying the different programmable modes of the camera tomorrow (later today, when I wake up) and see what I can come up with.