My First 'Portrait' Shot

[Catdaddy]

Your thoughts and whatnot appreciated!

Eddentially, I thought I'd have a crack at a moody low-light shot with one of the kids, and this is the result.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/walkdev/Kids/Discovery.jpg

Shot with a D70 and 50mm f1.8 lens with an ISO setting of 1600. I altered the colour temp and reduced the saturation in RawShooter.

Any thoughts/opinions?

[CT]

That's really nice! :thumb: You can get some nice soft effects with candles. I'd be inclined to crop it a little on the left.

[dlh]

Beautiful.

[DJW]

Cracking shot

[SammyC]

The one on the left looks a bright chap!

:coat:

[jewel]

I like this one as well. Very nice Catdaddy. Handsome little fella.

Jewel.

[matty]

excellent shot that works very well, nice!

[KenCo]

Yes, very good shot mate.

[busterboy]

That's really nice! :thumb: You can get some nice soft effects with candles. I'd be inclined to crop it a little on the left.

Agreed, Just the slightest of crops from the left would make this a stunning shot. Well done.. :thumb:

[Matt]

Excellent.:thumb:

[Catdaddy]

Thanks for the comments, everyone. Been playing a little - is this better?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/walkdev/Kids/Discovery2.jpg

[CT]

I still think there's a bit too much space on the left which leaves it looking a bit unbalanced?

Here's a quick alternative...

http://www.thephotographyforums.com/albums/album95/candle.jpg

I removed the detail below the lad's chin to keep it even simpler, and gave it a sharpen. Another option would be to lose the ear altogether, but then you'd need to re-balance the pic, but they're just ideas for you, and it's a lovely shot anyway - definitely worth hanging on the wall.

[Catdaddy]

Thanks CT - good ideas, and thanks very much for the input!

Best burn the big version to CD and get it printed!

[CT]

Damned right! :thumb:

If you decide to lose the ear then you'd have a bit too much space on the right but rather than crop it again, I'd just cut out the head and move it to the right a little. In fact with such a plain background it's dead easy to move the head or the candle anywhere you like.

[Gemok]

http://www.cashton.co.uk/pictures/hosted/portrait.jpg

very easy to move stuff around I knocked this up in 3 mins trying to make one of those hidden image pictures see the lamp/vase shape formed by the two faces? :coat:

[Steve]

I like this shot, it is very well balanced light wise, with the exposure showing the soft tones. Its definately one worth printing.

[Matt F]

Lovely shot but can I make one constructive suggestion - I think the ear is distracting - it grabs my attention away from what I should be looking at - it might be worth reducing the lightness in photoshop 'hue and saturation' settings right down so that you can't actually see it.

Sorry if this seems a little cheeky - me being a newbee and all that.

Matt.

[Catdaddy]

Cool suggestion, Matt - thanks! I did do an edit where I did exactly that... :thumb:

[GfK]

I like the original pic (how did I not see this thread before????)

[Matt F]

Cool suggestion, Matt - thanks! I did do an edit where I did exactly that... :thumb:

Any chance of posting the 'earless' version so that people can compare it with the original?

Matt.

[Catdaddy]

Certainly, sah!

I also cropped it somewhat... the ear hasn't gone altogether, but not far off...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/walkdev/Photography/Candle_Edit.jpg

[DJW]

Would have been a cracking shot for the Illumination bi weekly !