A few portraits, help welcome

[EdinburghGary]

Very close friends of mine, had camera in car so ended up getting a few shots this evening.

Would love some feedback as I know I can do a lot better if given a few hints and tips. I very rarely take "people shots".

All of these very high ISO, low light and no flash.

Here are few from the set of 30 odd:

1
http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/8537/58493043ol1.jpg


2
http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/1491/29244547np7.jpg


3
http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/8782/69066961bl3.jpg


4 *creative attemp with the out of focus parents
http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/7906/91415535ro9.jpg


5
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/5586/78919964co9.jpg


6
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/9323/66427321nx1.jpg


7
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/8566/89665141vl5.jpg


8
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/3434/74234920cn7.jpg


9 (The noise is horrific, but his facial expression in front makes me admire it a little)
http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/4858/57665209kj2.jpg


10 Another attempt at creative background blur...does it work?
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2412/10lv4.jpg


Please be honest, I would love to shoot a wedding in a year or so, and if I can't get shots like these right, I have no chance!!!

Any help appreciated,

Gary.

[admirable]

I would say the parents are not OOF enough. :shrug:

[dubnut71]

No 9 is doing it for me and I don't find the noise at all distracting. The expression on his face is fantastic!!

[EdinburghGary]

I would say the parents are not OOF enough. :shrug:

OK thanks, I wonder if easy to fix in PS.

[EdinburghGary]

No 9 is doing it for me and I don't find the noise at all distracting. The expression on his face is fantastic!!

Cheers Dubnut, glad you like. The background is a little messy in terms of colours and noise I feel, but as you say, priceless expression.

G.

[Whittie]

Lovely set mate.

#1 - Works really well, I think its my favourite.

#2 - Maybe crop the light out as it's a little distracting?

#3 - Nice crop and the facial expressions are brilliant!

#4 - I think the picture would work better if everything's in focus. Personally don't see the point in having the parents there if the child has the limelight.

#5 - Lovely picture of mother and son!

#6 - Really really nice picture, composition is excellent, their faces smiling and the childs jeans all muddy from playing footy.

#7 - The couple look quite happy, but maybe not natural enough?

#8 - His smile sets the picture off, it's ace :D

#9 - I can see where you're coming from with the OOF parents / background, but personally don't see the point.

#10 - Same as 9.




Fantastic set though, just had a look at some others on your flickr.

By all means take my comments with a pinch of salt as I know nothing, i'm no photographer, just own a camera. Just thought it would be nice to have some opinions on them.

[rh1944]

Lovely set mate.

Fantastic set though, just had a look at some others on your flickr.

By all means take my comments with a pinch of salt as I know nothing, i'm no photographer, just own a camera. Just thought it would be nice to have some opinions on them.

Whittie, that's was a great review of the entire set. We can always say good things about one or two of the shots, but ignore the rest. You commented on the lot and not for the first time either.

Just to demonstrate the point, I prefer #9 which the lad's expression makes. I agreed with Whittie comments about the rest of the photos, particularly losing that lamp.

Nothing seems to daunt you, if it's a photographic opportunity. I look forward to the next set and seeing where you are taking us.

[EdinburghGary]

Whittie, mega helpful!!!

RH, as always, thanks for the comments! :)

Gary.

[AliB]

As DiddyDave would say "SKIN TONES" If you look closely at the colour temperature, the first two look ok but three and four are a little on the yellow/orange side. Thats because of the colour temperature thrown out by your lamp. It is creating a mixed lighting setup that the camera finds difficult to cope with. The only way round it it do do a custom colour temp in RAW. No5 is fine but no7 is a bit on the blue side? The last set are actually pretty spot on.

Did you have the D3 on AWB?

You are spot on about weddings though. These are exactly the pitfalls you get and why I much prefer shooting in RAW. I did one recently where the lights in the room were orange and there was daylight streaming through bay windows. It was confusing the hell out the camera, every step towards the window the colour temp changed! Arrrgh!

Good subjects and as usual, well thought out.

[EdinburghGary]

Thanks Ali,

Guessing these are easy problem to overcome in raw. Yes, AWB always used on my D3, with any adjustments attempted at tha raw PP stage, which I guess is somewhere that confuses me at times...

Thanks for the feedback and tips,

Gary.
Edit:
Whilst the D3 was on AWB, I did tweak all of them somewhat, I guess I have intordocued some problems.

[DiddyDave]

Actually, I think you'll find CT has more of a 'skin tones' issue than I have normally !!!

That said, yep they are a little too far off natural looking here, but not far enough to be an artistic interpretation. My tip on skin tones - get it right or so 'wrong' everyone knows you meant it rather than just shot it wrong !!!

Nice set Gary, and good to see you're trying something new too

My big 'thing' is distractions, usually backgrounds as here, I know they are in a house but even so it's usual to be able to isolate backgrounds well enough without just relying on DoF

There's a few timing issues (closed eyes or looking the wrong way) and again I know this is a relaxed shoot, but a wee bit of direction would have sorted those

Good effort and nice arty use of DoF variations

:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

DD

[EdinburghGary]

Thanks DD! :D

[DiddyDave]

Thanks DD! :D



You're welcome - but why the ! mark? Did you think you were in for a slagging off?

:lol::lol::lol:

DD

[AliB]

Actually, I think you'll find CT has more of a 'skin tones' issue than I have normally !!!



:whistling::naughty:

[EdinburghGary]

You're welcome - but why the ! mark? Did you think you were in for a slagging off?

:lol::lol::lol:

DD

Nah just me being my usual hyper self!!! :)

Quick question, would using a grey card in each of the different scenes have solved my skin tone problem?

Gary.

[DiddyDave]

Quick question, would using a grey card in each of the different scenes have solved my skin tone problem?

Gary.

By itself, no, but I know what you mean :D

If placed perpendicular to you in amongst their faces, then yes you can use that to set to mid grey later and correct the WB

As you've probably read before, I prefer an Expodisc as it's more accurate in more circumstances

DD

[EdinburghGary]

By itself, no, but I know what you mean :D

If placed perpendicular to you in amongst their faces, then yes you can use that to set to mid grey later and correct the WB

As you've probably read before, I prefer an Expodisc as it's more accurate in more circumstances

DD

Haven't a CLUE what you are on avbout :D Sorry!

So, if I had git her to hold the grey card in her gob, for the first shot of each setting, that would have worked? Any info on the disk sounds ace! :D

[DiddyDave]

This is probably the best (with examples) review of the Expodisc

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/expodisc.htm

And in her gob? Not so sure, close to it would work though reasonably well though

:lol:

DD