Beginner Noah

Many thanks. I probably have hundreds if not thousands of photos of him. He's not always keen though.

Sorry, DRL?

Number 4 I think is definitely my favourite. Lucky shot with the bubble.
 
Many thanks. I Learn something every day.

You're right about luck. I should have given up at that shot
 
Really like #1 - a real contentment in what every he's studying :)

Think #2 could have been a bit better if he was looking at you / down the camera ?

#3 possibly looks like the focus in slightly off - maybe on his jacket ?

#4 - what a belter of a capture, this deserves some cropping in and blowing up - would make a great print :)
 
Number 4 is good, I would however crop and forget the bubble at the top. But hey what do I know[emoji12]
 
@andyred number 1 shows what a bad parent I am - he was trying to put his glove on. (In my defence he gets the combined stubbornness of both me and his mother so I wouldn't have been allowed to help anyway) [emoji3]

I do love number 4. I'll have a play at cropping it further

@latestarter - you may be right
 
Kodiak Qc said:
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DRL & WB mainly.
Click to expand...

Just a suggestion but it might be worth actually explaining what you mean because even I have no idea let alone a beginner. Are you saying there's an issue with the dynamic range and white balance? If so what exactly is the problem? are they too warm or cool for example and what steps could be taken to improve the situation.
 
•
I recommend to start with the DRL since there is a lot of info that
may be revealed and then the WB. This will take care of the RAW
data technical aspect but does not reflect any artistic intent!
 
Kodiak Qc said:
•
I recommend to start with the DRL since there is a lot of info that
may be revealed and then the WB. This will take care of the RAW
data technical aspect but does not reflect any artistic intent!
Click to expand...
You lost me[emoji23]
 
•
DRL = Dynamic Range Levels = black and white points setting.
WB= White Balance
 
Kodiak Qc said:
•
DRL = Dynamic Range Levels = black and white points setting.
WB= White Balance
Click to expand...
So which image has an issue with the black and white points? I don't see anything that stands out and with regards to WB it's cool but that's just an observation and it's a winter portrait anyay.
 
connersz said:
So which image has an issue with the black and white points?
Click to expand...
The first three have a "blue cast" over the image this reveals DRL setting
and WB are not optimized.

As they are, that makes ok family snapshots.
 
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OK, so I've loaded the trial version of Photoshop on the aforementioned netbook - I can go away and make a coffee whist I wait for it to do something so that's something at least. I've adjusted/played with one photo bearing in mind that Photoshop is really new to me.
Noah WB by Paul Johnson, on Flickr

Maybe shooting in RAW would help :)
 
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This, Paul, is a lot more pleasing…
a tad too yellow but better warmer than cooler.
You don't need PS for that, just a good RAW converter.
 
Thanks Kodiak. Saw what you meant with the blue cast. Tried with the RAW filter in PS.
These were taken purely as JPEG. Maybe I should switch back to RAW.
 
Kodiak Qc said:
•
DRL = Dynamic Range Levels = black and white points setting.

Luck is always part of the game!
Click to expand...

Hi Kodiak, I still don't get what you mean by 'neglected the DRL'. Maybe it's a language thing, it's not a phrase in regular English usage.

Do you mean incorrectly exposed? Or lacks contrast? Surely there should be no _need_ to alter the black and white points as a regular part of your workflow unless you've made a mistake at capture time? (Apart from the case of using ETTR or HDR).
 
juggler said:
I still don't get what you mean by 'neglected the DR
Click to expand...
DRL = Dynamic Range Levels = black and white points settings.
neglected black and white points settings
juggler said:
Do you mean incorrectly exposed?
Click to expand...
In studio not because one should always aim for perfect SOOC in studio.
OOS (out of studio) it happens when working with the camera light meter
in given conditions, that the sensor records values that are of no relevance
to the picture. Then the DRL is necessary, …even when no mistake were done.
I never use ETTR or HDR except in interiors, otherwise it is too ugly.
 
juggler said:
Hi Kodiak, I still don't get what you mean by 'neglected the DRL'. Maybe it's a language thing, it's not a phrase in regular English usage.

Do you mean incorrectly exposed? Or lacks contrast? Surely there should be no _need_ to alter the black and white points as a regular part of your workflow unless you've made a mistake at capture time? (Apart from the case of using ETTR or HDR).
Click to expand...
I tried to figure this one out but gave up. I'm not being funny and I don't claim to be the best photographer in the world but the whole thing screams "trying to blag it" as I've not heard such expressions and don't see any dynamic range issues in the image.

I used to post a lot of images on here for C&C but a lot of the comments just left me confused and disorientated, I later realised that it was because some of the people giving me technical detail had only picked up a camera a week before. I'm in a position now where I can see who on here are the pro's offering valuable information and I know anyone is entitled to give their feedback but there is surely some element of danger in letting anyone give technical advice. It could be a real problem for anyone trying to pursue a career in photography. If you were training as a gas and heating engineer you wouldn't ask a total stranger which is the best way to connect the gas main.

I've learnt a lot of things since I started getting paid for photography but I think the most important one was that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If an image has a blue cast or a 'horizontal background element' that appears to cut through the subjects neck (yes I see this comment occasionally), it's only an issue if you think it's an issue.
 
Kodiak Qc said:
DRL = Dynamic Range Levels = black and white points settings.
neglected black and white points settings

In studio not because one should always aim for perfect SOOC in studio.
OOS (out of studio) it happens when working with the camera light meter
in given conditions, that the sensor records values that are of no relevance
to the picture. Then the DRL is necessary, …even when no mistake were done.
I never use ETTR or HDR except in interiors, otherwise it is too ugly.
Click to expand...

Sorry, nope, still don't get it. If I'm using the camera's meter then I use spot metering. I put the spot over the element(s) of the image that I want to control the exposure of - and adjust accordingly. How can the sensor values be of no relevance? Understanding how the camera's meter works and making use of it is fundamentally no different to understanding how an incident meter works and using that correctly; it's just easier to get 'correct' results with an incident meter.

fwiw if I get it wrong or later change my mind about a treatment then I'll adjust the exposure in Lightroom. I don't fiddle with the black and white point to achieve the same effect, and I don't call it DRL.

ETTR does have some value when you're at minimum ISO but I'm always a bit nervous about using it unless I'm checking shots in Lightroom as I go.
 
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