Critique Feedback on some portrait shots please

I agree the blur looks wrong, maybe shoot a prime wide open say f1.8 - f2 to get the desired effect


Les :)
 
Tried re-editing these using a different workflow and found a good way of creating a more realistic lens flare effect. IMG_5478.JPG
 
As a father of a young child myself I know how important these shots will be to you and it’s almost irrelevant what I or anyone else will say as these are an important record of your child growing up.

As a photographer with a naughty streak I just love giving advice that isn’t always welcome....;-)

The ball should go, the flower is a good prop the ball just looks out of place. If it was a field or a beach the ball might be more relevant but in this instance I would have just gone with the flower.

I like the image in post #4 the best, the latest images are too saturated for my taste. I would also try on camera flash with a flash bender which can really help to pop an external portrait.
 
Brazo said:
As a father of a young child myself I know how important these shots will be to you and it’s almost irrelevant what I or anyone else will say as these are an important record of your child growing up.

As a photographer with a naughty streak I just love giving advice that isn’t always welcome....;-)

The ball should go, the flower is a good prop the ball just looks out of place. If it was a field or a beach the ball might be more relevant but in this instance I would have just gone with the flower.

I like the image in post #4 the best, the latest images are too saturated for my taste. I would also try on camera flash with a flash bender which can really help to pop an external portrait.
Click to expand...

Hi Mark, all advice welcome! As I said, I’m looking to improve... yes, probably didn’t put too much thought into props! She does love that ball though. I think I agree with the over-saturation. I’m playing with some new PP techniques and still learning to curb them. I went back in and reduced opacity in a lot of the adjustment layers and made it more subtle.

Never used flash of any kind before - just googled flashbender and they look pretty cool! Would need to get a speedlight first... do you know of any good tutorials that cover this kind of thing? It would be nice to see the impact that flash would have before investing.
 
Tom Pinchenzo said:
Hi Mark, all advice welcome! As I said, I’m looking to improve... yes, probably didn’t put too much thought into props! She does love that ball though. I think I agree with the over-saturation. I’m playing with some new PP techniques and still learning to curb them. I went back in and reduced opacity in a lot of the adjustment layers and made it more subtle.

Never used flash of any kind before - just googled flashbender and they look pretty cool! Would need to get a speedlight first... do you know of any good tutorials that cover this kind of thing? It would be nice to see the impact that flash would have before investing.
Click to expand...

It was this thread that bought me mine! Almost 7 years ago now! Doesn’t time fly!
https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/so-i-got-a-flashbender-a-few-new-ones.501407/#post-5783157
 
Tom Pinchenzo said:
Hi Geof, can you expand on your point please? Not quite sure I know what you mean.
Click to expand...

sorry i was so curt...
the blurred or rather out of focus items can be distracting in the main viewpoint of the subject unless behind it..
the comment of the hat is based on my take of things touching the edges of images which are part of the subject...this was always pointed out in competitions especially if the colour was red...space all round and as much clarity as possible!
so cutting off the hat and the hand with the ball etc...and its hard working with kids...and dogs!! i have a puppy sort of kills the effect of the framing and makes one perhaps wonder if there was more beyond the hat
your others i rashly didnt take time to comment as i thought i had stuck my neck out too much
my views are only mine remember.
cheers for now
ps stand further back and crop the image afterwards...then you can set the borders where they are most effective and align the composition better
central is normal but sometimes to one side a bit when the child is facing that way can introduce a bit of non centralisation
what centralises your subject is the focal area of your viewfinder...if you use the shutter to set the focus and then move the camera and compose your subject will be in focus even if it..she..is not in the exact middle of the frame

cheers
toady
 
Last edited:
mrtoad said:
sorry i was so curt...
the blurred or rather out of focus items can be distracting in the main viewpoint of the subject unless behind it..
the comment of the hat is based on my take of things touching the edges of images which are part of the subject...this was always pointed out in competitions especially if the colour was red...space all round and as much clarity as possible!
so cutting off the hat and the hand with the ball etc...and its hard working with kids...and dogs!! i have a puppy sort of kills the effect of the framing and makes one perhaps wonder if there was more beyond the hat
your others i rashly didnt take time to comment as i thought i had stuck my neck out too much
my views are only mine remember.
cheers for now
ps stand further back and crop the image afterwards...then you can set the borders where they are most effective and align the composition better
central is normal but sometimes to one side a bit when the child is facing that way can introduce a bit of non centralisation
what centralises your subject is the focal area of your viewfinder...if you use the shutter to set the focus and then move the camera and compose your subject will be in focus even if it..she..is not in the exact middle of the frame

cheers
toady
Click to expand...
I don’t see anything wrong with central subject or cutting off heads/hats mid frame as long as it suits the image. Was that advice from a camera club?
 
yes but more from the judges...
cant say i dont follow it and expound it but its not a hard and fast rule and obviously has exceptions
i felt in thes shots that this viewpoint applies
anything near the edge of a photo which degrades the image or takes the eye away from the focal point was deemed poor and lost points
central subjects are just that subject to choice...i cant say there may be excellent reasons for central subjects but as i looked further at Tom's selection there is one which the subject isnt central and facing to the left and placed slightly to the right...this i feel goes some way to illustrate some dynamic and causes the viewer to "read" the shot rather than just view
cheers
geof...and thanks for your input...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top