My favorite from this evening...the lovely and very athletic Meagan.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/...e51f44da_z.jpg
Printable View
My favorite from this evening...the lovely and very athletic Meagan.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/...e51f44da_z.jpg
@Sean- Great light on the ball, face, shoulder, net, just everything nice job.
@Tak- great comp and golden light.
Canon 400D+Tokina 28-70 2.8 @ 47mm 4.0 + Canon EX550 with bouncer slightly facing down to the table [img]/resized-image.ashx/__size/550x0/__key/CommunityServer-Discussions-Components-Files/14/0160.IMG_5F00_2997_5F00_1.jpg[/img].
@Grizz - Really love her soft expression! Very nice capture : )
She doesn't like here photo taken so I only had one chance to steal this, just lifted the camera out of my lap and bam, shot taken and camera put away. I got some stern words but it was too late, I had the shot. Can't decide if I like the color or BW better. Most people like color images so I'll post that one and link to the other.
(Edit: The old color one has been deleted from Flickr now so here is the BW to fill the gap)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6011/...5c329f26_z.jpg
Sometimes you have to steal those shots! I like the composition and lighting a lot. As between the two, I prefer the B&W version. Not sure if it was intentional, but the white balance is off on the color version and it pushes too green for me. Look at the center of her neck - that appears unnatural to me on my monitor.
I hadn't noticed that, you're right, it's in the hairline too. Yes it was intentional, I tried to give it an 80's look, or maybe the 60's, I don't know, "retro" is the word I'm looking for. It didn't look too bad on a dark gray background in LR but it does look a bit garish here. Thanks for the feedback.
Original with no color adjustment:
[img]/resized-image.ashx/__size/400x533/__key/CommunityServer-Discussions-Components-Files/14/5430.IMG_5F00_4964_5F00_PS_5F00_Color_5F00_web.jpg[/img]
BW is my favorite too. Cheers for the feedback [B]
@William - Have you ever tried "Gavin's Old Polaroid" preset? It can be a very good starting point if you are looking for a bit of retro look [:)]
Thanks Takahiro, I like this better. Here is the result with no further adjustment (just Gavin's preset on its own) cheers.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6009/...c115db50_m.jpg
(My poor wife, she was just trying to enjoy a coffee on one of our few days together without the kids). Photographers wives, they do put up with a lot!
@William, I sympathise with your wife but she
Hi w349, yes I did sharpen the eyes to brighten the catch-light, I thought that I might've overdone it and the fact that you commented probably confirms it. It's encouraging to receive nice comments but I also really appreciate a critical eye because it helps me develop as a photographer. Any thoughts or suggestions are very welcome!
1/30 sec
f 2.8
ISO 400
55 mm
@William, always take my opinion with a pinch of salt but I suspect the eye sharpening isn
Ok, so for this shot would you have gone higher ISO and faster shutter with IS turned off? On this particular day we were walking around the city and I took along the camera. The classic walk-around situation with an ideal walk-around lens. My style was to keep IS on, AV mode, and use ISO 100-200 for outside and 400 for indoors. f4-8 outside, f2.8 inside. So when I walked into this cafe I switched to 2.8 and ISO 400. I'm not yet sure how far I can push the 30D for ISO but I figured 400-500 would be about its limit before noise became an issue. At the end of the day if I'm forced to make a trade off I'd rather deal with noise in PP than blur. What's your thoughts?
(oh, when shooting f8 outside I bumped the ISO to 400 for these situations also).
I think in that situation I would have gone for 1/60 at ISO 800 and dealt with the noise in PP, like you say. But to contradict my earlier statement I would have kept IS turned on because 1/60 at ~85mm focal length (equivalent) is a speed I
To get some more photos in... here's a portrait of sorts that I posted in the pets thread. Canon 450D 17-55 @ 50mm, 1/200 at f/3.5, ISO 100. Lighting was provided by a bright 11am window covered with a bedsheet as a diffuser. Critique welcome of course.
[img]/resized-image.ashx/__size/550x0/__key/CommunityServer-Discussions-Components-Files/14/3343.Meeko-portrait.jpg[/img]
Belated Welcome to the Forums!
Perhaps a reflector on the left side of the face would light it up more. [;)]
I'm only kidding.., it's a Very Cute Shot!
Rich
[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr_brain/5977720139/in/set-72157624462568231/lightbox/]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6141/...7c3f3d52_b.jpg[/url]
EOS 5D Mark II, EF 85mm f/1.2<span style="color: #ff0000;"]L II USM @ 1/160 s, f/1.8, ISO 100
@Rich - thanks for the welcome. I
@ w349, sorry for not pick up that you were new. I'm still learning who everyone is. Nice pick of the kitten, such a playful expression. Get any closer and expect a paw to reach out and play with the lens.
@ Nero, is that a difficult lens to shoot? I know it's a favorite for portraits but it's longish (not so much on 5D), very shallow when wide, and for kids who don't sit still...do you still get plenty of keepers? How do you get on with this beautiful but possibly challenging lens?
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6140/...4e1cf321_z.jpg
One of my first shots and one that motivated me to make this a hobby. Canon powershot S2 IS, Natural light shot on the kitchen floor, window behind with bounce from the cupboard and floor. My eldest son now six.
Hi, first shot I've uploaded in this side of the forum, but the cat further up inspired me to post it.
Was shot at ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/50s, 50mm using the 17-55mm kit (before I upgraded to the 15-85mm IS) on my dad's Canon 450D.
Lit by morning sunlight coming in through some very large windows at the other side of the room and a lot of bounce from a light wooden floor.
I think I was still shooting in Auto mode here, or at least AV and initially I was a little upset with the motion blur on Mickey's face, but the fact that his tongue is pretty sharp perhaps just brings the movement into the picture maybe? I'm not sure, I think I'd rather it was shaper. I'd still appreciate any comments on it, especially anything I could do in PP, because so far I've limited myself to colour balance and sharpening.
[View:http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6021/5918305022_7fc25cfb77_b.jpg]
You'll see if you open the image in Flickr that I had a shot from before and after the yawn too which were a bit better on the blur front.
Quote:
Originally Posted by w349
Thanks! There's a bit of clutter back there, but the wide aperture smooths it out pretty effectively.
Quote:
Originally Posted by William
It can be challenging, in large part due to the extremely thin DoF - I usually shoot in the f/1.4 - f/1.8 range. Keeper rate is decent, though. With quick-moving kids, the slow AF is sometimes problematic (I miss the 85mm f/1.8 for that reason). The focal length is great for outdoor portraits on an APS-C camera, although outdoors you often need an ND filter (the shot above had a 3-stop ND on the lens).
A couple more recent shots of Bella, in various syles, and levels of toothlessness
Missing two teeth - 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS @ 55mm, f/5.6, 1/160s, ISO 200.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6128/...356e12c3_z.jpg
Missing one tooth - 50mm f/1.8 @ 50mm, f/3.5, 1/800s, ISO 400.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6142/...f26a5561_b.jpg
Bella expressing disappointment, with major DPP adjustments to get an old filmy sort of feel.
24-105mm f/4L, @ 24mm, f/5.6, 1/400s, ISO 400.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6005/...c8f6994c_z.jpg
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidEccleston
Expressing disappointment with the fact that you adjusted the photo?
I like the colours and lighting in it...
No, those are two separate things. :)
Expressing disappointment because she had injured her foot and we wouldn't let her run around with the dogs. We wanted it to let her foot heal before going off to a cottage for a couple of days.
The major DPP adjustments are a bright-adjust of +1.17, Moving the black-point bar from -9.0 to -2.1ish, manual white balance temperature, a slight de-saturation (-1), and then in the RGB tab a couple curve points accelerating my color levels to 0, at what would have been about 64, just to increase the contrast some more.
Disappointment is the original picture:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6002/...6fa4e917_z.jpg
@William, I can see how that photo would motivate you to take more pictures, no doubt you and DavidEccleston have many precious memories saved forever (the 50mm 1.8 portrait is my favourite, David, they're all lovely but the lighting on that shot is so soft and even).
ham, I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for photos of cats :P I'm not sure what you might do to that in PP, maybe a curves adjustment to lighten his dark fur a bit? The tongue does draw my attention to his gaping mouth, though.
[img]/resized-image.ashx/__size/550x0/__key/CommunityServer-Discussions-Components-Files/14/0552.Adam-Phillips.jpg[/img]
EOS 450D, 17-55 @ 21mm, 1/200sec at f/2.8, ISO 100.
Thanks w349.
@ David. Despite my love for landscape these sort of pics are my mainstay as I am primarily a dad that likes to document my kids growing up. I think you have done a great job of this in the above pictures. The camera work is spot-on IMO, but I agree that there is something not quit right with the last image editing-wise. It's got a cool cross-processing thing going on but it just doesn't fit with the adorableness of the subject. I think the first image is fantastic, it's so warm and cheerfully intimate. It would be nice to see this carried over into the last image.
Definitely, the out-of-camera image is dull and in need of PP. Maybe a little push with the warmth slider in LR, a smidge of fill light and recovery. Possibly some black, vibrance and clarity to taste. Finished off with a tighter crop to remove the dog. I think her expression is just precious and it made me chuckle when I saw it. Hope you don't mind the critique. [:)]
@ w349, I love the expression in the BW shot above. Engaging.
Thanks William, here's the 100% crop. It's certainly a face of someone who's had a hard life. Taking photographs of homeless people feels like a bit of a moral gray area, but I asked her permission first and she was a willing subject.
[img]/resized-image.ashx/__size/550x0/__key/CommunityServer-Discussions-Components-Files/14/1803.Face.jpg[/img]
@ w349, This is a profound question but one that has an answer. At least in my mind it has an answer. I've watched documentaries and interviews of world renowned photographers who have grappled with this issue. At its extreme I listened intently to a War Photographer who has captured people in the most desperate moments of their lives, or more pointedly the end of their lives. Is this disrespectful, is it taking advantage of these unfortunate people?
I personally have concluded that the answer is both yes and no. Two photographers can take a shot of the same image and one can be morally wrong and the other neutral or Just. The difference is the photographers intent, and sometimes a matter of common understanding between the subject and the photographer. For the old woman image you probably had her permission and this is ok. Her status might be relevant to the message of the photo but not relevant to the morality of taking the picture. You have her permission and you respect her wishes if she says no. Morality creeps back in when you decide how you portray her with your use of camera technique and editing. Honesty is the guide, it needs to be an honest photo. It needs to preserve their dignity.
This war photographer that I was referring to recounted an occasion where he followed and photographed a machete wielding crowd who were chasing a man through the streets of an Asian city. They intended to slay him. The photographer intercepted the group as they caught up with the man and tried holding them back while pleading with them to spare the mans life. The photographers life was in serious danger. He still managed to document the event. Was his documentation wrong? He says no because the man's story gets taken to the world. It shines a light on something that needs attention. He may not have been able to spare the individual but he may be able to positively influence the circumstances that cause these events. He was not in it for the money or for recognition but as a humanitarian.
I personally take notice when poverty has a face, when I can see that these are real people. I sometimes find it hard to view some images, especially of children, but these people are telling me their story through the photo and I am listening. A photographer who successfully carries these messages to the world is doing something morally right in my view.
Of course not every person needs our sympathy or help. They may be less fortunate but still content and happy with life, and simply willing to let you photograph them. Just be open and ask.
What are your thoughts?
Quote:
Originally Posted by William
Nope, don't mind the critique. Glad to finally get some. :) I know the PP is a bit over-done, but as I hit that look, I liked it over anything else I'd been able to get from the image. I'll have another attempt at a more standard style this evening.
edit: And thanks for the kind words on the first two.
"ham, I
Quote:
Originally Posted by ham
Hi Ham,
I think the shot looks good the way it is, but if you would like to freeze the motion better, then you will have to up your shutter speed, which would require a wider aperture, higher ISO, or more light.
I hope that helps!
Rich
@Dave, I love the exposure and framing of the 2nd shot. That
Quote:
Originally Posted by William
I think you've pretty much hit the nail on the head - it's all about intention. A few weeks ago I caught a glimpse of a short article in a magazine where a photographer explained how he obtained a powerful image of a boy crying at his mother's funeral. I must admit my gut reaction was to feel a bit nauseated, and at the time I decided not to buy the magazine because of it... but then I started to wonder: under what circumstances was a professional photographer at this funeral? Perhaps his mother was killed or died in some way that could benefit from public attention (all speculation). As with everything in life, there are always two sides to a story! And even the best of intentions can still be misguided or ill-thought-out. By the way, the war photographer you speak of sounds insanely brave! Emphasis on insane.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Lane
Thank you. It's my pleasure!
William, I've re-tried to get a decent image out of the last shot... but I still can't find a way to make it work to my liking in natural tones... Or atleast, while in color.
I tried doing a B&W treatment on it, and I'm happier with that. At the very least it gets rid of the jarring red and blue agility equipment from in the background.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6121/...9aa06cb1_z.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6144/...b6a5cbd7_z.jpg
Oh, and I love the homeless woman shot W349.
Looking for some critique on this one. This is the first time that I have taken a photo knowing in my mind I would be converting it to B&W. Did all of the editing in LR3. Not sure about the grain, think I may have gone over the top a bit.
This is my buddy Matt. Currently in pre-production of his first film. He didn't have any photos to speak of.. He's the guy that has his hand up blocking his face in every picture. Took these for him, kicking and screaming the whole way.
<span>Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 100mm 2.8L IS USM Macro
<span>ISO: 100
f-stop: f/2.8
Exposure: 1/50 sec.
Focal Length: 100mm
[img]/resized-image.ashx/__size/400x0/__key/CommunityServer-Discussions-Components-Files/14/3252.IMG_5F00_8992.jpg[/img]
The Original unedited:
[img]/resized-image.ashx/__size/400x0/__key/CommunityServer-Discussions-Components-Files/14/0181.IMG_5F00_8992_2D00_2.jpg[/img]
I think the B&W is a definite improvement over the original color version. Much tougher look. The background grain doesn
@thekingb - could it be because the sheen in B&W is more pronounced from the increase in contrast setting? (White becomes whiter, Black becomes darker)