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billypip · 10-09-2011, 03:47 AM

i would be grateful for any critique as i am not only new to dslr......i am new to photography as of last year. These pictures are of the daughter of a family friend at a birthday party this summer. thanks.

Attached Images

SpecialK · 10-10-2011, 05:14 PM

They seem a bit soft, but have a good exposure.

billypip · 10-11-2011, 12:29 AM

many thanks specialk, i have lots of pics with the same problem and apart from my lack of experience i can only attribute it to the lens used in all shots.....smc pentax-FA4.5-5.6 80-320mm. It is a cheap lens and goes soft at longer focal lengths but is acceptably sharp at 80mm. I would like to upgrade to similar focal range but as cost is an issue, that will have to wait but for future reference..any recommendations ? many thanks.

Davidw0815 · 10-11-2011, 08:49 AM

I like the first pic better than the second. I think shallower DoF with focus on the face would improve the picture by drawing more attention to your daughter's face. But you'll need a faster lens for that. Depending on the situation I use a 50 mm, 85 mm or 135 mm lens for portraits. I would suggest to get a fast (1.7 and faster) 50 mm lens. If you don't mind manual focusing you can get them really cheap. In the 80 mm range Pentax has two excellent portrait lenses: the A* 85 mm f1.4 and the FA* 85 mm f1.4, but they're hard to get and even harder to pay for...

billypip · 10-12-2011, 01:36 AM

many thanks David, i welcome all criticism, especially that which makes me a better photographer. re the lens- i do have a smc pentax M-50mm 1:7 which i know would have produced better results,however, i wanted to capture some shots without the kids being aware otherwise they may have over-posed and ruined what i was after. the girl wasnt aware that i shot these although they DO look posed....but they werent. I shot the 1st at 320mm. I do have several fast manual focus lenses and am a fan of zooming with the feet. As for your lense recommends, i shall keep my eyes open for one of them so many thanks for that.

Davidw0815 · 10-12-2011, 02:28 AM

Originally posted by billypip

however, i wanted to capture some shots without the kids being aware otherwise they may have over-posed and ruined what i was after.

For that purpose I like to use my A 135 mm 2.8. With that lens I can keep a safe distance to the subject.

atupdate · 10-12-2011, 05:09 AM

Originally posted by billypip

many thanks specialk, i have lots of pics with the same problem and apart from my lack of experience i can only attribute it to the lens used in all shots.....smc pentax-FA4.5-5.6 80-320mm. It is a cheap lens and goes soft at longer focal lengths but is acceptably sharp at 80mm. I would like to upgrade to similar focal range but as cost is an issue, that will have to wait but for future reference..any recommendations ? many thanks.

A cheap way to upgrade your lenses is in post processing. It is very easy to sharpen an image and add a little contrast or saturation if needed. Here is your original second image and the same image post processed with Curves (a gentle S curve) to boast the contrast and saturation and Unsharp Mask (radius 1.0 @ 100 Strength) to sharpen.

Tim

**firefly** · 10-12-2011, 10:21 AM

I like the first one the best. Candid, calm and pensive. It's nice having pictures like that once in a while instead of the 'look-at-camera' portraits.

The second one is a little awkward in the pose. I know it's not 'posed' per say, but the current composition cuts off the hands just at the wrists, and it just looks strange to the eye.

billypip · 10-13-2011, 12:56 AM

thanks to everyone for your constructive criticism, everything said is taken on board and i look forward to putting it all in practice. Thankyou Firefly for pointing out the flaws on the 2nd shot.......I was totally oblivious to them, guess i got a lot to learn. I also like what you have done to the 2nd pic Tim, I do have LR2 and cs3ex but im still trying to get to grips with both and photoshop is so complicated ! I will however take the 1st pic and get it edited then re-post.

atupdate · 10-13-2011, 04:34 AM

Originally posted by billypip

thanks to everyone for your constructive criticism, everything said is taken on board and i look forward to putting it all in practice. Thankyou Firefly for pointing out the flaws on the 2nd shot.......I was totally oblivious to them, guess i got a lot to learn. I also like what you have done to the 2nd pic Tim, I do have LR2 and cs3ex but im still trying to get to grips with both and photoshop is so complicated ! I will however take the 1st pic and get it edited then re-post.

Let me know if you need any processing suggestions. I use a different program then you but curves is curves and levels is levels.

Also, the composition of the second shot can be improved with cropping. I suggest taking a little off the bottom and right side. This would be a good image to practice with see how cropping and different aspect ratios (5x7, 4x6, 8x10) affect the composition.

Tim

**firefly** · 10-13-2011, 06:23 AM

Originally posted by atupdate

Let me know if you need any processing suggestions. I use a different program then you but curves is curves and levels is levels.

Also, the composition of the second shot can be improved with cropping. I suggest taking a little off the bottom and right side. This would be a good image to practice with see how cropping and different aspect ratios (5x7, 4x6, 8x10) affect the composition.

Tim

+1 with Tim's suggestion. Wider and shorter seems to work for pic #2. I'd start with 8x10. Pic #2 has a nice expression, and I agree that a good crop could make a considerable difference.

tibbitts · 10-13-2011, 05:45 PM

Originally posted by billypip

many thanks specialk, i have lots of pics with the same problem and apart from my lack of experience i can only attribute it to the lens used in all shots.....smc pentax-FA4.5-5.6 80-320mm. It is a cheap lens and goes soft at longer focal lengths but is acceptably sharp at 80mm. I would like to upgrade to similar focal range but as cost is an issue, that will have to wait but for future reference..any recommendations ? many thanks.

While it might be tempting to use 320mm, it's very difficult to get sharp pictures of moving subjects where the depth-of-field is so small. Even 80mm (on a crop sensor) is average to slightly on the longer side for what's commonly used for portraits. While the lens you have isn't likely to give its best performance at 320mm, at that length other factors (focus, movement) are more likely to limit image quality. So my guess is that upgrading your lens wouldn't lead to a consistent increase in image quality.

Paul

billypip · 10-14-2011, 12:18 AM

Thanks again for all your comments. I will play around with cropping and see if my novice eye can come up with an acceptable image and as for help with processing, i will be grateful to be pushed in the right direction because although i have LR2 and CS3, they are still relatively new to me. For the processing, i will practice using these same two pics.

atupdate · 10-14-2011, 04:41 AM

Originally posted by billypip

Thanks again for all your comments. I will play around with cropping and see if my novice eye can come up with an acceptable image and as for help with processing, i will be grateful to be pushed in the right direction because although i have LR2 and CS3, they are still relatively new to me. For the processing, i will practice using these same two pics.

I use Paint Shop Pro, so I'm not real familiar with your software. Looking at both LR and CS on Adobe's website, it looks like CS is the program where most of the heavy lifting will occur. The tools I use the most are masking/layers, curves, levels, shadow/highlight, and sharpening (especially after downsizing for posting on the web). There are several good articles here (Ron Bigelow Photography Articles) to help you learn those tools. It will take time but it is well worth the effort.

Tim

billypip · 10-16-2011, 02:01 AM

Thankyou Tim, I have checked out the site you suggested and it seems just the ticket, looks like i have many hours of study ahead !

10-09-2011, 03:47 AM	#1
billypip Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nottingham England. Posts: 30	errin i would be grateful for any critique as i am not only new to dslr......i am new to photography as of last year. These pictures are of the daughter of a family friend at a birthday party this summer. thanks. Attached Images

10-11-2011, 12:29 AM	#3
billypip Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nottingham England. Posts: 30 Original Poster	critique many thanks specialk, i have lots of pics with the same problem and apart from my lack of experience i can only attribute it to the lens used in all shots.....smc pentax-FA4.5-5.6 80-320mm. It is a cheap lens and goes soft at longer focal lengths but is acceptably sharp at 80mm. I would like to upgrade to similar focal range but as cost is an issue, that will have to wait but for future reference..any recommendations ? many thanks.

10-12-2011, 02:28 AM	#6
Davidw0815 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Photos: Gallery Posts: 437	Originally posted by billypip however, i wanted to capture some shots without the kids being aware otherwise they may have over-posed and ruined what i was after. For that purpose I like to use my A 135 mm 2.8. With that lens I can keep a safe distance to the subject. Last edited by Davidw0815; 10-12-2011 at 06:15 AM.

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10-10-2011, 05:14 PM	#2
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,482	They seem a bit soft, but have a good exposure.

10-11-2011, 08:49 AM	#4
Davidw0815 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Photos: Gallery Posts: 437	I like the first pic better than the second. I think shallower DoF with focus on the face would improve the picture by drawing more attention to your daughter's face. But you'll need a faster lens for that. Depending on the situation I use a 50 mm, 85 mm or 135 mm lens for portraits. I would suggest to get a fast (1.7 and faster) 50 mm lens. If you don't mind manual focusing you can get them really cheap. In the 80 mm range Pentax has two excellent portrait lenses: the A* 85 mm f1.4 and the FA* 85 mm f1.4, but they're hard to get and even harder to pay for...

10-12-2011, 01:36 AM	#5
billypip Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nottingham England. Posts: 30 Original Poster	many thanks David, i welcome all criticism, especially that which makes me a better photographer. re the lens- i do have a smc pentax M-50mm 1:7 which i know would have produced better results,however, i wanted to capture some shots without the kids being aware otherwise they may have over-posed and ruined what i was after. the girl wasnt aware that i shot these although they DO look posed....but they werent. I shot the 1st at 320mm. I do have several fast manual focus lenses and am a fan of zooming with the feet. As for your lense recommends, i shall keep my eyes open for one of them so many thanks for that.

10-12-2011, 05:09 AM	#7
atupdate Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Dayton, OH Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,724	Originally posted by billypip many thanks specialk, i have lots of pics with the same problem and apart from my lack of experience i can only attribute it to the lens used in all shots.....smc pentax-FA4.5-5.6 80-320mm. It is a cheap lens and goes soft at longer focal lengths but is acceptably sharp at 80mm. I would like to upgrade to similar focal range but as cost is an issue, that will have to wait but for future reference..any recommendations ? many thanks. A cheap way to upgrade your lenses is in post processing. It is very easy to sharpen an image and add a little contrast or saturation if needed. Here is your original second image and the same image post processed with Curves (a gentle S curve) to boast the contrast and saturation and Unsharp Mask (radius 1.0 @ 100 Strength) to sharpen. Tim

10-12-2011, 10:21 AM	#8
firefly Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Brunswick Photos: Albums Posts: 200	I like the first one the best. Candid, calm and pensive. It's nice having pictures like that once in a while instead of the 'look-at-camera' portraits. The second one is a little awkward in the pose. I know it's not 'posed' per say, but the current composition cuts off the hands just at the wrists, and it just looks strange to the eye.

10-13-2011, 12:56 AM	#9
billypip Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nottingham England. Posts: 30 Original Poster	thanks to everyone for your constructive criticism, everything said is taken on board and i look forward to putting it all in practice. Thankyou Firefly for pointing out the flaws on the 2nd shot.......I was totally oblivious to them, guess i got a lot to learn. I also like what you have done to the 2nd pic Tim, I do have LR2 and cs3ex but im still trying to get to grips with both and photoshop is so complicated ! I will however take the 1st pic and get it edited then re-post.

10-13-2011, 04:34 AM	#10
atupdate Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Dayton, OH Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,724	Originally posted by billypip thanks to everyone for your constructive criticism, everything said is taken on board and i look forward to putting it all in practice. Thankyou Firefly for pointing out the flaws on the 2nd shot.......I was totally oblivious to them, guess i got a lot to learn. I also like what you have done to the 2nd pic Tim, I do have LR2 and cs3ex but im still trying to get to grips with both and photoshop is so complicated ! I will however take the 1st pic and get it edited then re-post. Let me know if you need any processing suggestions. I use a different program then you but curves is curves and levels is levels. Also, the composition of the second shot can be improved with cropping. I suggest taking a little off the bottom and right side. This would be a good image to practice with see how cropping and different aspect ratios (5x7, 4x6, 8x10) affect the composition. Tim

10-13-2011, 06:23 AM	#11
firefly Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Brunswick Photos: Albums Posts: 200	Originally posted by atupdate Let me know if you need any processing suggestions. I use a different program then you but curves is curves and levels is levels. Also, the composition of the second shot can be improved with cropping. I suggest taking a little off the bottom and right side. This would be a good image to practice with see how cropping and different aspect ratios (5x7, 4x6, 8x10) affect the composition. Tim +1 with Tim's suggestion. Wider and shorter seems to work for pic #2. I'd start with 8x10. Pic #2 has a nice expression, and I agree that a good crop could make a considerable difference.

10-13-2011, 05:45 PM	#12
tibbitts Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Oklahoma USA Posts: 2,196	Originally posted by billypip many thanks specialk, i have lots of pics with the same problem and apart from my lack of experience i can only attribute it to the lens used in all shots.....smc pentax-FA4.5-5.6 80-320mm. It is a cheap lens and goes soft at longer focal lengths but is acceptably sharp at 80mm. I would like to upgrade to similar focal range but as cost is an issue, that will have to wait but for future reference..any recommendations ? many thanks. While it might be tempting to use 320mm, it's very difficult to get sharp pictures of moving subjects where the depth-of-field is so small. Even 80mm (on a crop sensor) is average to slightly on the longer side for what's commonly used for portraits. While the lens you have isn't likely to give its best performance at 320mm, at that length other factors (focus, movement) are more likely to limit image quality. So my guess is that upgrading your lens wouldn't lead to a consistent increase in image quality. Paul

10-14-2011, 12:18 AM	#13
billypip Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nottingham England. Posts: 30 Original Poster	Thanks again for all your comments. I will play around with cropping and see if my novice eye can come up with an acceptable image and as for help with processing, i will be grateful to be pushed in the right direction because although i have LR2 and CS3, they are still relatively new to me. For the processing, i will practice using these same two pics.

10-14-2011, 04:41 AM	#14
atupdate Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Dayton, OH Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,724	Originally posted by billypip Thanks again for all your comments. I will play around with cropping and see if my novice eye can come up with an acceptable image and as for help with processing, i will be grateful to be pushed in the right direction because although i have LR2 and CS3, they are still relatively new to me. For the processing, i will practice using these same two pics. I use Paint Shop Pro, so I'm not real familiar with your software. Looking at both LR and CS on Adobe's website, it looks like CS is the program where most of the heavy lifting will occur. The tools I use the most are masking/layers, curves, levels, shadow/highlight, and sharpening (especially after downsizing for posting on the web). There are several good articles here (Ron Bigelow Photography Articles) to help you learn those tools. It will take time but it is well worth the effort. Tim

10-16-2011, 02:01 AM	#15
billypip Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nottingham England. Posts: 30 Original Poster	Thankyou Tim, I have checked out the site you suggested and it seems just the ticket, looks like i have many hours of study ahead !

errin

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