People Bright Blue eyes

LSPhotography · 10-22-2009, 06:28 PM

So i got this shot while taking some photos of a co-workers grandkids. So far ive had some pretty good comments on it. So i figured i would post it up on here, please critique this one harshly.

**Ash** · 10-22-2009, 07:18 PM

Hard to harshly critique a family shot...

His pose is fine, but not the most flattering - that's just gonna be luck of the draw with kids.
Burnt highlight on hair and shoulders is quite distracting. Can't do much about that in strong sunlit shots other than to try a reflector - can't see that happening for a candid family shot...

Framing is not my favourite - quite bland in the horizontal format. A more vertical/diagonal orientation would add some dynamism to the portrait, but again, wouldn't suit this ordinary pose anyway.

Colours are OK, but the backlighting has taken away from the detail of the subject, which may have suited HSS fill flash. Probably didn't need ISO that high unless he was swinging on that swing very fast.

Sharpness - his hands and shoulders look like they're in focus but his face isn't quite sharp.

Again, great for a family album, but otherwise not much else to write home about IMO.

wallyb · 10-22-2009, 08:35 PM

To contrast the critique Ash gave:

The pose is bad. But that's the kid's fault, not yours (don't take that the wrong way, I'm sure he's a perfectly cute little bugger). It's just that kids are like pets. Never sitting still and if they are, it's not in a photogenic manner. Nothing you can do about this but shoot often and hope for a more flattering pose to pop up.

The blown out highlights on the hair are distracting if you look for them, but being a very clear "sunny outdoors" shot, I think it's very easy to forget about. Nothing really could have been done anyway.

Framing would've been improved with a vertical format.

The colour temperature is fine, but the contrast is a little too low. It makes the face lose detail. I know contrast is usually an enemy of portraits but with the slight overexposure and flare, it needs a little more to compensate.

I can't stand single-light flash on a portrait, especially not one taken outside a studio. It makes the image look so amateur. The background might be a little bright and coloured, but I would definitely NOT use a flash to try to compensate for that fact. Possibly just open up the aperture to decrease the amount of detail visible in the background.

The sharpness is fine IMO, you don't want tack sharpness for portraits, and the apparent softness looks like it's just coming from the low contrast. His hands and nose seem to be on the same Z-plane.

That's about all I've got for now. Hope it helped.

wallyb · 10-22-2009, 08:52 PM

Maybe something like this? I dunno, I like how it came out.

Attached Images

LSPhotography · 10-22-2009, 10:06 PM

thank you guys.
I will agree that it is hard to critique something like a family shot.
not to try and make excuses but it was sorta a difficult shot to hit. I basically just had them swingin and took pics while they swung. as far as the ISO goes, that was accidentally left over from shots the night before. not that thats much of an excuse.

as far as the flash, im not sure how that came up, no flash was used... unless im just misreading.

thanks again to both of you, so far both comments have helped big time.

**Ash** · 10-22-2009, 10:15 PM

No worries mate.
I was suggesting you USE fill flash in this kind of backlit shot, whereas Wally was suggesting that you DON'T. That's all.

Different ideas...

**dadipentak** · 10-23-2009, 04:23 AM

I like the pose but agree portrait orientation would be better. My take is that the light was pretty harsh: the original has the low contrast look of a fair dose of fill in PP. I agree with Wally about boosting contrast but his version seems a bit oversaturated to me.

I love candid portraits but they're hard and I get a lot of "Man, this would have been so great if only" shots. :~) The "if only" here is the blown highlight--simply fatal imho. Keep shooting!

LSPhotography · 10-23-2009, 10:28 AM

I may try the fill flash the next time i go out, apparently she loved them, which in the end is what i was hoping for. however i will agree that it is killing me that its not in portrait view. one thing i have noticed is that the one i uploaded from deviant art has less contrast than the one i currently have on my comp. just an observation. I may upload a few of the others later on.

Damn Brit · 10-23-2009, 01:42 PM

It looks to me like maybe you just took it at the wrong time of day or you should have had something to diffuse the light.

10-22-2009, 06:28 PM	#1
LSPhotography Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Saint Peters, MO Posts: 93	Bright Blue eyes Lens: 45mm Camera: K20 ISO: 800 Shutter Speed: 1/1500s Aperture: F4.5 So i got this shot while taking some photos of a co-workers grandkids. So far ive had some pretty good comments on it. So i figured i would post it up on here, please critique this one harshly.

10-23-2009, 04:23 AM	#7
dadipentak Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,590	Mtwhbsgio I like the pose but agree portrait orientation would be better. My take is that the light was pretty harsh: the original has the low contrast look of a fair dose of fill in PP. I agree with Wally about boosting contrast but his version seems a bit oversaturated to me. I love candid portraits but they're hard and I get a lot of "Man, this would have been so great if only" shots. :~) The "if only" here is the blown highlight--simply fatal imho. Keep shooting!

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10-22-2009, 07:18 PM	#2
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	Hard to harshly critique a family shot... His pose is fine, but not the most flattering - that's just gonna be luck of the draw with kids. Burnt highlight on hair and shoulders is quite distracting. Can't do much about that in strong sunlit shots other than to try a reflector - can't see that happening for a candid family shot... Framing is not my favourite - quite bland in the horizontal format. A more vertical/diagonal orientation would add some dynamism to the portrait, but again, wouldn't suit this ordinary pose anyway. Colours are OK, but the backlighting has taken away from the detail of the subject, which may have suited HSS fill flash. Probably didn't need ISO that high unless he was swinging on that swing very fast. Sharpness - his hands and shoulders look like they're in focus but his face isn't quite sharp. Again, great for a family album, but otherwise not much else to write home about IMO.

10-22-2009, 08:35 PM	#3
wallyb Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: The Untied States Photos: Albums Posts: 1,881	To contrast the critique Ash gave: The pose is bad. But that's the kid's fault, not yours (don't take that the wrong way, I'm sure he's a perfectly cute little bugger). It's just that kids are like pets. Never sitting still and if they are, it's not in a photogenic manner. Nothing you can do about this but shoot often and hope for a more flattering pose to pop up. The blown out highlights on the hair are distracting if you look for them, but being a very clear "sunny outdoors" shot, I think it's very easy to forget about. Nothing really could have been done anyway. Framing would've been improved with a vertical format. The colour temperature is fine, but the contrast is a little too low. It makes the face lose detail. I know contrast is usually an enemy of portraits but with the slight overexposure and flare, it needs a little more to compensate. I can't stand single-light flash on a portrait, especially not one taken outside a studio. It makes the image look so amateur. The background might be a little bright and coloured, but I would definitely NOT use a flash to try to compensate for that fact. Possibly just open up the aperture to decrease the amount of detail visible in the background. The sharpness is fine IMO, you don't want tack sharpness for portraits, and the apparent softness looks like it's just coming from the low contrast. His hands and nose seem to be on the same Z-plane. That's about all I've got for now. Hope it helped.

10-22-2009, 08:52 PM	#4
wallyb Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: The Untied States Photos: Albums Posts: 1,881	Maybe something like this? I dunno, I like how it came out. Attached Images

10-22-2009, 10:06 PM	#5
LSPhotography Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Saint Peters, MO Posts: 93 Original Poster	thank you guys. I will agree that it is hard to critique something like a family shot. not to try and make excuses but it was sorta a difficult shot to hit. I basically just had them swingin and took pics while they swung. as far as the ISO goes, that was accidentally left over from shots the night before. not that thats much of an excuse. as far as the flash, im not sure how that came up, no flash was used... unless im just misreading. thanks again to both of you, so far both comments have helped big time.

10-22-2009, 10:15 PM	#6
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	No worries mate. I was suggesting you USE fill flash in this kind of backlit shot, whereas Wally was suggesting that you DON'T. That's all. Different ideas...

10-23-2009, 10:28 AM	#8
LSPhotography Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Saint Peters, MO Posts: 93 Original Poster	I may try the fill flash the next time i go out, apparently she loved them, which in the end is what i was hoping for. however i will agree that it is killing me that its not in portrait view. one thing i have noticed is that the one i uploaded from deviant art has less contrast than the one i currently have on my comp. just an observation. I may upload a few of the others later on.

10-23-2009, 01:42 PM	#9
Damn Brit Guest	It looks to me like maybe you just took it at the wrong time of day or you should have had something to diffuse the light.