# Please feel free to tell me how to improve



## MWC2 (Jan 20, 2013)

Kids finally let me take a couple of pictures of them, please feel free to tell me what I should be doing to improve (and what I should STOP doing) and move forward with my hobby, thanks!

#1



Ms. C by Just a Mom With a Camera, on Flickr

SS 1/250
F/3.5
ISO 320

#1a (same picture just working on my b/w conversions)



Ms. C by Just a Mom With a Camera, on Flickr


#2



Ms. K by Just a Mom With a Camera, on Flickr
pay no attention to the yucky old blanket, she said it was too cold and she had to stay warm... it was 67 degrees outside and 72 degrees in the house.  I swear she is a little old lady at times.

SS 1/60
f/4.0
ISO 320


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## jbkm1994 (Jan 20, 2013)

Howdy neighbor!  Oklahoma Dad here!  Did you shoot this with the kit lens?

Sent from my iPhone using PhotoForum


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## jbkm1994 (Jan 20, 2013)

Just looking at on my phone they look fairly decent.

Sent using PhotoForum


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## MWC2 (Jan 20, 2013)

They were taken with the nifty fifty (50 1.8), I've challenged myself to shot with it for the month of January.  I forget what it's like not to use the 24-70, but at the same time I think I am falling in love with the idea of primes.  This could turn out to be an expensive experiment.


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## pixmedic (Jan 20, 2013)

i hate to be the one to cry portrait orientation...but these have a lot of dead space with nothing going on. tighten up the crop, or pick a more interesting background.


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## MiFleur (Jan 20, 2013)

I love your shots, I think you did a great job
the composition is good, the  focus is tack sharp, your subject is clearly the center of attention, love the white background!
and she is really cute.
Let's see what the pros have to say!


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## MWC2 (Jan 20, 2013)

I struggle with cropping, I fight with myself all the time about it. When I first started I would crop the living poop out of every picture, and was told to leave more room. Now I've going the other direction, I leave way to much room.  

Any suggestions on cropping?  how much would you crop away?


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## KmH (Jan 20, 2013)

I see a gray background, not a white background?


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## KmH (Jan 20, 2013)

MWC2 said:


> I struggle with cropping, I fight with myself all the time about it. When I first started I would crop the living poop out of every picture, and was told to leave more room. Now I've going the other direction, I leave way to much room.
> 
> Any suggestions on cropping?  how much would you crop away?


Then crop using one of the guidelines -  like the Rule of Thirds, Golden Spiral, Golden Diagonals, etc.


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## Robin_Usagani (Jan 20, 2013)

since you are not mixing with ambient light, I would just shoot it with ISO100 and power up the strobe.  I like them


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## KmH (Jan 20, 2013)

MWC2 said:


> Kids finally let me take a couple of pictures of them, please feel free to tell me what I should be doing to improve (and what I should STOP doing) and move forward with my hobby, thanks!
> 
> #1


A bit off the top and the left side. Camera left eye on rule of third power point.


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## MWC2 (Jan 20, 2013)

KmH said:


> I see a gray background, not a white background?



It is a light grey background.


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## MWC2 (Jan 20, 2013)

KmH - thank you for the cropping sample.  I appreciate it.  

Robin - I'll lower the ISO next time and up the flash power, thank you.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 20, 2013)

MWC2 said:


> Kids finally let me take a couple of pictures of them, please feel free to tell me what I should be doing to improve (and what I should STOP doing) and move forward with my hobby, thanks!
> 
> #1a (same picture just working on my b/w conversions)



I think you caught some nice personality here... but a tighter crop would be nice. Emphasize "her" more....

Maybe:


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## kathyt (Jan 20, 2013)

pixmedic said:


> i hate to be the one to cry portrait orientation...but these have a lot of dead space with nothing going on. tighten up the crop, or pick a more interesting background.



The use of dead space here is really working for me. Especially in 1a and 2, because of the facial expressions. It really sets a mood. Your focus and skin tones in #2 is dead on. The wb in #1 is off. I see some excess magenta. I am not sure if #1 is over sharpened, but it looks a little pixelated. The pose is adorable.
P.S. I LOVE primes!!!!!


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## texkam (Jan 21, 2013)

> i hate to be the one to cry portrait orientation...but these have a lot of dead space with nothing going on. tighten up the crop, or pick a more interesting background.


I beg to differ. I see plenty going on with the so called "dead space". As mentioned, it's all about the mood and 1a nails it! Every inch of that white space makes that shot awesome. An oversize print of this hanging on a wall would be breathtaking IMHO. Not enough fine artists around here.


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## nycphotography (Jan 21, 2013)

The b&w conversion works great, once you get a nice tight crop that puts her on _or near_ the third vertical.  When working with thirds, I'm not a stickler for both vertical and horizontal thirds at the same time, and in in the crop suggested, you end up with too much (for me) white space above her.  I'd hit the aspect ratio you need (3:2 or 16:9 for web, or 8x10 for printing) and just get her near the third but the ultimate measure of success is a balanced composition, not necessarily hitting dead on the thirds.

Also, I think the reason that the b&w conversion works so well is that the light is very flat, the background is very flat, and the background is already grey.  Not a bad thing (many people would kill to get the soft light figured out), but if you want the color image to work, you have to bring more color into it than just her shirt.

In the last one, while I'm a fan of head wraps and such, but in this one it looks like she's smothered by it.  Something heavy like that, I'd have her holding, twisting, winding, unwrapping, doing something with it, so I could get it to frame her, but I could also get it to lift off her a little so she can breath, and also maybe get her hands in the picture, and/or get her expression to be more dynamic.


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## nycphotography (Jan 21, 2013)

texkam said:


> > i hate to be the one to cry portrait orientation...but these have a lot of dead space with nothing going on. tighten up the crop, or pick a more interesting background.
> 
> 
> I beg to differ. I see plenty going on with the so called "dead space". As mentioned, it's all about the mood and 1a nails it! Every inch of that white space makes that shot awesome. An oversize print of this hanging on a wall would be breathtaking IMHO. Not enough fine artists around here.



OVERSIZE print with the dead space... absolutely.  16x20 or bigger.  (I love the use of dead space).

But an 8x10?  Crop it.  IMO at least.


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## janineh (Jan 21, 2013)

Well done! Love them!


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## ManualMode (Jan 21, 2013)

I'm ok with all the dead space top-right but there is something about her leg being so close to the bottom of the frame that makes me uncomfortable.


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## Designer (Jan 21, 2013)

MWC2 said:


> I struggle with cropping, I fight with myself all the time about it. When I first started I would crop the living poop out of every picture, and was told to leave more room. Now I've going the other direction, I leave way to much room.
> 
> Any suggestions on cropping?  how much would you crop away?



KmH post #11 has given you the optimum crop, but it might depend on what you intend to do with it.  In other words; if you are going to print and frame this shot, crop in the proportions that Keith has given you, but then go out a little wider to account for the frame or mat that will cover the margins some.  I think I'd try about a quarter of an inch, or more if the frame is particularly deep in the margins.

You can also crop while framing.  Print it just as it is, but when you are framing it, trim with scissors, or just mat to the correct crop lines.


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## Tee (Jan 21, 2013)

They have a nice and clean look which is really refreshing to see.  Aside from the crop ideas the only knit I see is in the first image, the thin white shoulder strap keeps drawing my eye away.


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## jaguaraz (Jan 21, 2013)

I'm a fan of #3 in a portrait orientation.  She has beautiful eyes, captured beautifully.


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## MWC2 (Jan 21, 2013)

thank you everyone


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## edgivs (Jan 21, 2013)

I loved the tighter crop in post #14. There is a lot going on in her expression. :heart: it


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## acellis (Jan 21, 2013)

I would crop the originals until the full image filled the frame. I would copy the originals and then crop the copies down until you had just a portion of the subject in the frame. The 3rd pic is stunning and with cropping all but the subject you have a NATGEO shot! I would also try #3 as just a 1/2 face crop. You almost can't go wrong. Minimally just crop out the negative space.


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## Qveon (Jan 23, 2013)

jaguaraz said:


> I'm a fan of #3 in a portrait orientation.  She has beautiful eyes, captured beautifully.



YES and a nice tight crop to show all that detail in the eyes too


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## Mully (Jan 23, 2013)

Nice images of a cute girl ...I like the negative space ...not every single thing in life has to fit into the "rule" of thirds..... Rules are made to be broken


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## texkam (Jan 23, 2013)

> Nice images of a cute girl ...I like the negative space ...not every single thing in life has to fit into the "rule" of thirds..... Rules are made to be broken


Amen.

"You can compose anything." - Dennis "Bones" Carpenter


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## DiskoJoe (Jan 24, 2013)

Work on some better poses and for gods sake comb the child hair before you start shooting.


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## ManualMode (Jan 24, 2013)

DiskoJoe said:


> Work on some better poses and for gods sake comb the child hair before you start shooting.


Like this, right?
Instamiles! | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


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## MWC2 (Jan 27, 2013)

DiskoJoe said:


> Work on some better poses and for gods sake comb the child hair before you start shooting.



ummm you don't have tom boy girls do you?  When my 9 year old girl who would rather be outriding her dirt bike says she will sit for 10 minutes to let me play with my camera I'm not asking her to comb her hair, I'm taking the photo, lmao.


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## pixmedic (Jan 27, 2013)

MWC2 said:


> DiskoJoe said:
> 
> 
> > Work on some better poses and for gods sake comb the child hair before you start shooting.
> ...



why take posed shots then if you cant/wont put in the effort to make the details right? so...your kids TELL YOU how long they will do something? ouch.  we have a special needs child, and when we want to take portraits of him, his hair is combed, and we somehow manage to get him to sit for the appropriate amount of time needed to take the picture. 

if you are letting your 9 year old call the shots now....teenage years are going to suck for you. and that is NO laughing matter.


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## MWC2 (Jan 27, 2013)

pixmedic said:


> MWC2 said:
> 
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> > DiskoJoe said:
> ...



My...  so somehow you have turned my asking for advice on how to improve my  photography into a discussion on my parenting?  My 9 year old does NOT  call the shots in the house but I do NOT force my children to get  dressed up and comb their hair so I can practice using my camera for 10  minutes.  What's the point of that? Now if I was wanting a picture to  hang on the wall, then they are dressed accordingly, but for me  practicing I really don't see the point.

Now they are "forced" to  clean their room, do their homework, ask me if they can play at a  friends house, tell me where they are at any given time, answer all  texts and phone calls from me or my husband, be polite, hold doors open  for people when we are out, etc.  I have a 16 year old son, I know what  the teenage years are going to look like in this house and if the girls  turn out like their brother when it comes to respect and following mine  and my husbands rules, I don't really have anything to worry about.  But  thank you for jumping to conclusions about my parenting from a couple  of practice shots of my children.


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## pixmedic (Jan 27, 2013)

MWC2 said:


> pixmedic said:
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> > MWC2 said:
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you made excuses for the hair being mussed and got called on it. then proceeded to say that your 9 year old "told you" she wouldn't sit for 10 minutes. and IM jumping to conclusions? no, I dont think so. you set the stage for that one.


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## Michael79 (Jan 27, 2013)

These pictures are great and so are the poses as stated above me. You captured some really nice photos, thanks for sharing.


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## MWC2 (Jan 27, 2013)

pixmedic said:


> MWC2 said:
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> > pixmedic said:
> ...




Would you care to point out WHERE I said she said she told me that she would not comb her hair or even where I stated that I asked her too?  I said I did not ask her to comb her hair because it was a 10 minute practice session (a time limit that I put on all my practice shots with the kids).  You sir, have not only jumped to conclusions but climbed a huge cliff and jumped off.  I'm unsure why you have decided to be somewhat rude toward me, but I can't control your strange outbursts on my parenting or the control of my children.


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## pixmedic (Jan 27, 2013)

MWC2 said:


> pixmedic said:
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> > MWC2 said:
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i never said anything about your kid telling you she wouldn't comb her hair. please show me where I said that. 
I said that YOU didn't bother to get her to comb it, and that SHE dictated the time limit to YOU.  which is exactly what YOU said. 
didn't jump to any conclusions. you seem to be though.


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## nycphotography (Jan 27, 2013)

MWC2 said:


> My...  so somehow you have turned my asking for advice on how to improve my  photography into a discussion on my parenting?  My 9 year old does NOT  call the shots in the house but I do NOT force my children to get  dressed up and comb their hair so I can practice using my camera for 10  minutes.  What's the point of that? Now if I was wanting a picture to  hang on the wall, then they are dressed accordingly, but for me  practicing I really don't see the point.
> 
> Now they are "forced" to  clean their room, do their homework, ask me if they can play at a  friends house, tell me where they are at any given time, answer all  texts and phone calls from me or my husband, be polite, hold doors open  for people when we are out, etc.  I have a 16 year old son, I know what  the teenage years are going to look like in this house and if the girls  turn out like their brother when it comes to respect and following mine  and my husbands rules, I don't really have anything to worry about.  But  thank you for jumping to conclusions about my parenting from a couple  of practice shots of my children.



http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...lies-abuse-towards-newbies-4.html#post2803852


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## 651stp (Jan 28, 2013)

i dont know what happened in this thread but i read a few sentences and its going off track XD


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## invisible (Jan 28, 2013)

I think the first one is a winner, particularly in B&W. I think that the gray background needs to be white for impact, and also feel that the whole scene needs a bit more light  more of a high-key approach.  Here's my take:




Very beautiful girl, by the way. She's going to break many hearts without even trying


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## Bitter Jeweler (Jan 28, 2013)

Great image MWC, great edit INV!


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