CC Group

Don't worry, G. You can take some great photos in late morning. I've taken plenty. You just have to look for some shade. You're probably going to need to be near a building so you can get an even background, because if you're in shade made by trees, you're going to get dappled light peeking through in the background making very very bright/hot spots, taking the concentration off of your subject. I would use the side of my house as shade quite often in those situations. It's definitely possible, so don't fret. But definitely try to get out during golden hour sometime. You'll be hooked ;) Around here (at the moment with the time change), the best time for me in our yard is 3:30-4. The light is gorgeous coming through the trees. So, that's a pretty good time for me, since we're not in "the witching hour" after dinner.

Okay, I'm going to quickly do this since I need to pick Carson up from school, so there won't be settings. I just don't want to forget!!

1
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/8...ee49b065_z.jpg
IMG_6922-3web by Stephanie.Miller, on Flickr

2
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8477/8...3acd807b_z.jpg
IMG_6984-3web by Stephanie.Miller, on Flickr

3
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8209/8...cc5443cd_z.jpg
IMG_6994-3web by Stephanie.Miller, on Flickr

I'll just keep the last ones up for this week :)

Sorry no one replied last week, Steph! With our Vegas trip, I wasn't online much.

These are really cute. I love the soft autumn colours and especially the nice bokeh behind his head in #1.

I would've liked to see more room above his head in #1, I think. Just a bit. It just feels a bit cramped (says me, queen of zooming in too far). And perhaps shooting from a slightly lower position to get more of the beautiful bokeh from the trees behind him.

#2 and #3 are both great expressions. Beautifully backlit, all of them! Again, I think maybe just a slightly lower position, but otherwise they're great.

Thanks! I think you had left by the time I posted these on Tuesday, so no worries :) I understand!

These are all crops, so I am pretty sure I can get some more above the head in #1. I wish that the kids would have cooperated more in their photos together. The ones I posted of my neighbor girls are what I was going for, but they just wouldn't relax! I swear that if their hands are on each other, they have to wrestle or tickle one another. ;)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7277/8...e3403ee4_z.jpg
IMG_6944-3web by Stephanie.Miller, on Flickr

Steph, I have that problem with my kids too. You can't get them both smiling nicely at the same time, if your life depends on it! ;) The canvas I finally ordered had Micah with just a half-smile, but it was the best I could do. I couldn't even find some to head-swap, to cheat it. But that pic is really cute, I love Jackson's expression!

I'll just post a couple of my Red Rock pics today.

#1 - Just wondering whether this one, or #2, is better of the rocks.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/friesen4/8179060413/" title="Las Vegas 2012 by friesen4, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8066/8179060413_a138804e48_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="Las Vegas 2012"></a>

#2 -
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/friesen4/8179092598/" title="Las Vegas 2012 by friesen4, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8483/8179092598_40cfaf5ae0_z.jpg" width="640" height="425" alt="Las Vegas 2012"></a>

#3 - I like the moodiness of this with the sky, but not sure it really works. CC would be helpful.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/friesen4/8179092772/" title="Las Vegas 2012 by friesen4, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8068/8179092772_9769a24a60_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="Las Vegas 2012"></a>

#4 - Another moody shot with the clouds to the one side... it was actually raining in this shot, though you can't really tell. But I'm wondering if it's too dark.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/friesen4/8179059941/" title="Las Vegas 2012 by friesen4, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8062/8179059941_71fc090528_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="Las Vegas 2012"></a>

Sorry no kiddo pics, I haven't been home to take any!!

The first two are both lovely shots, but I think if I had to choose, I'd choose #1. I like that you can see more of the rocks with all the texture in it.

I do like the mood in the sky in the last 2, though I feel like they doesn't pop as well as some of your other photos do. I'm not sure why that is with #3, because there's some nice color there. I'm sorry! I'm not very helpful with these! I do think they're all nice shots! I wish I could critique landscapes better.

Sorry I didn't reply last week Steph. It has been kind of crazy here - it is that time of year plus we do all our school registration, orientation etc at this time.

I am about to head back out so I will have to give CC tomorrow (I don't want to rush it)

Ok. I'm on and I have time. It's been busy, again.

Steph.

#1. What really grabs me about this, and you probably didn't plan it, is his hands. It is just the way he is holding them that gas a sweetness about it. It kind of looks like there was light from above, which could've highlighting the top of the ridge about his eyes. Only slightly, but I see something. These shots show how far you have come getting great natural light and your processing looks natural too. Great work.

#2. I would like to see a slightly tighter crop as I feel like he us getting a little lost in the shot. The autumn colours are great though.

#3. I prefer the angle of Jackson in this one and like that you can see more of the seat. I think the colour was probsy a little better in Carson's image though.

I also agree with Tracy that I would have liked to have seen these **** from a slightly lower position.

With your extra shot, I really like it. It is what brothers should look like and it has great light!

Tracy.
#1/2. I like the colour in the front rock in image 1 but I feel it draws the eye too much. Composition wise I think number 2 is better as you get a better perspective of the valley. I love the colour and the clarity, especially the detail in those rocks. And look at that sky! Mine always results in the rest if the picture looking underexposed if I get a good sky. How do you do it?

#3. I agree that the sky is good. The higher part of the sky (top of image) is boring though. Maybe you could try a panoramic crop and sim for 1/3 grass, 1/3 rock and 1/3 cloud and see if that gives it more if a 'wow' factor.

#4. Thus us a bit too dark for me. Plus I keep going to the shrub on the left which is a bit boring. The line if the cloud, rock and grassy hill all seem to point towards it though so I keep going back to it. Thus doesn't have the pop that some of your other landscapes have. It is more flat.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shadow_grey

I love the colour and the clarity, especially the detail in those rocks. And look at that sky! Mine always results in the rest if the picture looking underexposed if I get a good sky. How do you do it?

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It was pretty good SOOC, which is mostly due to the use of a polarizing filter. The filter prevents the sky from getting washed out and makes those blues really pop. But in this case as well, just to get a bit more definition in the colour of the rocks and to boost the exposure of the foreground a TOUCH, I did this in HDR. It didn't really need much help, unlike sometimes when I HDR a shot to really ensure some nice even exposure throughout (like this shot, where the detail in the trees was totally lost if I didn't do HDR); but it did help it just a touch here.