Thread: CC Group

Steph, these are great! I love the first one. I love that his hair is mussed, that his hand is up to his face with his cheek a bit smushed... it all adds to the impact of the image.

The second one is beautifully composed and exposed, and has a very sweet feel to it, almost wistful somehow.

Steph, I love #1. Those lipstick kisses really pop. I don't love the composition but I don't dislike it either. It just... is. I don't know how to explain it.

#2 Beautiful. I could see this up on a wall. Simply gorgeous

My day again!

Dontcha just love that smile??


IMG_0075-3_filteredFB by Stephanie.Miller, on Flickr

Double post

This is very sweet, Steph! I like the moment you've captured here. From a nitpicky standpoint, just because you're so good, I'd have to say that the catchlights being right on the pupil aren't ideal, but the colour and exposure are great, and it's just a very sweet image.

Missed last week... nothing to post. But here's a few from this week.

#1. f/5.6, SS 1/500, ISO 640, FL 72mm


#2. f/10, SS 1/13, ISO 1600, FL ?? used macro bellows, probably 250mm or so


#3. f/1.8, SS 1/8000, ISO 640, FL 50mm


#4. I have several more from this location. Can't decide if any of them are any good at all, though. It's a tough spot to shoot because there's not much in the foreground; but the water and clouds looked beautiful yesterday. f/18, SS 1/100, ISO 1000, FL 18mm

This time of year is so difficult to get shots, isn't it? It's been a little better for me this year, since we're in AR, and the weather is a bit warmer than it was in IL. Funny how in IL we stay indoors during the winter, but in AR, we stay indoors during the summer since it's so hot!

Anyway!

#1 - The comp isn't doing it for me with this one. Mostly because he's cut off at the knees. LOVE that smile on him, though! Have you ever thought about taking off their jackets for a pose or two while you're out? I'm not exactly sure how cold it gets there, but maybe you could try it if it's not too freezing. Or maybe even bring a nice looking blanket out and have them wrap themselves up in it like Sadie did in the fall with her kids. But you may not be going for portrait like photos here, and that's ok!

#2 - Is the focus ever so slightly off on the water drop? I love these type of shots. I've been longing to get a reflection like this sometime, but won't happen for a while unless I choose to go with the 100mm macro instead of the 85 1.8 when the time comes....

#3 - Really like this one! Don't have too much to say!

#4 - This is so pretty! Love the reflection in the water, and the bit of blue poking through the clouds. You have the most gorgeous landscapes where you live!

Why the heck do I keep getting double posts??

Originally Posted by Ladybugsteph

I'm not exactly sure how cold it gets there, but maybe you could try it if it's not too freezing. Or maybe even bring a nice looking blanket out and have them wrap themselves up in it like Sadie did in the fall with her kids. But you may not be going for portrait like photos here, and that's ok!

I guess sometimes I think I shouldn't post photos like this here, because I'm not really practicing real portrait-style photos. A lot of people in this group do sessions and/or actively try to work on their portrait skills, and I admire that so much and would like to BE a better portrait photographer like you are, Steph. But the truth is that I rarely do 'portraits' of my kids. I think it's because of my personality... not sure how to explain it. But I usually just try to get them playing or having fun, and when they seem happy or I see nice light, I snap a picture. This was just Micah having fun, I wasn't attempting a proper portrait of him. That said, I sometimes do post photos like this in this group because I'm trying to get better at just getting a good shot, period, whether it's a portrait or a snap, you know? I don't know... just seems like I'm on a separate level of portrait photography than most people in this group, because I don't actively pursue it all that much, so perhaps this isn't the place for posting them.

In terms of the jackets, I probably won't try proper portraits again until the spring, as I feel it's too cold for them to remove their jackets. I'm always freezing cold, even in the spring and fall, so I feel very empathetic about others being cold, and so I never ask them to remove jackets at this time of year.

Originally Posted by Ladybugsteph

#2 - Is the focus ever so slightly off on the water drop?

Yes, it is off. I'm having a heck of a time with the bellows, getting everything sharp. I can't figure this one, though. My DOF wasn't so shallow that it shouldn't have been sharp, but....... However, I also realized that the bellows mount is not 100% solid, which can lead to some focusing issues. Not to mention I was on my belly in wet grass and could barely see in the viewfinder. I just have to keep practicing, I guess.

No, definitely keep posting them! I completely understand where you are coming from with them. For the longest time, I was exactly where you were. I would post shots like this, and I would get feedback about backgrounds, or clothing and the like, and think to myself, "I'm just trying to get a properly exposed, nice shot of my kid!" I kept posting them though. Where it really took a turn for me was when I started getting the basics of portraits, and the creative ideas started flowing around in my head. I started styling it more, and took less "snaps" of the kids in good light.

Who knows, you may never get to where you need the creative outlet with your kids. And that's ok! We're all here because we want good pictures of our children. And that's exactly what you have here of Micah.

If the bellows don't have a proper fit, I would imagine you kind of have that "freelensing" effect on that one, then. It may have caused a tiny section to go OOF.