C & C please: I'd like to hear thoughts and suggestions, if you have them. Personally I love this, but I don't normally shoot people. Is there anything that could make this a better...

smcaleer Loc: Dearborn Heights, Michigan

I'd like to hear thoughts and suggestions, if you have them. Personally I love this, but I don't normally shoot people. Is there anything that could make this a better image?

f/5.6, ISO 200, 70mm, 1/8

Thank you. :)

My baby with his baby

Nightski

smcaleer wrote:

I'd like to hear thoughts and suggestions, if you have them. Personally I love this, but I don't normally shoot people. Is there anything that could make this a better image?

f/5.6, ISO 200, 70mm, 1/8

Thank you. :)

The expressions on the man and the dog that you have captured here are priceless. Russ Elkins says that expression is the toughest part, so you should feel pretty good about that. The background light is distracting, but I am sure you can fix that in post.

Hankwt Loc: kingsville ontario

while a great subject and dam well sweet i find the bright light from the windows blown out and distracting the lighting was pretty harsh. unfortunately some of lifes great moments sometimes are the ideal capture moments.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I'd crop a couple of inches off the right-hand side so your son's hand isn't showing. That will also take out some of bright background.

I can see the appeal for you as it is a precious, quiet moment with great love.

Nightski

There may be something by his ear that you want to clone out too.

Bmac Loc: Long Island, NY

Any minor critiques you might wish have been stated so I will not repeat them. Instead, let me say this is an evocative photograph that tells a story, and has a clear focal point. It's well done and one you should cherish. :thumbup:

Heirloom Tomato Loc: Oregon

smcaleer wrote:

I'd like to hear thoughts and suggestions, if you have them. Personally I love this, but I don't normally shoot people. Is there anything that could make this a better image?

f/5.6, ISO 200, 70mm, 1/8

Thank you. :)

This is a wonderful portrait. Any suggestions I would make have already been made. Your photo really shows the love. :thumbup: :thumbup:

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I find the light to be a bit harsh and contrasty for such a cosy image. This is an ideal candidate for soft lighting.

You didn't say "Don't edit", so instead of 1,000 words, here's my edit.

I upped the Shadows slider quite a bit, used the Highlights slider to tone down the bright parts and after that I dropped the Exposure a notch. I also nudged the Saturation and Contrast up a touch.

I think the corner of cloth at the guy's forehead should probably go as it's a distraction.

smcaleer Loc: Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Nightski wrote:

The expressions on the man and the dog that you have captured here are priceless. Russ Elkins says that expression is the toughest part, so you should feel pretty good about that. The background light is distracting, but I am sure you can fix that in post.

Thank you for looking and commenting. That "man" is my 17 year old son. He's my youngest and often mistaken for much older than he is. I have to remind myself he's still a kid lol.
Unfortunately I am not that good in post. Still working on it though :).

smcaleer Loc: Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Hankwt wrote:

while a great subject and dam well sweet i find the bright light from the windows blown out and distracting the lighting was pretty harsh. unfortunately some of lifes great moments sometimes are the ideal capture moments.

That brightness is what bothers me too. I'm not too good with pp so everything I try applies to the entire picture (don't know how to use masks and layers).

I'll keep working with it. Thank you for your input.

smcaleer Loc: Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Bmac wrote:

Any minor critiques you might wish have been stated so I will not repeat them. Instead, let me say this is an evocative photograph that tells a story, and has a clear focal point. It's well done and one you should cherish. :thumbup:

Thank you, it was actually a happy mistake...shhhh...don't tell anyone ;).

smcaleer Loc: Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Heirloom Tomato wrote:

This is a wonderful portrait. Any suggestions I would make have already been made. Your photo really shows the love. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Thank you for looking and for your positive comments.

smcaleer Loc: Dearborn Heights, Michigan

R.G. wrote:

I find the light to be a bit harsh and contrasty f... (show quote)

Thank you, I do like how you did your edit. I'm going to play around with it some and see how well I can do.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I know it's a bit late, but the depth of field was a bit shallow. Your son is in sharp focus, but the dog - in particular the farthest eye - is a bit out of focus. A slightly higher f-stop would have taken care of that.

smcaleer Loc: Dearborn Heights, Michigan

R.G. wrote:

I know it's a bit late, but the depth of field was a bit shallow. Your son is in sharp focus, but the dog - in particular the farthest eye - is a bit out of focus. A slightly higher f-stop would have taken care of that.

I am not good with photographing people and even worse with indoor photography. I'm seriously just happy it came out as good as it did lol.

I really appreciate your pointing these things out. It's what will help me get better for the next time.