Photoshop is really powerful and simple if you learn one lesson at a time...

:D Glad you like the version

Canvas size

get the colour eye dropper tool and select a dark colour black preferably and then go to the colour boxes and you will see a 90 degree shape with arrows either end click this as this changes foreground and background colours select black for each box....

got to Image-> Canvas size
you will see it default to the centre box (leave this) add 50% to the canvas size by changing the dropdown box to percent then inputting 50

the background will default to the new size with a black background.

Exposure and colour

This is were personal preference comes into it I normally adjust this to my preference and to show detail which will help later when you sharpen the picture lines and soften the light.

Goto Image -> adjustments -> Curves and play about with the line start with the corner boxes bottom and top (light & dark) if you grab in the centre it will create a new point if it goes wrong just cancel and it will go back to the original picture.

when you get to this stage and your happy and comfortable in photoshop I'll post the Sharpen and softening details.

Photoshop is really powerful and simple if you learn one lesson at a time...

:D Glad you like the version

Canvas size

get the colour eye dropper tool and select a dark colour black preferably and then go to the colour boxes and you will see a 90 degree shape with arrows either end click this as this changes foreground and background colours select black for each box....

got to Image-> Canvas size

Okay, I figured this out. Whew! took me a while to figure out how to do the black background, I misunderstood what you meant when you said black background, I thought you meant behind my grandson, not behind the picture itself. I got it now though. Whats next?
you will see it default to the centre box (leave this) add 50% to the canvas size by changing the dropdown box to percent then inputting 50

the background will default to the new size with a black background.

Exposure and colour

This is were personal preference comes into it I normally adjust this to my preference and to show detail which will help later when you sharpen the picture lines and soften the light.

Goto Image -> adjustments -> Curves and play about with the line start with the corner boxes bottom and top (light & dark) if you grab in the centre it will create a new point if it goes wrong just cancel and it will go back to the original picture.

when you get to this stage and your happy and comfortable in photoshop I'll post the Sharpen and softening details.

SORRY ALL!!!

It is EVIL...

Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens... That is the name that was spawned when it first came out. Many forums labeled it...

EVIL

Other than that it is generally in the overall Mirrorless category.

SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. The Reflex refers to the mirror. It does not have a mirror, so it can not be referred to as an SLR OR A DSLR. By taking out the mirror, the lens register distance is much shorter, and therefore it can be adapted to a much larger segment of lenses from other cameras. That's one of the things the Leica folks like so much. Easily adaptable to their older Leica rangefinder lenses, which also DO not have mirrors, and hence are Rangefinder focus rather than SLR.

EVIL... Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens in the Micro 4/3 sensor category. Helluva great package!

Photoshop is really powerful and simple if you learn one lesson at a time...

:D Glad you like the version

Canvas size

get the colour eye dropper tool and select a dark colour black preferably and then go to the colour boxes and you will see a 90 degree shape with arrows either end click this as this changes foreground and background colours select black for each box....

got to Image-> Canvas size
you will see it default to the centre box (leave this) add 50% to the canvas size by changing the dropdown box to percent then inputting 50

the background will default to the new size with a black background.

Exposure and colour

This is were personal preference comes into it I normally adjust this to my preference and to show detail which will help later when you sharpen the picture lines and soften the light.

Goto Image -> adjustments -> Curves and play about with the line start with the corner boxes bottom and top (light & dark) if you grab in the centre it will create a new point if it goes wrong just cancel and it will go back to the original picture.

when you get to this stage and your happy and comfortable in photoshop I'll post the Sharpen and softening details.

Do you have Photoshop??

Is it okay to post back the altered image with the full explanation of how I did it

Hi Jackie and Welcome

The critique thing is a bit of a one person may like another may hate...please don't take it personal.

I myself take critique as a chance to improve my photography the more the better. If someone says that's good I love it then I can say job done and move on... If a lot of people say the same thing then I need to change my approach and I've gained from it... You will gain a lot from this approach and the calibre of some of the photographers on this forum.

#3 Is a fantastic composition (wish Id thought of it). I would love to see a long crop with some dark added to the bottom of the photo and your Grandchilds eyes placed about a third from the top with a minor bit of sharpening and soft light (my preference, maybe not everybody elses) It could work and really make it pop off the screen

Agaiin enjoy the journey I'm relatively new to the forum and manual photography and the guys/girls on here help tremendously.