Today over at iHeartFaces they’re running a “Constructive Feedback Friday”, where fans and professionals of photography are heading to a few amateur’s sites and offering their thoughts on a selected photo. Here’s my original photo, and I’d love to hear what people have to say (click for full size, 2112×2816):
I am using a Nikon Coolpix L2 (6 megapixel, 3x optical zoom). I have Photoshop CS4.
Here are my dilemmas:
- My couch is dark, so is her hair. How can I increase the contrast when I’m taking photos or editing them?
- Lighting in my apartment is horrible. Our windows all face east and we get the morning sun, but the rest of the day it’s very dark in here. Any quick lighting fixes?
- Any easy ways to edit the spit stains off her shirt? (same for the colourful toy at her side)
- What about the angle of the shot?
- Also I know next to nothing about photography and it shows, so whatever else you can offer I would love to hear!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I took a semester of photography at school, so I’m no pro. I would suggest a blanket or sheet of some sort in a nice contrasting color on the couch. Lighting–I would take a floor lamp and put it next to you, remove the shade if needed. If you really want to be ghetto about it, get one of those lights guys use to work on cars and such. That way you can move the thing all over the house pretty easily.
Also, though it would be tough to get her to pose at this stage, pics that aren’t straight head-on, and not totally centered is also a lesson I recall from class. But hey, there are no bad shots when it comes to your subject matter
Hi, she is too cute! I agree with the above comment that you could add a solid colored throw over the couch, or even tack up above it on the wall. The lamp is a good idea but you might want to change your color balance to tungston. On camera flash=harsh shaddows
You want to use as much available light as possible. Is she too little to take outside? You might try changing the angle a bit, your’e kind of looking up at her. Try being right at eye level, or even a little above. Picasa3 is a free download and I find their retouch tool VERY easy to use for getting rid of drool, spit-up, boogies, etc… Hope I’ve helped, have a great weekend!
Hi Tatiana! Wow, what a cutie-pie! I’d be taking pictures of her all day every day!
I agree with the above suggestions about a lighter throw or blanket since her hair is the same color as the couch. I’d also drag a chair really close to one of those windows after the sun has moved to where it’s not shining in directly so you can try some pictures with just natural light. You might be pleased and surprised with the results. When I’m taking photos at a client’s darker home, I put the subject as close to a window or sliding door as possible.
If she was on the floor, and so were you, it would make for more pleasing poses. Children tend to lean back and be swallowed up on a sofa. Like Katelyn said, if you were at eye level or a little above, and just a little farther back, you could avoid the feet being right at the lens…more pleasing, more natural.
For the drooly spots, you can use your Patch Tool in Photoshop to circle those and drag them into a place of non-drool, and they’ll disappear. It’s super easy, and with a little practice, you’ll never have to worry about little stains again! If you wanted to get the toy out of the photo, I’d use the clone tool. It takes some practice, but is really handy for things like that.
I’d also get her outside in some nice open shade and a blanket and practice there, too. Tummy shots are really sweet as well as sitting.
When my oldest was born, I got my first decent camera. We lived in a dark basement apartment, but we practiced together every day near the windows or outdoors. I got better as I practiced, but I still treasure every single picture, perfect or not. I know you do, too! Happy shooting with your beautiful daughter!
I had the same problem with lighting for a long time… I really still do, but it’s not quite as bad in this house. I’m also still way down low on the learning curve for using all the manual settings to adjust for lighting issues, so I simply shoot outdoors pretty much all the time.
I have one other thing to add to all the good advice above– I figured out (or maybe read somewhere…) that in order to get good “close-ups” without distorting any part of the subject’s face or body (in this shot, her feet look abnormally large in proportion to her body), I actually stand a bit further back and then use my camera’s zoom to get in nice and tight. Then I have a nice, close shot with no distortion. Unless of course you’re getting all fancy and want some distortion
Then you’re on your own… I haven’t tried to tackle that yet!
If you have some light coming from directly above her you’ll be able to see more of an outline ^_^ That’s all the help I can be.
I know nothing about photography either…but I happen to know a bit about freaking cute babies and you’ve got one there…yes you do.