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Doug Barber

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Greetings all:

As I continue to work though the learning curve with my new D100. But more importantly, the learning curve I have with photography in general. I would like to post this image that I took last night.

Well its seems that I'm headed in the right direction (I think). I really need some input as to how to make it better or what I did wrong.

The aim behind the shot was not to create a studio type setup. I was really trying to capture a very informal setting with my daughter just sitting around doing what she loves to do.
So any thought would be welcome.
Thanks in advance



--
All My Best
Doug Barber
'This hobby is for creating memories.... Not taking pictures'
 
This is more than in the right direction. Great to see a great use of light in this manner. If anything, a little less light on the left shoulder and a tad more on the book might have made it better. But still a great shot nevertheless.

Got my attention!
Doug Barber said:
Greetings all:
As I continue to work though the learning curve with my new D100.
But more importantly, the learning curve I have with photography in
general. I would like to post this image that I took last night.
Well its seems that I'm headed in the right direction (I think). I
really need some input as to how to make it better or what I did
wrong.
The aim behind the shot was not to create a studio type setup. I
was really trying to capture a very informal setting with my
daughter just sitting around doing what she loves to do.
So any thought would be welcome.
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Doug Barber said:
All My Best
Doug Barber
'This hobby is for creating memories.... Not taking pictures'
Click to expand...
--
Larry Gleason
 
AWESOME, AWESOME SHOT! This should be printed and hung on your wall. Great capture!

Allen
Larry Gleason said:
Got my attention!
Doug Barber said:
Greetings all:
As I continue to work though the learning curve with my new D100.
But more importantly, the learning curve I have with photography in
general. I would like to post this image that I took last night.
Well its seems that I'm headed in the right direction (I think). I
really need some input as to how to make it better or what I did
wrong.
The aim behind the shot was not to create a studio type setup. I
was really trying to capture a very informal setting with my
daughter just sitting around doing what she loves to do.
So any thought would be welcome.
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Larry Gleason said:
All My Best
Doug Barber
'This hobby is for creating memories.... Not taking pictures'
Click to expand...
--
Larry Gleason
Click to expand...
--
Allen DiLiegro
------------------
Equipment list in profile
 
Yes Doug it is a great shot. But I think you can do better. I'm not going to suggest how because I actually couldn't do any better than that. But I think if that was your first attempt, or even your third attempt, you could really make that sort of image sing. If you stop here you may be denying yourself the chance to do something really special. Please come back with something even better than that.

Now just to make sure I'm not understood (forums and emails are bad communication mediums if someone get's the wrong idea). I'll repeat that it was a great shot; I'm just encouraging you to explore it further. I really would love to see the result.

JB

--
http://www.pbase.com/jbviajero
 
I'm not going to spend time on all the stuff you probably have already clubbed yourself over the head with - light on the shoulder, not on the book, blue-grey skin tones, etc. If you're working with window light on an icky light day, you kind of get what you get, I know that. But since she's your daughter (how fortunate to have such a nice looking model!) you could have practiced your "could you turn just a bit this way - thanks - no, no, go back to reading now please - maybe look at the top of the next page..." patter.

This is the task that I'm working on myself right now - taking control of the image through taking control of the situation. Almost all the lovely candids and a whole lot of the "journalism" you see get produced this way. Kicking a gun closer to a body is a no-no, but from what I've heard it's not at all unusual to ask someone to do something again, or to hold a position, as long as the purpose is illustrative instead of reportorial. And even the Nachwey's of the world will FIND an angle and a lens that make the gun look closer to the part of the picture where they want it - while not deceptive, it is "working an image." I'm bad at this. I call it shyness, but instructors call it lack of confidence. They're probably right.

Other thought - have you messed with the internal or external flash for fill? It's not intuitive, takes a lot of work to figure out, but it's well worth it, the TTL does a nice job. You could have used some fill here - the hardness of the light on her face takes away from her natural beauty.

That's my bucket of blather.
Doug Barber said:
Greetings all:
As I continue to work though the learning curve with my new D100.
But more importantly, the learning curve I have with photography in
general. I would like to post this image that I took last night.
Well its seems that I'm headed in the right direction (I think). I
really need some input as to how to make it better or what I did
wrong.
The aim behind the shot was not to create a studio type setup. I
was really trying to capture a very informal setting with my
daughter just sitting around doing what she loves to do.
So any thought would be welcome.
Thanks in advance



--
All My Best
Doug Barber
'This hobby is for creating memories.... Not taking pictures'
Click to expand...
--
Ed

Make pictures, don't take them - it leaves more for others.

http://www.onemountainphoto.com
 
Doug,

I agree with the previous comments - great shot. It is really nice as is, but if you wanted to try something else (different?) you could get the light source directly on the pages of the book and have it act as a reflector sending the light back onto her face. Doing this wouldn't really make the shot better, just different.

Jeff
Doug Barber said:
Greetings all:
As I continue to work though the learning curve with my new D100.
But more importantly, the learning curve I have with photography in
general. I would like to post this image that I took last night.
Well its seems that I'm headed in the right direction (I think). I
really need some input as to how to make it better or what I did
wrong.
The aim behind the shot was not to create a studio type setup. I
was really trying to capture a very informal setting with my
daughter just sitting around doing what she loves to do.
So any thought would be welcome.
Thanks in advance



--
All My Best
Doug Barber
'This hobby is for creating memories.... Not taking pictures'
Click to expand...
--
Jeff
Doug Barber said:
Check out my gallery at http://www.pbase.com/jklofft
Click to expand...
 
doug;

very nice. my humble suggestions:

the angle body/book is not really natural... it is more "open" then in the paralel position they normally would be... i think this is the thing "disturbing" me somehow when I look at this pic.

I would have taken the pic a little lower a liitle more from behind: less sholder, more book. if the face would have been to narrow that way then I would have turned it a bid towards the camera, the eye's still looking at the book in a straitgh natural line...

I would crop the pic so to have less black on the top en left side... I like the black though but expect the balance of the images to get better that way.

my 2€c

again great shot!

Jan Willem
Doug Barber said:
Greetings all:
As I continue to work though the learning curve with my new D100.
But more importantly, the learning curve I have with photography in
general. I would like to post this image that I took last night.
Well its seems that I'm headed in the right direction (I think). I
really need some input as to how to make it better or what I did
wrong.
The aim behind the shot was not to create a studio type setup. I
was really trying to capture a very informal setting with my
daughter just sitting around doing what she loves to do.
So any thought would be welcome.
Thanks in advance



--
All My Best
Doug Barber
'This hobby is for creating memories.... Not taking pictures'
Click to expand...
--
my canon s45 portfolio can be seen at http://www.xs4all.nl/~jwmars at
my 'recent archives' there. Reactions appreciated.
 
Nice photo. The first thing that caught my eye was that it seems like there is not enough light on the pages of the book if we are to really believe she is actually reading it. Other than that is it nicely done IMHO.

-Mark
 
Hi Doug,
Very special image, I like it!!!

I completely agree with JB's assesment that you should work to perfect this technique. You have had this camera how long, 2 weeks? Man, you are really tackleing the learning curve.

I thought I saw a thread on one of the forums here at dpreview that had a link to a site of an artist that mastered this technique. Try the search function.
Doug Barber said:
Greetings all:
As I continue to work though the learning curve with my new D100.
But more importantly, the learning curve I have with photography in
general. I would like to post this image that I took last night.
Well its seems that I'm headed in the right direction (I think). I
really need some input as to how to make it better or what I did
wrong.
The aim behind the shot was not to create a studio type setup. I
was really trying to capture a very informal setting with my
daughter just sitting around doing what she loves to do.
So any thought would be welcome.
Thanks in advance



--
All My Best
Doug Barber
'This hobby is for creating memories.... Not taking pictures'
Click to expand...
--
Tim Bessell
 
More light on the book.
More light on the face.
Make sure both eyes are visible.

I like the dark background, but color of coat distracting. She has a nice face, so get focus on that and book.

Regards,

Cliff
 
Greetings all;
Thanks so much for the valuable input...

Your comments have told me that I’m on the right track. Just need to get my thought process deeper into what I'm doing.

Because (my model) is off at school and will not be home till the yellow school bus arrives at our driveway later today. I have been forced to put my PS skills to work to see how I could improve the same image.

This second rendition is a hybrid version of both a B&W and color image. It's a process that I have learned over the past year and use it quit frequently with my images.

I think it brings out what I was trying to do with this image but I’ll let the guru's around this forum be the judge of that.
Here is the Original:



Here is New One:



--
All My Best
Doug Barber
'This hobby is for creating memories.... Not taking pictures'
 
thanks very much for your kind words...
I (tried) to incorporate some of your ideas in the second rendition
Doug
Larry Gleason said:
This is more than in the right direction. Great to see a great use
of light in this manner. If anything, a little less light on the
left shoulder and a tad more on the book might have made it better.
But still a great shot nevertheless.

Got my attention!
Click to expand...
 
Oh you are sooooo right.

I'm just waiting for Stacy to get her butt home and for it to get dark. then we will be back at it.
Thanks for your kind words
Doug
jbviajero said:
Yes Doug it is a great shot. But I think you can do better. I'm not
going to suggest how because I actually couldn't do any better than
that. But I think if that was your first attempt, or even your
third attempt, you could really make that sort of image sing. If
you stop here you may be denying yourself the chance to do
something really special. Please come back with something even
better than that.

Now just to make sure I'm not understood (forums and emails are bad
communication mediums if someone get's the wrong idea). I'll repeat
that it was a great shot; I'm just encouraging you to explore it
further. I really would love to see the result.

JB
Click to expand...
 
As usual... I needed to read your post two or three times to let all this info sink in. I guess I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer. But it does get though and will try and use some of your input in tonights shoot.
Thanks
Doug
Ed Nazarko said:
I'm not going to spend time on all the stuff you probably have
already clubbed yourself over the head with - light on the
shoulder, not on the book, blue-grey skin tones, etc. If you're
working with window light on an icky light day, you kind of get
what you get, I know that. But since she's your daughter (how
fortunate to have such a nice looking model!) you could have
practiced your "could you turn just a bit this way - thanks - no,
no, go back to reading now please - maybe look at the top of the
next page..." patter.

This is the task that I'm working on myself right now - taking
control of the image through taking control of the situation.
Almost all the lovely candids and a whole lot of the "journalism"
you see get produced this way. Kicking a gun closer to a body is a
no-no, but from what I've heard it's not at all unusual to ask
someone to do something again, or to hold a position, as long as
the purpose is illustrative instead of reportorial. And even the
Nachwey's of the world will FIND an angle and a lens that make the
gun look closer to the part of the picture where they want it -
while not deceptive, it is "working an image." I'm bad at this. I
call it shyness, but instructors call it lack of confidence.
They're probably right.

Other thought - have you messed with the internal or external flash
for fill? It's not intuitive, takes a lot of work to figure out,
but it's well worth it, the TTL does a nice job. You could have
used some fill here - the hardness of the light on her face takes
away from her natural beauty.

That's my bucket of blather.
Click to expand...
 
when I did this I never even thought about lighing the book pages. I was more concerned with the underside of the book and her face. Darn I really need to think these things trough...lol
Thanks agin
Doug
Jeff Klofft said:
Doug,

I agree with the previous comments - great shot. It is really nice
as is, but if you wanted to try something else (different?) you
could get the light source directly on the pages of the book and
have it act as a reflector sending the light back onto her face.
Doing this wouldn't really make the shot better, just different.

Jeff
Click to expand...
 
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