# Portraits of my daughter.....CRITIQUES PLEASE



## Dances With Fish (Jul 24, 2006)

Well me and Destiny had just finished watching Cinderella for about the 3rd time the other night and the clock was just at about 11:00.....PM

Turning the lights out in the game room I saw that ol' dusty fireplace and WAMMO in about 5 minutes I had sissy and some lighting set up the fireplace for some long-exposure B+W photos(This was only agreed that she wouldnt tell her mom since we ended up going to bed about 12:00) 

I am overall satisfied with the images with the exception of some blown out hightlights in different images.


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## mastercylinder60 (Dec 18, 2005)

very nice, ryan. i especially like the first one. i would have liked it even more had you gotten closer or zoomed in on your subject a little more (like in the second one).

i love b&w photography.


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## Dances With Fish (Jul 24, 2006)

Thanks MC.......I wanted some of brick backround, (the brick/stone)you kinda look at the pic and say where the heck is that girl..Kinda like a dungeon or something??


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## Gator_Nutz (Sep 27, 2006)

I like them both but my favorite by far, is the second one. It just seems more emotional to me. Good work.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

I like the first photo and find the second disturbing for some very odd reason. I think it is just the way she is sitting in that second one that gets my heart, as if she is crumpled up and her own heart is breaking... very strange feeling to see that in a photo that I KNOW was set up. It badly makes me want to write.

I like the lighting in the first, and don't know enough so am wondering how you managed to get such good shadow when the main light appears to be more to the top right - I would expect the shadow to be smaller. Thinking about that a little more makes me realise the light on her left arm is the same strength as the light on the floor to her left so maybe it is a long light or something. 

I love black and white photos too. Thanks for sharing these Ryan. I hope you share more! (please don't tell your wife that I encouraged you to keep your kids up late!)


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## Dances With Fish (Jul 24, 2006)

KORU......I would be HONORED for you to write on any of the pictures you desire.....The ball is in your court....ISLANDER


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## Saltwater Servitude (Mar 18, 2006)

That fireplace set up has some TREMENDOUS potential to it. #1 is my favorite of the two. Very nicely composed and well done. The empty black space around the image gives a very isolated feel to it. 

Just as a suggestion, maybe drop the exposure time, bring in the zoom to her face, put your daughter directly into the light on the left side (her left) of the fireplace. Use a diffuser filter and I think you'd get a great "angelic" look of the light illuminating her face while retaining the lighting on the brickwork. 

For a different look, let her get her face dirty, then use an eyedropper to give the tear streaks down her face. Pose her the same as #1 with the same empty space. Knees together at her chest, arms crossed on top of them similar to hows she's sitting now. Looking up with the "tears" running down her face with that gorgeous ambient you've got there would be a great stong image I think. It will have some serious dark emotional feel to it to say the least.


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## Dances With Fish (Jul 24, 2006)

That sounds like a wonderful Idea SS......Your pretty imaginative


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

You two are making my brain work in overdrive, I doubt I'll sleep tonight because of the urge to write about a chimney sweep or cinderella or....

I've written one, but still have lots more wanting to make it to paper. VERY inspirational photography Ryan.


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## Dances With Fish (Jul 24, 2006)

*One More*

Heres another you might ponder on writing KORU


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

I really like the first one. Only suggest I would offer on that is maybe a tighter crop, or center the subject in the lower left third of the picture. I did an edit (hope you don't mind) to show you what I mean..

This way the eye is drawn to her gaze, and you put the emphasis on the blackness she is looking at, rather than countering her gaze with the blackness behind her.


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## Dances With Fish (Jul 24, 2006)

Thanks pocket fisherman......Now that I look at em' I like the first because its soft..I didnt sharpen it, but the other ones I had to sharpen to get decent contrast on some of the features..
My amatuer style nilkon w/manual controls doesnt have very good low light capabilities, so I have to compensate..
When I get the my D70 all heck is gonna break loose.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Gator_Nutz (Sep 27, 2006)

I like that version too but I think it might really pop with a bit of color.:spineyes:


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## Dances With Fish (Jul 24, 2006)

YOU GOT IT COMIN GATOR...............









Thats probably the best laugh I got in a while...........Jerk


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## grayfish (Jul 31, 2005)

I also like the first one. And like Pocketfisherman, I think it needs a crop and a little zoom to the subject. I went a little different. lots of dark above like she is pondering how will she ever get out.


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## Dances With Fish (Jul 24, 2006)

She'll get out once she starts behavin'.......Good one grayfish, I knew you would take a stab at these..
I would never think twice about letting you alter any of my images


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## Dances With Fish (Jul 24, 2006)

OOOOOOOOO MY GOD......LOOK AT HER CHIN....IT has numbers and stuff on it..
The only photo-editing software that was free and I could download was the irfranview 3.99.....I wonder if its they're watermark or something????
All the images have numbers an the body and clothes if you look close.....??????????Whats up with that?


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

I think there is something that you're doing in post processing... surely original photos wouldn't turn out with the numbers/marks on it, unless you have a clear plastic lens cover or something. 

and also... watch carefully how many times you use the 'sharpen' feature. there is almost that feeling of 'noise' in the second and third photos.

I too prefer the left side image crop, but I love grayfish's black extension, it helps carry the eye upwards, like your young model's eyes. You've brought her forward in that photo and therefore she becomes more dominant to the black space in comparison to the original photo.

Did you tell your daughter a story that she could act in so she could imagine herself the part? I wonder if that would alter her facial expression - mind you, the mood you've created gives more of a horror story and that would not be good to go to bed on.


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## grayfish (Jul 31, 2005)

The number are not numbers. Just looks like it. It is pixelation. I sent you a PM.


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## Dances With Fish (Jul 24, 2006)

KORU.....It amazes me how my daughter interacts with my camera..I swear to you I did not tell her to do one of those poses.......She would suggest something and I would say "yes honey hold still" and its hard for a four year old to stay still for ten seconds..
She is so great.......When I get my new camera it will allow me quicker shutter at low light so I can post some great ballet pics of hers(low-light inside)
I appreciate everyones feedback. I knew there would more ways to enhance these photos and yall have done a wonderful job (so far) ....Thank you


KORU, its not noise these are all snapped at 5mp...And its not on the originals...I wonder?..About the sharpening..Yes, the 3rd pic is oversharpened...I like the effect on some pics and some pics I dont this happens to be one that I do not, but wanted you to view the photo for "your"artistic needs
I just got to "sharpen"my first pic the other day. And today I just figured out how to crop...(You guys are like so ahead of me)
I installed my mother in laws computer at my house the other day so I will be looking for some photo-editing software...
I dont want to have this new software and get lazy on my perspective with my camera...I think I have been doing OK without it.It definately helps though..Cropping,framing,HDR, all those are very valuable in "perspective"shooting........They help you get the "what I saw" look.....


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## grayfish (Jul 31, 2005)

Here is the original (300dpi) croped, posted to photobucket and linked (Large)










Same picture resized to 640 wide still 300dpi. Photobucket. and linked.










These were done to show Dances With Fish the differences

And the last is the same 640 dpi (300dpi) attached to the message.


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## grayfish (Jul 31, 2005)

I think you may be having troubles in your re-sizing.


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## Dances With Fish (Jul 24, 2006)

I resized these pics with lan-lord....???I wonder??


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## my3peas (Jan 9, 2007)

I love the first one also. For the second, it would be hardto tell what the subject was if I hadn't seen the first in the series 

I think I like the crop done with girl/fireplace in the lower left corner best. But I love corner compositions  

Lovely work!


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## Terry G. (Jul 17, 2006)

I like the first one , the second one made me feel like i should come over and kick your butt for hurting that cute little girl, yes i know it photography but thats the preception i got.

To me its a Gallery photograph worthy of hanging on a wall


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## grayfish (Jul 31, 2005)

Dances With Fish said:


> I resized these pics with lan-lord....???I wonder??


I have never used lan-lord, so I cannot comment on how well it does. I will take a look at it however to see if I can find out what happed.

_Edited to add: Did not know it was an online resizer and has only size option. I did try it and did not get near the pixelations you have in the picture. Did you edit them before resizing? If so that may be a factor. If you have an edit program you may be able to risize your photos with it._

_I think a number of people here use Irfranview at __[url]http://irfanview.com/_[/url]_. I have never used it either. It is freeware also._


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

grayfish said:


> I also like the first one. And like Pocketfisherman, I think it needs a crop and a little zoom to the subject. I went a little different. lots of dark above like she is pondering how will she ever get out.


 Yeah, that's it. You nailed it.


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## Mrs Backlasher (Dec 19, 2004)

I don't know so much about photography yet, but the texture of her skin in the original large photo is outstanding. She's a very beautiful young lady.


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## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

All of the comments about how fine the shots are are right on...

Even more to be admired, I think, is your choice of the interesting "stage" for your model's scene. In a 100 years, I would NEVER had thought of using an open fireplace for a setting. Putting the lighting up the chimney is an even more creative idea.

Well done; well chosen and well delivered. Rich


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## RustyBrown (May 29, 2004)

*First of all*

Nice shots DWF. Secondly you guys have made some great recommendations. I reduced the negative space, made it a little softer, played with the levels on the highlights and warmed it up a tad.


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

richg99 said:


> ..................Even more to be admired, I think, is your choice of the interesting "stage" for your model's scene. In a 100 years, I would NEVER had thought of using an open fireplace for a setting. Putting the lighting up the chimney is an even more creative idea.
> 
> Well done; well chosen and well delivered. Rich


Yep. I'm not that creative.


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