Square cropped portraits (SCPs) - Archive

[aia21]

Hi Steve,

The first comment I would make is that you posted in the Square cropped portraits thread but the image is not square at 1280x1024 pixels... (-;

Having said that it is very nice image. My only criticisms would be that the uneven lighting (shot under sparse foliage of a tree?) has caused a hot spot on the left side of the forehead of the young boy and also that one can only read part of the text behind him and you can see the shadow from his head on the sign as well. If the text is important I would suggest to expose the full text and have the boy site on the left, then crop to a panoramic style of ratio. If the text is not important than it is only distracting in the image so I would move the boy a bit further away from it (this will also cause the shadow of his head to disappear) and/or to use a faster aperture (compensate with faster shutter and/or lower iso) to blur the text more.

If this was just photographed on the spur of the moment then it is a keepsake which is great as is. (-:

Given this is your first post of an image, please don't get dishartened by my comments! I just tried to point out everything that could be improved. That does not mean that your image is not good!!! It's just that you can make it even better! (-:

Best regards,

Anton

[stevewe88]

Thanks Anton, much appreciated. Apologies for the faux par on image size, I thought it might be "square enough", to be ok.
Steve

[Dave Humphries]

Hi again Steve,

My initial thought was the tight crop on the left and bottom has your(?) little chap almost falling out of the frame. However, taken together with the incomplete sign/gravestone, it feels ok, more intimate (although that may not be the best word to use).

I'm not looking to be deliberately contrary to Anton, but the dappled lighting doesn't worry me overmuch and it doesn't look blown (but I'm not on my usual monitor). The head shadow is a bit distracting, but this could be mitigated in PP.

As to the sign/gravestone, it is fairly obvious what it is and if the chap were in tears or looking sad, it would make a powerful image, but as he's just daydreaming almost, I tend to agree with Anton about the relevancy.

As Anton says, please don't be discouraged by the replies, we're only trying to help and the fact we're getting quite deep and meaningful is because you have the basics under control

So, come out of that corner right now please!

EDIT, there is the nSCP thread (non-SCP) for shots like this!
As it is a first offence, I'm sure judge Antonio will be lenient this time
(although I might be done for contempt of court )

Cheers,

[stevewe88]

All comments are very much appreciated, thank you. I will have a go at getting rid of the head shadow tonight I think, and a tighter crop.
It is my boy, by the way (Joshua). I will post another image in the correct forum (I hope), of his twin brother (Lewis).
Steve

[Antonio Correia]

Just a quick line.

What stroke me at once in the image was the light on the face of the child and his attitude, kind of kissing a flower. We used to do that with our kids at this age.

Life is, unfortunately, very different. There is more hate than love...

I think you have to correct your crop. Give more room at his back balancing however his figure more to the right side of the square.

I'm in a rush. These were some points I could write more about, but now I can't do it.

Keep the good work and show us his twin. Or better: show us the two at the same time.

Health to the family and to them or... the other way around

And... make a square picture will you ?

[stevewe88]

Antonio

Thanks for your comments, I would love to take more shots of them together but I have found it virtually impossible to get them both with a good expression/looking the right way, not dribbling etc etc all at the same time. I will keep seeking that perfect image though.

I will also have a go a getting this cropped (square of course) a little better along with some other adjustments tonight.

Steve

[Antonio Correia]

Antonio Thanks for your comments, I would love to take more shots of them together but I have found it virtually impossible to get them both with a good expression/looking the right way, not dribbling etc etc all at the same time. I will keep seeking that perfect image though. I will also have a go a getting this cropped (square of course) a little better along with some other adjustments tonight. Steve

Steve, don't give up man.
You must - it is not you have to but you must - get them with good posture at the same time.

Insist until you got it. Come on ...

Shoot many frames. Be selective. Keep your files. Don't erase them just keep them as library.
Build the future. Look what Alis is doing. Just building the future that's what !

[Antonio Correia]

... Build the past. Look what Alis is doing. Just building the past that's what !

This is what I meant. Not building the future !

[Alis]

This is what I meant. Not building the future !

Now I am confused myself, Antonio! What am building? Future? Past? Present?

[KentDub]

I would love to take more shots of them together but I have found it virtually impossible to get them both with a good expression/looking the right way, not dribbling etc etc all at the same time. I will keep seeking that perfect image though.

Hi Steve. Try using a tripod and shoot a lot of exposures. Take the best pose of each of them and put them in the same document, though different layers, in photoshop. Then simply mask in the bottom layer so you have the best pose of each of them

Using a tripod will also help you slow down a bit and really think about the composition.

I like the shot though!

[Colin Southern]

[stevewe88]

Hi Steve. Try using a tripod and shoot a lot of exposures. Take the best pose of each of them and put them in the same document, though different layers, in photoshop. Then simply mask in the bottom layer so you have the best pose of each of them

Thank you. I have quickly come to realise that my PP skills and software were not up to scratch and so I am now working through Scott Kelby's 7 point system (on Colin's recommendation-thanks Colin the book is very easy to follow), on a newly installed CS3.

Hopefully over the next couple of weeks I will have learnt enough PP tricks to be able to post some more images.

[stevewe88]

Now I am confused myself, Antonio! What am building? Future? Past? Present?

Without a doubt Alis you are building a big pile of images

[Dave Humphries]

Now I am confused myself, Antonio! What am building? Future? Past? Present?

Presently you are amassing some images that in future, will be of the past

In fact, so are we all

[aia21]

Abigail. Natural light F4, ISO 1600, 1/1600sec. Any comments welcome.

Interesting photo but a question: ISO 1600 and 1/1600sec exposure?!?

The image is very grainy because of that...

Unless you were actually doing this on purpose to add the grain, you should very seriously consider changing your exposure settings to for example ISO 400 and 1/400sec if your subject is moving fast or ISO 200 and 1/200sec if your subject is relatively calm. This does not affect your exposure at all but all that grain will disappear.

Best regards,

Anton

[peterb533]

Interesting photo but a question: ISO 1600 and 1/1600sec exposure?!?

The image is very grainy because of that...

Unless you were actually doing this on purpose to add the grain, you should very seriously consider changing your exposure settings to for example ISO 400 and 1/400sec if your subject is moving fast or ISO 200 and 1/200sec if your subject is relatively calm. This does not affect your exposure at all but all that grain will disappear.

Best regards,

Anton

This was a grab shot at the end of her birthday party. I had been using my flash but the batteries were exhausted by the end and I had cranked up the ISO to get some decent speed to capture the children running around. Personally I dont find the noise intrusive.

Peter

[Alis]

Presently you are amassing some images that in future, will be of the past

In fact, so are we all

I have to tell you, now that I have all my images (scanned film images plus digital since 2001) in one place (on one hard drive), instead on multiple DVDs, I sometimes go back and look at them. It is a very good feeling to just not think about the exposure and WB and cropping (the way I did not way back) and just look at the pictures and enjoy those past memories.

Unfortunately, I do not have that many pictures of my own childhood, when I was 1 or 2 years old. Good thing is, a little bit later, when my dad bought a Polaroid, he started taking a lot of pictures and all in color! So those years are pretty well documented! May be that is the reason I can not delete any of my RAW files today and keep all of them!

I have found that when you go back to them a few years later, it is easier to delete the absolutely horrible blurred images from the database!

[Alis]

Without a doubt Alis you are building a big pile of images

You are right, I am, and it has not started yet. I am trying to be ready for the time when my son can sit still when I want him to, so that I can try the tripod and different lighting settings and nicer composition. I am very carefull not to cause any aversion in his toward pictures and cameras but I guess the damage is done to some extent

So this is the way I bribe him (I think even one megapixel would work just fine ):

[Alis]

exif

For some reason I missed this one, Antonio! Very powerful composition! Very nice...

I thought you were going to connect your iPod to your TV and take a picture of the screen with your cellphone and send us some pictures while you are on the trip, where are they?

[stevewe88]