A couple more

[smudged-blue]

Hi,
Here are the other two photos I was talking about in my first thread. I took these at the same time I took the others in the earlier tread. On the first one I can see the background is to bright. These are just of my older boy. I had taken over 70 photos and just tried to narrow it down to my favourite 4. C&C's always welcomed.
Thanks for looking.

[LeZart]

Your kids were really adorable at that age. As I mentioned before, it is apparent that you have good instincts about content and composition. The first image is a perfect example of some of my earlier comments. With some judicious cropping and digital editing, I think you would be vary happy with the results. Work on developing your technical skills but do not try to jump to the top of he mountain in one fell swoop. Use the digital tools available to keep your frustration levels down, lol.

Lee

[pancho]

Adorable! I love the spirit that you captures here...

Janet

[Luv2shoot]

I have enjoyed all the photos of your children.
And, like you, I have learned a lot from the responses that have been shared with you and the suggestions to improve your images.

I agree with Lee, that with some digital manipulation, you can even improve these already good captures.

I will never be a purist and part of the reason is how much I love the ability that Photo Shop has on improving a photograph, even a good one. There are times when I look at a photo that I took and think it is pretty good, but sometimes I can change it to awesome when I have made couple passes with PS. It is still the same photo that I TOOK and I DID THE TWEAKING and therefore, it is MY CREATION. The better the photograph, the less the need of PS.

I, like you, also want to improve my camera skills. Recently I have tried to take photos using Aperature Priority. I want to look into taking a class on photography. I usually can teach myself how to do things but I do believe that learning photography might be better with an instructor.

One last thing.
I think some of the great photographers manipulated their photos in their darkrooms during the processing of their images. So, their photos have been adjusted too.

Looking forward to seeing more of your sons. You have very good ideas.

LORELL

[smudged-blue]

Lee thank you so much for your input in this thread and the first thread. I have decided to pick up the camera again and take on the practise, practise, practise just gotta decide what to photograph (anything and everything I guess). I agree about working on technical skills, it seems hard, but will get there.

Thank you Janet for taking the time to comment.

Lorell - thank you also, I have many photo's of my children like this in different surroundings, but not many of my youngest, he wouldn't let me and then I just slowly stopped.

I TOOK and I DID THE TWEAKING and therefore, it is MY CREATION.

I never looked at it like that before. So between what you and Lee have said about PS has me thinking not to dismiss it so quick, be more open minded with it.

I really appreciate every one taking the time to help and explain things

[droll13]

Two more great photos. The second is particularly appealing to me. Well done.

On the subject of "adjusting" your photos in Photoshop, here's another way to look at it. The most commonly used Photoshop adjustments simply replicate standard darkroom techniques that film photographers have done for years. Ansel Adams was a master at improving the values and contrast for his remarkable prints. Others regularly sharpened and blurred sections, made colors more or less vibrant, tweaked the "exposure" to make parts or all of the prints more or less exposed, and so on. IMHO, unless you're purpose is to document scenes/subjects EXACTLY as they were, you can and should make whatever adjustments you want to produce a result that conveys how you felt about the subjects/scenes.

(I do believe that substantially altering a photo -cloning out people, making it look like a painting, simulating an extreme HDR effect, etc. - is perfectly OK too as long as you indicate that you've done so.)

In both of the photos above, the faces are in shadow, and I'd want to experiment with ways to bring some light onto them.

[debsn2paintn]

I'm so glad you are back with more photos

2nd one is so cute, what a great happy smile and the focus is perfect!

1st one I just love! What a great setting! I'm being a bit picky here, but if you look closely the focus seems to be just to the right of the little boy on the log. I'm not sure if he was moving a touch or if the focus bubble just wasn't on him. Focus bubbles can be difficult on father subjects, if you move or they move you might not get it right on. I'm thinking the little boy was moving because the rope is pretty blurred in one spot. So, just watch that shutter speed and try to keep it 1/160 if you can. Beautiful work, just trying to help you dial it in to perfect... you are not far off

[smudged-blue]

Thank you droll13, also very good points about photoshop. I'm glad you liked my photos.

Deb- thanks again, I don't mind the picky, as this helps me to see what I need to be more aware of when I'm actually taking my photos.
he was moving alot, he was 1 year and three months old here and I actually thought They would've been more blurred as he was hard to keep still, he kept zipping off

Beautiful work, just trying to help you dial it in to perfect... you are not far off

Thank you so much. I didn't think I'd be anywhere near close to this. I'm definitely going to give photography another go.

[debsn2paintn]

I'm so glad you are

Little kids are one of the most difficult subjects! As you probably know Are you using onboard (on camera) flash? It might help fill in the dark like faces and help with the background (bright sun). Also a photo program where you can adjust the fill light would be helpful in these shadow and sun photos

[smudged-blue]

sorry it's taken so long to reply Deb, I haven't had much free time and when I have gotten it I've been drawing. I don't know that I will keep photographing children as my boy's are now a bit older (8, 7 and 3 years) they don't really like it and look at me like "come on mum no more" which doesn't make for pleasing photo's when they have these types of expressions . My three year old is the hardest to photograph, he really dislikes it.

Maybe I need to get better at just catching them in a moment with out them knowing it.
So I'm not to sure what I'll photography, maybe just a bit of anything and everything (I particularly like nature and animals)

With these particular photo's here I didn't use the onboard flash, my thinking being it was a sunny bright day and if things looked bright from the sun (eg their skin and feathers on the wings) that the flash was likely to make things look more washed out, guess I was more likely to be wrong though.

My brother in-law gave me his old flash, one I can attach onto the top of the camera (sorry don't know what it's called) about a year ago, I tested it out and it works, but I don't use it at all due to the same thinking that it will make things to harsh and washed out (guess it won't when I learn how to use it in the way).

I do have a photoshop program, although I only know the basic's of using it, so something else I need to learn as well.
So much to learn, so little time to learn it in.
Thanks Deb for taking the time and help.

[debsn2paintn]

If the flash is set right it should help fill in the dark areas and not blow out the bright areas when outside in the sun. Just watch the bright areas from the sun if they are too bright then adjust for it on your camera. If you are using TV make the number larger (another words faster), if you are using AP then make the f-stop a larger number. The on camera flash should fill in the dark areas... and you will probably see light on the foreground. Like in this 2nd photo you might see some light from the flash on the grass. The flash you were given is probably a hot shoe flash and they work really well as long as there is an auto setting on it that works with your camera. Older models might not have an auto setting that works with your camera in that case you will have to learn how to use it. If you ever have any questions feel free to PM me

[smudged-blue]

Deb thank you so much I really appreciate all your helpful information. You really do make it seem less daunting.

Photography is going to be like my second hobby (after drawing in colored pencils) so am hoping to get to play around with it at least few times in a fortnight.

Thank you for the offer to PM you with questions, I'm sure I will be .

[debsn2paintn]

It's not daunting if you learn one thing at a time. I have learned photography better by doing then reading.