Skip to main content

I Heart Faces Constructive Feedback


Never done this before. Hoping for sound advice on how to get a group of people into focus. The original can found on my Flickr account here. As you can see before I photoshopped it I had some real issues with white balance and focus. I don't think the photoshopping helped all that much, but it was fun experimenting!

Here are the SOOC photo stats that might be relevant:

Camera: Nikon D40
Aperture: F/5.8
Flash: None
ISO Speed: 400
Focal Length: 18.3
AF Area Mode: Dynamic Area, Closest Subject
AF Point: Center
AF Points in Focus: Center
Light Source: Natural
Exposure Mode: Auto
White Balance: Auto

For Full Details: Check the Flickr metadata page.


Photoshop CS3
Sharpen Edges (duplicate layer with Mask to erase overly sharpened sections)
Adjusted Curves
Added burnt edges.

Fire away, ladies & gents! I really want to get group photography down and focus seems to be the biggest challenge. I'd love to hear what settings everyone else uses and whether or not they use manual focus (something I'm just staring to experiment with).
Labels:

Comments

  1. Skeller1:25 PM

    twelve kids in one photo. lotsa luck to ya! that's, ummm, quite an undertaking. I've really only got a couple pieces of advice: use a much quicker shutter speed (little ones move fast, thus they blur), fire off a whole bunch of pictures rapid fire and hope and PRAY that one doesn't completely stink (I'm being irreverent, but you get the idea, I hope. capturing that many kids at once is TOUGH!). Feel free to use a wider aperture (so you can get a faster shutter speed) and move back a bit so you'll have a deeper focus plane.

    Ummm, another bit of advice ... perhaps only have one person taking photos at a time. seems to me these kiddos were looking at different photographers at the same time.

    lastly, be prepared to be a complete CLOWN to get all these kiddos captivated by and looking at YOU!

    oh yeah, and lots luck. did I already say that?!?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Skeller1:27 PM

    oops forgot: I RARELY ever use manual focus (my viewfinder isn't bright enough and I don't have one of those split circle thingies that film cameras have). What I do use is autofocus points. check your camera manual to see if those are available to you...

    ReplyDelete
  3. alesha3:54 PM

    groups are hard, especially when they are all kids. I have 4 kids and yet to have a good shot of them altogether. So keep practicing. Also I agree with the above poster, that you need a bigger aperture that way your DOP is bigger and more of the picture is in focus.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous4:59 PM

    Besides what a couple of drinks will do, hmmm. lol. Groups of children are probably the hardest to photograph. I don't care what anyone says, that is just plain tough.

    So I agree with Skeller, go with a fast shutter speed. You might want to use the Shutter priority mode.

    I would try to get their focus, be a clown, do something. Start making crazy noises. I think even continuous fire is a good thing to try as well. I'm not sure with D40 how many contin. fire shots you can do, but it will only help.

    But as far as editing, I would even look at messing around with highlights, shadow, brightness and contrast some in photoshop as well.

    I'm a big fan of the burnt edges, I think it always adds a crispness.

    Happy Mother's Day

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

They saved the finger..

This was supposed to be an easy, carefree weekend.  One of those rare weekends where spontaneity is possible because plans were not made ahead of time.  We could lounge on the couch, work on our hobbies, or even do a little shopping.  And, no, I'm not referring to the necessary evil of grocery shopping, but the much more enjoyable version where you get to buy things that actually make you happy. Because the oldest boy needed some pants and the youngest could use a new pair of shoes, I decided to head into the city to do some shopping at Kohl's.  Of course, my decision to shop there was not quite so altruistic.  Mama needed a new bathing suit! So, I pack the kids up and head into the city.  The youngest picks out his shoes . The oldest tries on a few pairs of jeans and ends up with two in the basket.  Did I mention we have to shop in the men's department now?  That he's wearing size 29?  My baby is growing up! Then it was Mom's ...
6 comments
Read more

Looking for Willing Victims

I've decided I'd like to expand my photography skills and experience. This means I need willing models. So far I've got a couple of people who might be willing to let me practice on them. I'm excited but nervous. I want so badly to take amazing pictures and give them each something they like. Shoot #1: Mom wants me to take Christmas pictures of her three daughters. I'm very excited, but I also want a lovely background. I was thinking of taking them to a park or some other such setting where there's a lot of pines. The problem is that Fall has just arrived and these are supposed to be Christmas pictures. Any suggestions? Shoot #2: A senior. I think I'm okay on this one. She wants fall colors in her pictures, so I just need to wait for the trees to do their thing. Then its a matter of finding the right location. Now here's my real delimna: Where do I upload them so they can be printed to look like professional pictures? Rounded corners and im...
9 comments
Read more

Camping with Little Boys

  Our first travel trailer. I don't remember camping much with my family as a kid. This is likely because we always had the same vacation destination: a family plot in Baldwin, MI. There was no cabin there. Instead, there were two structures: a small, silver camper and an old single-wide trailer. The silver camper is gone but the single-wide still sits there and is used by extended family members to this day.  It wasn't until I was a teenager that my step-mom and dad bought a pop-up trailer and we started camping elsewhere in the state. My memory isn't the greatest, but I'm almost certain they got the pop-up after I started dating Ken. Eventually, my parents upgraded to a fifth wheel that my dad still pulls around to various nearby camping spots. Ken, by contrast, didn't have a set vacation destination growing up. His family camped. They started out with a truck-bed camper, I believe, and eventually upgraded to a fifth wheel.  Ken and I vacationed both in Baldwin an...
Post a Comment
Read more