Too dark?

[kkraczek]

This was taken in mixed lighting with no flash. I did brighten it up in PS slightly, as well as sharpen it, but I think that I like the rather shadowed look to it. Any other opinions are welcome!

[kitst3r]

i like the colours in this. the face seems out of focus tho and some reflective light onto her face would have kept the shadows but highlighted the important area.

what am i like...... newbies eh

[bjtindle]

This was taken in mixed lighting with no flash. I did brighten it up in PS slightly, as well as sharpen it, but i think that I like the rather shadowed look to it. Any other opinions are welcome!

I kind of like the shadow effect myself. I think it adds a little something to the photo, altho I do see what the others are talking about regarding the face area...she has very expressive features. I could go either way. Sorry, don't mean to sound as if I am sitting on the fence here. I do like it.

Betty

[kkraczek]

Thanks to both of you for the comments... I agree that some natural lighting on her face would have helped. As far as the softness, that's my darn shaky hands. ;) I guess I'll never be a very good nature photographer unless I get IS lenses!

[bjtindle]

Thanks to both of you for the comments... I agree that some natural lighting on her face would have helped. As far as the softness, that's my darn shaky hands. ;) I guess I'll never be a very good nature photographer unless I get IS lenses!

What is an "IS" lens? Is it like dioptic lenses? Which I think I need to get, hate wearing my glasses, which are for far-away stuff. My hands shake a little too and it is more noticeable now with my zoom lens, seems heavier to me, especially on a very windy day, which we have many of up here in WY.

Betty

[kkraczek]

IS stands for image stabilization... sorry it won't help with the vision correction. I know that they sell special eyepieces for diopter correction though. Have you looked into them?

[bjtindle]

I am going to when I return from my trip, in about 2 weeks. Image stabilzation? There is something that stabilizes an image? Is it something you connect to the camera or a techno thing for after developing?

Betty

[gahspidy]

Kkraczek,
I like the composition here of this girl in purple against the much softer colors and texture of the wall and green window frame. Her pose is sweet and a nice expression, however I do think it is too dark and would benefit from at least some highlight on the face. But still a keeper.
What happened here I would guess is that since you were shooting the shot into a scene that was backlit ( the window) this caused your cameras meter to underexpose the subject. Whenever you shoot into a scene that has strong light behind the subject, you need to "overexpose" the shot. This is easy to do with SLRs but with a automatic point and shoot, you would have to focus on something of equal distance from the subject that did not have the light behind it. Then hold shutter button halfway to allow camera to set focus and exposure. Then while still holding these settings in with the shutter button halfway, turn to the subject and re compose and snap the shot. The window would look brighter but subject would be correctly exposed.
I do like this however for all the other nice elements here.

[gahspidy]

I am going to when I return from my trip, in about 2 weeks. Image stabilzation? There is something that stabilizes an image? Is it something you connect to the camera or a techno thing for after developing?

Betty

This is technology that is built into the lense. However, I think they only make these lenses for the popular camera manufacturers. You said you a Chinar Slr, I may be wrong, but Dont think you could get one of these to mount to your camera Get yourself a good tripod first, good essential tool for most of us. I always use the tripod when doing my landscape shots

[kkraczek]

Kkraczek,

What happened here I would guess is that since you were shooting the shot into a scene that was backlit ( the window) this caused your cameras meter to underexpose the subject.

Thanks for the encouragement and information Gary... I wasn't thinking about the light from the window causing the problem, but I agree with you that this is what probably happened. Here is a brightened up version, although I'm still not that great with PS yet.

BTW... that line on her upper arm isn't from PS, it's a strange tan line she got when wearing a life jacket last weekend! ;)

[bjtindle]

Kkraczek,
Whenever you shoot into a scene that has strong light behind the subject, you need to "overexpose" the shot. This is easy to do with SLRs but with a automatic point and shoot, you would have to focus on something of equal distance from the subject that did not have the light behind it. Then hold shutter button halfway to allow camera to set focus and exposure. Then while still holding these settings in with the shutter button halfway, turn to the subject and re compose and snap the shot. The window would look brighter but subject would be correctly exposed.
I do like this however for all the other nice elements here.

This technique of overexposing does work!! I tried it on a sunset and lo and behold, there wasn't a little black ball surrounded by light in my photo! (I have an SLR) I was thrilled when it actually happened. Sometimes, like me, ya just gotta see it to believe it!

Betty

[bjtindle]

This is technology that is built into the lense. However, I think they only make these lenses for the popular camera manufacturers. You said you a Chinar Slr, I may be wrong, but Dont think you could get one of these to mount to your camera Get yourself a good tripod first, good essential tool for most of us. I always use the tripod when doing my landscape shots

Have a tripod, now if I could just remember to bring it with me. I have a Chinon SLR, do you think it would work?

Betty