Sleep of the (Not So) Innocent

[purplehaze]

My dear, sweet sister gave me the Nikkor 50 mm 1.8 for my birthday and I have been playing with it, mostly in aperture mode. One of my favorite shots is the one below, but I blew it by using too wide an aperture and (I think) pressing the shutter before the camera had finished focusing. I would like to do this one over, when I get a proper tripod (I was using my Gorillapod--very awkward), and would welcome your suggestions as to what to do better next time. Your thoughts on my processing would be appreciated also. I deliberately darkened my crop a bit after tweaking the contrast.



Thanks,
Janis

Sorry, I forgot how to import and had to do it again.

[Fit]

I truly like the composition... such a sweet face!

[Donald]

My dear, sweet sister gave me the Nikkor 50 mm 1.8 for my birthday

What a nice sister you have.

I blew it by using too wide an aperture and (I think) pressing the shutter before the camera had finished focusing

Do you think so? Someone with better eyesight than me might confirm what you're saying, but I'm not seeing a lot wrong with it.

If you're meaning that you would like to have got the hair sharper and the problem is that you didn't focus properly and/or has too narrow a depth-of-field, the I wouldn't agree.The dog's coat looks very natural. Anything more would start to look unnatural I think.

[purplehaze]

Thank you, Chris. I fiddled quite a bit with the crop.

If you're meaning that you would like to have got the hair sharper and the problem is that you didn't focus properly and/or has too narrow a depth-of-field, the I wouldn't agree.The dog's coat looks very natural. Anything more would start to look unnatural I think.

Yes, that's exactly what I mean. I think I got better sharpness and depth of field here:



In the first photo, it looks to me like the hair on the back of her leg is sharper than that on the front, which is why I think I could have used more depth of field.

Any criticism at all is welcome. I have learned more in the two months since I joined this site than in the entire year previous and am most grateful.

Janis

[speedneeder]

I love the first photo, just seems the color isn't right?

[purplehaze]

I love the first photo, just seems the color isn't right?

Thanks, Brian. I shot it under ambient tungsten lighting without checking the white balance on the Live View monitor, and that is how it came out. I actually quite like the colour on my Apple Cinema Display*, it looks a bit like an Old World painting, but when I looked at it today on the HP monitor at work, I was sorely disappointed. I would hope my home monitor is better calibrated than the one at work, which the powers-that-be will not allow me to adjust, but now I am going to be doubting everything until I get a proper calibration tool. Now where should that come on the list that includes tripod, ND filters, reflectors, flash, the Complete Nik Collection, waterproof case for the point & shoot, etcetera ad infinitum?

Happy holidays,
Janis

*27", just to assure those who wonder that size really doesn't matter

[jiro]

You have an eye for composition, Keep it up. Great shots. I like them.

[Peter Ryan]

I'm with jiro. Well done Janis and the best thing is you are reviewing and trying again.

[purplehaze]

I'm with jiro. Well done Janis and the best thing is you are reviewing and trying again.

Thanks a million, guys. Encouragement means a lot.

I saw a post today, from Donald, I think, that I thought was just brilliant. It was about getting through those times you feel discouraged by the challenge of it all. I thought of sharing it with Alison, to make up for getting all technical with her, or even suggesting to Rob that it should have a place of prominence all its own, but I can't find it. If anyone knows the post I am talking about, I would appreciate the link, to refer to from time to time.

Happy holidays to all if I don't talk to you again for a few days. I really should get back to my knitting now (literally).

Janis

[Donald]

I saw a post today, from Donald, I think, that I thought was just brilliant. It was about getting through those times you feel discouraged by the challenge of it all.

Did you mean:-

I'm very glad to hear that. It's normal that you go through these phases of feeling like just chucking it in.

As you get in to a new subject and become enthusiastic about it, you realise how much there is to know, how little you know, and everyone else seems to know so much more (which is not always the case, by the way). And you feel everyone else is talking a language that you don't understand - using words and phrases that don't make sense to you.

Been there!

But it does begin to make sense. Even without you being aware of it, you find yourself understanding things that you didn't understand the week before; posting messages using words and phrases that you didn't know about only a few weeks ago.

So, you stick with it.

I think I've written similar sentiments a few times, but this was part an exchange that UtopianStardust and I had a few days ago

[purplehaze]

Did you mean:-

That's it! You are as good at capturing a mood in words as you are in photos. I think it would be useful to have a slightly pared-down version of this in the free photography tips under the heading "Stick with it". Thank you, Donald.

Janis