Remember:
–Read How to Critique a Photo
–Make a critique sandwich – something positive, something you would have done differently, something positive
–My rule: no improvement tip = deleted comment
–This will benefit the person leaving the photo critique just as much if not more than the person receiving the critique.
Thanks to Adam Douglas for submitting the following image.
Settings: ISO 100, SS 1/5000, f/5
Lovely! I love beach shots and she is such a cutie with her sand bucket and diaper peeking out of her shirt. What a wonderful memory. You got a lot of things right: all limbs are present, the ocean is in the background, you used the rule of thirds and she’s facing toward the most open space in the photo! Bravo! Wide open sun shots are so hard! I’ve taken so many beach shots I can’t even count and they all look so much better with shade, during the golden hour or on a cloudy day. So that’s my biggest advice. Next time you shoot this type of photo, place your subject under some umbrella shade or wait until sundown. Then spot meter off her face to get correct exposure. The shade will give you more success because her face and body will be evenly lit, correctly exposed and we will see her sweet expression. Yes, you will blow out your background (unless you take the shot within 15 minutes after sundown) but it’s much more important to get your subject well exposed. Also, next time get really low or a little higher so the horizon isn’t going right through her head. Open sky shots take a lot of practice and you get better each time!
Thanks for the comments. This photo is of my youngest daughter while on vacation in Myrtle Beach (I live in Michigan). We decided to go to the beach and all I had was my T3i, 17-55 f/2.8 and a polarizing filter. The sun was in full force so I did notice the shadows on her face. I’ll keep in mind your tip to meter off her face. It’s so hard to get past the idea that’s it’s ok to over-expose the background if it means getting the subject right.
I know exactly what you mean. You want to see the beautiful beach background and your sweet subject all at the same time. Sadly, I’ve learned that in those situations it’s really tough. Some people mentioned reflectors and fill-flash. I’ve have not had real success with either on full-sun open-sky days. For me, the reflector isn’t really strong enough to minimize the harsh shadows and the fill-flash makes the photo look washed out. A reflector seems to work better for me near sunset when I’m trying to get a little more light on my subject. A good natural reflector in these situations is the water. If your subject is actually playing in very shallow water, the water will reflect sunlight back on to her face. Another thing you could try in open sky is repositioning your subject so her back is to the sun. Then you will have more even light on her face and can meter off her cheek. But you will still lose detail in the background and, in this situation, the water may no longer be your background. Or, if she will wear a hat, you can use the hat to shade her face. I hope some of this is helpful.
This is a cute picture of the little gal. I like where you placed her in the photo but I think I would of used a fill flash to brighten up her face. I love capturing little ones when they least expect it. She’s a cutie pie!
Thanks for the comment. I think I used the flash in a few pictures after this one was taken but of course it was too late to get this photo again :) New to DSLR and I’m learning that it’s a lot of trial and error to get the correct settings in manual mode.
I really love that you got down to her level in the photo – makes it more intimate and you get a great sense of the kiddo. I would echo that I would love to see her face a little lighter/better exposed. In addition, while I love how much she fills the frame, I would also have maybe put more beach or more ocean/sky in the photo so that the horizon line isn’t right through the middle of the shot for more interest. The colors are great and the few primary colors in the shot really make them pop. Overall, really great shot!
I would have used more depth of field and lowered the aperture. I do like how you centered her off to the side though and the horizon line is straight.
I love how you captured her in the moment. I agree with the comments about the horizon intersecting with her head I think you’d need to adjust your point of view a little to change that. I really like how she is positioned so out eyes are led to her first. Overall I think it’s a great shot.
What a cutie pie! She looks so innocently playful in this picture. I love that you captured her in the moment were able to capture the picture from her level. Next time I would try taking the pic with the sun behind you so that her face is well lit. In general, its best to avoid pictures during the middle of the day when the light is bright and harsh. Or if you’re yearning to get a pic on a hot sunny day, try using a reflector.
Thanks Adam for submitting your picture! I really do love the composition! If it were me, I would have gotten a lower angle of view, like stomach on the sand low. You would have been able to see into her eyes a little more, to make it feel like you are in the shot with her instead of just looking at a picture, and it would have solved the horizon-into-head issue. It’s hard to get a good picture in harsh lighting like there is in the middle of the day, so I would have used a reflector to try and bounce some light into her face so that you wouldn’t have such harsh shadows. The horizon is crooked, but that is very simple to fix in post-processing. I’m very new at trying to figure out white balance, but to me this picture looks just a touch cool. You can always warm that up in post processing.
Overall, it is a really cute shot and a great moment you captured!
Thanks for the comment. I should have looked at the horizon closer. I did adjust the saturation but I’m also new to getting the right white balance (most professional photos look so sun/natural light bleached to me even though they are technically correct). It’s hard to know when to stop editing. Shooting in RAW would probably help the most.
I like the composition, and the sense of movement in the picture. I like the blue sky and water, and the way the pink in her hair bow and bucket give a nice pop of color. I agree with some of the previous observations about her placement in relation to the horizon. I might have moved around more in front of her to place her at more of 45 degree angle, then tried a lower vantage point–down on the sand looking up at her as somebody previously suggested. These suggestions are very minor, I really enjoyed the picture of your daughter! Nice capture and thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the comment. That’s a good idea to get a different angle on it. Next time I’ll move around. Funny I haven’t thought of that since I take all the vehicle pictures for my family’s used car dealership and take pictures of every side and corner.
I really like the composition of this photo. I think I would straighten it slightly to level the horizon, and maybe use some dodging on her face to lighten the shadows. I love the concentration on her face and the pop of color from her hairbow and the bucket!
Thanks for the comment. I loved the way the colors popped too. You mentioned “dodging”… can you explain what this is and what program you use? I’ve only used simple programs like GIMP and would like to be able to brighten just her face.
Dodging is a term that goes back to the days of film and basically means lightening up a certain part of a photo (burning would be the opposite, darkening an area of the photo). I don’t know about GIMP, but in Lightroom you can use the adjustment brush on her face and brighten up the exposure. Maybe there is a similar tool in GIMP? Hopefully that helps you :)
Excellent comments already made. I do love children shots and beach shot. You combined them both.
I like the pink barrette balancing out the pink pail, her intense focus on the shovel, the richness of the colors of the sky.
The main things I would consider (most of which have already been mentioned)
~ Straighten the horizon
~ get lower (on your stomach) for an even more intimate perspective
~ try shooting wide open for a softer, dreamier look to the water, thereby putting the focus on your daughter.
~I woud definitely brighten this up a bit and add some warmth as well. It looks a bit cool
~ Finally, dodge her cute little face so that we can see her more.
I know it’s hard to shoot at the beach. (I’m in Florida!) Throw in a child and it’s a whole new ball game.
You did great. Keep it up!
The photo is darling! I agree with most of what has been said. I would have liked to see more of her face and not so much in shadow. You’ll treasure this photo when she is older. Lovely memory.
Oh my goodness!! Precious child, location…so innocent pure and clean backdrop. I feel like the shadow on her face a little distracting and hard to see he face. I know with the harsh sun it’s hard but you could always use something to reflect light on her…even a white or light towel will help brighten that up a little. Precious shot! I love the scenery too!!!