First Post - Might as jump right in

[MWAC]

Hi everyone~

I guess you can say I am relatively new to photography, I purchased my DSLR about a year ago (August 2010) and only really started to learn how to use it 4 or 6 months ago, moved off auto and have been using manual for 4 months now. I'm really just a Mom who wants to take better photos of her kids, well I have no dreams of doing this professionally (the business part isn't my cup of tea, I have no passion for that) I do want to learn as much as I can about photography and get the best possible images I can.

So here is my starting point for you to rip apart.


ISO 320
SS 1/13 (ya a little slow, I normally try to keep it around 1/60 or higher when handholding the camera)
f/3.5

Is hair colour looks wrong to me and the door handle is bugging me. I'm not sure about the crop either, I think I tend to crop to tight in camera.


ISO 320
SS 1/20 (what was I thinking)
f/3.5

Her hair is bugging me, but this is normally how she looks crazy hair and all. Yes it's that blonde.


ISO 640
SS 1/13
f/2.8
I struggle with her skin tones, she has much redder undertones than my other two children.

[clbryant1981]

Welcome to the forum, exposure and all look fine to me. The only issue I see is to try not to cut off their body parts, i.e. pic 1 we have a full left should, but only a partial right, pic 2 part of her left shoulder cut off, pic 3 part of her left knee is cut off, etc.

[David Whatley]

Welcome Cyn. I too like type crops and Ithink you did fairly well with these. The major thing bugging me is all the colors on the background, it causes it to get really busy. You might try an even tighter crop and see how it looks, or B&W?
david

[TheYard]

these are great, i can actually see the background working to tie all three together hanging on a wall, but maybe a little more DOF would non busy it.. great natural lighting and exposure for only 4 months on manual