Mother & Child

[James Lemon]

I recently had the pleasure to photograph a mother and her four month old baby boy. My question is do you think that they will like the images?

 

[Asher Kelman]

I recently had the pleasure to photograph a mother and her four month old baby boy. My question is do you think that they will like the images?

I've seen wedding pictures with the delicate flowers on the white veil blurred and the fgrooms suit being uniform black and no evidence of the silk lapels or the detail of the bow tie. The smiles on the faces simply make a lot of technical aspects we cringe at, imperceptible in practice to adoring families! If the poses and expressions are warm, engaging and the fellows zip is done up and there's no paper napkin in his hand, the picture is, essentially perfect.

Here you have indeed captured the melody of life with these pictures. The first picture shows a beaming infant and a proud confident and loving mother. The second image is equally competent. So you nailed them both. For sure one could make them technically more impressive, but you have already clinched the emotive needs of the shots.

I'd consider, (as Bart Van der Wolfe so often has suggested), to use Topaz Clarity plugin for Lightroom or Photoshop and this will pop.

I'd make the background lighter and more diffuse and increase the brightness and contrast of the subjects. Topaz "Clarity" will do most of this automatically. Also look at how much background you really around her in the second shot, as excess could be diluting the impact.

Asher

 

[James Lemon]

I've seen wedding pictures with the delicate flowers on the white veil blurred and the fgrooms suit being uniform black and no evidence of the silk lapels or the detail of the bow tie. The smiles on the faces simply make a lot of technical aspects we cringe at, imperceptible in practice to adoring families! If the poses and expressions are warm, engaging and the fellows zip is done up and there's no paper napkin in his hand, the picture is, essentially perfect.

Here you have indeed captured the melody of life with these pictures. The first picture shows a beaming infant and a proud confident and loving mother. The second image is equally competent. So you nailed them both. For sure one could make them technically more impressive, but you have already clinched the emotive needs of the shots.

I'd consider, (as Bart Van der Wolfe so often has suggested), to use Topaz Clarity plugin for Lightroom or Photoshop and this will pop.

I'd make the background lighter and more diffuse and increase the brightness and contrast of the subjects. Topaz "Clarity" will do most of this automatically. Also look at how much background you really around her in the second shot, as excess could be diluting the impact.

Asher

Thank you for your feedback Asher much appreciated. I have not tried this topaz plugin but I have tried things like silver efex pro and I find it to be problematic .

 

[Asher Kelman]

Thank you for your feedback Asher much appreciated. I have not tried this topaz plugin but I have tried things like silver efex pro and I find it to be problematic .

I find that the Black and White conversion in Photoshop is versatile and one can blend this, if one wishes with the best result from FxPro.

Asher

 

[James Lemon]

I find that the Black and White conversion in Photoshop is versatile and one can blend this, if one wishes with the best result from FxPro.

Asher

I am not sure what you mean by the black and white conversion being versatile .The file does not have any color channels. I just don't trust things like FxPro . I have seen ghosting problems and disturbance of bokeh .

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, James,

I recently had the pleasure to photograph a mother and her four month old baby boy. My question is do you think that they will like the images?

Almost certainly he will. I'm not so sure about his mother.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, James,

I am not sure what you mean by the black and white conversion being versatile .The file does not have any color channels.

At this point, I was getting ready to make a snide remark: "Ah, monochrome right out of the camera, eh? Shoot it with a Leica M Monochrom, did you?"

Then I looked at the Exif metadata.

Very nice.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Asher Kelman]

James,

Is it my imagination, or did you brighten the images?

..and of course, if you shoot with B&W film or with only light sensitive pixels, one will get, just B&W with no channels for Photoshop. Then, one would need to use some combination of color filter in front of the lens at the time the shutter is released.

The advantage of color film or a sensor that can record color channels, is that one can distinguish between different hues in a pattern, say on a rug, that have close to the same brightness. Otherwise, the pattern can be less distinct.

However, a pure monochrome sensor/silver gelatin/other film has no need for Bayer interpolation and inherently more resolution and subtle variations in tone.

I admire use of monochrome, but then I might, at least on occasion, reach for my now forgotten store of real glass/gelatin filters!

Asher

 

[James Lemon]

Hi, James,



Almost certainly he will. I'm not so sure about his mother.

Best regards,

Doug

You think I should have cropped some off the bottom?

 

[James Lemon]

James,

Is it my imagination, or did you brighten the images?

..and of course, if you shoot with B&W film or with only light sensitive pixels, one will get, just B&W with no channels for Photoshop. Then, one would need to use some combination of color filter in front of the lens at the time the shutter is released.

The advantage of color film or a sensor that can record color channels, is that one can distinguish between different hues in a pattern, say on a rug, that have close to the same brightness. Otherwise, the pattern can be less distinct.

However, a pure monochrome sensor/silver gelatin/other film has no need for Bayer interpolation and inherently more resolution and subtle variations in tone.

I admire use of monochrome, but then I might, at least on occasion, reach for my now forgotten store of real glass/gelatin filters!

Asher

I expose for the skin I don't care about the blowing out the background. I will look into some filters. Thanks! See link below I am the good looking guy with the nice skin tones and Italian accessories.

http://instagram.com/p/p4QY1hMWqb

 

[James Lemon]

Hi, James,



At this point, I was getting ready to make a snide remark: "Ah, monochrome right out of the camera, eh? Shoot it with a Leica M Monochrom, did you?"

Then I looked at the Exif metadata.

Very nice.

Best regards,

Doug

Thank you Doug! I wonder what they will look like on paper.

 

[James Lemon]

Rework

I wonder if Asher thinks this version has a bit more pop? I meant to say Mr. Kelman.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I wonder if Asher thinks this version has a bit more pop? I meant to say Mr. Kelman.

Hmm, long time since I was ever adorned with the title of "Mr.", LOL! I'm "Asher" or "GPA", (Granpa Asher) or plain Dr. Kelman!

I find all versions of this image impressive. Just I wonder if you have altered the instance shown in the first post or are we seeing it as first presented initially?

Asher

 

[James Lemon]

Hmm, long time since I was ever adorned with the title of "Mr.", LOL! I'm "Asher" or "GPA", (Granpa Asher) or plain Dr. Kelman!

I find all versions of this image impressive. Just I wonder if you have altered the instance shown in the first post or are we seeing it as first presented initially?

Asher

As you can tell this version has way less detail in her hair and bit more pop but I do prefer the first.

 

[Asher Kelman]

As you can tell this version has way less detail in her hair and bit more pop but I do prefer the first.

Jim,

I'd look to make only the b.g. darker and an S curve on the faces.

Asher

 

[James Lemon]

Jim,

I'd look to make only the b.g. darker and an S curve on the faces.

Asher

I will look at this again. Thanks for input !

 

[Jarmo Juntunen]

James, my answer to your initial question is: they most certainly will. Personally I find the mother and son portrait very pleasing to the eye. The reason is simple: the expression on the kids' face is precious! You know how it goes, don't you? The web is full of cute kid portraits and a lot of good material simply gets drowned in that ocean. Your picture certainly has that something that makes it float (if you pardon this clumsy metaphore).

 

[James Lemon]

James, my answer to your initial question is: they most certainly will. Personally I find the mother and son portrait very pleasing to the eye. The reason is simple: the expression on the kids' face is precious! You know how it goes, don't you? The web is full of cute kid portraits and a lot of good material simply gets drowned in that ocean. Your picture certainly has that something that makes it float (if you pardon this clumsy metaphore).

Than you for you kind words Jarmo!

 

[James Lemon]

Final

Jim,

I'd look to make only the b.g. darker and an S curve on the faces.

Asher

T

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, James,

All too dark.

There's also something about the young boy in the first one that makes it look as if he had been glued onto the picture.

That seems to get worse with each iteration.

You may have kneaded the dough too long.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[James Lemon]

Hi, James,



All too dark.

There's also something about the young boy in the first one that makes it look as if he had been glued onto the picture.

That seems to get worse with each iteration.

You may have kneaded the dough too long.

Best regards,

Doug

Thank you for your much appreciated thoughts Doug but I really like this recipe.

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, James,

Thank you for your much appreciated thoughts Doug but I really like this recipe.

And indeed you are "l'auteur".

Best regards,

Doug