Kids and Family photo challenge #8 ~ Eye Contact and Rule of Thirds - ENDED

[transcape5]

Originally Posted by SNAPaPHOTO

For those who want to super impose a rule of third grid on your picture you can do this:

In Photo-shop, press Command – K (PC: Ctrl-K) to open your Preferences. Click on Guides, Grid & Slices from the list on the left and change the settings for the Grid section as follows: Gridline every 100 percent, Subdivisions 3, and click OK. This creates a grid that divides the image into thirds both horizontally and vertically. When you turn on the grid by pressing Command – ’ (PC: Ctrl – ’(apostrophe)), a rule-of-thirds grid will be superimposed over the image.

Thanks for jumping in with the cool PS tip, SNAP! I just started using PS recently and will have to check it out. Don't hesitate to post some entries in this challenge if you have them.

[Medowlark]

Originally Posted by transcape5

Excellent kick-off to the challenge, Al. You met the criteria quite well. Great colors, sharpness and DOF. On this laptop monitor and my eyes there seems to be a bit of color cast on her skin and I wonder if it's just me?

You're right Tom.. should have looked closer.. an older image.. Hope this is better...

[transcape5]

Yes, better.
May I ask what method you used to adjust the WB?

[Medowlark]

Originally Posted by transcape5

Yes, better.
May I ask what method you used to adjust the WB?

Tom, I have to confess that I rarely shoot raw.. and this was shot in Jpeg. Messing up the white balance is the biggest risk IMHO when shooting this way. But I don't subscribe to the notion that there is nothing you can do about it afterward. I usually find it relatively easy to correct using the color balance adjustment tool in CS4 (which is what I used here). Sometimes I use hue/sat and sometimes an old trick where you add a layer, blur it at very large radius, invert, change the layer mode to color and just adjust opacity to suit. I know, shoot in raw and it is even easier, but 99% of the time it isn't necessary (especially if you are a b&w junkie ) and I just prefer the simplicity of jpeg for most of my work.

[PhotogWannabe]

Originally Posted by SNAPaPHOTO

For those who want to super impose a rule of third grid on your picture you can do this:

In Photo-shop, press Command – K (PC: Ctrl-K) to open your Preferences. Click on Guides, Grid & Slices from the list on the left and change the settings for the Grid section as follows: Gridline every 100 percent, Subdivisions 3, and click OK. This creates a grid that divides the image into thirds both horizontally and vertically. When you turn on the grid by pressing Command – ’ (PC: Ctrl – ’(apostrophe)), a rule-of-thirds grid will be superimposed over the image.

Oh SNAP! What a great tip! What a difference that makes. I've been trying to visualize thirds as I compose the photo and then later on as I process. Using this on the last few of the grandson shows I'm "just a wee bit off."

[PhotogWannabe]

Here's one from yesterday of little Magnus chasing Grandpa in the park. It was a sunny, but cool, day so I had to deal with the requisite shadows and overexposed areas...

[EOS_JD]

I'll enter one too..... I've showed this one before though

[Rain Lily]

Originally Posted by PhotogWannabe

Here's one from yesterday of little Magnus chasing Grandpa in the park. It was a sunny, but cool, day so I had to deal with the requisite shadows and overexposed areas...

Hmmm, Paul, not quite sure that one counts as 'eye contact' but we'll take your word for it!

You did a nice job on exposure here and on composition. But I am missing those Magnus eyes/eyebrows. Looking forward to a few more entries from you, maybe? (hint)

[Rain Lily]

Originally Posted by EOS_JD

I'll enter one too..... I've showed this one before though

I don't know that I've seen that one before. SWEEEEEET!

Did you compose this in camera or crop it, JD? Nice work.

[Rain Lily]

Originally Posted by Medowlark

You're right Tom.. should have looked closer.. an older image.. Hope this is better...

CUTIE! I love this, Al. Nice job with composition and I'm loving the expression, LOL