You're in a zoot suit riot

[met]

This is my neighbor kid Zoey, but we call her Zoot. I took her out for about 45 minutes around 4:00 PM because everyone's recent outside fall shots made me want to get out and practice with the 50mm - all natural light. The hardest thing about the prime for me (especially with crazy kids) is physically moving rather than relying on the zoom to help frame, so I cut off a few hands, etc. at times to capture the expression, but it's good practice. I pushed the exposure a bit in post for effect.

C&C welcome.


1.
http://mollytippett.smugmug.com/New-Stuff/Zoot/Zoot-1/703702523_dziZK-L.jpg



2.
http://mollytippett.smugmug.com/New-Stuff/Zoot/Zoot-10/703711536_r9X5S-L.jpg


3.
http://mollytippett.smugmug.com/New-Stuff/Zoot/Zoot-29/703772573_zFoqq-L.jpg


4.
http://mollytippett.smugmug.com/New-Stuff/Zoot/Zoot-40/703837283_m7JWt-L.jpg


5.
http://mollytippett.smugmug.com/New-Stuff/Zoot/Zoot-48/703834719_idyCs-L.jpg


6.
http://mollytippett.smugmug.com/New-Stuff/Zoot/Zoot-3/703704629_7yknr-L.jpg


7.
http://mollytippett.smugmug.com/New-Stuff/Zoot/Zoot-22/703784568_MYS64-L.jpg


8. I was bummed that I caught the left eye and not the right in focus on this shot, but I liked the expression.
http://mollytippett.smugmug.com/New-Stuff/Zoot/Zoot-16/703699728_6QWxs-L.jpg


9. I accidentally bumped my shutter speed on this one so it was a little slow, but I liked the expression.
http://mollytippett.smugmug.com/New-Stuff/Zoot/Zoot-51/703836860_P6pSD-L.jpg

[Joe Dukovac]

Overall I really like these shots! They seem a bit soft forcus wise, but other than that, I like the comp in these.

Joe

[marikris]

I honestly didn't notice the cut-off hands because her eyes are so full of personality. They are a little soft, but I don't envy trying to frame a shot with all that frenetic energy lol. I like the 3,4 and 5 for the framing and the sheer childishness of the subject ^_^ (When was the last time I hung upside down and had fun...? Lol!)

[kidzmom]

This is a really fun set! What a nice variety of enery you've captured here. I too am getting used to moving with my 50 mm. Especially with kids. One thing I've found easier is using manual focus with my 50. It gives me something to move, which I'm used to doing and it is much faster than the auto on my 1.8 lens. I've noticed that your shots seem a touch soft so this might help you too. Thanks for sharing. Those were fun!:clap

[met]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I was shooting strictly at 1.8 to practice, what do you think I should do to sharpen them? I'll have to try the manual focus idea, but do you think I should keep shooting at 1.8 until I get it exactly right or back off of that for awhile?

I practiced on my best friend's nephew and these seemed a bit sharper, but I still had some soft ones. Trying to get artistic and technically great shots on moving kids is very difficult I'm finding.


Here are some of Devin. C&C welcome as always.

1. I need to maybe revisit this one to fix his lip, but I just haven't gotten to it.
http://mollytippett.smugmug.com/New-Stuff/Devin/Devin-6/705309797_5Wr43-L.jpg


2.
http://mollytippett.smugmug.com/New-Stuff/Devin/Devin-2/705307113_ZPTYx-L.jpg



3. This one was soft, I'm not sure if he was moving or not. :scratch
http://mollytippett.smugmug.com/New-Stuff/Devin/Devin-30/705389858_JsgFm-L.jpg

[met]

And a collage I made for his mom.
http://mollytippett.smugmug.com/New-Stuff/Devin/devincollage/705543954_v6yXm-L.jpg

[cr8ingwaves]

great collage. I think those shots reflect what 7yr old boys are like.

[kidzmom]

I love that collage Met! NEAT. Did you use the pen tool to sign it or is it a font? Very neat touch :) Did you make the template yourself? Nice pictures (both sets!). Kids are HARD to keep in focus (even without the camera! LOL).

[met]

Thank you. It is actually a font that I downloaded from http://www.dafont.com/. I just made the template in the Print module of Lightroom.

[divamum]

This is an AWESOME series! I really like. With practicing at 1.8, just get used to really placing that focus point over the eye - hardest thing is if you need to change AF point quickly since sometimes that seems to take the time when the shot is happening and WHOOMPF it's gone. Also, Scott Q mentioned a good point which is that in many cameras the AF point is "close enough" rather than surgicially accurate, and sometimes focusing, then immediately REfocusing gets it closer to dead accurate.

Thank you. It is actually a font that I downloaded from http://www.dafont.com/. I just made the template in the Print module of Lightroom.

QUestion: how do you move the shots around within the layout? I played with this after seeing Elaine's wonderful LR-generated storyboard/collage, but got frustrated because I couldn't figure out how to move the shots to different places within the layout I had set up. Is there a trick to this? :scratch

[met]

I didn't find a way to do it in a straightforward manner either. But I have figured out that if you just create a Quick Collection of your shots, you can move them around on the little photoline at the bottom and put them in the order you want them to appear in your collage. Hope that helps.

[Elaine]

Very fun, energetic shots! Love the collage! Great tip on using the Quick Collection to order the shots for the print module to make the collage. :thumb