Pretty in Pink (added pic)

[mmeyer]

I was working on my portrait skills again today. My daughter is usually more than happy to help out. This little 4 year old can work the camera like a seasoned pro. It's really incredible.

Please feel free to critique these as I'm really trying to learn portrait photography and everything helps. Whether it's lighting, posing or processing. Thanks

For those that are interested, my set up for this is below the images.

[MN Shutterbug]

You're getting your technique really perfected. But, what's that blue on the side of her hand in the second photo?

[mmeyer]

Yeah, that's the marker she was playing with today. I can't get a picture of her without some foreign color somewhere on her!

[MN Shutterbug]

What the heck. It goes with her pretty blue eyes.

[Dbl]

Mike, looking pretty good! Since these are shot so tight I am not sure you needed a background or speedlight to light it.

I like the lighting on the first one a bit better. The next step is learn a few skin softening techniques, especially with these tight shots.

Do you have the Bee foldable softbox? You are off to a great start Mike!

[finnbay]

You're coming a long way in a hurry!

[Steve Foss]

Nice work, Mike! I like the lighting in No. 1 best and the cute pose in No. 2 best. Whatever that elusive "something" is that it takes to make excellent portraits, you've got it.

Like Dan, when I saw the setup graphic I wondered how the background would look. Do you have any others of her that weren't so tight?

[mmeyer]

Thanks guys! I lit the background because I didn't know how close I would be shooting. She didn't have clothes on that matched the scarf so I didn't like any of the shots that included the background. I was just shooting with a plain white background.

Dan, I don't have the Bee softbox. I was at a photographers garage sale this summer and they had 2 30x48" softboxes that I ended up getting for $60 total. They came with some kind of universal speedrings but of course they didn't fit on what I have. I just made a mount of my own to attach to the speedring and it worked out.

Oh, and I have been working some on skin softening. I didn't do anything with these but I have a book by Scott Kelby that goes over some different techniques.

Thanks again for the kind words. Comments like these coming from you guys means a lot!!

[Dbl]

Sounds cool Mike. You are doing the best thing possible and that is taking pictures! Sounds like a great deal on the softboxes. I had been contemplating a couple of the folding softboxes for location work and actually used two of the Bee boxes, that is why I asked.

I decided for outside work an umbrella serves my purposes well since I don't really have to worry all that much about light spill. Again really nice work you've done. Think of all the pictures of your kids you can hang on your wall!

[Cicada]

Love the first one. Man, those eyes and that little smile...she'll get wahtever she wants in life.

[mmeyer]

Thanks Dan and Cicada!

Ok, here's another one that I liked. On this one, I applied some skin softening.

[Jim Almquist]

That last one turned out real nice. I still get a laugh when I look at the blue spot on her hand. Kids will be kids

[Nymph]

Great work Mike. I like that last one.