Bunny Ears?

Another Jake image. He, not I, wanted him to wear the buny ears! I kept saying "Awe, come on, let's not use the bunny ears" This was his response. How could I resist? Yes.... I wish I had not cropped so close to his chin. Guess in the print I'll have to fix this! Damn!

Learning flash lighting. Comments and critiques welcome as always.

Thanks.

Jayme - while I would love to just rant about how you are so talented, I will forgoe that to ask a question.... what's with the splotches and/or spots. In the larger version they are very evident. I would have figured they were part of his complection, but then I saw one on his shirt. Even if they are his complection, and might be wanted by a loving grandparent.... for exhibition, they are distracting. Also, this shot, on my monitor, looks oversharpened.

 

While color is an issue, I am finding that getting the contrast of prints to match that of the monitor is harder to control.

 

Regardomg the flash lighting, I really like how it is very soft (well diffused.) However, the bunny ears seem a bit washed out... but that may be my monitor again, but I think I might like a little more tone in them so they don't draw the eye away from the face as much.

 

Besides all that... nice shot. I think I like the chin as it is. The fact that he doesn't fit into the picture somehow seems to help the mood.

Hi Jayme, I had to look due to what Larry had spotted. Looked really up close and I do not think they are any cause for concern. I feel Larry may have been a little worried that the spots were from inside your camera but if he looks carefully, they lay within the contours of Jake's skin(little freckles I think) and the one on his Jersey looks like a small stain or just a slightly darker patch of fibers. Back to the photo and are you sure Jake knows they are rabbit ears coz with his expression like that, bull horn's would be more suitable as he looks as though he is about to charge at you. You have sure mastered the art of using a white background. I have just mastered taking with black as the back-drop. I'll show some later when I have checked with the model about placing a couple on my pages here.

Larry- what you are seeing is a filter I overlaid. I think it was a " Find Edges" filter. Larry you just got to learn to read my "technical details"! :) Steve is right about the spot on his shirt being a stain. Probably part of his lunch (a Frosty from Wendy's). He eats constantly. The other spots are "cookie" remains. As far as the "look". Well, that's his poor, pitiful, feed me look! Although Steve, now that you mention it, he does look like he's getting ready to charge if I don't offer him something more to eat! :)

 

Larry, this shot was actually to please just Jake. He's not the most cooperative model. If I remember right, I had just said, "Come on Jake, let's not wear the bunny ears" and he was basically begging! :) I played with the filters purely as an exercise in learning. I rarely, if ever, have used the "find edges" filter and thought I would try it out to see if it would accentuate the fake fur on the ears. So that's the over sharpening effect you are seeing. I did some other stuff to his face to smooth out this effect, I honestly can't remember what, maybe a Gaussian blur filter in a mask. I was not satisfied with his lips, once I applied the "find edges" filter they looked "cracked". So this is definitely not an image I will print unless his mother wants one, plus in a few years I imagine he'll demand I burn it! 7 has it's advantages for now, not many, but a few.

 

He's so funny, imagine, he begged me NOT to take a picture of him in a blue linen shirt his mother bought him for Easter, but requests "bunny ears". Go figure! The logic of a 7 year old boy, I'm too old to start understanding now! Maybe you and Steve can explain this to me, you both were 7 year old boys, once. I just have no frame to reference from :) I always dreamed I'd have several little grand-daughters running around, who were as comfortable climbing the trees as dressing in frilly outfits and hats, something I can understand. But NO! I get 3, going on 4 grandsons! All boys, no girls. Of course my husband is in his element, me? ....... I'm clueless. You'd think being a real "tomboy" as a child, I'd have some concept of the male psyche. Nope! I had 2 older brothers, my motto was "Girls can do anything boys do, better". It was a fact!:) I had to be versatile. I had to switch from playing Barbie dolls with the girl next door to being a valued member of the neighborhood baseball team in a matter of minutes. There wasn't much I let pass by me without giving it a try. I always believed I was faster, more capable and down right smarter than they were! :) Plus, I was prettier than them! Big Smile!

 

I love my boys, but geez.... I'm having to rethink this thing. I just can't lie. How the heck am I going to tell them they are the inferior sex? :)) I need a grand-daughter to do this for me! LOLROF!

Jayme - to answer your questions... if there were any questions, I will share the following TRUE stories and facts.

 

Adam was born outside the garden where it was wild. Eve was born inside the garden where it was beautiful and relatively tame.

 

Your grandson must be very bright if he refuses to wear the linen shirt his mom bought him. Very bright children (especially boys) have this thing about itchy clothes... especially around the waist.

 

My wife used to play with her brother's erector set. She would put a serated gear onto a metal shaft and pretend it was a ballerina. It made her brother very very mad.

 

During my lunchtime walk, I overheard a woman talking to her friend about prostrate cancer. Apparently, it runs in her husband's family, but only among the men.

 

A friend's 9 year old son spent 1/2 hour standing in front of the mirror fixing his hair so it was just the way he wanted it. He then ran to his room, pulled on his pants, and ran out the door. His pants were on backwards.

 

I still think you should fix the spots.

 

 

Does this clarify things?

 

Rosi

As clear as mud! :)

If this becomes an open topic Jayme, you will just become even more confused and as the days go on you will only achieve to understand less & less. Two things I will say is that when you have a family containing boys & one girl, the girl always wants to join in with the boys games & past-times but when it's the other way round & only one boy, they do their best to steer clear of their sisters. Of course, there are exceptions but not many. My second thought relates to his "Bunny ears". Perhaps he was using them as a disguise and although he wanted his photo taken he was hoping nobody would reconize him & by wearing the ears, he would be noticed for wearing them and not the shirt his mother bought for him & therefore not constantly being reminded about how nice it is on him & how much he likes it & all that sort of "embarrassing" praise. I hope you see what I am getting at. Back to you.

Oh... Steve, I hadn't thought of a disquise. That could be it! :)

Jayme, I'm from an all-male household, too. Four sons and now two grandsons. At least my second husband has a niece!

You are getting better and better.

Keep on doing what you think is right, that's the most impotant thing