dennis.g

Hi anyone...

Been awhile since I posted anything to this site, but I've come a long way, thanks in part to this site.

Best capture in awhile, pure chance.
The vignette looks a bit more heavy handed on the web than the original, might have to work on that.

Any comments welcome and appreciated.

I've noticed that if I allow my XSi to automatically choose "optimum" exposure level (I mostly shoot in Av mode), the resulting image usually looks slightly over-exposed, with the colors very washed out.

This photo was taken on the day I learned how to use the exposure compensation function, and discovered that if I "under-expose" by ~2/3 or more stops, according to the "exposure level indicator", I end up with much more vivid, rich colors.

I now almost always have my AE compensation set below "standard".

Anyway - as a novice photographer - any advice, critiques, comments and suggestions are very much welcome.

Thank you!

-Dennis

I love this photo - It looks like one of those school portraits.

Perfectly posed, eye-line is perfect, catchlights, etc.

Nice work!

I attempted to improve the blown-out spot on top of his head.

I had no idea what I was doing, just experimented until it started to look better.

I used the clone stamp tool and the smudge tool.

See the previous picture for the un-retouched version.

Please let me know what you think.

Thanks.

Can you explain "specialised focusing functions"?

I don't know what that is.

Thanks.

I'm a novice, so any critiques, suggestions, advice, etc. will be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Thank you for all of the comments.

The over exposed spot bugs me too, but I like the shot too much to discard it.

Is there something I could do in post to down play it?

It's completely blown out, so there's no detail there, but maybe if I darkened it a bit it wouldn't stand out so much?

Only modification was a bit of a tweak with the shadow/highlight tool in P.S.

I know it probably needs a good crop.

I'm very much a beginner.

This doesn't mean I want you to be gentle with me...

All criticisms and advice are welcome.

Thanks