With four children this week’s Photo Friday challenge – Play – should have been easy, but I hadn’t realised just how slow the autofocus is on the Canon G5. Our kids tend to move around at a speed that the human eye can barely comprehend, and my camera just isn’t up to it. Over the last couple of days I must have taken dozen’s of shots that have no children in them at all (by the time the camera had focussed, the children had long gone ;-)
For this shot though the movement was a bit more predictable and I quite like how it turned out. I did want to take something of them playing together, as we’re really fortunate that our kids all seem to like one another, but none of them were worth putting up so I gave up trying :-)
camera capture date aperture shutter speed shooting mode exposure bias metering mode ISO focal length image quality white balance
Canon G5
2.42pm on 3/5/04
f5.0
1/640
aperture priority
+0.0
evaluative
50
7.2mm
RAW
auto
I must confess that when I first looked at this one I thought "tedious..." But then I looked at your child and the imensity of the sky and thought better, "yeah, to a child, the sky's the limit".
So, if only to remind us, rational adults, that to all sky is always the limit, your photo wins the match.
One last word to the PS technique: I learned from you the usefull trick of using blur in a layer ? etc. and use it frequently - but did it pay using it in this photo? Shouldn't the "harsh" blue of the sky be retained?
comment by djn1 at 05:31 PM (GMT) on 10 May, 2004
I did wonder how this shot might be received, both technically and aesthetically. What I was after, and I'm not sure it was at all successful, was some way of capturing the idea that play can be a very individualistic pastime for young children. When I watch our two youngest playing (two and a half, and fifteen months) they sometimes play together but more often than not they play 'around' one another, playing their own games in their own worlds. And I suppose I was trying to capture some of that with this shot.
The trouble I sometimes have with shots of our own kids though, is that I can read things into the shots I take because I know them, and sometimes don't realise, or can't see, that that isn't necessarily obvious to anyone else. In this instance I know that our daughter is enjoying herself, but her playing is a rather insular activity.
As for the blur: two reasons. The focus was a bit off which didn't much matter because I wanted to create a soft almost dreamy feel to match her mood. But, of course, if her mood isn't at all obvious then the feel of the shot wont make a great deal of sense.
comment byCarpenter at 06:07 PM (GMT) on 10 May, 2004
Really nice. I would even say one of the best photos I have ever seen...
Personally, I don't think this one has the same impact as the version I did put up but I thought it might prove interesting to compare the two - let me know what you think.
comment by djn1 at 08:18 PM (GMT) on 10 May, 2004
And finally: the image that's now on the main page is a hybrid of the first two, but it's mostly unblurred. On the page referenced in my previous comment there are two images. The first is the original shot, and the second is the "straight" shot. Again, I'd be interested to hear which of the three versions people prefer. Personally, I now like the hybrid version better.
Given the state of the original I see now why you decided to use the blur treatment. This third version, being more balanced between reality and "dreaminess" is the one I prefer.
comment bySandra Rocha at 02:53 AM (GMT) on 11 May, 2004
perfect "caught in the act" shot, like the way it turned out :-)
Overall, while I think this was an interesting shot, it certainly wasn't one of my best efforts. We live and learn ;-)
comment byPeter Crymble at 10:34 AM (GMT) on 11 May, 2004
Thanks for the photo. I too have been struggling with this weeks challenge. I don't have kids and shots of hifi knobs and xbox controllers can be soooo tedious. You can't exactly hang out at the local park to catch a shot either - you are likely to get arrested! Anyway, nice shot - think it captures the experience nicely. Seems a little dark on my screen but is certainly growing on me.
comment by Tom B at 02:45 AM (GMT) on 14 May, 2004
I must admit that this photo did not do too much for me when I first looked at it a few days ago but I will honestly admit that I have looked at it more than several times since that first time and I am starting to come around and I now really like the image.
I think I am just not used to such high contrast images but this shot may be the one that turns me around. 8-)
Very nice.
comment bymacwagen at 09:14 PM (GMT) on 21 May, 2004
saturation is killer...angle perfect. dreamy, thoughtful. you've got some great work here!
comment by armin at 11:59 PM (GMT) on 4 February, 2005
One of the best in the related category . The idea behind this frame is much more valuabe than the techinqal aspect . Thanks (on behalf of my childhood) .
With four children this week’s Photo Friday challenge – Play – should have been easy, but I hadn’t realised just how slow the autofocus is on the Canon G5. Our kids tend to move around at a speed that the human eye can barely comprehend, and my camera just isn’t up to it. Over the last couple of days I must have taken dozen’s of shots that have no children in them at all (by the time the camera had focussed, the children had long gone ;-)
For this shot though the movement was a bit more predictable and I quite like how it turned out. I did want to take something of them playing together, as we’re really fortunate that our kids all seem to like one another, but none of them were worth putting up so I gave up trying :-)
capture date
aperture
shutter speed
shooting mode
exposure bias
metering mode
ISO
focal length
image quality
white balance
2.42pm on 3/5/04
f5.0
1/640
aperture priority
+0.0
evaluative
50
7.2mm
RAW
auto
looks like your tenaciousness payed off. Great shot.
I must confess that when I first looked at this one I thought "tedious..." But then I looked at your child and the imensity of the sky and thought better, "yeah, to a child, the sky's the limit".
So, if only to remind us, rational adults, that to all sky is always the limit, your photo wins the match.
One last word to the PS technique: I learned from you the usefull trick of using blur in a layer ? etc. and use it frequently - but did it pay using it in this photo? Shouldn't the "harsh" blue of the sky be retained?
I did wonder how this shot might be received, both technically and aesthetically. What I was after, and I'm not sure it was at all successful, was some way of capturing the idea that play can be a very individualistic pastime for young children. When I watch our two youngest playing (two and a half, and fifteen months) they sometimes play together but more often than not they play 'around' one another, playing their own games in their own worlds. And I suppose I was trying to capture some of that with this shot.
The trouble I sometimes have with shots of our own kids though, is that I can read things into the shots I take because I know them, and sometimes don't realise, or can't see, that that isn't necessarily obvious to anyone else. In this instance I know that our daughter is enjoying herself, but her playing is a rather insular activity.
As for the blur: two reasons. The focus was a bit off which didn't much matter because I wanted to create a soft almost dreamy feel to match her mood. But, of course, if her mood isn't at all obvious then the feel of the shot wont make a great deal of sense.
Really nice. I would even say one of the best photos I have ever seen...
What a fantastic images, the composition you selected is wonderful!
Too much of an overlay duplication, or perhaps the guassian blur was too strong in it. A good shot, but a little too much on the PS effect...
Given the mixed opinions about this shot I've also put up an unblurred version (or, more accurately, one with no added Photoshop blur) here:
.../iblog/archives/pf_play.php
Personally, I don't think this one has the same impact as the version I did put up but I thought it might prove interesting to compare the two - let me know what you think.
And finally: the image that's now on the main page is a hybrid of the first two, but it's mostly unblurred. On the page referenced in my previous comment there are two images. The first is the original shot, and the second is the "straight" shot. Again, I'd be interested to hear which of the three versions people prefer. Personally, I now like the hybrid version better.
Given the state of the original I see now why you decided to use the blur treatment. This third version, being more balanced between reality and "dreaminess" is the one I prefer.
perfect "caught in the act" shot, like the way it turned out :-)
~~
What a beautiful color!
Overall, while I think this was an interesting shot, it certainly wasn't one of my best efforts. We live and learn ;-)
Thanks for the photo. I too have been struggling with this weeks challenge. I don't have kids and shots of hifi knobs and xbox controllers can be soooo tedious. You can't exactly hang out at the local park to catch a shot either - you are likely to get arrested! Anyway, nice shot - think it captures the experience nicely. Seems a little dark on my screen but is certainly growing on me.
hey i understand what u mean, we all feel differently about pics, but thanks for sharing your perspective, i do feel some of it too. ;)
lovely pic btw.
Nice colors! How did you get the colors?
I must admit that this photo did not do too much for me when I first looked at it a few days ago but I will honestly admit that I have looked at it more than several times since that first time and I am starting to come around and I now really like the image.
I think I am just not used to such high contrast images but this shot may be the one that turns me around. 8-)
Very nice.
saturation is killer...angle perfect. dreamy, thoughtful. you've got some great work here!
One of the best in the related category . The idea behind this frame is much more valuabe than the techinqal aspect . Thanks (on behalf of my childhood) .