Any Suggestions?

[casil403]

My niece at her ballet class...I had some issues with not being able to use flash and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas how to correct? I'm sure I got the ISO wrong (still figuring out the camera) and is there any way to correct?
The second picture I tried using some B&W to focus the eye more on the girls in their pink tutu's.
Not too sure what I am to do with the first one but I really love the photo.
Suggestions greatly appreciated and thanks in advance....

[jjeling]

On the first image. The windows are extremely distracting. Be aware of really bright spots when looking through the viewfinder. They almost always kill a picture. There is a difference between what is meant as a photography and a keepsake. It looks like the iso is too high in the first image, resulting in all the noise you are noticing. It is a great keepsake image, but could use a little work in the other dept. Might want to move try cropping the left third of the image off. The second image is great. A little bright spot on the right side of the image but it looks like the lighting is a little difficult in that room. You did a good job with the conditions you had to deal with.

[casil403]

I cropped the fingers out of the second photo.. I just noticed them and they really bugged me!

[jjeling]

Nice catch. I didnt notice it until you mentioned it. They are the little details like that you will want to pay attention to when taking a picture. It is something all of us have problems with from time to time. Good work catching that. Great way to start your Post Production work as well.

[Mad Aussie]

In the first photo Casil we can see two bright windows ... will they let you crouch down in that corner?? If so they will go from being a problem to being a great source of light for you and will allow a lower ISO and clearer shots I think.

Try panning perhaps too. A slightly longer shutter speed might allow better exposure of the subject and a slight pan might provide nice movement/action.

If you are stuck with being on that side of the room then maybe they'll allow a silver or white reflector? I use the collapsible style automobile front windscreen reflectors. You know the ones that go inside on the dashboard? Buy the ones that you twist together and they collapse down to a small circular package but explode out to 2 big cirlces when you open them. Cut the two circles apart (there's always a fabric section in the middle) and you get two of them at about a 5th of the price a proper photographic one costs.

[jlabel]

You can´t use flash right? Well in this case I would recomend you try to stay with your back to the window if possible, so when she faces you she will be facing the window (light source) and you probably will have light enought to freeze her movement which should be around 1/250 or 1/500, wide open would help too F/2.8 if necessary, mostly SLR cameras today hold ISO 400 with little noise you dont need to shoot at iso 100 (I am sure you already used higher iso)

[casil403]

Super ideas everyone...thanks so much! The light in that room was pretty terrible and I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself as there were other family members watching their kids as well.

[Mad Aussie]

Hey Casil ... I was just looking at the EXIF data from your shots ...

Camera Make: PENTAX
Camera Model: PENTAX K200D
Image Date: 2009:01:24 11:59:34
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 37.5mm (35mm equivalent: 57mm)
Exposure Time: 0.022 s (1/45)
Aperture: f/6.7
ISO equiv: 400
White Balance: Auto
Metering Mode: Center Weight
Exposure: Landscape Mode

(I got that by using the info I put up this post http://www.photography.ca/Forums/showthread.php?p=13613#post13613 )

I've highlighted the 3 big ones.

Not sure if you used a manual setting or an automatic setting but this info certainly suggests that you could have used a lower f-stop (wider aperture). It would mean a shorter DOF might would allow you to raise that shutter speed a little. At 1/45th it's unlikely you'll get sharp photos.
Depending on the camera, 400 ISO might be as high as you can go without seeing serious noise but I reckon it's worth trying anything to to 800 ISO (maybe more) if you can't position yourself with a window behind you.

[casil403]

Hey, that's really neat...Thanks! :) I 'm pretty sure I put it on auto-pilot and just let the camera do its thing, as I'm so new to this SLR I've got. That and photo taking in general.
Got any ideas on how I could edit it after the fact or is it unfixable?

[Mad Aussie]

There are always improvements to made afterward in editing software like Photoshop but some photos are only ever going to allow so much improvement.

I think your daughters face is too underexposed and therefore the lack of light caused the noise we can see there and the 1/45th shutter speed and her running with your camera shake caused the lack of sharpness. Re-taking a similar picture with a lower f-stop (f2.8 for example if you have a lens that will do that) is the go really.

You could post this photo into the Post Processing here at Ph.ca and see what others can do with it. If someone's work impreses you then you could maybe email them the full size and have them send it back with the adjustments for you.

[kat]

Maybe it is just me, but it doesn't seem like the girl is in focus on the first shot. Maybe that is because of the ISO but I still dont' think she's in focus.

I really don't mind the second shot.

I've just started playing around with my camera as well. It can be really fustrating when you come home and your shots aren't what you saw when you where taking them. But with the help of reading and asking it'll come (or so I help :D ).

Yet another thread I can say..listen to Mad Aussie, I think he's on to something.

Can't wait to see some more!

[Marko]

Excellent critiques here:highfive:
Kat echoes my main concern about shot 1. It's out of focus. So even though there are noise issues, for me the main issue is that it's soft, so for me it becomes a souvenitr shot.

The second shot is pretty good and I love the colours. There are many distracting elements though(radio, window, even the adult) that could be better controlled. I would go back and take these shots again and play with different angles. LOADS of opportunity for great shots in this setting. Just need practice.
Hope that helps
Marko