For critique please

[Karen_Linsley]

Here's one, I'd like to know if this would be suitable for submission for certification:

[Rory_Schweighart]

I like it you might take it down just a tag the highlights on the head and sholder seems blown out a touch. and if there is more space by the feet you might add a touch.

[Karen_Linsley]

Thanks Rory.

[Mark_Levesque]

This is a difficult place to get a good photograph due to the mottled light falling on the subjects. Light filtered through trees like that plays **** on exposure. The issues here are uneven light in general and blown highlights on the child's forehead and his sister's shoulder in particular. If you had the RAW file and could photoshop this into correctness, I'd also burn down the highlight on their feet, but honestly it would be a lot easier to avoid this kind of light in the first place.

[Karen_Linsley]

Thanks Mark, somehow I thought that's what you would say! I looked for a place with full shade that conformed to the requests of the client, they wanted to be on the grass, that was the only shady area on the grass. My decision was to keep them in shade even if it was mottled shade, rather than put them in the sun. Perhaps next time I should have my assistant hold my reflector with the black side out over their heads to get rid of the mottled shade and have total shade?

I did work with the highlights: did the recovery thing in Lightroom, then in photoshop worked on the highlights on the baby's head, but left the girl's shoulder and feet alone.

So, bottom line, this will not do for certification?

[Mark_Levesque]

Next time have your assistant hold a reflector to block the light or a diffusion panel to diffuse it. Must be nice to have an assistant!

So, bottom line, this will not do for certification?

I can't speak authoritatively because I haven't submitted my images yet, but I wouldn't use this image as is. Maybe with a lot of painful PS work you could eliminate the problems, but it would probably be easier to find a base image that's closer to where you want it to be. Sorry.

[Jack_Reznicki]

Here's one, I'd like to know if this would be suitable for submission for certification:

Karen,

The background keeps fighting the midground. My eyes keep going to the back left part of the photo. It's too light and too in focus for me. Having the big black house on the right doesn't help that. I would have shot very wide open to soften teh background.
Also, regarding focus, the judges will get you on the bush growing out of the little girl's head.

Love their expressions and I'm sure they loved the background. But for judging, I'd crop it out and make the family and the expresions the photo, rather than the setting.

[Karen_Linsley]

Ok, how about this one?

[Karen_Linsley]

here's another:

[Karen_Linsley]

Karen,

The background keeps fighting the midground. My eyes keep going to the back left part of the photo. It's too light and too in focus for me. Having the big black house on the right doesn't help that. I would have shot very wide open to soften teh background.
Also, regarding focus, the judges will get you on the bush growing out of the little girl's head.

Love their expressions and I'm sure they loved the background. But for judging, I'd crop it out and make the family and the expresions the photo, rather than the setting.

Thanks Jack! I like your new avatar by the way!