Have you ever taken a photo you didn't want to share?

[johndec]

I love this hobby and I am really appreciative of all the help, support and knowledge that I've gained since I've been a member of this forum, but are any of you like me and sometimes take a pic that is not quite up to scratch technically and you are hesistant to publish it here yet there is something in that picture that attracts you?

If you are wondering what I'm prattling on about, I took a photo tonight of my 16yo daughter and my 5yo son and almost everything is wrong with it but I love it To me as a father it shows a bond of love between the subjects and their father that took the photo. Technically it sucks... It's got blown highlights in the background courtesy of late afternoon sun on stainless steel, it was taken with my 50mm f1.8 at 1/60 at 1.8 so it's wide open and a bit soft and it has a slight yellow cast that I cant get rid of without turning everyone anemic looking

Anyway, stuff all that, I'll publish it as I'm proud of the subjects even if I'm not so proud of the skill of the guy who took the pic I could have cropped out the blown highlights, but such a tight crop just didn't work for me. It needed the backgound to balance the pic in my eyes..

[birddog114]

Hi John,
You have happy faces there on both of them, that's important.
I know, sometimes we may have to do the same thing like yours but learning are the long way to the end of our life. BTW, watch out mate! you're tempting to many young bachelor on this board
Merry Xmas!!!!

[ozimax]

That boy is too big for five! And definitely too heavy for sister to carry!

Some of the the great shots I reckon aren't necessarily technically perfect, they're just great shots. This one is a beauty. BTW, I have an almost 16yo daughter, and a 14yo daughter (not to mention the two older boys). My 16 yo daughter is starting to pick up on photography, has borrowed her Grandfather's camera at the moment, and I think she has a good eye for a photo. We'll wait and see what happens!

Max

[MCWB]

John, it's great, don't worry about it! People get a bit too hung up on blown highlights IMHO, the image still works. Maybe a bit of magic wand + gaussian blur for the background might work wonders!

[Sheetshooter]

John,

A point far too frequently overlooked is that the true purpose of a photograph is to capture a slice of life - a moment preserved. Either a real moment or an imagined moment.

We see way more technically perfect moments presented which hardly warranted preservation than is probably good for us. It leads to cynicism and disinterest. But this photograph - despite what you consider to be flaws - is a wonderful view into three lives and their connectedness. It will remain with you and the subjects and, in time, the subjects' children to be a reminder of the bond at a point in time between all the participants .... visible and invisible.

Such a delightful moment; and thank goodness that you DID decide to share it.

Cheers,

[Aussie Dave]

I agree with Walter. The thoughts and emotions this photo will evoke for yourself and your family will vastly outweigh any technical imperfections in the shot. The layperson (not obsessed with photographic excellence), will not see the blown highlights, softness of the 50 1.8 wide open etc.., they will see what is simply in front of them.....two beautiful kids smiling for the camera & their Dad !

Quite often friends & family see photos I've taken, still in RAW/NEF format and think they are fantastic - where I see them and think "geez, this needs alot of work". Sometimes, we are all way too hard on ourselves....but that's human nature

Great stuff....

[Onyx]

John, you're far too hard on yourself. That is definitely a great image, and well captured.

[losfp]

I think that's a great shot! Nice moment, well captured.

Technically it's pretty good too - I wouldn't have noticed the blown highlights etc if they weren't pointing out, because I was too busy thinking "wow, great photo". I think sometimes we're all a bit guilty of worrying about equipment and conditions and technique and not thinking about capturing the moment.

[Sheetshooter]

Never thought I'd be advocating 'the fix it in post' school of thought but surely you could sample a more muted tone such as the fence uprights or the tree trunks and fill the blown railing with that.

It's a corker of a shot and may be more appealing to YOU if you did this.

Cheers,

[marcotrov]

Love can be blind to detail John. Expressions say it all, its a lovely shot and I know exactly what you mean, my friend. You have every reason to turn a blind eye - the love is in the air, hell I nearly broke out into the JPY song.
cheers and merry Xmas and enjoy nature's gift to you.
Marco

[Alpha_7]

Definitely worth sharing, and I can't say much more without echoing the above... some great images aren't technically right, they just have elements that work.... in this case its your two kids and the bond between them! Well done!

[Mj]

John, nothing wrong with this shot that a little, fairly simple, PP won't put to right. Some of the possible improvements already mentioned above. other than that... get it on paper and put it in a nice frame for the mantle.

[sirhc55]

John - all I can do is share the sentiments of Sheetshooter. I have many archived photos that I would never share on any forum as they are both personal and, in many cases, imperfect. But they are special to me

[Greg B]

What makes a "good" photograph?

What makes a photograph good?

- subject?
- artistic merit?
- technical excellence?
- information?
- a nice frame?

Any photograph which brings joy to the viewer is good.

[Matt. K]

What blown highlights? Maybe your monitor sucks. Beautiful image...beautiful background. Will print beautifully.

[BBJ]

John I agree, with others as well i too have some pics with slight blown highlights but i dont care it adds to the picture and i can live with it.
I think this is a nice picture, and wouldn't pic it at all as not always you can get that perfect pic and you only have to please 1 person so yeh nice memory.
Cheers
John
BBJ

[dooda]

THere really isn't anythiing wrong with this pic. I mean the white stuff could go, but the expression captures the eyes right away.

[Geoff]

John mate,
It's a great capture! Frame it and take some more

[johndec]

Gee, I really want to say thank you to everyone that has replied to this thread. All of your comments and suggestions have really blown me away and hopefully have taught/reminded a few of us of the actual reasons we bought cameras in the first place!!

I think we are all guilty of occasionally forgetting about the "subject" and concentrating on the "image". I am heartened that this attitude does not seem to pervade this forum.

To paraphase Greg B, there are "good photographs" and "photographs that are good" In 10 years time when I look up at the pics on my wall, I will get more from this than many of my "technically excellent" pics that are lined up beside it... (yes, it's going on the wall after a couple of well suggested PP adjustments)  PS: Matt K thinks I might have a dodgy monitor. I'll have stern words with the guy who sold it to me. From memory it was some bloke from Belmore with a Cessna fetish

[mudder]

G'day,
Agree with the sentiments already shown by everyone here, sometimes we forget what we are doing with a camera, recording a precious memory that can be cherished or trying to create a technical and sometimes cold, unemotional image. This would bring a smile to your dial, and that's the most important part.

This is one of those keepers that you will look back upon fondly over the years, a beautiful moment...

[Dug]

"Depth of feeling is more important than depth of field"

A good shot

I just screwed 8 rolls of graduation photos

Not happy the sensor on the F100 was just slightly out I had a problem with the battery in the F5 so swapped cameras to my backup.

The shots are useable/saleable (Just) but not what I would expect.

Stuffups happen, live with them, learn from them, keep going, try to never make the same mistake twice.