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Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Shallow DOF III (Basic Editing)
Collection: Favorites - Ribbons
Camera: Canon EOS-5D
Lens: Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Canon
Location: Easton, CT
Date: Jan 28, 2007
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/125
Date Uploaded: Jan 30, 2007

 The plan was simply to get a good shot of my daughter's eye. I had no other expectations, but she's not exactly patient. After a few minutes of trying to get her still enough for a sharp photo, she was already in meltdown mode and cranked up the waterworks. She didn't get much sympathy... "Ooh, ooh! This is great! Yeah, keep crying!" It was really just one tear, but it offered a nice touch on an otherwise overdone cliche shot.

I used the full frame Canon 5D, a Sigma macro lens AND an extension tube for razor-thin DOF. I had a 60" shoot-through umbrella behind me to the right, and a 36" gold umbrella to the left of her face.

Processing: Convert from RAW for maximum iris definition, levels, slight shadow/highlight, HSL, and USM. Most of the work was in HSL. I found that the hair and iris were mostly in the yellow channel while the skin and background were mostly red, so I just played with saturation and lightness on those channels with some slight hue shifts to really emphasize the iris. The reddish hair in the background became grainy with the shifts, so I ran Noise Ninja on the 640px file, which provided a nice additional sharpness boost.

Statistics
Place: 3 out of 413
Avg (all users): 6.9344
Avg (commenters): 9.3000
Avg (participants): 6.6591
Avg (non-participants): 7.1895
Views since voting: 11181
Views during voting: 392
Votes: 183
Comments: 43
Favorites: 26 (view)

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AuthorThread
 02/13/2007 06:05:41 PM
Love it! Congratulations.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/13/2007 05:20:05 PM
Nice job Shannon. Glad to read that a tear or two won't come in the way of a great finish. Well done! :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/12/2007 08:14:41 PM
Excellent photo!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/10/2007 11:48:27 PM
Ha ha! Love your backstory.

"Honey, I know I made you cry, but look at my virtual ribbon!"
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/10/2007 10:50:46 AM
Might be a "cliche shot" as you say but it has to be done well to pull it off and you did excellent, even if you are a mean father and made your daughter cry to "get the shot". I agree with Jacko, "gotta love that lens", so I finally ordered mine. Hope I can do it half the justice.

Nice job.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/09/2007 12:43:14 PM
Gotta love that lens. Great shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/08/2007 05:20:19 PM
love it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 07:06:47 PM
Congrats man! It's an honor to be on the same page with you.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 06:41:25 PM
Great shot, great model, congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 05:10:23 PM
Wow, now that's shallow! Your shot. Not your insensitivity to your poor little daughter's tear. Although....now that you brought it up.... ;)
Excellent capture and congratulations on your ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 04:36:01 PM
GO you! Kudos.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 04:04:17 PM
I love the tiny tear on her eyelash...great detail Shannon...you've already started your 2007 ribbon run mate! I LOVE eye shots...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 12:23:17 PM
Another ribbon *yawn*
You make it look too easy Shannon - congrats!
What's next - cell mitosis?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 10:48:37 AM
Originally posted by legalbeagle:
Very nice!

Reminds me a little of Jill Greenberg's series.


Ohno!! I felt so bad for all those kiddies...just made me want to cuddle and comfort them all! poor babies..

about the photo, love it! well deserved ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 10:44:48 AM
wow
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 10:11:34 AM
Beautiful!! Congrats on the Yellow Ribbon!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 09:18:01 AM
Many congratulations, Shannon! I'm glad you're putting the 105 to good use - it's such a fun lens!

PS - you didn't have resized twice or something like that, right? :)

Message edited by author 2007-02-07 09:56:24.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 08:50:21 AM
Very nice!

Reminds me a little of Jill Greenberg's series.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 07:18:12 AM
Great Shot. Nice show of emotion in this photo. If only I can be as good as you are.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 06:09:47 AM
Nothing like torturing your subjects to get the shot! ;-) Great job, Shannon, congratz!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 04:54:21 AM
Ah this is great: the thumbnail appears so ordinary, and then you click on it, and then POW it's this amazing composition with fine, fine detail.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 03:56:04 AM
Great shot, those eye lashes are as sharp as it gets, beautiful! Well done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 03:17:06 AM
congrats on the ribbon! It's really a beautiful shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 03:05:21 AM
Beautiful shot, congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 03:03:39 AM
Very nice, Shannon, congrats on the yellow!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 02:28:10 AM
Congrats
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 12:53:10 AM
Congrats. So you didn't plant that water drop and deceive the voters? I'm shocked. :P
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 12:30:53 AM
Ah, I love this shot. Those browns... the tear... perfect. Congratulations, Shannon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 12:23:01 AM
Sweet shot, Shannon. This week you took 3rd and I took 4th... that's just wrong!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 12:18:51 AM
Beautiful detail!! Congrats!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 12:13:07 AM
Well, apparently there is no justice. Glad to see it in the top three at least. Congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2007 12:05:51 AM
Congrats on ribbon
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
02/06/2007 11:56:42 PM
this is amazing. great job. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/06/2007 11:51:55 PM
Powerful. One of my top picks. Well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/06/2007 07:17:52 PM
Great detail. Nice job.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/06/2007 06:56:36 PM
very well done. one of three 10s for this challenge. if there is any justice this will take the blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/06/2007 03:11:12 PM
Very nice
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/06/2007 06:04:42 AM
Great photo. Love the shallow DOF and sharpnes. Nice work
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/05/2007 02:07:57 PM
aww, she's crying, but her eye's are so beautiful, and the drop of water on the eyelash is nice
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/04/2007 10:24:48 PM
Wow! Truely stunning. Good luck with the ribbon - this deserves it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/31/2007 04:52:49 PM
Fantastic.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/31/2007 02:04:21 PM
Great Photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/31/2007 12:12:44 AM
Perhaps not the best picture for this particular challenge but this is terrific. On second thought, it isn't bad for this challenge either. I can't help but give it a 10.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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