That's so cool, Sharyn! I like the super close-up one, where you can see all the patterns on his feathers.

Way to go, Angie! I love that you are experimenting with different locations, looking for great light, etc. I think these turned out great. This is definitely a tough age when they're curious and wiggly but not sitting up yet. But you have lots of great angles here and darling expressions, even if they aren't big smiles. Um, and I LOVE the one of her looking down from her "throne" at the sign. Haha! So cute. The lighting in these is fabulous, in my opinion: soft and broad. I think you should be very proud. As for next steps...looks like the window was above her a little bit. One thing to try is to stand right next to the light source (so you would be up high with your camera, next to the window). Then when the subject looks at you, they light is hitting the front of their face instead of their forehead. Also, in some of them you used exposure compensation, which probably wasn't necessary, since the background was more dark than super bright. Does that make sense? Thanks again for posting. Can't wait to see more!

Wow, that is one darling baby! LOVE the meaty arms (my grandma calls them dinner rolls :-) Thanks so much, Angie, for sharing these precious photos. It looks like maybe you have a couple of strobe lights you are using?

These are so fun, Lydia- such a great peek at how a Photo Crew outing works. Looks like you guys got lots of "in-the-field" experience. Thank you so much for posting!

Yay! Sandra, I hope you are happy with these first shots off your new camera. And such cuties to practice on! Thanks so much for sharing. You are definitely on the right track, especially with the first 4 pictures here, where you had your subject completely in the shade (out of direct sunlight). I know that the shots in the shade sometimes appear underexposed (too dark), which is why most people then try putting there kids in direct sunlight to brighten up the shot. Totally logical idea. However, usually (unless it's during the "golden hours") the sun is so harsh that it gives you dark shadows. By sticking to the shade, you'll keep the light more even and flattering. Now, about the underexposure (darkness) of the shade shots...this is where the magical setting called Exposure Compensation comes in. You'll learn more about it in Lesson Five of Portraits 101. It will show you how to change the setting on your camera to brighten up the whole shot. That way you will get soft/even light, but your shot will be exposed properly (not look too dark). So keep reading through the Lessons (1-4) to learn how to avoid harsh light and find naturally soft light, and then Lesson 5 will show you exactly how to make that kind of lighting into truly beautiful portraits. I think you are well on your way. Let me know if you have any questions!

Hey Cara, it looks like you are doing the right things in terms of lighting: finding shady spots and maybe using cloudy skies to soften the light. You might notice that these shots look a little dark to be taken in such nice light. I checked your shooting data (just click on "Shooting Data" at the top of your photo here in The Lab), and it appears that you were shooting at EV -1. The EV is your exposure compensation, so you were telling the camera to make it a whole stop (measurement of exposure) darker. Oops! Check out Lesson 5 of Portraits 101 for lots of info on exposure compensation, including how to set it on your camera. Maybe try going back to these spots and shooting with the EV set at 0. I'd love to see your new shots and the difference it makes. Let me know if you have questions!