All three are interesting images, but all three have at least one thing about them that really detracts from the content, for me at least.
1) I find the blow highlights in the foreground distracting. Mainy in the comforter, but also in the reflection on the footboard of the bed. Usually you want to see the subject's eyes, but in this photo not seeing the eyes works for me.
2) The blown highlights in the girls' faces and arms don't really work for me here. I suspect that they are standing directly beneath a light and that's why the highlights are blown. Just curious, but is there any detail there that can be recovered in post?
3) The toning in this image has left the girl's eyes yellow. Perhaps if you desaturate the yellows a bit it might be better.
Please take all of my comments with a healthy dose of salt, because I am a far cry from being a professional.
1. An interesting playing pose, but it would benefit from greater sharpness. Also, it generally helps to get closer or use a longer lens to make the subject a larger portion of the image. Beginners commonly error by trying to include too much which dilutes the intent.
2. I like the playful energy of the second, but again greater sharpness and probably better concentration would help.
3. I like her direct expression, but the distracting image color cast and substantial noise suggests perhaps you tried to salvage an improperly exposed original? The color cast is complex enough to be difficult to correct in post processing, at least once it's reached the stage as posted.
1. Pose is cute. Absence of eye contact works in this pensive image. Needs to be sharper and less blown out highlights.
2. Cute as family/personal memory image. Third child engrossed in something else detracts from the subject. Contrast is too much and again you have lost too many highlights, and mid-tones.
3. Very cute. The best compositionally. Pretty noisy. Color cast is a problem and, as AuntiPode says, defies easy correction. Below I will post a subjective re-interpretation of color temp, tint, but I was unable to fix the cast with going for the soles of the shoes as a neutral gray.
Generally I think you need to isolate your subjects more, work on exposure settings and post-processing.
You're in tricky lighting situations, that's why almost every newspaper photographer i've ever met has a flash welded to the top of their camera, I guess....
I'm not saying that is what you should do, but thinking about the light can save you a lot of photoshop time It can also really bring out the story in the picture. For me the subjects and their stories don't really jump out here, and that's what photojournalism is all about.
In 1 the doll is almost as lost in the covers as the girl is, in her game and I have to search for the girl as she isn't the highlight of the photo.(quite literally, the highlights are the bedclothes). I do like the framing.
no.2 is too cluttered, lovely expressions though.
no.3 has caught a nice moment, but it looks like a rescue job, with the fill light slider pushed up high and the white balance way out. All because the light was slightly behind and above her. It's also resulted in dead black eyes, just 2 holes in her head. Was that the intent?
All these things are cured by experience, posting here and asking for criticism and practicing new ideas and techniques as you come across them.
Some thoughts:
Are you in the right place at the right time?
Is the picture in the view finder worth pressing the shutter for?
If the light isn't right for the moment, what can you do to change it?
Silva, great info and yes i'm a beginner.... it's easy to tell. I agree with all you say. I'll be posting more for criticism and practice. Great three questions also.
thanks all for your C&C. I love reading it!
Couple of suggestions: lighten the face in curves, then add magenta and a little yellow in color balance. Add some saturation.
I tried this and found it helps..... I'd also soften the pillow edges and the edges of the yellow window treatment.
More the point, I'd like to see this as it looked when it came out of the camera. Looks like it has had some dodging/burning without the right amount of feathering.....
It can also really bring out the story in the picture. For me the subjects and their stories don't really jump out here, and that's what photojournalism is all about.