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Author Topic: More like my normal stuff  (Read 3341 times)

michswiss

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More like my normal stuff
« on: September 08, 2010, 11:20:37 am »

Would appreciate your thoughts.


popnfresh

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Re: More like my normal stuff
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2010, 02:29:44 pm »

The left and center guys are too much in the shadow and I don't care for the harsh lighting behind them. The guy on the right with the cigarette and the smoke curling in the air is the one thing I find interesting in this shot. I would crop everything else out.
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Justinr

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Re: More like my normal stuff
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2010, 04:10:08 pm »

An excellent display of photography rather than camera wizardry. The light behind both illuminates the presence and yet casts compelling mystery and doubt upon the protagonists. One is delightfully, almost thrillingly,  reminded that although we may view the lives of others we can never really belong. So close and yet so far.
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Ifocus4u

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Re: More like my normal stuff
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2010, 06:28:31 pm »

I agree with popnfresh's suggestion for the crop.  I like to make sure that the subject is well lit so it is recognizable.  If a silhouette is what one is after than the extreme works.  In this shot it does look as if the lighting wasn't considered and the subjects are quite dark. I too love the smoke and it keeps attracting my eye.  A good effort all round...and it has a story to tell.  :)
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RSL

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Re: More like my normal stuff
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2010, 06:49:08 pm »

Mich, I hate to rain on the parade, but the crop is too tight. You can't chop that rice bowl the way Pop did it. There's really nothing you can do about it. If you make the crop looser, more of the other guy's shoulder, and just the side of his face shows, which is a no-no. The original is okay except for the balance of the lighting and the mid-tones. Assuming you shot raw, in Photoshop or even in Lightroom you should be able to bring the thing into a lot closer balance. There's nothing wrong with the composition. Your instinct was right when you made the shot, and there's no crop that's going to improve it. Since you haven't posted a URL for a web, I have no idea what your "normal stuff" looks like, but if it's like this, but with the tones in better balance I'd like to see more of it.
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Russ Lewis  www.russ-lewis.com.

michswiss

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Re: More like my normal stuff
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2010, 09:45:44 pm »

Yeah, I can't really agree with the suggested crop either.  The lighting was extremely harsh and I knew there were going to be technical issues once I got it back to the computer.  But, I felt there was something there worth capturing and I just had to try.  I might try a couple of other processing techniques to balance things out.  If anything, I struggled with whether to bring out any of the shadows in the faces of the men on the centre and left vs leaving them as silhouettes.

I've added a link to my galleries in my signature.  It's not very organised as I tend to drop everything in a WIP gallery before moving them to a subject or project area.  My day job keeps me fairly busy so a lot of my photography time is at night prowling around the backstreets of Shanghai where I live and work.

Jenn

popnfresh

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Re: More like my normal stuff
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2010, 11:15:24 pm »

Do you work in the advertising industry? Just curious.
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RSL

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Re: More like my normal stuff
« Reply #7 on: September 09, 2010, 10:38:14 am »

Jennifer, I've now looked at your "normal stuff" and I'm impressed. Obviously you have the guts and the disposition to get out among 'em and shoot. Keep on doing that and keep on posting. Most of what you'll see on here is the easy stuff: mostly landscape, flowers, dogs and the like; the kind of thing that doesn't put you in a situation where someone might look at you crosseyed. It's refreshing to see a photographer who's interested in people instead of rocks and vegetables.

A suggestion: I doubt there's much you can do about the harsh backlighting. It looks blown. But since there's really no way to make all the faces silhouettes, try bringing up some mid-tones in the faces on the left. It may not be possible to salvage the shot, but, as you said, sometimes you just have to have a go at it to see what happens.
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Russ Lewis  www.russ-lewis.com.

michswiss

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Re: More like my normal stuff
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2010, 11:26:12 am »

Do you work in the advertising industry? Just curious.

No I don't.  I consult around Healthcare and Life Sciences.  I'm really curious why you thought I might be in advertising?

michswiss

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Re: More like my normal stuff
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2010, 11:32:33 am »

Russ, those are really kind words.  Thanks.  Fwiw, if you dropped me in a national park anywhere in the world, I'd be looking for where the wildlife hangs out to play cards or mahjong.

popnfresh

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Re: More like my normal stuff
« Reply #10 on: September 09, 2010, 04:59:15 pm »

No I don't.  I consult around Healthcare and Life Sciences.  I'm really curious why you thought I might be in advertising?
It was just some of the terminology you used that we hear in the advertising world.
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John R

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Re: More like my normal stuff
« Reply #11 on: September 09, 2010, 10:02:40 pm »

I have just visited your site. Overall, it is an impressive body of work. You have an eye for making the ordinary look unusal and worth reexamining. I note that within your "street" work, there is much abstract, and play of shapes and colours. I particularly enjoyed your motion images. I really liked the one of the girl with the umbrella, soft and surreal, and so feminine. The other that caught my eye, is the boy with large eyes looking up, way up, as the long legs running down clearly implied. It showed the relationship of a boy to an adult, and that he was vulnerable and looking for attention. Very impressive.

And by the way, I would not alter you image at all. It has spontaneity and impact, combined with rich play of shadow and light.

JMR
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tokengirl

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Re: More like my normal stuff
« Reply #12 on: September 10, 2010, 06:57:37 pm »

I like the composition the way it is.  As far as the two guys on the left being poorly lit, I'm not so bothered by that either.  It is what it is - three guys having a smoke in the shadows.

Lots of great photos on your site.
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