Luminous Landscape Forum
The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: Dale Villeponteaux on October 15, 2015, 10:08:46 am
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In an outdoor cafe
Regards,
Dale
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Nice muted tones with a pleasing composition. I suspect it would work in B&W.
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Interesting use of a "frame within a frame". Although I find the heaters to be a distraction but you work with what you have.
Two people sharing the same location but each with their face buried in their device.
Together?
Yes, but not with each other. ;)
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This is the spot where 'advice' is expected, right? Okay, FWIW, I'd cut the top off until the heaters are just inoffensive vertical lines, make the shot wholly about the two people and forget any attempt to display location which, to me in this instance, doesn't add a thing.
B/W? Maybe, but I'd try to get the best out of colour first. Bit at a time...
;-)
Rob C
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Thanks for your critiques. I realize I'm getting expert advice for free, so I'll be brief.
To stamper: Thanks. I did decrease the saturation somewhat in the background colors.
To Otto Phocus: exactly what I thought when I saw the couple and later the picture.
To Rob C: As much as I hated to give up the "frame within a frame", I think further
cropping does produce a better picture
Appreciatively,
Dale
PS: Forgive the mutilation of the man's hand. A quick slash with the heal brush just to see the effect of removing one heater.
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Thanks for your critiques. I realize I'm getting expert advice for free, so I'll be brief.
To stamper: Thanks. I did decrease the saturation somewhat in the background colors.
To Otto Phocus: exactly what I thought when I saw the couple and later the picture.
To Rob C: As much as I hated to give up the "frame within a frame", I think further
cropping does produce a better picture
Appreciatively,
Dale
PS: Forgive the mutilation of the man's hand. A quick slash with the heal brush just to see the effect of removing one heater.
I think you cropped the wrong way; there was nothing wrong with the 'frame within frame' aspect, and I think making it square defeats the feeling I think I first saw in your picture; felt the original sides were perfectly okay, added the sense of space needed to point up isolation within, just that it needed to lose the tops of those darned, intrusive heaters. The bits that count are as much of the couple as you have caught, and the feeling of 'apart together' is international in scope, redolent of the contemporary isolation of the individual both in public places as much as within the unit, none of this needing the input of the 'tourist' background to make the point. That recent shot of Peter's of the little girl standing alone within a peopled space did this very well.
In that sense, stamper's idea of b/white might well add something gritty to the mood. On a general kick, I think square images don't suit that kind of subject very well, even if many famous streeters have used the 6x6(ish) format in the past; I suspect that the dynamic of horizontal adds motion, even to the stationary.
Incidentally, don't place much weight on contributions such as this, or any others: go with your gut.
Rob C
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Thanks for responding.
I tried cropping the top but then the image looked like a
3-panel cartoon. Cropping the sides restored some balance.
What I plan to do is to heal/stamp out both heaters. The first is simple;
the 2nd requiring rather more care.
I'll compare both versions in a couple of weeks to see which I like better.
BTW, no matter how polite or diffident my written speech, I always do what I
think best. On the other hand, I don't wish to offend anyone willing to provide
me with another viewpoint.
Thanks,
Dale
PS: I like this picture, but I doubt that I'll ever print it; I only print a minority
of my pictures to give to friends.