Tiny & Gustav

[fingerz]

This is my photoblog entry for today (http://www.jameyhoward.com/photoblog/index.php?id=11) (click for background story if you want). I'm not happy with it but I don't really know why. That's where you lot come in. Rip it to shreds and make me better.

http://www.jameyhoward.com/images/photoblog/11.jpg

All I really did was brighten his face a bit because the cap made it quite dark around the eyes. I tried to sharpen it but the pattern on his jacket started to look really pixelated so I couldn't go very far.

I was disappointed by not being able to sharpen more as Walter Molotov (one of the photoblogs I check) seems to have a knack for making patterned jackets look really pin-sharp (example 1 (http://www.jbuhler.com/photoblog/index.php?showimage=246) / example 2 (http://www.jbuhler.com/photoblog/index.php?showimage=261)) and I was hoping to do a bit of a copycat move.

Most of the other shots I got (and there were plenty) were poor. Bad framing, not close enough, shutter speed not high enough (despite using ISO 800 - light was poor)... This really was the best one IMO. But I'm still not happy.

[Warspite]

Stop knocking yourself - I think its a good capture:)

I suppose when you got to get a shot it is sometimes necessary to compromise a few things. Considering the high ISO I think it looks pretty good considering all the textures in the shot such as the grain on the bench, folliage on the trees. :thumb:

Might not be something that you wished to expose in your shot, but looking at the gentleman I think you made his day, I'm sure I can see a proud smile that hes trying to hide:)

[CT]

It's a nice shot Jamey - you're getting rather good at these.

The key elements here are the gent, Cyril and the bench. There's a lot of space to the left of Cyril which adds nothing, and causes the eye to wander around. So - why not tighten the whole thing up and concentrate the attention on the key elements? Because the gent is rather close to the edge of the frame, putting Cyril similarly close, but opposite, gives a better balance I think?
http://www.thephotographyforums.com/albums/album23/11_2.jpg

I increased the contrast a tad and gave it a sharpen. The jacket looks OK to me but pics posted at this low res will give problems with patterned areas like that.

What do you think?

[Steve]

CT got in there before me but I will reenforce what he has said, the issue you have is because Cyril had space to the left and the guy is right on the edge of the frame leaving the image unbalanced. The crop applied by CT sorts that problem and improves the picture's viewing pleasure.

[CT]

Congrats on the blog btw way Jamey. It's an excellent way of making a commitment to submit regular work and just the right thing for you to be doing now. Street photography definitely seems to be your forte and I can see a real latent talent there with this shot and others you've shown lately, so keep it up. :)

[Steep]

I think in addition to the above comments you didn't catch the bloke at the right moment. I think the shot would have worked better had he either appeared to be totally oblivious to the squirrel or looking directly at it.

[DJW]

..... or looking directly at it.

Like this :-

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/djw_666/squirrels.jpg

...well some where near it...only had a few mins to play. Jamey, hope you don't mind the changes...the extra squirrels are just for :banana: . Think it shows that the squirrel could me moved for more impact if required.

On a serious note some good work from you there fella :)

[Arkady]

A step to the left would have sorted the composition.
We were lucky(?!) enough to be sent up to Sheffield Uni to spend a fortnight on the Photojournalism course they run there and the one thing you get hammered into you again and again is to move round the subject - long shot, medium shot, close shot. Work the subject - it's too late thinking about what you could have done when you're looking at the computer screen back home.
And don't forget to use different camera angles, high, middle, low.

[CT]

Sorry DJW, I hit the edit button there instead of the quote button and pretty well nuked your post :coat:

[CT]

Like this :-

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/djw_666/squirrels.jpg

or even...

http://www.thephotographyforums.com/albums/album23/11_3.jpg


although I don't think we're appealing to Jamey's purist tendencies here. ;)

On a serious note, I only just picked up on the fact that the gent's and the squirrel's hands are in much the same position, and had the gent been looking down at his hands they'd have been mirror images of each other and the shot would have been an absolute corker. Once you start directing people though, you lose some spontaineity, and you have to play with the cards you're dealt anyway.

[DJW]

Sorry DJW, I hit the edit button there instead of the quote button and pretty well nuked your post :coat:

It's OK CT, I've updated back to norm :)

[CT]

Thanks. :icon_cool

[DJW]

On a serious note, I only just picked up on the fact that the gent's and the squirrel's hands are in much the same position, ....
Well spotted that man......

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/djw_666/Nuts.jpg

OK...no more *******ising Jamies great shot from me..... :coat:....although a bag of nuts in the mans hands...... :icon_cool

[JamPal]

Great shot. Much better before it has been played with IMO.

[fingerz]

Sorry I'm a bit late back into this thread.

Thanks guys. The thing that's made the biggest difference there is the closer crop on the left. Don't know why it didn't occur to me. And DJW's right, I should've moved around more. I'm always guilty of that.

Thanks for the help/criticism/compliments. Much obliged.