Need some help!

[foodpoison]

Okay, doing a piece for my final A-Level, theme is 'loneliness', and my subject is humans.
This is part 1 of 4, other ones soon to come.
Basically, got my friend to dress up in a suit, and we went to the local train station for pictures.
The conditions were pretty horrible, it was dark, and my nifty fifty didn't want to autofocus in the dark, so it was a manual focus jobbie. And as some people may know, its pretty difficult to tell what the focus is like when manual focusing in the dark.
Couldn't use the flash because it was too harsh against my friend.

Basically, I need an opinion of what is:
A) the strongest photo that represents my theme
B) the best photo in your opinion
C) the best photo technically

1.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2036/2209333431_e80a9eec62.jpg?v=0

2.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2194/2209333025_bd31f1cf7b.jpg?v=0

3.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2299/2210126114_0364cb0b75.jpg?v=0

4.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2184/2210125678_cd9c51b3c5.jpg?v=0

5.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2081/2210125160_73a17af8a4.jpg?v=0

All were taken at 50mm 800ISO with varying s/s and aperture, and taken in raw so any effects you see in the pictures can be replicated.
Thanks for looking, and if you leave feedback, thanks for the C+C :) :thumbs:

[ElCapone]

i think number 3 shows loneliness the most but i really like number 2, theres just something about it

[dellipher]

I like No 3 - however I think No2 is something you'd see on a stock photography site! :)

[dazzajl]

Well in my opinion A, B and C are all no.2

Although no.1 does run a close second for personal fave and best technically.

Just to expand a little, I think no.2 fits your theme best as he's so small and isolated in the frame. Plus the train on the other side of the frame adds a feel of being left behind. It's my pick for techy best as the detail you want is clear across the frame and the focus looks to be good and sharp. And for same reasons it fits the theme, it's my favourite. :)

[foodpoison]

i think number 3 shows loneliness the most but i really like number 2, theres just something about it

3 shows the loneliness, but the problem I have with it is that, technically, its really poor. Noisy, oof, white balance all over the place.
I like number 2, too. In my humble opinion (:p) it is the best technically, and considering the train is the thing in focus, it makes his insignificance that bit more hard hitting.

I like No 3 - however I think No2 is something you'd see on a stock photography site! :)

As I said above, I really like number 3, but the quality of the shot is just too imperfect for me :shrug:

Well in my opinion A, B and C are all no.2

Although no.1 does run a close second for personal fave and best technically.

Just to expand a little, I think no.2 fits your theme best as he's so small and isolated in the frame. Plus the train on the other side of the frame adds a feel of being left behind. It's my pick for techy best as the detail you want is clear across the frame and the focus looks to be good and sharp. And for same reasons it fits the theme, it's my favourite. :)

I love number 1, although it has little/no relevance to my theme at all :p

but yeah, thanks for the input guys, I really like number two, and I think thats the one I'll be going for as my 1/4 of a final piece. Cheers for the input.

[kevshore]

I like 5. The lightings nice and it tells a story. He's desperate to get home to his partner. So much so that he's not even noticed how cold and damp it is. He's holding his jacket. Depth of field is nice. You find yourself looking deep into the track hoping the trains coming. The glint of white light teases you into thinking it is. Then you realise its on the wrong side.The only thing I would change, is the orange glow above his head. Other than that I really like it.
Please excuse my rambling. Got carried away! lol.

[foodpoison]

I like 5. The lightings nice and it tells a story. He's desperate to get home to his partner. So much so that he's not even noticed how cold and damp it is. He's holding his jacket. Depth of field is nice. You find yourself looking deep into the track hoping the trains coming. The glint of white light teases you into thinking it is. Then you realise its on the wrong side.The only thing I would change, is the orange glow above his head. Other than that I really like it.
Please excuse my rambling. Got carried away! lol.

Oh god, now you've confused me!

[kevshore]

Oops. Maybe I'm just strange.... :-)

[barryjohnston43]

They are all excellent, a little tip, when trying to focus in the dark get your model hold against their body a piece of white paper with a cross [with a felt tip pen] because of the contrast auto focus will pick it up, hey presto jobs a good'un. Really like the pics.
Barry.

[sambonebs]

I'd go for number 1, I think it hits the spot.

BTW, that's Leigh station right?

[foodpoison]

They are all excellent, a little tip, when trying to focus in the dark get your model hold against their body a piece of white paper with a cross [with a felt tip pen] because of the contrast auto focus will pick it up, hey presto jobs a good'un. Really like the pics.
Barry.

Thanks :)

Ah! Thats a plan!
I shall add a piece of paper with a cross to my kit bag :thumbs:

Thanks for the tip

[foodpoison]

I'd go for number 1, I think it hits the spot.

BTW, that's Leigh station right?

1 is my favourite, but since a-level photography is so heavily based on photos having a meaning, its not overly obvious where he is which immediately detracts about 90% of the story from the image. He is simply a business man looking at his watch, whereas you saw the amount of detail you could go into about shot number 5.

I am so stuck. I'm leaning towards 5 because of the back story, but leaning towards 2 because of the composition/colour, but leaning towards 1 because its just a sh*t hot picture!

And no, its sandhurst station :)

[barryjohnston43]

They are all excellent, a little tip, when trying to focus in the dark get your model hold against their body a piece of white paper with a cross [with a felt tip pen] because of the contrast auto focus will pick it up, hey presto jobs a good'un. Really like the pics.
Barry.
Even manual focus will be easier with this method.

[sambonebs]

1 is my favourite, but since a-level photography is so heavily based on photos having a meaning, its not overly obvious where he is which immediately detracts about 90% of the story from the image. He is simply a business man looking at his watch, whereas you saw the amount of detail you could go into about shot number 5.

I am so stuck. I'm leaning towards 5 because of the back story, but leaning towards 2 because of the composition/colour, but leaning towards 1 because its just a sh*t hot picture!

And no, its sandhurst station :)

Ah, looks just like Leigh in Kent.

I'd still go number one, I can't put my finger on why but it just evokes the feeling of being alone. I thought that even before I saw the brief. That said, they're all pretty damm good!

[foodpoison]

I took these 5 photos into my photography class today, to get some guidance from my teacher as to what photo is the strongest photo as far as marks are concerned.
He basically, in more words, told me that my photos are completely sh*t.
He didn't give comments and criticism, he was plain rude.

Safe to say, I walked out the class.
I think I'm going to go back, and try and re-create number 3 a bit better, because while my teacher was a complete pr*ck about it, he did tell me that number 3 was the strongest image.
Nonetheless, I'm extremely p*ssed off with how rude he was, and I'm not going to be going to his next couple of lessons in case I let out a mouthful.

[chenng]

Your teacher is clearly a bit :cuckoo:

Number two for me, I find that the most interesting. Also a bit helpless, the train is just out of reach for your poor passenger.

Not that it matters now - good luck - sounds like you will need it!

Gary

[chenng]

If that's Sandhurst, does that mean you are studying at Farnborough Sixth? And if so who is your teacher?

[Stacey.PenderUK]

I like three- only think without the watch looking! I think if maybe he was as the pose in two?! I like the idea....

Btw Hello from round the corner- Im in sunny Farnborough- One station that is lonely? Frimley...Not a nice place lol

Good luck with ** project!

PS Hi to Chenng also...Hawley?! You can prob see my employer from where you are!!!!

[foodpoison]

If that's Sandhurst, does that mean you are studying at Farnborough Sixth? And if so who is your teacher?

Sure does, and my teacher is Johannes Niemand, or Hanno for short.
You might know him, and if you do know him, and you DO like him, then forgive me for being so crude, but I find the man completely up his own, extremely rude, and perverted.
Its lucky that most of the work I've done is off my own esteem, because he has barely helped me at all, and if I did need help, I'd have to wait in line with all the other guys behind the members of the class with boobs.

[tomh]

I think #3 proberly is the best technically and represents your theme from those photos.

However, I wouldn't say any of them really represent the theme loneliness that well, and I wouldn't guess that just from looking at the photos.

[CT]

Basically, I need an opinion of what is:
A) the strongest photo that represents my theme
B) the best photo in your opinion
C) the best photo technically



No2 is probably the best for me. It's also the best shot technically as it doesn't exhibit the strong red/orange cast of the others due to a wrong wb setting under the artificial lights. Whilst the wb may be intentional, I think it imparts a warmth to the shots which is at odds with the feeling of loneliness you're trying to convey, and a cooler look would enhance the feeling of isolation and slight menace which these places often have at night.

As you shot in RAW, I'd certainly go back to the original files to get the best out of these as far as wb is concerned. I've had a play with just one of your images, but working from the RAW would be better. Unusually for me, I'd suggest you might want to think about trying mono on these?

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/1269/station1.jpg

[barryj]

A) has got to be 4 as when he's looking at his watch it says he's waiting for someone, he looks somwhat wooden but I think this pic best describes your subject.

B) I like #2 the best with the train coming into/just in the shot. reminds me of a cold winters night waiting for the train and the gits on the other platform get their train 20 minutes before mine arrives.

C) #1 but then I love silhouette shots

[fletch5]

personally, i dont see loniless in these that much, but more stranded or impatience. but well done with the focus in the dark:thumbs:

[foodpoison]

It seems that my theme is somewhat difficult to show within these photos.
Maybe the theme would be somewhat better represented if it was, as said above, stranded?

[walls]

I don't think a man waiting for a train is necessarily lonely, or at least the way you've depicted a lonely man. This guy obviously has somewhere to go and in my mind to a young family and beautiful wife!

If I was going to do this in the train station setting it would be using a much older guy, in a rain mac, in the dark slumped on a bench, holding onto his beat up leather satchel looking withdrawn etc etc.

Although I'd imagine there are better ways of depicting loneliness, just go out at night in any uk city and look around. Some of the more lonely characters in life are farmers and they look lonely and miserable all the time! evidence from the very high suicide numbers. Perhaps organise a photo session with a few next to the fall out of foot and mouth signage etc ....that's where I would start.