Which of these...

[abufletcher]

I know this is just askin' for it....but which of these two appeals to you more?<div></div>

[abufletcher]

.<div></div>

[abufletcher]

Neither. They both sux!

[abufletcher]

These don't look like they were made with a Leica!

[abufletcher]

Digital sucks/rules.

[abufletcher]

Just thought I'd get those out of the way right from the start.

[john_shriver]

There's not enough contrast between the subject and background in B&W. I suppose if they were "dodged" something could be done.

[jja]

With a little cropping the first one will be quite acceptable. In the second photo, the

focus is too soft and the male subject's eyes are looking down and away, very

distracting.

[matt_m__toronto_]

agree about the b+w version. they blend too much and the 'eyeing' photog in the back ruins it. colour is a little better, but it's not striking me as anything 'great'. as a picture for the couple to enjoy, i think they'll be very happy with the colour version. it's a shame about the people in the bg though. hmmm. maybe a crop?

[matt_m__toronto_]

maybe???...

[Craig_Cooper11664875449]

Sincerest apologies Don...<div></div>

[abufletcher]

Fair and honest criticisms all round. Here's a crop.<div></div>

[abufletcher]

Matt, looks like we were both a work in PS at the same time! Personally, I

don't like "custom crops" which always seem a little distracting unless it's

something really drammatic like a panaramic. For my crop I used the

standard 8 x 10.

 

But it really is a little dull, isn't it. I mean if this were "Bob" and "Mary" instead

of "Toshiyuki" and "Mariko" (invented names since I don't know these folks

from Adam) I suppose I wouldn't even have bothered.

 

That's the problem with "pretty Japan."

[mskovacs]

The male subject looks much better in the first photo and it doesn't have a Canon EOS "uglifying" the background :)

[abufletcher]

Craig, I'll have to take a better look on my CRT monitor tomorrow. For that

matter I don't really know what my own version looks like. LCD screens really

stink for displaying photos. I would like the blacks to stay black. Normally

after changing to greyscale I make a duplicate layer and change that to

overlay and then adjust the slider to somewhere around 20%. But I'm not very

skilled in such manipulation yet.

[edmo]

Uncropped, B&W, agree with the others it needs some work....

[takaaki]

<i>That's the problem with "pretty Japan."</i><br><br>I am sorry, but can you please

expand on this? I am not quite following...

[brambor]

I like the color version. It could have been interesting if you used a faster aperture but even as it is I do like the facial expressions of the guests. I think they fit into the picture just fine.

[brambor]

I don't claim to have a calibrated monitor but on my monitor I would have adjusted the brightness like this:<div></div>

[abufletcher]

Takaaki, Japan must be one on the most heavily photographed countries in

the world but it seems to me that the photos the world sees present a very

narrow stereotype of the country. A land of kimono'ed women, temples,

festivals and occasionally wacky city life. And it's not just "gaijin"

photographers that get trapped in these cliches. A couple of days ago I went

to a small photography exhibition put on by the local Rotary Club. All the

photos were by Japanese photographers and all the photos fall neatly into

one of two categories: event photography (you know where people bring

aluminum ladders) and scenics (of nature and still temple scenes). And a

couple of flower photos. Not one single candid photograph of a person or

even a formal portrait. Looking at this exhibition you would have assumed

there are no Japanese living in Japan. Or if there are, they only come out

during festivals.

 

BTW, your photos are very different and a welcome relief. But I get the

feeling (if I'm correct and you do live in Japan) that you don't have as a goal

"documenting" Japan at all. You are simpling making photographic art in the

place you happen to live. And you'd be doing just about the same thing if you

were in, say, San Franscisco. Am I mistaken?

 

I've been trying to break away from "pretty Japan" pictures, trying to make

photos that better reflect the small town life I see. And much of it is not pretty.

The problem IS that it is precisely these photos of pretty Japan (i.e.

stereotypical Japan) that seem to draw the most praise from the general non-

photographer population.

 

Here's one recent attempt to look at what we're not suppose to look at. It's not

a strong photo but at least it isn't a temple, woman in kimono, pilgrim, kogaru,

or Japanese maple in fall.<div></div>

[EricM]

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/2940633-lg.jpg"></center>

[stephen_w.]

I like the color one better for the less distracting background.

[abufletcher]

..,.<div></div>

[takaaki]

Donald, thank you very much for your time, and I truly appreciate your point of view. I am

in New York, and that is where I started shooting. I haven't been back to Japan for a long

time, and I am very eager to shoot there too.

 

As for your comment about locations etc., I'm too greedy, so I'll eat anything.

[lee hamiel]

I like the color one best - added some directional light from top right & burned their midsections in a little.