Bibliophile

This photo was taken the day before "As Shadows Lengthen". I put the

ISO at 400 on a cloudy day and widened the aperture in an effort to

increase shutter speed. Unfortunately, there was a lot of noise even at this

ISO setting and this is the best I could make of it. Thank you for your

comments/suggestions.

very good. it has a atmosphere of old, familiar movie.

yet I am struggling with that eye catcher, I wonder, if you wanted to show that contrast, or add some deep of view?

I would move camera to the right

BB

My smallest Nikon produces noise even at ISO 100. I recently purchased this and am disappointed.

Many thanks for your kind comments. The point about positioning myself a little to the right is well-taken. This photo was a bit of spur of the moment. and so there was little time. Also, I wanted to capture a bit from the side, as rightward movement could have made it a straight-from-the-back photo.

The camera is a compact with manual settings which I use. It is light, therefore apt for street. My earlier photos in this site were all taken with this. Adjusting exposure is a little tedious, but overall results are usually not bad.

I checked the internet for the panasonic DMC-FZ5 which you are using and I see it is an SLR. Given the sensor size of an SLR camera, at 12 mega pixels I do not understand why you have a noise problem at ISO 400. Are you sure?

Nice photo. I basically agree with Boris and would like to give you a suggestion about composition: there are two important things, the books in the shop and the man. You don't need the white stand.

I would choose the vertical format to include the bookshelves in the upper part of the shop window and move slightly to the right to leave out the white stand but to include the bookshelves which can be seen through the door.

Maybe it's slightly underxposed.

L.

The Panasonic DMC FZ5 is a "prosumer" compact camera. The manual mode helped me to get in grips with exposure issues and DOF (aided by Bryan Paterson's book). I cranked up the ISO to the highest I could (which is 400).

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz5/

Many thanks for your input and kind suggestion. Now that you say it, the top bit looks cut off abruptly. To be frank, I did not mind the signboard; I thought it kind of balanced the photo with the man and the black pillar next to him.

Also, there is a reason why I did not shoot this in portrait format. With several perpendicular elements, I thought the photo would appear too "narrow", if you know what I mean. But point taken. Regards.

PS: Been to your photos and liked a lot of what I saw, but most of all your advice about praise and harsh (but useful) comments on your community page.

I generally think that perpedicular elements call for vertical format and visa versa.

Your points taken. After all it's the author who has to decide about the photo and the visual message.

But let me try to explain it further: in street photography it is easy to have too many "focal points", i.e.: too many conceptual or graphic elements which attract the viewer (the vertical elements of this photo, e.g.: the dark pillar on the right, the verticals of the window, the verticals of the door, and then the vertical white stand).

In this case - but this is strictly my personal opinion - I would reduce the number of vertical elements in favour of "more books".

The photographs I like, and that I would like to do, are somehow "clean", trying to control the amount of clutter.

But, as said, my opinion.

L.

Thank you both for your continued engagement through this photo. I will keep the points in mind while composing in street next.

interesting development of discussion.. I dont see myself in it.. you are next person I quit to comment, from now on

I wonder why you do not see yourself in the discussion. My first response does address your point about moving the angle of view to the right. Also, your comment has been referred to by Lucas in his first response, to which I replied in a bit more detail.

Interesting you mention that I'm the "next" person you quit to comment on from now...I suppose I join a list of people then. Honestly, it's entirely your choice. But I thank you for what you have contributed so far. Regards.