sammm

I tried a bunch of different crops with this, but like it best as is. I think at the end of the day every subtraction except at the bottom emphasizes the rail too much, and if I crop at the bottom (for example to put just his face in a 4:5 box with the eye near center), I lose the symetrical sideways "V" from his face and the rail.

 

So, after playing for quite a bit, I generally print it as it came out of the camera, though I also have printed a couple 8x10s that crop mostly from the right and a hair from the left.

Don,

 

Nice crop; I might go a bit more to the left to avoid cutting off the scroll of wood on the seat, but I like your version. I'd been keeping the "peeking through the window" feeling on the edge, but looking at yours I think it is better.

 

Looks like you increased contrast on saturation on the front two children but made minimal adjustments to the back one. I confess, though, I'm still bothered by how dark the far foreground shadows are - and not sure there is anything I could have done about it while shooting.

 

Sam

 

Thanks, Imanol, Jim, Sally -- of the set of three I posted from the saem day, this was actually my least favorite, but I've left it here because I liked the discussion and learned something from it. (And, Sally, I'm not sure I've made it yet to "advanced", but I'm trying!) I think that in the setting and from where I was standing at the time, the crop of the fingers was probably a necessary evil to keep the whole picture fairly compact and tight -- BUT - what I now realize I should have done was stepped back and to the side some, and then I could have avoided that problem.

 

Thanks!

This was shot through a window on the side of the main entry door,

and the children are on a bench in the entryway. I'm particularly

interested in thoughts on exposure, given the difficulty here of

getting enough exposure in the shadows without getting too much in

the light. Is there something I could have done better? Thanks.

I think this is a shot that just needed a graduated density filter; the loss of detail in the foreground gets in the way of an otherwise nice composition.

I find the frame distracting, especially given how tightly composed this is otherwise.

I find all the birds and poles fairly humorous. You might want to crop on the left so you don't have one bird cut off.

I think this one needs more interesting lighting - it comes across as rather flat and grey.

Nice feel; I think the grain complements the structure nicely. I feel like the upper right corner is cut off a bit much.

Nice moment, and great dof.

This is very good; I like the detail on those dark feathers. I can't quite figure out what is going on with the snow; it may be that you had to slightly over-expose the snow to get the feather detail, which strikes me as the right decision.

This is a very nice shot - you've captured deep blacks, pure whites, and a lot of detail in between. The depth of black at the top of the composition really complements the mood. The facial lighting is a bit harsh, but, overall, Very Well done.

Before reading all but the first comments, to answer your questions:

 

Flowers, waft of mist on the left, bright glare over the shoulder, foreground bricks. Doesn't overcome the lighting issues/bright street in my mind.

 

After reading the comments: I'm not sure about the V. Yes, I came up with a V, though a different V, but my gaze didn't settle anywhere and linger, and lingering is something I enjoy with photographs. Looking at Howard's take, I note that the cobblestones are really pretty interesting, and that is where my gaze lingers.

 

Doug raised a question about whether the cross overlapping the body, creating a barrier to "getting into" the photo. I had similar thoughts, but end up thinking it works this way. Without the overlap, I think the bright white sheet around the body would overwhelm the rest of the composition, deemphasizing the textures in the dirt and wood in the foreground.

 

A square format was also suggested, possibly expanding to include more sky. I think it might be interesting to see less sky, so that the composition really focused on graves going on in apparent infinity. The sky defines a limit to the grave yard.

 

Just some thoughts. A wonderful photograph that does justice to its subject.

Many thanks for the comments. Theo, I thought a bit about a left hand crop, and thought a bit more about it after your post. My worry is that too deep a crop leaves the rail difficult to identify and the head feeling dismembered, while a shallower crop crowds the shoulder. I think the biggest concern about this one is also the prominence of the railing, and so keeping in the shoulder is good just because the shoulder is not the railing.

 

Fantastic. I love the clarity of the eye on the left, and think you've framed the two very well; someone they come across as equally "weighted", perhaps because of the heavier freckles of the girl on the right.

I think the washed out tower and overly dark foliage detract; tough to get a good shot in this light.

Nice depth and monotone feel; I think you lose something as a result of the view from behind.

I also agree on the framing, but a very nice high-contrast composition.

I like this one alot; it captures a very common and enjoyable moment and the high key really sets off the textures, including that sweater and the complex patterns around the woman's belt and the child's shoes. I keep debating whether I like the slight cut-off of the top of the head or not - I think it may draw a bit too much attention, though it's nice the way they really fill the frame.

The smile/cry contrast is great.

 

It looks like you've got some wall shadows behind - it would have been nice to have them step away from the wall a bit.

Nice use of the high key.

I'd vote sans dress. Dress colors overwhelm the rest of the image.

Well done; it must have been difficult to compose in such low light. I like the lines and the texture of the wall on the right.

Nice background texture - really sets this off.