Home › Forums › Photo Critique › 4th of July Pants
- This topic has 9 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 6 months ago by
HeldInHisArms.
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July 3, 2014 at 10:12 am #6559
HeldInHisArms
ParticipantJuly 3, 2014 at 4:33 pm #6562timtam
ParticipantI like it. I would have probably gone with more contrast; but that’s your choice. I would have softened the brush around the kid with a wider feathering zone so its not so pronounced. Perhaps cut out the thin line of brown at the top. I’ve been told not to cut people off at their joints, ie wrists, elbows, ankles, knees etc..
July 4, 2014 at 7:08 am #6567HeldInHisArms
ParticipantThank you! I would like a little more contrast, and I will work on that today. Ah yes, the good old joint rule which has ruined so many of my pictures. This was so cute though, I had t upload it.
August 5, 2014 at 9:05 am #7031James Staddon
KeymasterVery cute, indeed. 🙂 I like how you can see some of the shirt and the hand.
I also like how the dark pants are against the light cement in the background, and then how the light legs are against the dark grass background. This content contrast makes it visually interesting. Minor White said “One should photograph objects not only for what they are, but for what else they are” meaning to think about how things relate to each other in a composition. Think in terms of light, color and shape.
As @timtam said, you need more contrast. I don’t really like the grungy, processed look. I would add a more natural level of contrast by setting the black and white points in Lightroom using the histogram and Blacks and Whites sliders. Here’s an article that shows how it can be done: http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2117243&seqNum=9
August 5, 2014 at 5:12 pm #7037HeldInHisArms
ParticipantAugust 8, 2014 at 5:51 am #7059Ezra Morley
ModeratorI personally prefer the first picture to the second. It has only the important part of the picture “highlighted” while the rest is dark enough not to distract from the subject. In the second picture, the white is competing for the eye with the dark pants, and you wonder, “What am I supposed to be seeing in this picture?”
I do agree with James on not liking the “grungy, processed look” but I don’t think that it has to be avoided entirely, there are times and places where a different “look” can be desirable. The problem is when everyone is “taking pictures” with their smartphone, adding a strange brown muted color with “Instagram” and then calling it photography. It gets rather depressing viewing picture after picture looking like it was taken with an old film camera which someone left the film out in the sun for a while.
However in this case, as I said, “the effect” is positive, and brings your attention to the subject.
August 15, 2014 at 6:23 pm #7097James Staddon
KeymasterYes, @HeldInHisArms! I really do like it much better. It really brings out what you are trying to highlight in the picture, I think, because the dark pants now contrast against the light and featureless background. The grungy background looks more like a background now and I see the detail in the pants more clearly. Really like it!
August 16, 2014 at 8:22 am #7114HeldInHisArms
Participant@buddingphotographer – I’m sorry to disagree, but I think the second picture looks better than the first. I agree about the pants being “highlighted”, but I think the second effect is much more natural. Thank you for your opinion though! @James Staddon – thanks! I’m glad you like it. 🙂
August 16, 2014 at 8:43 am #7116Ezra Morley
Moderator@HeldInHisArms, I also agree that the second picture looks more natural, it’s just that I liked the “look” of the first picture, not necessarily the ‘naturalness’ of it, although most of the time the closer you can make it look to ‘natural’ the better!
August 17, 2014 at 2:48 pm #7117HeldInHisArms
Participant@buddingphotographer – I know what you mean. I like a natural look to my pictures normally, so that is the reason I like the second one better.
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