A Light Read (EDIT)
- Thread starter petach
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Re: A Light Read
Hi,
I like the panorama you posted, however for me this image is too staged. Reading is an immersive pastime. I am not sure how staging like like this does it justice.
It has the sense of a photo in which you were so focused on tehnique you forgot about making it interesting. I do really like the way it is lit, especially the book, although I would have liked such a portrait to show the person's face just a little more.
That is just my thoughts, with the best of intentions,
Dave
Hi,
I like the panorama you posted, however for me this image is too staged. Reading is an immersive pastime. I am not sure how staging like like this does it justice.
It has the sense of a photo in which you were so focused on tehnique you forgot about making it interesting. I do really like the way it is lit, especially the book, although I would have liked such a portrait to show the person's face just a little more.
That is just my thoughts, with the best of intentions,
Dave
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Re: A Light Read
OP, your photo reminds me of renaissance painting style and I like it (Staged or not). Except that there is too much black space on the right side which results in a loss of balance. I would either crop it out or while taking the pic would keep a table with something on it lit with a reflector from the right side.
OP, your photo reminds me of renaissance painting style and I like it (Staged or not). Except that there is too much black space on the right side which results in a loss of balance. I would either crop it out or while taking the pic would keep a table with something on it lit with a reflector from the right side.
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Re: A Light Read
Thanks for the critique guys. Actually, this was a snatched shot. The guy is Dutch and we were in a stately home not far from Heathrow (National Trust) He was reading a brochure or something with light coming from a window to the side. Hee is still wearing his coat and scarfe as it was cold. I just lifted the camera and shot him. I later pp'd it with silver efex pro 2 and LR. I appreciate not to the taste of all viewers. Some like it...some not so much. I didn't like it centred, so kept the space to the right, but maye I should have put a thin white line around the shot to contain it?
Once again, thanks for the critique. Really, this is more like an internal street shot rather than portrait and I worked with what I had for that brief moment. It was natural...so not posed. He had no idea. The pp after the shot is fair game.
Cheers
Pete
Thanks for the critique guys. Actually, this was a snatched shot. The guy is Dutch and we were in a stately home not far from Heathrow (National Trust) He was reading a brochure or something with light coming from a window to the side. Hee is still wearing his coat and scarfe as it was cold. I just lifted the camera and shot him. I later pp'd it with silver efex pro 2 and LR. I appreciate not to the taste of all viewers. Some like it...some not so much. I didn't like it centred, so kept the space to the right, but maye I should have put a thin white line around the shot to contain it?
Once again, thanks for the critique. Really, this is more like an internal street shot rather than portrait and I worked with what I had for that brief moment. It was natural...so not posed. He had no idea. The pp after the shot is fair game.
Cheers
Pete
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Re: A Light Read
cheers guys.....I do appreciate you stopping by to comment. I have Parkinsons and that causes tremor to the left hand. I have a split second from raising the camera to my eye.....to pressing the button before tremor kicks off in earnest. Like a rocking motion.
cheers guys.....I do appreciate you stopping by to comment. I have Parkinsons and that causes tremor to the left hand. I have a split second from raising the camera to my eye.....to pressing the button before tremor kicks off in earnest. Like a rocking motion.
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Re: A Light Read
The image is one thing, how you got there is another.
I like the image. Very tidy. My only negative comment is that perhaps the subjects knee could have been a little darker...
Years ago, Eastman Kodak published a book that really good... all about the studio lighting of the day. It was a collection of lighting styles of various working professionals. I remember Monte Zucker was in it, maybe twenty different photographers in total. One of those made his living by creating photographic images that were lit in the style of the classic art of the Dutch Masters, with somber backgrounds, vivid faces and rich colors on the subject. I still have that book someplace, and it never fails to fascinate me... the way people can be presented in so many ways, each tasteful if done well.
You image is done well. Congrats on it.
The image is one thing, how you got there is another.
I like the image. Very tidy. My only negative comment is that perhaps the subjects knee could have been a little darker...
Years ago, Eastman Kodak published a book that really good... all about the studio lighting of the day. It was a collection of lighting styles of various working professionals. I remember Monte Zucker was in it, maybe twenty different photographers in total. One of those made his living by creating photographic images that were lit in the style of the classic art of the Dutch Masters, with somber backgrounds, vivid faces and rich colors on the subject. I still have that book someplace, and it never fails to fascinate me... the way people can be presented in so many ways, each tasteful if done well.
You image is done well. Congrats on it.
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Re: A Light Read
Love the shot, and the background story makes it that much better. My only nit-pick is the balance of the composition. To my eye, it's not that there's too much black on the right side but not enough black on the left side. If it was me, I'd be tempted to expand the canvas a bit to the left in Photoshop (well, GIMP for me
) and fill with black.
Either way, the issue with balance is that it's a little too close to half-and-half, which makes the right "half" feel more empty.
EDIT: Looking at it again, the square aspect ratio of the image accentuates the half-and-half feel. Adding the black to the left side to make it a rectangular aspect (although not so much that it pushes the subject to the center) would be perfect...for my taste.
Love the shot, and the background story makes it that much better. My only nit-pick is the balance of the composition. To my eye, it's not that there's too much black on the right side but not enough black on the left side. If it was me, I'd be tempted to expand the canvas a bit to the left in Photoshop (well, GIMP for me
) and fill with black. Either way, the issue with balance is that it's a little too close to half-and-half, which makes the right "half" feel more empty.
EDIT: Looking at it again, the square aspect ratio of the image accentuates the half-and-half feel. Adding the black to the left side to make it a rectangular aspect (although not so much that it pushes the subject to the center) would be perfect...for my taste.
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I hadn't seen the image before, but I like it a lot. I'm not surprised that others saw the Rembrandt angle too.
Jim
Jim
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I seem to be the only one, but I disagree that centered = balanced. I love the lighting and B&W choice and I think the white space adds positively to the minimalism. Personally, I might even add more white space (black) to the right until the guy's head is at the 1/3 length, before I'd choose to crop it in. For me, more white space adds to the dark, immersed feel and would make the photo feel less staged IMO
I agree with the knee brightness seeming a little high, that was the first thing that caught my eye.
I agree with the knee brightness seeming a little high, that was the first thing that caught my eye.
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Jay Khaos said:
You probably articulated what was in my mind when I created/posted the shot. I have kept both versions but I much prefer my original with the space to the mans right hand side to give him room to move into or breathe or whatever....metaphorically speaking. I was also tempted to put a very very thin white border on to "contain" the picture.
Thanks again for the critique, appreciated.
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