Two of a child

michswiss

1)

2)

thoth

I really want to like the first shot, Jennifer, but I'm having a little trouble connecting up the story I believe could be happening with what I think is happening. I expect to feel a little loneliness, or abandonment, in regards to the little girl in number one. Number two, though, reminds me that it's just a kid twisting around in her chair. For me, at least, this shot didn't quite make it home.

tortillatorture

yeah the first shot... every time i see grain like this, in a good picture like this...
yummy yummy.
i would be tempted to crop the left part of the shot to isolate whats important (to me at least).
i dont think the guy in the white t-shirt adds anything to the scene.
i would loose him and keep the rest.

HoofClix

I say that you could go the other way and include in your shot much more of what is going on to the left, but as it is it really works for me. Even though you've been caught in action by the little girl, which might have made me stop shooting, you the observer of the adults have this connection with the kid, who is there but being left out or not being paid attention to..She's what connects me to the scene.

michswiss

I don't mind having some interaction with people while shooting. In this case, the family at dinner were a side-show for me (I took the PJ shot from exactly the same position.) The little girl became curious and I loved how she was looking at me through the chair. I hadn't readjusted exposure on the first version, thus the grain. I spent 15-20 minutes sitting on the curb and only left once a group of 5-6 year olds decided to play with me.

Here is the full frame of the first. There's no more left or right, but there is up and down.

thoth

I actually like the full frame better, Jennifer. The larger frame moves me away from the family, giving a better sense of "ignored" to the child and giving her a more neutral expression. This is what I "wanted" to see in the beginning, of course, so it may or may not be good for how you want the image displayed.

The full frame does take me from wanting to like the shot to actually liking it.

Richard

I like the full frame version more than the crop. The direct look of the little girl is still the clear center of attention and the two rectangular forms of the chair back and the open door echo the shape of the frame. Nice.

tortillatorture

full frame!!

sara505

tortillatorture wrote:

full frame!!

I rather like the first shot, and in this case, I prefer the crop - the subject, the little girl, is less lost in the crop and there's enough BG to tell the story.

tortillatorture

good work michswiss, you captured a really nice picture!
looks like we are drooling over both your versions.

HoofClix

Of course, all will have a preference, but the full frame does best to achieve a sort of "triangulation" that I was trying to suggest in my first comment. this all takes having this idea in mind when you first take the shot. Don't take that as criticism, just a difference between what I might have done and what you did... Fantastik! One of my favorites thus far posted in this forum..