Challenge 22...Alone

landrum

Taken with an Olympus C8080wz, corrected in Corel PhotoPaint 11 then desaturated 70% for the muted look. I didn't want the bright color, but I didn't quite want black and white either...

digismile

I really like your photo. It has a very soft, surreal feeling. In keeping with the surreal feeling, I would maybe try to give it a soft focus effect or blur the foreground slightly to take away the sharp detail, allowing the eye to be drawn to the young child. And lose the bug on the sidewalk

Really nice job.
Brad

ginger_55

oooooh, that is nice!

ginger

lynnma

landrum wrote:

Taken with an Olympus C8080wz, corrected in Corel PhotoPaint 11 then desaturated 70% for the muted look. I didn't want the bright color, but I didn't quite want black and white either...

Thats a lovely shot Landrum.. very sweet.

PerezDesignGroup

Stunning!

ginger_55

Can I borrow the child, next time?

ginger, still in awe

tmlphoto

I think it might work better as a horizontal crop. To me, in the current picture ,the sidewalk in the foreground is rather bland, and doesn't really add to the shot, and is rather dominant. I do see how the sidewalk adds to the "aloneness" effect. Maybe just a slightly tighter crop. I do like the desat look.

wxwax

Wow, I like this one a lot. Very eerie. Very creative. Nice job.

pathfinder

I think this is the beginning of a lovely image, but like TML I think the large area of sharp sidewalk in the foreground is not an assett becasue it is too light and near the tone of the little girls dress. Darken the sidewalk down a bit and it will be neat graphical line to the subject.

I also find the bland grey sky not helpful. Some clouds might help - also the contrast is pretty flat even tho I know that you did not want a lot of contrast - but the gazebo is grey and should it not be white?

If a bluer sky would not fit with your desired image, then I would consider converting to B&W as a sepia tone with the near side walk blurred out slightly and darkened - the sidewalk is a nice graphic image, but it may compete too effectively with the little girl in tonality as it is at present?

Try some of these suggestions and see if you agree with any of them

wxwax

Interesting, isn't it, how opinions vary so much? Pathfinder, everything you want to change, is what I like about the image. I like the narrow range of light, and how the girl so closely matches the path and the sky. That's what makes it creepy and dreamlike for me.

pathfinder

wxwax wrote:

Interesting, isn't it, how opinions vary so much? Pathfinder, everything you want to change, is what I like about the image. I like the narrow range of light, and how the girl so closely matches the path and the sky. That's what makes it creepy and dreamlike for me.

Sid - In the larger image the child is easy to identify, but in the smaller size image I find the child is kind of lost against the sidewalk and the gazebo.

I find that sometimes I can evaluate the graphic outlines better in a thumbnail than a bigger image. That is why I thought a sepia tone might keep the dreamlike quality of the light but allow better seperation of the child from the rest of the image. A diiffuse glow might also help the dreamlike quality of the light in a nice sepia also.

That is why I suggested the shooter try some of these suggestions and post what they liked best for us to all see. Just my two cents tho.

landrum

Hi everyone! I thank you all for your compliments and suggestions. I tried a few things as recommended by Pathfinder... (oh, and Brad...I got rid of the bugs!)

This one I created a duplicate layer with a 5% color burn. I think that this brings out a little better contrast.



...then I made the sky a little bluer. I don't like this...maybe too much blue.



...then I made it sepia. This is nice too; it still gives the antique-ey look (not really sure how to spell that one!) I think that I still like my original image or the first correction the best. It's really what I was going for.




Now, what do you all think about this image for "Alone"?



Thank you Ginger for the compliments on my model. She is my 18 month daughter, who is a very reluctant model. I guess having a camera in you face every day of you life gets a little old...

Laurie

ginger_55

Laurie, I like any of them, actually. The second one, my monitor is not picking up on the blue, strange.....I wouldn't think it would be too much since I can't see it, lol.

I like the sepia as it is just a touch of sepia. I did not think I would like it, but I do.

I love the other, last, picture, but I don't think it portrays "alone" as well. Your daughter is beautiful, a wonderful model.

I got into photography pretty seriously for 5 or 6 years, or more, when my daughter was about 3, my son was born at the beginning of that journey.

My older kids were, Older. In grade school. One thing about the camera in the face all the time thing, they get so they have to go on about their business and don't spend all their time posing, so you can actually get some better pictures. My daughter, Sara, she was my favorite model, I think at some point they begin to feel used, but that goes away. Then if they get older and have kids, get heavier, they do get self conscious, mine did, but mine are much more camera savvy than most other people. And Sara loves taking pictures herself. Julie does not really touch her camera, has not recorded her children as they grew. Don't know if that had to do with me. I was around to record her children.

Julie has learned that she will not be recorded herself, if she would not let me take pictures, so she is learning how to make herself look better.

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/gallery/138089/1/5048882

That is a link to the gallery titled "lunch with Julie" and that is what it is. There are a couple of shots the waiter took of us. I am reminded not to be photographed from the side. I enjoy having this group of photos all within a short period of time. Kind of like stills from a movie.

One thing with kids, they are happier about the picture session if they can see the photos. That was not possible until digital. I am almost deaf, so now I use that camera feature to make friends with the kids. They want more, more. If they want to pose, I take that one, eventually they get on with it.

I love the dress you put on your daughter. I love that its color is similar to the sidewalk. As Sid said, it is funny how differently art can be "evaluated".

ginger (I just woke up, was not up to using the new method andy taught about links, sorry, it was the perfect chance, and I blew it)

landrum

ginger_55 wrote:

Laurie, I like any of them, actually. The second one, my monitor is not picking up on the blue, strange.....I wouldn't think it would be too much since I can't see it, lol.

I like the sepia as it is just a touch of sepia. I did not think I would like it, but I do.

I love the other, last, picture, but I don't think it portrays "alone" as well. Your daughter is beautiful, a wonderful model.

I got into photography pretty seriously for 5 or 6 years, or more, when my daughter was about 3, my son was born at the beginning of that journey.

My older kids were, Older. In grade school. One thing about the camera in the face all the time thing, they get so they have to go on about their business and don't spend all their time posing, so you can actually get some better pictures. My daughter, Sara, she was my favorite model, I think at some point they begin to feel used, but that goes away. Then if they get older and have kids, get heavier, they do get self conscious, mine did, but mine are much more camera savvy than most other people. And Sara loves taking pictures herself. Julie does not really touch her camera, has not recorded her children as they grew. Don't know if that had to do with me. I was around to record her children.

Julie has learned that she will not be recorded herself, if she would not let me take pictures, so she is learning how to make herself look better.

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/gallery/138089/1/5048882

That is a link to the gallery titled "lunch with Julie" and that is what it is. There are a couple of shots the waiter took of us. I am reminded not to be photographed from the side. I enjoy having this group of photos all within a short period of time. Kind of like stills from a movie.

One thing with kids, they are happier about the picture session if they can see the photos. That was not possible until digital. I am almost deaf, so now I use that camera feature to make friends with the kids. They want more, more. If they want to pose, I take that one, eventually they get on with it.

I love the dress you put on your daughter. I love that its color is similar to the sidewalk. As Sid said, it is funny how differently art can be "evaluated".

ginger (I just woke up, was not up to using the new method andy taught about links, sorry, it was the perfect chance, and I blew it)

I have been a photographer for many years, specializing in children. I was actually on hiatus doing decorative painting when I got pregnant. I started back in photography after she was born, and I did a project where I took a photograph of her every single day for the first year. I still have to go thru months 10-12...but then I'll put them on a slide show, and print them out for an album. Although it's been quite the undertaking, I have really enjoyed this project. It's so fun to look back on the first year. The only problem will be doing it again if we decide to have another baby! :eek1

I love your lunch gallery! That is very nice. I love sequencial groupings and those kind of shoots. I especially like the photo of the drinking glasses. That's my kind of photo!

Looking back at what I have posted; I still like my original photo. The last one I posted is really one of my all time favs, but I agree that it doesn't portray the theme quite as well.

Any other opinions?
Laurie

digismile

I generally like the desaturated colours (but not the sepia in particular for these photos), but I would like to see slightly more colour for your daughter. It need not pop like the B&W photos with a single colour object, but for me, a bit more colour for your daughter would make her the primary focus of the photo. Maybe you don't want that.

Either way, the photos are outstanding

regards,
Brad

landrum

digismile wrote:

I generally like the desaturated colours (but not the sepia in particular for these photos), but I would like to see slightly more colour for your daughter. It need not pop like the B&W photos with a single colour object, but for me, a bit more colour for your daughter would make her the primary focus of the photo. Maybe you don't want that.

Either way, the photos are outstanding

regards,
Brad

I like the idea of just having Adrian more saturated than the rest of the photo. I never thought of that...I'll play with it and see what I come up with.

Thanks!

landrum

Okay, I think I'm a little confused on exactly how to enter this...

I changed my title and added the * (I had forgotten to before). Then I have found that people have attached thier photos to the challenge 22 thread. Am I supposed to post there to enter, and this is just for feedback? Since there are a few different options on this thread should I post a new one with my official entry?

Thanks! Sorry if it's obvious and I'm just being an air-head!

Laurie (I can color my hair...but I just can't hide the blonde!):D

pathfinder

landrum wrote:

Okay, I think I'm a little confused on exactly how to enter this...

I changed my title and added the * (I had forgotten to before). Then I have found that people have attached thier photos to the challenge 22 thread. Am I supposed to post there to enter, and this is just for feedback? Since there are a few different options on this thread should I post a new one with my official entry?

Thanks! Sorry if it's obvious and I'm just being an air-head!

Laurie (I can color my hair...but I just can't hide the blonde!):D

The thread you started -this thread - is just for discussion. To actually enter a photo into the Challenge 22 Competition you must then load your picuture into formal Challenge 22 thread - No comments are allowed there - just title your image and then uplink or attach it - yes,you must upload your image a second time to enter the competition. You'll see how other posters have already uploaded their images. You'll figure it out fine. Good Luck!