LPS #2 - Humble Request - C/C please

eoren1

Just posted this in the thread so that I wouldn't miss out on this week's contest. Have to say that this theme was incredible!!! Once announced, I literally could not get it out of my head. Everywhere I went and looked I would literally think: "Is that in any way humble or stately? Can I make it seem so???".
Had the idea for this shot a few days ago. Walked around Boston and started speaking with this woman after walking right by her moments before. She was happy to have her photo taken with her trusty coffee cup. Not enough change in there to show the loose coins in the cup and I though it was more humble to show the passersby ignoring this woman.
Shot at f/4 to throw everything else into the background bokeh using my Sigma 30/1.4. Converted to B+W using the imagingfactory plugin in CS2 with a slight tint to cool the shot.
Open to thoughts and suggestions.
Thanks,
E

Povertybarn

Hey I like it. It looks a little underexposed to my eye so a slight exposure gain would do the trick. Also the cup looks a little clean. I always picture that type of scene with a cup that looks like it has been through a war. Also it has got me doing a double take to see where the rest of her fingers are . Other than that the concept imo is solid.

eoren1

Povertybarn wrote:

Hey I like it. It looks a little underexposed to my eye so a slight exposure gain would do the trick. Also the cup looks a little clean. I always picture that type of scene with a cup that looks like it has been through a war. Also it has got me doing a double take to see where the rest of her fingers are . Other than that the concept imo is solid.

Thanks Povertybarn.
I think the underexposure happened when I tinted the file in CS2. It looked fine after converting the RAW file but maybe I'll have to boost the RAW a bit to then preserve it when tinting.

Agree about the cup but, what can I say, guess she drinks a lot of coffee and always has a fresh cup handy! I actually walked by another group of guys also asking for spare change using a Dunkin Donuts cup and their cup was nearly spotless as well. No cliched tin cups in Boston I guess.

As far as the fingers, I sort of like that it made you look two or three times. Makes it a better shot in my opinion. I took a short series of shots and this was the best as far as background. Others didn't have quite the feel of being ignored by passersby.

Thanks again,
E

eoren1

Choice of Four Shots
Hi.
So I had time to review all of the shots from that day and processed four that I liked best. Would greatly appreciate your thoughts on which is the most 'humble' of them all.
Thanks!
E

photogmomma

Honestly, I like the first one best. I'd brighten it a bit and use it...

Great shot!

Man! This is going to be tough this time....

eoren1

photogmomma wrote:

Honestly, I like the first one best. I'd brighten it a bit and use it...

Great shot!

Man! This is going to be tough this time....

Thanks photogmomma!
Appreciate the vote for the first. That was actually lowest on my list as I feel like the lack of people in the background makes it seem more lonely than humble. I'm currently favoring the one with a woman passing by on a cell phone or the guy with the suit walking by. Both seem to say humble a bit more in the face of passersby.
Would love to hear from others in agreement with photogmomma or in favor of the other shots.
Thanks again,
E

Swartzy

E........
Number 1 floats my boat....giver some contrast and of the 4, this is best.