it bothers me...

ivarivar Registered Users Posts: 8,395 Major grins
edited October 8, 2007 in People
...that I like the original idea of this image, but I haven't found an end-result that I really like.

It's taken about a year ago, and I keep going back to it, trying different things. This is my latest result:
204664109-L.jpg

What do you think? suggestions?
Ivar
www.ivarborst.nl & smugmug

Comments

  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited October 6, 2007
    Not enough in the reflection to grab me. Something like this would knock my socks off :)
    Andy

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  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited October 6, 2007
    Andy wrote:
    Not enough in the reflection to grab me. Something like this would knock my socks off :)
    That's pretty cool.

    Ivar, I see what Andy's saying. I think that the fingers are the only things in focus, yet are in the center of the frame, which IMHO weakens the composition. Perhaps it's just me, but the cigarette doesn't immediately jump out, either. My eyes first go to the head, but it's OOF, then they go to the trumpet end, but that's OOF, and then they go to the fingers on the instrument, and lastly the ciggie. IOW, not sure where to look. This may be one of those deals where the shallow depth of field doesn't help the compo.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • ivarivar Registered Users Posts: 8,395 Major grins
    edited October 6, 2007
    Yeah, you guys may have a point there. Maybe i'm thinking about it too much. I guess it would have been better with the hands and trumpet all in focus, but I can't change that any more :D

    I was trying to go for the hands/cigaret being the center of attention in this one, but that didn't work out that well. Garbage in = garbage out, so I'm going to leave it, and not get back to it anymore.
    Ivar
    www.ivarborst.nl & smugmug
  • ivarivar Registered Users Posts: 8,395 Major grins
    edited October 6, 2007
    Andy wrote:
    Not enough in the reflection to grab me. Something like this would knock my socks off :)
    that would knock my socks off as well. Seeing that is a tuba, and my photo is a trumpet, especially lol3.gif
    Ivar
    www.ivarborst.nl & smugmug
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited October 6, 2007
    May I post a crop which makes the ciggie more prominent?
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • ivarivar Registered Users Posts: 8,395 Major grins
    edited October 6, 2007
    wxwax wrote:
    May I post a crop which makes the ciggie more prominent?
    Of course! please do thumb.gif
    Ivar
    www.ivarborst.nl & smugmug
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited October 6, 2007
    204745497-L.jpg
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • FlyingginaFlyinggina Registered Users Posts: 2,639 Major grins
    edited October 6, 2007
    Very, very nice, Sid. The cropped version grabs my attention much more than the original. I would either clone out or dim the bright stuff just to the left of the trumpeter's forehead just to keep the focus on the hands and the ciggie, but I must say that your version really shows the power of creative cropping.

    Virginia
    _______________________________________________
    "A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you, the less you know." Diane Arbus

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  • photogmommaphotogmomma Registered Users Posts: 1,644 Major grins
    edited October 7, 2007
    I love Sid's crop! that's what it needed... Really changes the focus. Very nice!
    Andi

    www.tippiepics.com
  • ivarivar Registered Users Posts: 8,395 Major grins
    edited October 7, 2007
    I can hear Dinah Washington singing "What a difference a crop makes"...

    Sid, this is one of the strongest examples of how much a crop can do that I've seen in a while I think. I had a fairly strong 'image' in my head of what I wanted with the picture. I now think that is not possible. I also think that it stopped me from looking at the image in a different way.

    This is definitely a lot better as opposed to the original, thanks thumb.gif
    Ivar
    www.ivarborst.nl & smugmug
  • saurorasaurora Registered Users Posts: 4,320 Major grins
    edited October 7, 2007
    Masterful crop Sid! It accomplished alot. Darn....the old rule of thirds wins again!!! lol3.gif Ivar....don't give up on it! Are you shooting this candidly or is the guy willing to work with you on it? I think it's a great subject and a great piece to practice on. I think the smallness of the trumpet would be a challenge to emulate the tuba!!! But perhaps a closer shot with the focus just on the front of the horn and if the player were slightly more OOF he wouldn't draw so much attention. Hey, what do I know? :D Glad to see you in the People Forum!
  • ivarivar Registered Users Posts: 8,395 Major grins
    edited October 8, 2007
    saurora wrote:
    Ivar....don't give up on it! Are you shooting this candidly or is the guy willing to work with you on it? I think it's a great subject and a great piece to practice on. I think the smallness of the trumpet would be a challenge to emulate the tuba!!! But perhaps a closer shot with the focus just on the front of the horn and if the player were slightly more OOF he wouldn't draw so much attention. Hey, what do I know? :D
    Hey Susan,

    This was just a candid shot that I took when I was in Germany with Andy last year. I don't know the guy, and I think he doesn't know me. Don't worry, I won't give up, just on this image perhaps. I like Sid's crop much better, I think I will do something like that with it. For the rest, I'll leave it be and hopefully spend some more time shooting :D

    saurora wrote:
    Glad to see you in the People Forum!
    lol3.gif yeah, I think 99% of my posts are in the support section, haha.
    Ivar
    www.ivarborst.nl & smugmug
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