I took this photo for work (where I'm a librarian and also our in house [amateur] photographer) and I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for improvement. I'm still learning, so would love some feedback. Thanks!
@dmortega It's actually for a report that we're sending to a granting agency (we used the grant to purchase an e-book collection). I guess we're just trying to show both formats coexisting.
Assuming you staged this photo and these ladies posed for you (you didn't just happen upon this scene and shoot a quick candid), then some of the suggestions already made are what could be done differently. Shoot at a different time of day, or when it's overcast, to soften the light/harsh shadows. Move in closer. Or get lower and shoot more towards the sky or move around to shoot more towards the trees to eliminate the distracting background of the buildings. See how the e-reader is lost against the roofline of the buildings in the background? Moving yourself around could solve that.
@sjoblues@andycoleborn@bradleynovak@wardie@abhijit@jantan Thanks everyone for the nice comments and helpful suggestions. I did stage this photo (these are two of my co-workers). I would have liked to do it in the evening when I had better light, but we had to get it done yesterday during the workday.
Having the information regarding your use of this makes more sense now. I like the second picture better. The focus is better. Try cropping in really close around the whole picture, leave the feet in. Get in as close as possible. it's ok to crop a small portion from their heads. It won't hurt the overall look.
@laurenjessopphotography I don't like either of these crops. Do you have to keep a particular aspect ratio? Because you could crop without cutting off feet, heads, knees, etc
@bradleynovak I took your advice on the first photo and cropped the right side out (I just haven't posted it). The one I cropped tighter has the book reader a bit more out of focus which someone said they liked better. We don't have to keep to a specific aspect ratio.
I like the composition as is, but I also like having options to choose from. Assuming you can shoot this again, I would try borrowing a ladder and getting up high. You may also try shooting from behind them with a wide angle lens on a ladder having each of them turned slightly so that you can see what they are holding. I also like Shannon's idea of shooting from a low angle and using the sky as the background.
Just some thoughts. I like to play with angles and tend to see things from odd points of view.
If I were the one taking the shoot, I will just take the cross-over feet with pink shoes because that is more exciting to me. The 2 people far away seating in a bench on a very bright lunch sunny time is not appealing to me. Anyway, we all have our own way of looking at things. Enjoy, keeping shooting!
Oh, now I disagree with cropping off any portion of their heads. Or small portions of any other body parts. In that most recent crop above, I'd go back and include their feet, the tip of the book reader's knee, and most definitely all of the e-reader's head.
Definitely shoot at a different time of day when the light far is less harsh and for sure crop the shot closer. Also did you take just one shot? Or did you move around and try out different povs? I never settle for just one (unless its a fleeting street moment and no chance for more).
@michaelelliott Yes, I took multiple shots and povs. I didn't have much choice on the lighting because of time constraints and will crop closer next time. Thanks for the advice.
Yeah, I'd keep playing with it. No matter how many people you ask, you should expect at least half will go a different direction than the other half. It's hard to agree, so you need to make the decision. ;-)
General rule (of course it's just a guideline) of cropping photos of people -- don't crop at a joint (knee, ankle, elbow) -- it looks odd, almost like the person is an amputee. Cropping at a midpoint between joints (thigh, bicep, etc.) usually works a lot better.
In both of the crops here, the loss of the feet is offputting to me. The first photo is definitely the best crop, in my opinion. All I would personally do to further crop it is to lose some of the 'empty' space to the right of the bench.
I feel the shot is overall quite strong -- I agree that the ebook reader isn't particularly clear, but to me this is more to do with the way it is being held rather than the position of the photograph. If the person was a model (which I don't think she is?) I'd have asked them to hold it by the edge furthest from the camera, to reveal the reader more clearly -- in both these photos her hands are covering most of it from our point of view.
I also find the background slightly distracting, particularly the housing. I would have looked for a bench with a more even background (e.g. just trees, which would also tie in nicely with the physical book) -- again, easy if these are models, but strangers don't usually like being asked to move to a different bench! A shallower depth of field may also have worked, but this may not have been possible given your lens and position. A darker background would have also helped highlight the white reader -- currently the bits that are visible get a bit lost in the similar-coloured out of focus area behind.
Edit: Also, you need to be careful with legal aspects as you are using this for non-personal use -- I'm not clear on your exact plans, but if you are going to be using this in a way that would promote the library, the library would almost certainly require model releases from the two people in this photo.
@abirkill Thanks for taking the time to write that critique, I appreciate the feedback. I am using the first image with a crop to get rid of the empty space on the right. You're right - they're not models, but two women I work with who volunteered to help. I agree with you about the background - maybe I can blur it a bit in Photoshop?
erm and why should the book reader be out of focus. I think the poop-pad reader should be out of focus and the book reader beautiful lady should be shimmering gold because books are cool. *pulls out tongue*
I love your original. I say no crop. i worry about different elements about the models as you get closer and what they're doing becomes second to the details about them, the furthest girl doesn't look comfy close up I think. I love the original. ;)
Oh and don't try and blur it in photoshop that always looks crap, re-shoot it on a cloudy day when the light is less fierce, or in the evening after work and use f2.8 or something to blur the background more maybe.
I like your photograph, but do agree with a lot of the suggestions you have been given.
I have had a bit of a play with your shot and come up with this.... probably not at all suitable but will share it regardless ♥
Are you set on using this shot? I would go with something completely different, maybe the e-reader person being shot in one of the library room's preferably surrounded by a bunch of old books. For the other a electrical store with a e-reader advert in the window and the model sat down against the wall reading a book. Clichéd I know, but more impact on the statement.
@38mm I also have numerous shots of both girls reading e-books independently in shaded areas. I work for a library system, so we actually don't have shelves of books! I gave the person creating the report about a dozen shots to choose from.
I think it's a pretty strong photo (and I like the original better than the cropped versions)... the only thing I would change (apart from the direct sunlight and harsh shadows, which have already been mentioned) is that the concrete patch beneath their feet is distracting - of course you can't help that, but (and I know you can't do this now since it was a one-off thing) maybe shooting from a different angle/perspective would help to hide that, or - if you're a photoshop whiz - you could just clone it out. xD
@aromatic
I like Jane's texture. I was also thinking to try a completely black & white version, make it feel like "street photography," more documentary. If you have presets for B&W, try various ones like grainy, glamour, high contrast, etc.
If you were to do another shoot, an idea would be to do it later in the day and use a fill-flash, but diffuse it with a tissue or handkerchief or use one of those flash diffusers like Gary Fong's pop-up "Puffer" (no affiliation; I just like the warm look) or another gadget. Then the background colors would be cooler and blue, with the readers standing out in warmer light.
Write a Reply
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
Tweet Me on Twitter
Let's Be Friends :-)
The person holding th e-book should be the main focus too with the lady reading the book a bit out of focus behind her...
Just some thoughts. I like to play with angles and tend to see things from odd points of view.
In both of the crops here, the loss of the feet is offputting to me. The first photo is definitely the best crop, in my opinion. All I would personally do to further crop it is to lose some of the 'empty' space to the right of the bench.
I feel the shot is overall quite strong -- I agree that the ebook reader isn't particularly clear, but to me this is more to do with the way it is being held rather than the position of the photograph. If the person was a model (which I don't think she is?) I'd have asked them to hold it by the edge furthest from the camera, to reveal the reader more clearly -- in both these photos her hands are covering most of it from our point of view.
I also find the background slightly distracting, particularly the housing. I would have looked for a bench with a more even background (e.g. just trees, which would also tie in nicely with the physical book) -- again, easy if these are models, but strangers don't usually like being asked to move to a different bench! A shallower depth of field may also have worked, but this may not have been possible given your lens and position. A darker background would have also helped highlight the white reader -- currently the bits that are visible get a bit lost in the similar-coloured out of focus area behind.
Edit: Also, you need to be careful with legal aspects as you are using this for non-personal use -- I'm not clear on your exact plans, but if you are going to be using this in a way that would promote the library, the library would almost certainly require model releases from the two people in this photo.
erm and why should the book reader be out of focus. I think the poop-pad reader should be out of focus and the book reader beautiful lady should be shimmering gold because books are cool. *pulls out tongue*
I love your original. I say no crop. i worry about different elements about the models as you get closer and what they're doing becomes second to the details about them, the furthest girl doesn't look comfy close up I think. I love the original. ;)
I have had a bit of a play with your shot and come up with this.... probably not at all suitable but will share it regardless ♥
I like Jane's texture. I was also thinking to try a completely black & white version, make it feel like "street photography," more documentary. If you have presets for B&W, try various ones like grainy, glamour, high contrast, etc.
If you were to do another shoot, an idea would be to do it later in the day and use a fill-flash, but diffuse it with a tissue or handkerchief or use one of those flash diffusers like Gary Fong's pop-up "Puffer" (no affiliation; I just like the warm look) or another gadget. Then the background colors would be cooler and blue, with the readers standing out in warmer light.