When your Mac needs recharged…

… any [electrical] port will do.

It was a low-frame day: all morning in the classroom, errands in preparation for Clare’s weekend trip to Alabama and grading quizzes. I had a couple large-leaf images I liked and yet another Painted Lady. Rather than inflict another Painted Lady on 365, I sent that one and the leaf images to my posterous site and have posted this student sitting by herself on the pavement, with her MacBook plugged in an outdoor electrical outlet. I was trying to capture her “isolation,” even though it this was the middle of the day (quarter-past noon). Although I wanted to show her “alone-ness,” I chose this one with another figure in the background over an alternative in which the seated student was the only person in the image.

I’m not entirely happy with this, so I would appreciate feedback. I tried and tried again, but all cropping strategies left her dead-center in the middle of the image. I didn’t have long to shoot this and shot it “portrait” but I’m thinking that a better angle would have been to my left and try to shoot it “landscape.” Thoughts?

P.S. Is this a different one for me again, Michelle?

A year ago (“Butterfly bush”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-09-20

[Netkonnexion]

Nice idea. Fun shot and wow how peculiar.

[Lisa Pouncy]

Maybe if you were to rotate to landscape and then crop in tight to remove the tree and the woman walking through so you can see none of the image beyond. Just a thought. I actually like the image but feel that the girl should be the focus :o) xx

[Thom Mitchell]

@psychographer Exactly right, I think, Lisa. Thanks!

[Nada A.]

I like the capture of a reality of our life now.

[Michelle]

Yes it is different for you :) My eyes go directly to her, I am not put off by the rest.. if i was to do it differently, I guess I would use a smaller f value to get a narrower dof which would blur the distance stuff..

[Rick Schies]

Such modern conveniences

[ladyjane]

I like the isolated feeling! I think blurring the background would put more focus on the sitting girl - and did you think of trying this in B&W?

[Thom Mitchell]

@ladyjane I didn't. But here it is B&W: http://rhoing.posterous.com/not-posted-to-365

[Caryn]

Wish I could give you some input...I'm at a loss. (It's late.) I like the idea of cropping out the person and tree.

[Thom Mitchell]

@michelleyoung @ladyjane @cmc1200 What do we think now: http://rhoing.posterous.com/not-posted-to-365?

[Linda Lorraine]

@rhoing This crop tells the story you are going for more distinctly. I like it. If you want to play more I'd slide your exposure a bit brighter with the b&w now to brighten up the image and take away some of the darkness the brick wall imposes. Just a thought

[Thom Mitchell]

@lindag I didn't think of B&W until @ladyjane suggested it. There are a couple different crops here, http://rhoing.posterous.com/not-posted-to-365. I missed the boat for not thinking of B&W, but that's one of the things this community does for me! :)

[Linda Lorraine]

@rhoing Yes, this is the one I meant that I liked the new b&w and cropped version very much. :-) Also like the painted lady too by the way! :-)

[ladyjane]

I like the b&w but with the original composition, just because the girl looks less boxed-in.