St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

ajohnston3 has volunteered their WPC 1403 - Shopping Cart entry to the Photo Critique & Analysis Forum* to find out what they could have done to make it better. Be nice, but be honest as this will help everyone with their craft. Thank you ajohnston3 and thank you everyone!

From WPC 1403 - Shopping Cart RESULTS http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/photo_contest_ratings.jsp?pcnum=99

* If you are new to the Photo Critique & Analysis Forum please read the Section Rules http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-159520-1.html

Robert & his 'Rig'....

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Nightski

I voted for your photo, because I thought you had a good theme. I like the way the man is holding his hat. Ex-military people do that. It's a sign of respect. It looks like you have good all around focus on subject and cart. It would have been better had you shot for a softer background. It doesn't need to be in sharp focus to lend to the story, and it distracts from your subject.

You've got some exposure problems upon download. It looks like chromatic aberration but it's on the surface of his face, his clothes, and the black bags. I thought chromatic aberration was only seen on the edges of things, so I am not sure what's going on there.

I think you need to choose when taking a picture of a person. You need to crop at his shoulders or don't crop and keep his legs and feet in the frame. I find myself wanting to see the rest of the photo.

That being said, you were brave enough to go out and get a shot like this, and you stuck to the theme for the week. Good job!

asjohnston3 Loc: Irving, TX

It looks like you have good all around focus on subject and cart. It would have been better had you shot for a softer background.
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Good Point... Not sure how I wound up with f14 but dialing back to f5.6 or in that neighborhood would have centered the focus on the subject much better.
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You've got some exposure problems upon download. It looks like chromatic aberration but it's on the surface of his face, his clothes, and the black bags. I thought chromatic aberration was only seen on the edges of things, so I am not sure what's going on there.
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Might be due to the adjustments I made to balance the contrast. (see attached original) We get a LOT of really sunny days. So much so that I keep a CP filter on the 18-105 mm I used in this shot. (My regular walk-around lens)I had to shoot very quickly & shot in 'M'. I bumped the shutter speed up & down through a 6 click range taking 3 shots. The 1st 2 were blown out. (Bright sunlight and shadows - the bane of every photographer!)
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That being said, you were brave enough to go out and get a shot like this, and you stuck to the theme for the week. Good job! :) :
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Just dumb luck, really! :) I was shooting local color in East Dallas near the city bus transit garage where I have worked as a diesel mechanic - supervisor for almost 30 years when I saw Robert coming down the street. I've known him on and off for the better part of 20 years. I just wish I there had been more time to set up a better location but my shift was about to start..... I really appreciate your comments. You brought up some very good points....

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Nightski

Light is either your friend or your enemy. :-)

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

As is Life.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

I am with Nightski on the cropping on this one. I think It would have been better to include the whole man and the cart. I would have cropped in close on your original and left the cut off toes which I think are less offensive than cutting him off below the knees. Though in the rules of cropping this is acceptable because it is not at a joint. The trouble is by cropping where you did you have cropped the cart and it's cargo in an awkward place.
I think what Nightski is calling chromatic aberration is noise from trying to lighten up the dark areas too much. A fill flash would have helped you out here.
On download the man's face is a little soft, but not horribly so.
I think you have an interesting subject you just need to tweak some of the technical stuff.

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

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minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Thanks for sharing your interesting, sharply captured photo. Your subject clearly has a story to tell. I agree with Nightski about the settings. But let me say that I fully understand your predicament, mine is often the same when shooting street photos, I never have the right settings and by the time I tinker, the moment is gone. Our forum's esteemed street photographer Graham Smith is worth studying, I have learned a lot from his posts.

A larger aperture would have solved two problems- would help keep focus on the subject and de-emphasize the less-interesting background, and would give you more light so you wouldn't have to raise shadows so much. I know it's bright in Texas, but I'm not sure a polarizer is helping you so much on people shots like this one, may have hurt you here. I have a different camera than you, but I don't find much benefit from the polarizer except for fighting reflections, and some sky enhancement (esp rainbows!).

It looks like you were shooting from a slightly higher perspective than the subject was located, so it might have helped you to bend down a bit so you weren't looking down at him. You might also try different metering patterns to see what gives you the best result (the auto metering mode, whatever yours is called, is not always best for shots with big differences in contrast between subject and background). Some folks do a lot with fill flash also, but I haven't used it much in street photos, I probably just lack the skills/knowledge to do it right.

It sounds like you have enough relationship with this gentleman that you could try again. If you do, be sure to share your results. (Come back anyway, the folks on this forum are pretty supportive and we really try to help each other improve).

asjohnston3 Loc: Irving, TX

[quote=Country's Mama]I am with Nightski on the cropping on this one. The trouble is by cropping where you did you have cropped the cart and it's cargo in an awkward place.
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I'm familiar with the rule of thirds but it looks like there is a lot more to cropping that I would like to understand. Can you recommend a resource?
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I think what Nightski is calling chromatic aberration is noise from trying to lighten up the dark areas too much. A fill flash would have helped you out here.
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I have used the built in flash for fill a few times but am still getting the hang of it. (got my D5100 in Nov.) I never would have thought of using it in that shot but see now how it would have helped.