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Hello Martin, welcome to ePHOTOzine and to the Critique Gallery. You joined recently, you've uploaded a couple of attractive candid portraits, this time you ticked the critique box - I hope that it was intentional.
Here in the CG you waive the chance of votes and awards, in exchange for more in-depth commenting. We try to assist with the taking and the processing of photographs. However you will have seen a pop-up message when you were uploading, and you should have received an automatic personal message from the site since, explaining that there are various things that we ask for from people who upload for critique.
First of all the full Exif data. Normally the site picks this up automatically, but it's not doing so here so I assume that you used Save for web, which strips the data from the file. Please add it here, either by editing the upload or as a note here in the Comments section.
Tell us about the circumstances, how and why you took this.
Next, what is your reason for ticking for critique, what advice are you looking for, have you any specific questions? And how do you see this, are you satisfied with it?
If you have processed the image (you have certainly cropped) it helps if you show us the original. You can add it as a modification, click on the blue Modifications box below the upload and follow the instructions.
And very importantly - please join in the conversation here!
I am seeing an attractive observation, with the usual problems that come with street candids - the blurred intrusion foreground left, the fact that we cannot actually see one of the mouths in question.
That blurred hand is the main problem. Try holding your fingers up in front of your eyes and focusing beyond them, it's not easy, the blur is distracting and acts as a barrier. So possible a tighter crop.... That's what the viewer has to do here.
It's nicely focused, the background is soft so that the couple are isolated, you look to have been using a sensible shutter speed. Black & white could be strong.
Over to you, we need to here more from you!
Regards,
Moira
Here in the CG you waive the chance of votes and awards, in exchange for more in-depth commenting. We try to assist with the taking and the processing of photographs. However you will have seen a pop-up message when you were uploading, and you should have received an automatic personal message from the site since, explaining that there are various things that we ask for from people who upload for critique.
First of all the full Exif data. Normally the site picks this up automatically, but it's not doing so here so I assume that you used Save for web, which strips the data from the file. Please add it here, either by editing the upload or as a note here in the Comments section.
Tell us about the circumstances, how and why you took this.
Next, what is your reason for ticking for critique, what advice are you looking for, have you any specific questions? And how do you see this, are you satisfied with it?
If you have processed the image (you have certainly cropped) it helps if you show us the original. You can add it as a modification, click on the blue Modifications box below the upload and follow the instructions.
And very importantly - please join in the conversation here!
I am seeing an attractive observation, with the usual problems that come with street candids - the blurred intrusion foreground left, the fact that we cannot actually see one of the mouths in question.
That blurred hand is the main problem. Try holding your fingers up in front of your eyes and focusing beyond them, it's not easy, the blur is distracting and acts as a barrier. So possible a tighter crop.... That's what the viewer has to do here.
It's nicely focused, the background is soft so that the couple are isolated, you look to have been using a sensible shutter speed. Black & white could be strong.
Over to you, we need to here more from you!
Regards,
Moira
Hi Martin.
We would normally ask for more shot details, shutter, aperture, ISO and focal length. If you know them please just add them in a comment.
Its a cute moment, and I assume you used a longish focal length. Its a little noisy, not too bad, but perhaps a high ISO?
The major issue is the intruding hand, looks like someone else was also capturing the moment.
I have tried to eliminate the hand by cropping square, cloning in some coat and hair, and adding a blur, - it might work.
General adjustments were a warmer white balance, setting the level of black = 9, and localized sharpening on the faces.
I hope you can respond with more information.. BTW, set the time and date on the camera..
Regards
Willie
We would normally ask for more shot details, shutter, aperture, ISO and focal length. If you know them please just add them in a comment.
Its a cute moment, and I assume you used a longish focal length. Its a little noisy, not too bad, but perhaps a high ISO?
The major issue is the intruding hand, looks like someone else was also capturing the moment.
I have tried to eliminate the hand by cropping square, cloning in some coat and hair, and adding a blur, - it might work.
General adjustments were a warmer white balance, setting the level of black = 9, and localized sharpening on the faces.
I hope you can respond with more information.. BTW, set the time and date on the camera..
Regards
Willie
I've uploaded a modification, totally different to Willie's - you will find modifications under that blue button, click on the numbers to view.
I cropped tighter, darkened on highlights a bit, then worked a contrasty b&w conversion in Nik Silver Efex, using Burn Edges to create a dark vignette to further isolate the couple and tone down the blurred intrusion.
NB Various points that I noticed - there is a thin white line across the bottom of the frame. The colour is somewhat cold and blueish, we are not of course seeing Exif but auto white balance can do this, it usually needs a small tweak in post processing. And yes, it's a bit noisy, either from using a higher ISO to support a long focal length and fast shutter speed, or possibly from tight cropping of the original. I don't mind grain, but it does reduce detail.
We do need that Exif, and to hear more from you.
I cropped tighter, darkened on highlights a bit, then worked a contrasty b&w conversion in Nik Silver Efex, using Burn Edges to create a dark vignette to further isolate the couple and tone down the blurred intrusion.
NB Various points that I noticed - there is a thin white line across the bottom of the frame. The colour is somewhat cold and blueish, we are not of course seeing Exif but auto white balance can do this, it usually needs a small tweak in post processing. And yes, it's a bit noisy, either from using a higher ISO to support a long focal length and fast shutter speed, or possibly from tight cropping of the original. I don't mind grain, but it does reduce detail.
We do need that Exif, and to hear more from you.
Hello, Martin, and welcome to the Critique Gallery.
I hope we may be hearing from you soon. Please join in the conversation and also try to answer some of the above questions.
I have done a modification that is a far more intimate image, but it eliminates the blur in the foreground and concentrates on the young couple.
I cropped quite a lot, then cloned in some of the lady's hair and coat to remove the blurred area. Something that kept capturing my attention was the small white area directly behind the girl's teeth, which seemed to elongate them, and since we have "the kiss" as a title, and only one mouth to conentrate upon, I felt it deserved to be clarified, so I removed that white area, as well as a small light bit directly behind her eye, and the white bits and another person's head that are above the man's head. It's all cosmetic, and I appreciate that it's a street scene, but I feel that it helps the outlines of your lead performers. There is seldom time to give the background full attention with captures like this.
I finished with a small Levels adjustment and a nice frame.
Pamela.
I hope we may be hearing from you soon. Please join in the conversation and also try to answer some of the above questions.
I have done a modification that is a far more intimate image, but it eliminates the blur in the foreground and concentrates on the young couple.
I cropped quite a lot, then cloned in some of the lady's hair and coat to remove the blurred area. Something that kept capturing my attention was the small white area directly behind the girl's teeth, which seemed to elongate them, and since we have "the kiss" as a title, and only one mouth to conentrate upon, I felt it deserved to be clarified, so I removed that white area, as well as a small light bit directly behind her eye, and the white bits and another person's head that are above the man's head. It's all cosmetic, and I appreciate that it's a street scene, but I feel that it helps the outlines of your lead performers. There is seldom time to give the background full attention with captures like this.
I finished with a small Levels adjustment and a nice frame.
Pamela.
Welcome from me, too, Martin.
Tight crops work well: and part of me wishes I could see the man's mouth. WE need to see eyes in people pictures, and usually, we want to see mouths as well. I'm not sure if I can see this as a sort of tease... Making what we can't see part of the point of the picture... Maybe I need to come back when you've responded to the comments...
Tight crops work well: and part of me wishes I could see the man's mouth. WE need to see eyes in people pictures, and usually, we want to see mouths as well. I'm not sure if I can see this as a sort of tease... Making what we can't see part of the point of the picture... Maybe I need to come back when you've responded to the comments...
