Camera Shy

[Tom]

Using available light, this shot was taken just inside the door of a small streetside tea house in Litang, China. (still working on them).
Besides everything else do you think that the inclusion of the tea flask hurts the image. I blurred the background in PS as I got it wrong at the time of taking. How do you feel about the result.
Thanks.

[Stephen]

Re: Camera Shy

Using available light, this shot was taken just inside the door of a small streetside tea house in Litang, China. (still working on them).
Besides everything else do you think that the inclusion of the tea flask hurts the image. I blurred the background in PS as I got it wrong at the time of taking. How do you feel about the result.
Thanks.

Tom, my initial reaction How have you managed to keep this one quiet for so long

I'm gonna have to spend more time looking at this one

[Archangel]

Re: Camera Shy

Using available light, this shot was taken just inside the door of a small streetside tea house in Litang, China. (still working on them).
Besides everything else do you think that the inclusion of the tea flask hurts the image. I blurred the background in PS as I got it wrong at the time of taking. How do you feel about the result.
Thanks.

Tom,

In shots like this nothing can hurt the main theme of the photo.
I would like if the flask hadn't been there and the main theme probably would look better when more isolated, but even if it stays like this it doesn't bother me and it doesn't take anything out of the photo.
A photo is also supposed to pass a feeling to the viewer and sometimes even in specific type of portraits to also give an idea of the surrounding space/environment/objects. So this feeling is passed anyway in that shot, with or without the flask.


George

[coupekid]

Re: Camera Shy

Using available light, this shot was taken just inside the door of a small streetside tea house in Litang, China. (still working on them).
Besides everything else do you think that the inclusion of the tea flask hurts the image. I blurred the background in PS as I got it wrong at the time of taking. How do you feel about the result.
Thanks.

Nice capture Tom,

I agree about the flask being a distraction, and would be easy to clone out. I would also say you have a little more work to do on the blurring arounf the right hand side of the child.

Lovely composition though!

[Pops]

Re: Camera Shy

What a lovely shot. Both subjects are clearly amused by something off to your right and the childs expression is one of fascination because her eyes are really sparkling.
If you want to go to town on this the flask could easily be taken out but why bother, it is not obtrusive. I find that small dark blob just to the right of the girls shoulder more of a put off than the flask.

[Tom]

Re: Camera Shy

Thanks Ben,Pops and George for your critique.
I have been a bit unsure about this one for a long and the bloomin flasks were always a bit of a bother for me, but rightly or wrongly, I choose to leave them in. I also considered the Mum's eyes being half closed which was the main reason for the title. But I got to enjoy the fact that they were half closed, giving an impression of shyness or even discomford but willing and happy for her little one to be photographed.
Ben I'm not to sure what you mean by the blurring on the childs hand; could it be due to some movement?

[coupekid]

Re: Camera Shy

Ben I'm not to sure what you mean by the blurring on the childs hand; could it be due to some movement?

Sorry Tom, I mean the right hand side, if you look at the duck(I think?) on her top, and go to the right, there is an area that has not been blurred out as effectively.

Hope this makes sense!

[Autumn]

Re: Camera Shy

Lovely photo Tom. I don't mind the flask, it seems less posed. If nothing were there you can't imagine anything, but with the flask it's just like anywhere - people have a cuppa (something). The fact that is blurred makes it less intrusive and the colour matches mum's jumper.

The little ones cheeks are so ruddy rather than rosey.

Was she one of the customers or was it her tea house?

[Caz]

Re: Camera Shy

Absolutely lovely photo. I also don't find the flask distracting, there appears to be something on the wall (?) just to the side of the child but apart from that, it's a cracking shot.

Carol

[Tom]

Re: Camera Shy

Well spotted Ben; looks like careless selecting.

[ash]

Re: Camera Shy

This is great, the type of candid you would hope to get on your holidays, its good that there not looking at you, or is the mother with her beedy eye
a great shot.
cheers
Ash.

[Tom]

Re: Camera Shy

Autumn Caz and Ash and Stephen who replied at the beginning.
Thanks very much.
Autumn; the lady and her children seemed to be friends of the people who served in the house.
Caz; I am happy how you feel about the flasks. I should think that black spot must be a bit of dirt on the wall. Had I noticed at time of posting I would have removed it.
Ash; good to see you back here. I too prefer when the eyes are not staring into the lens especially in this type of informal set up.

[Tinka]

Re: Camera Shy

Hi Tom,
A terrific people image well captured, personaly the flask does not bother me, but without the flask and the mobile phone the image would probably be ageless, something out of frame has definately amused both the mother and child, perhaps you could clone out the flask and phone to produce two versions of the same image, one as taken(Well almost) for the history archive, and one for pleasure.

[Tom]

Re: Camera Shy

I understand where you are coming from here Tinka and many thanks for your comments.

[Bearface]

Re: Camera Shy

Tom, this shot is wonderful. Stephen actually mentioned it when were out shooting this morning and yet it still manages to exceed my expectations. The whole thing, from the shy subjects through to the strong colours and contrast just work somehow, despite the fact that the mother is in mid-blink.

I could live without the selective blurring (it's tricky and time-consuming to get right, but here it's a little obvious), but otherwise I love it.