Homework

[Autumn]

We went to this tobacco plantation and were invited into the farmer's house for coffee. The little boy was just about to do some writing.

Critique please. Should the vase of flowers still be there? He crops down quite well, but the window some of the "Whole" is lost. What do you think?

[Jim]

Re: Homework

I think the flowers lift the pic just enough. To me they suggest that in spite of the obvious difference in lifestyle, wealth and so on, his mum still cares enough about their life to see the beauty in a bunch of fresh flowers. Without the flowers the only thing to lift the pic out of a bit of a depression would be the tablecovering.
We can see that there's a window there, we don't need to be able to see out of it.
All in all, a fine shot.

Jim

[Stephen]

Re: Homework

I think the flowers lift the pic just enough. To me they suggest that in spite of the obvious difference in lifestyle, wealth and so on, his mum still cares enough about their life to see the beauty in a bunch of fresh flowers. Without the flowers the only thing to lift the pic out of a bit of a depression would be the tablecovering.
We can see that there's a window there, we don't need to be able to see out of it.
All in all, a fine shot.

Jim

I'd very much agree with Jims comments on this Audrey. I like the photo, its what you excel at IMHO

[lumix]

Re: Homework

I think the flowers lift the pic just enough. To me they suggest that in spite of the obvious difference in lifestyle, wealth and so on, his mum still cares enough about their life to see the beauty in a bunch of fresh flowers. Without the flowers the only thing to lift the pic out of a bit of a depression would be the tablecovering.
We can see that there's a window there, we don't need to be able to see out of it.
All in all, a fine shot.

Jim

I agree with all of the above but feel the crop should be as I have shown. I have also rotated a bit to get the background upright and added a line boarder to hold it all together. Just my take on it.

[jojo]

Re: Homework

Hmm, sort of like the crop Ron, but IMHO I think that the vase of flowers is so large it kind of overwhelms the boy (who is supposed to be the focal point - isn't he?) Therefore I prefer Audrey's original. Jo

[Autumn]

Re: Homework

Thanks Ron, that is similar to the crop I did. I took several pics of the little boy, but this was the first and it was before he saw me, so I felt it was the most natural, even though I think I might have saturated it too much (for my liking).

[Dyvynl]

Re: Homework

When I look at this shot I think...that even though this little guy may not live in a palace he looks like he lives in a home with a lot of love in it. I think the vase frames the shot well so whether or not to crop is a personal preference. The saturation also warms the picture that much more, so it's not a problem to me. Both this original and the cropped pic shown here look just fine...Good Work!

[Autumn]

Re: Homework

Hi Dyvynl because of your post, I decided to show the pics I took at the time. I have not bothered straightening the converging verticles, in fact, as you can see, there is very little post processing. I just thought it helped to get it in context.

[Tinka]

Re: Homework

Hi Audrey,
Just looked in again, been busy laying concrete and building another workshop, and Just found your post, IMHO these set of photographs are superb and the result of takeing an oportunity as presented, they offer great potential for a variety of end results, and show the boy in his natural surroundings, Materialisticly poor but rich in love. As for the Crop or no crop debate, as just said these images offer potential for a variety of great end results, the original and cropped version are equally as good in my opinion, there is no need for the viewer to see the window in its entirety, in fact I think it may well spoil the atmosphere if it were the case,as in picture six, againts all the rules,the part view of the flowers are actually a very important element in the image.