Innocence Lost

Hedgetrimmer · Dec 12, 2004

I bought my first SLR a few weeks ago after years of pointing and shooting. I'm trying to learn what works and what does not. I had to scan the image to get it up. Any comments appreciated.

Nytmair · Dec 12, 2004

i don't really know what i'm looking at other than the ground with leaves and sticks... :?

Corry · Dec 12, 2004

Agree with Nytmair on that. It needs a subject. Something that catches your eye. Before you take your shot you need to take composition in mind. I'd also say you need to add some contrast. As it is the tone is a bit dull. Keep shooting and keep posting, this is a great place to learn!

DocFrankenstein · Dec 12, 2004

Oh come on core

It can't be any more obvious! Don't you watch TV?

The slipper that was forgotten there by the lady who lost her innocence in the muddy surroundings of the bleak forest while being abducted by the alien life forms doing research on the human beings to conquer earth.

JonMikal · Dec 12, 2004

i saw the slipper but i'm with the others in that it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

DocFrankenstein · Dec 12, 2004

Think about the depth of field and what you want to draw attention to.

You need to empasize 2 things (if I get your intent correctly):
1) Slipper
2) Mud around it, the slipper texture being dirty... etc

You chose to line up the focal plane parallel to the ground. It's ineffective. The slipper is in focus, but all the leaves and branches are also tack sharp and draw attention away from the shoe. Not good.

How old are you? Cause it looks looks like you have some back problems

You should've at least bent yourself, so that the slipper takes 2/3rds of the frame.

I'd compose it like this:
Lower the camera to the ground level. Look at the shoe from the side and from up close. Let it fill in more than half of the frame. Because the shoe close to the camera and takes up a lot of, make it in focus and you have WHAM: LOOK AT THE SHOE!

The in focus part of the shoe should be dirty and with some interesting structure on it.

The remaining part of the frame should be for surroundings. Line is up so that there are some leaves, dirt or a piece of turd in focus.

Keep the aperture reasonably fast, so that the background is SMOOTH.

You'd have a picture with:
Cool! big shoe... in focus... let's look at texture. Hmm... dirty background... But the shoe once was clean...

And try to get some lines in the background to connect the shoe and the mud.

Cheers

Hedgetrimmer · Dec 12, 2004

Doc, that's a lot of information and quite perceptive. I do have a back problem, and since taking up this new hobby, working with a tripod and tryig to bend for different angles, it's only gotten worse. Thanks a lot for the feedback. I'll keep shooting and reading and maybe eventually I'll come up with something better.

DocFrankenstein · Dec 12, 2004

Whoops

Sorry, I didn't expect you to have actual back problems... just composition ones. Sorry to hear about it.

Nice to know my comments helped

mrphil · Dec 13, 2004

I reckon this shot would really work if the shoe was in colour and the rest in b&w. Not that I would have any idea how to do that, need to find one of techno-savy photoshop type people for that.