A Study in Shadow and Light

[Harmony]

For this photo I'm asking for serious critiques only. Please, no 'great shot!' or 'nice one!'.

Info:
Canon 30D with 50 mm
f/9, 1/1000
ISO100

PP:
Contrast boost

 

[shed301]

what are you trying to achieve here?. it looks to dark to actually make out any detail.... or was that the desired effect?

 

[invisible]

I think that you had the right idea, but the background didn't help (i.e., no separation whatsoever between the figures and background). By boosting contrast, you enhanced the texture on the wood, but also likely lost some detail. The shadows on the wood overlap each other, so you can't make out what's going on with the shadows either. Unfortunately, everything looks too dark –at least in my monitor.

 

[LaFoto]

I thoroughly like the concept you're following here, Harmony, my issue with this photo, though, is that the silhouettes of the persons that cast their shadows onto the deck (is that the word?) are so very mixed with the background so they get all lost. You may have thought that their shadows alone make the photo but I don't quite agree. Maybe if you had knelt down to make at least their heads (maybe heads and shoulders) appear above all that's behind them, then I'd think, wow, cool. For, like I said, I do applaud the concept you are following here. And the way the low sun makes the texture of the deck come out is fascinating!

 

[Harmony]

Thank you all for taking the time to critique!

I see what you mean: too dark, heads blended. Unfortunately, the original (JPEG) image is already quite dark, but I played with curves and came up with this:

 

[LaFoto]

Yes, I see you can change only very little. Kneeling down could have done the trick at the time ... now that scene is away and gone forever. But there'll be new ones! Every day, every hour, every minute, actually!!!

 

[Harmony]

I will definitely be going back!