Could you help me decide? (murder on 56k)

[LaFoto]

There is this monthly photo contest going on in our local newspaper. I have made it my duty to contribute photos to every given theme, and the one for August is "Harvest".

With the bad weather, all the farmers are complaining: it is way too wet to go out harvesting their crop which begins to rot on the plant.

But I did see a harvest in full progress and nicely asked if I could take their photos, later even talked to their boss (half an hour wait until he climbed out of his shower - indoors, mind, while I was standing in his yard) to also get his permission.

I now want to hand in one of the photos that I will mark out to you (others are for your information only), but don't QUITE know which. I have an idea, but would like to see what you say.

So this is the "machine" that slowly drove itself though the field:

In the "bottom" of this machine, right among the leaves (tobacco this is), there are three persons, one in the middle, one to the right, one to the left, picking and picking and picking the large tobacco leaves and putting them up into neat piles that get transported "upstairs" later to be collected and stashed into even higher piles by a fourth person up there.

This is me right next to the "machine" and the plants are so high and the leaves so large, you cannot see any of the three pickers.

But here now are the five photos of the picker who gave me her permission to not only take her photos but also publish them later ... which of you do you think fits the contest best?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

I am hoping that a tobacco harvest is so rare that my photo might have a chance to win..... :blushing:

 

[Raymond J Barlow]

love the first shot (of the final 5) show great mood, awesome exposure, colour, and depth! excellent!

My brother works in a tobacco factory.. I visited him there one day, and I couldn't leave fast enough due to the smell! uggggggggg!

 

[LaFoto]

And you don't mind that she is looking out of the picture in the very moment I released the shutter? (For she would not stop in her work for a second, she only nodded her consent when I had asked "May I take your photo?" and carried on. And the machine was constantly moving, too, of course.

 

[JonMikal]

my preference would be one with the woman, but can't decide which. i like the one Raymond mentioned, but also like the ones showing action (the act of harvesting). dunno at the moment.

 

[LaFoto]

Yes, I am asking you to help me decide ONLY on the ones that have numbers (and the woman in them). The others are just for you so you understand the whole harvest thing better.

My preference goes towards the last, if I may mention that here, but am I right?

 

[PlasticSpanner]

I'm not very keen on the bright green blurred leaf in the last one. It looks very distracting.


I quite like number 1. Even though she's looking out of the picture she looks very intent on her work and almost as if you weren't there.

 

[LRJ]

I'd vote for number four - I like the action of the right hand and the dirty left handed glove, the direction of her face is good, like shes focused on her job - It seems to fit the theme the best for me - good luck with the contest - whichever one you choose -

 

[LaFoto'sSister]

I think I like 2.
But the focus is not on the woman, but on the leaves behind her :greenpbl:
This is for the newpaper contest for which my chocolate Easter Bunny has won in March?
A photo for the newspaper can be a little unsharp. No one will see it.

 

[tirediron]

Tabakernte4.jpg, The second of the "lady" shots... great composition, great mood, the slight blurring conveys the movement, work... IHMO, perfect!

 

[Shilts]

I prefer #1. It puts the lady in context of the job she is doing, being sat in the machine. and the tyre tracks in the soil along with the scratches on the side of the machine, I think, help to give the impression of movement. Best of luck with whichever YOU choose. don't forget to let us know how you get on.

 

[drdan]

I think it has to be #1. It doesn't show the action as much but it is in focus and is a quiet, dignified moment. I do think you need to do some work to lighten and emphasize her face a tiny bit. Probably just move the dodge tool over her face a few times at about 3%. Possibly a slight use of unsharp mask and increased saturation in the face also but it would have to be very light and subtle. The first one has an enduring, classic quality that I don't see in the others.

There are aspects of all the others I like a lot but the blurriness from the movement is just too distracting and there is too much a "snapshot" feel to them. I love the beauty and gentleness in the face and eyes in #2.