Gaza demonstration

[Pejacre]

I've always wondered what it would be like to be a photojournalist - placing yourself in the action and trying to tell a story with as few images as possible, preferably just one. When I'm reviewing a batch of pictures I've taken at an event, I find myself wanting to keep and show so many in order to portray the story from start to finish and never seem to be able to encapsulate the essence of what happened in a single image. The guys that do this professionally must have amazing perception - wish I did!

Anyway, I came across this demonstration about the situation in Gaza and this was what I selected. The last image of the woman with the umbrella took my by surprise - as I found her in my viewfinder she suddenly locked eyes for a second and almost looked like she deliberately posed for me - that or she's just naturally photogenic.

Anyway, your feedback would be appreciated - I know these are more snapshots than anything so any tips on how I could learn to 'see' better would be welcome.

 

[The_Traveler]

Of these, I think the first one in the second row is by far the best.
Great composition, perhaps better in B&W to get away from the cheery and distracting effects of color

The others are essentially emotionless.

 

[Pejacre]

Of these, I think the first one in the second row is by far the best.
Great composition, perhaps better in B&W to get away from the cheery and distracting effects of color

The others are essentially emotionless.

View attachment 82055

Thanks Lew - yep, that was my pick too - maybe would have been better with enough dof to keep the man in focus but I wanted attention drawn to the face of the 'mother' figure. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[The_Traveler]

I don 't think a greater dof would do anything.
Better processing on BW would have been better but I was rushed.

nice shot.
i am hoping to find demo asking Hamas to stop firing rockets and building tunnels but those are few on the ground.

L

 

[W.Y.Photo]

The one Lew turned black and white is the closest to doing what you've stated you would like it to. Infact I'd go so far as to say its there once some Black and white processing is done to it. All you need to do is draw a lot of attention away from the guy in the foreground, use his pose and expression to subconsciously tell a story while the main focus of the image remains on the woman and her sign which tell a much more in-your-face sort of story.

 

[The_Traveler]

What would people suggest be done to the picture?
And why?
i think this might be a useful short discussion.

 

[W.Y.Photo]

I dont have a lot of time to go in and edit it myself currently, but I'd say darkening his face (and possibly arm and hand) and reducing the contrast slightly only around his face would keep attention off of him and focus it in on her. It needs to be subtle enough that it draws attention off of him rather than towards him so it may require some burning in the background so that the tonality of the background matches the tonality of the foreground (him) That way you can use the background and foreground to amplify the frame within a frame aesthetic that you already have working for you around the woman with the sign.

Anyone else have suggestions? I'm not sure how my method would turn out.