Girl in the Window

nugentch · Sep 1, 2014

I took this shot yesterday at a street festival. This young lady was on the second floor of her building just watching the goings on on the street below.

I really like the way she was framed in the window and cropped it just to include here and the window to change the photo from landscape to portrait. I personally really like it, but it still needs something. Suggestions are welcome! And let me have it... I have pretty thick skin.

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keyseddie · Sep 1, 2014

You know what she was doing. Does the viewer know without your explanation? Maybe, but that's a stretch. There is visual interest however in the second crop. Consider cropping down to the end of the glass, and dodging the windowsill till the white matches the window frame above, enclosing her in a red and white box. Consequently, whatever value you see here will be enhanced.

The_Traveler · Sep 1, 2014

If you will allow editing there are some changes/edits I would suggest that are much better seen that heard.

terri · Sep 1, 2014

The crop is much better, composition wise. There are still issues with color, and overall the image looks a mite flat or even underexposed.

You may want Lew to help you by example with some editing here, as he is asking for. The girl in the window looks charming, but the execution needs help!

chuasam · Sep 1, 2014

Cropping it makes it worse. I want to see some context. Why is she looking out the window. What is happening.

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Derrel · Sep 1, 2014

chuasam said:
Cropping it makes it worse. I want to see some context. Why is she looking out the window. What is happening.

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I would agree with that...the holes in the front of the building let us know it's kind of old...the tattered window blinds above her head are interesting....the pair of pull-cords for the blinds are a nice element. I think what it needs if to get her nose to the LEFT of the center line of the image...she is looking to the right in a very strong profile of pale skin against empty black, so it is like a bullseye, and her looking right and being to the right of the center is causing a negative feeling. Crop just a little off the left, and just a little off the top and a little off the bottom, to keep it a strong horizontal, but get her nose to the left of the center of the shot, and it will "read" better. But the vertical crop is not to my liking at all, because it "de-contextualizes" the entire nature of the scene.

nugentch · Sep 1, 2014

The_Traveler said:
If you will allow editing there are some changes/edits I would suggest that are much better seen that heard.

I really appreciate everyone's input. I see what you mean about the crop. I have opened up my photos for editing.

Again, thanks for all the input.

chuasam · Sep 1, 2014

I can kinda see what you're trying to get.
Here watch this video [video=vimeo;39415663]the Americans[/video]

The_Traveler · Sep 1, 2014

^What they said about placing the woman.
It's the same as in head shots, less room on the back of the head and more room to look into.
A big point of this image is not the woman alone but that she is so intent on something and by clipping off the right, you are minimizing that idea.
I think that the colors are a bit pallid and the frames of the window a bit out of true.
I tried changing the wb but I would have rather selected all the reds and made them less cherry red and a deeper, richer color.
Also I tried straightening the frames and adding a bit on the right to get her off center. (with not huge success)

(It would help if, in the future, you posted larger images)