Governor's Booksigning

dcrowephoto · Apr 14, 2012

I normally work with video but am trying to get more into stills. I took these today at a book signing with South Carolina's Governor, Nikki Haley. Would appreciate and C&C!

Nikon D7000, SB-700
28mm 2.8 @ f9.5 1/60 ISO 800

Nikon D7000, SB-700
28-85mm 3.5-45 @ f9.5 1/60 ISO 800

Nikon D7000, SB-700
55mm 2.8 @ f/13 1/60 ISO 800

AceCo55 · Apr 18, 2012

Sorry I can't help ... but this is precisely why I find the combining of "Photojournalism" with "Sports" such an odd grouping.
I simply don't understand the reasoning. What is common about these two genres? I shoot sports and I don't feel I have the experience to comment on your photojournalism.
I have posted just to let you know that IF you do not get many cc's/replies it may not have anything to do with your particular photos and more to do with your genre.

Out of the 44 threads on the current "Photojournalism & Sports Gallery", ... 6 could be classed as "photojournalism" and 38 "sports"

If you want my opinion (ignorant as it is; and you have to understand that I have absolutely no knowledge of Nikki Haley):
#1: for me is just a snapshot record. Shooting position was too high, guy standing in back left is a distraction, flash shadow on door
#2: I like this as an element in capturing the story of the event. Subtle with hints of what is going on, by whom and for what purpose.
#3: Love your POV here. I get a wonderful sense of her character and engagement with the person she is talking to. I think that using people to frame her is great. For me two things detract from the image. That note pad(???) totally ruins the feeling of warm interaction between two people. I don't know if it would ruin the feel of the scene if you cropped up from the bottom to take it out ... but it is butt ugly. The framing woman on the right takes too much prominence. I would crop at least to her ear (and maybe just past her ear). The framing person on the left is needed to block the person the governor is speaking to ... and thus she has a key role in adding to the mystery of who in hell is the governor sharing so much warmth with! However I would crop maybe 20-30% off the left (there is a distracting element in the very top left of the image). Anyway, if I were you, I would totally ignore anything I said

jfrabat · Apr 18, 2012

I really like the second shot... The first one, not so much. The third, I have to agree withthe previous post.

Hooligan Dan · Apr 18, 2012

#2 is a good secondary shot. Nice angle. A detail that would nicely support a main shot. The others don't work as well though. #1 is underexposed, has some distracting elements(the guy standing in the back) and is an odd angle for the subject. #3 works a little better but the object in the foreground is a little distractions.

Keep working at it. You're getting there.

To address Ace's comments, I think it's fine to have sports and photojournalism in the same forum. As a photojournalist I shoots sports regularly so I associate the two. What I think doesn't fit in this forum, and that I see a lot of, are the random advertising style car photos. A nascar race photo? Sure that fits here. A photo of a Honda parked in a lot with a setting sun behind hit? Not so much.