I am really struggling with this one.

[fish323]

I really like this photo, but I am having a great deal of difficulty processing it so I am happy with it when I print it. If anyone wants to have a go please do, but please don't add or subtract from the image as I want it to remain a photo, I don't want it to cross into the boundary of digital art. Thanks.

DSCF2917 Vietnam Solo boy by William Heron, on Flickr

 

[Mattp311]

yo fish, interesting combination of elements here. I can't give you any technical advice as I'm not savvy, but I like this.

 

[cgw]

Crop out everything to the right of that central wall--near-zero interest there. Otherwise, play with curves to pull some detail from the shadows. You asked, right?

 

[The Barbarian]

 

[JoolsW]

Well, I love those things hanging to the right of the central wall... it's what gives the image character and interest. And for me... let those shadows darken -don't want a flatter grey look. Who's worried if it's not 'technically correct'. Go with the aesthetics!
And another thing is the narrative... the story which we imagine...The heart behind the boy... the diamond on the back wall to the right.
I scrolled it to remove the upper light toned beam, and preferred it because it's a very 'busy' image and the eye more concentrates on the 'good bits'. Try it.

 

[Woolsocks]

I know you tried sending me a picture and it didn't work out eh. Well I've edited this image for you. I disagree with CGW I think a crop on the right and removing the left is better.

One edit relatively untouched except for some minor sharpening of the subject i.e the kid which I masked in the sharpened layer.

The second edit I have uploaded a third image to show what I did. I liked the window in shadow but I liked the hanging clothes more. I less liked the subject matter, but each to their own I suppose.

Btw in our last pm. I can still edit that image if you like.

 

[Woolsocks]

I know you tried sending me a picture and it didn't work out eh. Well I've edited this image for you. I disagree with CGW I think a crop on the right and removing the left is better.

One edit relatively untouched except for some minor sharpening of the subject i.e the kid which I masked in the sharpened layer.

The second edit I have uploaded a third image to show what I did. I liked the window in shadow but I liked the hanging clothes more. I less liked the subject matter, but each to their own I suppose.


Btw in our last pm. I can still edit that image if you like

I suppose I spent 30 minutes in Photoshop by these forums standards.

 

[JoolsW]

My take on it... Love the image, but I feel it needs this, remove the extraneous bright elements and improve the composition?... -Jools.

 

[snowbear]

Please read the profiles. The OP's profile states "Photos NOT OK to edit." Until that changes, we will delete the posted edits. If the OP PMs you a copy and permission, that's between the OP and you, but PM the edit back; posted edits will be deleted

If it happens again, the thread gets locked.

 

[JoolsW]

Whoops! apologies, I didn't take care to check the OPs 'edit' setting.

 

[Woolsocks]

" If anyone wants to have a go please do, but please don't add or subtract from the image as I want it to remain a photo, I don't want it to cross into the boundary of digital art. Thanks."

 

[JoolsW]

Mine is just re-masking the image to (vastly) improve the composition... no actual photographic changes at all - nowhere near digital alterations. To demonstrate I'd need to "subtract" from the image with the re-masking.

 

[JamesX]

DSCF2917 Vietnam Solo boy by William Heron, on Flickr

Imo, it's far too busy. There are at least two very good photographs there, maybe even three, but they belong in separate frames. You could pull those three photos out without losing anything of the original.

 

[fish323]

Please read the profiles. The OP's profile states "Photos NOT OK to edit." Until that changes, we will delete the posted edits. If the OP PMs you a copy and permission, that's between the OP and you, but PM the edit back; posted edits will be deleted

If it happens again, the thread gets locked.

Sorry, it is my lack of knowledge on this forum. I need to change the settings. Thank you for pointing this out to me and sorry for any inconvience caused.

 

[fish323]

What I was trying to do with this and other photos from these flats was to establish 2 naratives. One narative is that of living in urban decay and the other is the freedom the children have in this community to go out with their friends and play when they are as young as 4 years old. This gives the children a freedom that very few children have. It is a freedom my wife (who grew up here, in the the 1980s) and I (grew up in a council estate in Northern Ireland) had as a children, but one that my children could ever have.
Since I first went here about half the low rises have been demoslished to make way for new high rise flats for the residents. What I see with the new flats is the sense of community isn't what it is in the low rises. Parents don't let the young kids out to play. In the low rises everyone is looking out for everyone else so it is safe. I know when I am doing candids here I am constantly being observed, and rightly so. I was taking a photo of two 4 year olds when I saw one had the string of her balloon tangled. I went up the steps to untangle it, as it was out of her reach, I knocked the lens hood of my camera on the railing and it fell below. Someone who was watching me picked it up, waited for me to untangle the string and handed it up to me.
Unfortunately, I had a brand new card crash twice while taking the photos and I am terrible at Photoshop. I now have two cards being written to simultaneously. Hopefully I will be going on a Photoshop course in college if I can arrange the time and the tutor has the space.
DSCF3138 Kids playing by William Heron, on Flickr