Photo Project - Beach #1

[gtkelly]

Please comment on the following shot. This was submitted as part of a photo project and I'd like to see how critique here might differ from what my instructor provided.

 

[TimboAA]

Good subject matter, it looks a bit under exposed though. Perhaps a blue-ish tint over everything as well? The child almost start to be camouflaged into the background. The sand pale and shovel look like they were intentionally placed there though. I do understand the connection between the toy and the child though. Please share what your instructor said.

 

[New England Moments]

I do like the placement of subjects, and yes I said subjects (2), corner to corner.. its easy viewing... although with the DOF focus on the Beach toys , I guess that is your main subject, and little girl tells the story..

I love the exposure on the foreground and Focus , the little girls reflection is a big plus..

I just can't make up my mind on the DOF choice here.. part of me likes what you have , and the other part wants a larger F/stop number for more detail??

Overall it s a nice photo, and sure theres a story line here ...( Like play in the water / play in the sand?? What to do ?? )

I to see the blue tint , is this aa effect you wanted for a type mood ?



Good job!

 

[TimboAA]

Thanks N.E.M. for pointing out the DOF choice...I totally forgot to comment on that and I'm glad you brought it up. I thought that perhaps she could be a tad bit more out of focus, but the more I looked at it, the more it "kinda" grew on me.

 

[lulu]

I would have liked to see the child walking towards the toys, or into the picture instead of out of it, that might help make a better connection between the two.

 

[abraxas]

This is a nice shot.

Looks to me like apprehension. A little girl playing, finds herself alone on a beach.

 

[sayambhu]

Dear Kelly,

its a nice photo you have here.. however, I believe if you could get a facial expression of the child, it would have been better. the watery reflection complements the subject nicely.

however, there is a lack of elements in this picture : we have only a child and two of her toys. there could have been a ship in the distant background, or a flock of birds etc.

see carefully, over 75% of the frame is really telling nothing except that its a sea... before taking a shot, you must remember that every picture tells a story. after shooting, ask yourself, "right, what is my story here?". that's one of the secrets of making a good picture.

if you could get a happy face of the child, it would have changed the photograph dramatically. if you prefer this composition, try shooting again under golden dawn/dusk sunlight with long shadows of the subjects.

I'm dropping you this note because I myself have quite a similar beach picture as you... have a look at number 7 here in my portfolio :

http://www.turboshots.net/gallery/en/portfolio/portfolio_g_en.html

you put a good effort - keep it up !

my warm regards to you

 

[tr0gd0o0r]

I disagree with all the comments about seeing the girls face. With her faced the other way I feel that the toys have been disregarded in favor of the sea, which goes on to further commentary on how children treat toys (play with them all the time for a few days and put them away forever, etc.) If the girl were facing the other way, I think it would feel like a snapshot of some kid playing on the beach.

I also like the DOF choice here because the eye is instantly drawn to the girl, and then searches for something else because she isn't in focus.

 

[gtkelly]

Thanks! This was a selective focus\DOF exercise. Points my instructor made were:

1.) Color cast.
2.) Not out of focus enough.
3.) Like almost all of my picts - too dark. I either need to pay more attention to the histogram or go on an anti-depressant!

I was guessing that the critique I receive here is at least as good as what I get from class. And that appears to be correct.

For those of you that thought she should be approaching the toys - well that was the plan. She had other ideas...

 

[Moe Sizlack]

I think I would like to see the focus the other way, the toys out of focus and her in... almost as if the toys have been left behind as she takes on a more formidable challenge... kind of a cool commentary on growing up...

 

[Beauy]

see carefully, over 75% of the frame is really telling nothing except that its a sea... before taking a shot, you must remember that every picture tells a story. after shooting, ask yourself, "right, what is my story here?". that's one of the secrets of making a good picture.

Here is a story -

Little girl playing on the beach with her Bucket and Spade suddenly realises she is left alone. Out of curiosity she leaves her toys and heads towards the open exspance of the sea - drawn by the waves. She wanders in getting her feet wet wondering - can i go further.

This could very well be the photo before the tragedy .....

When I look at the photo with this story in mind it makes me feel quite horrible. So in that respect it effects me and therefore I would consider it a good photo...

 

[gtkelly]

Wow - I never saw this as potentially tragic. Taken in that light it does remind me of those 'unattended child drowns in pool' stories on the news.

Thanks for the comments everyone!