The lantern girl

[Mystgicus]

Hi guys,

This is the 7th photo in the storytelling series, if you haven't seen the ones before, here they are:
Fishermen by the sea
A morning with the locals
Do they know it's Christmas?
Santa on tea-break
Get busy living, or get busy dying
Gleaming joy

Same as last time, just leave your comments below and tell me what you think the story behind this photo is, what you like or dislike about it, how it can be improved, what's missing, overall technical aspects, etc; basically anything that comes to mind.

Cheers!

 

[Warhorse]

I like this shot, it has an Asian look to it.

 

[Mystgicus]

I like this shot, it has an Asian look to it.

Thanks! Glad you liked it.

 

[Designer]

The story is; she makes lanterns.

 

[Mystgicus]

The story is; she makes lanterns.

Interesting perspective...

 

[Derrel]

H
Same as last time, just leave your comments below and tell me what you think the story behind this photo is, what you like or dislike about it, how it can be improved, what's missing, overall technical aspects, etc; basically anything that comes to mind.

Cheers!

View attachment 161661

Well, what's missing is her right foot...she's at the base of the image, and she's missing her foot...that to me is the most-important missing thing. A slightly lower camera placement, or a wider view, could have included her foot. Speaking of wider view: this appears to have been shot from a slight distance, with a longer lens length than I think would have been optimal. Getting closer, with a wider-angle lens, would have changed the feeling of the shot; this shot lacks real "intimacy", and looks more like a street-grab from 50 feet back with a longish lens, or at least that's the "feeling" I get.

Overall technical aspects? Adequate, but not exceptional. Looks under-exposed and noisy to me...this is where a really fine-prforming sensor and high-grade lens would have come into play; Nikon D800-series, Sony A7-series, Canon5D- or 6D series camera, with a BIG, good sensor and a high-speed 35mm f/1.4 type of lens or a 24mm f/1.4 or a 28mm f/1.4 lens, something like that, that type of equipment would give a different look to the technical. We go from smartphone, to compact P&S, to m43, to APS-C, to FF or FX type cameras, and lenses that cost $10 to $300 to $899 to $1699. This shot needed better light...a teeny-tiny flash pop, at like 1/16 power, with the flash in a tiny softbox, would have made this better. Why? Light ratio...bright lanterns, dark subject person, against the night..."needs fill light" is the catchphrase. Even the on-camera pop-up flash at just 1/32 power, would have improved this.

I would have come in closer, kneeled down, kept the camera back plano-parallel with the back wall, included all of her personage, feet too, and shot this from 10 feet away with a wide-angle lens, and the feeling would have been very different. This would have made me like the shot more, and would have improved it. The story to me is that she makes lanterns; the title is about her, The Lantern Girl; because of that, I want to see all of her, head to feet.

 

[Mystgicus]

H
Same as last time, just leave your comments below and tell me what you think the story behind this photo is, what you like or dislike about it, how it can be improved, what's missing, overall technical aspects, etc; basically anything that comes to mind.

Cheers!

View attachment 161661

Well, what's missing is her right foot...she's at the base of the image, and she's missing her foot...that to me is the most-important missing thing. A slightly lower camera placement, or a wider view, could have included her foot. Speaking of wider view: this appears to have been shot from a slight distance, with a longer lens length than I think would have been optimal. Getting closer, with a wider-angle lens, would have changed the feeling of the shot; this shot lacks real "intimacy", and looks more like a street-grab from 50 feet back with a longish lens, or at least that's the "feeling" I get.

Overall technical aspects? Adequate, but not exceptional. Looks under-exposed and noisy to me...this is where a really fine-prforming sensor and high-grade lens would have come into play; Nikon D800-series, Sony A7-series, Canon5D- or 6D series camera, with a BIG, good sensor and a high-speed 35mm f/1.4 type of lens or a 24mm f/1.4 or a 28mm f/1.4 lens, something like that, that type of equipment would give a different look to the technical. We go from smartphone, to compact P&S, to m43, to APS-C, to FF or FX type cameras, and lenses that cost $10 to $300 to $899 to $1699. This shot needed better light...a teeny-tiny flash pop, at like 1/16 power, with the flash in a tiny softbox, would have made this better. Why? Light ratio...bright lanterns, dark subject person, against the night..."needs fill light" is the catchphrase. Even the on-camera pop-up flash at just 1/32 power, would have improved this.

I would have come in closer, kneeled down, kept the camera back plano-parallel with the back wall, included all of her personage, feet too, and shot this from 10 feet away with a wide-angle lens, and the feeling would have been very different. This would have made me like the shot more, and would have improved it. The story to me is that she makes lanterns; the title is about her, The Lantern Girl; because of that, I want to see all of her, head to feet.

You’re right with getting in closer. This shot was shot with a 35mm lens at f1.4 from eye level and cropped; so it’s something close to the field of view of a 50mm. Indeed, getting closer and shooting at a lower angle would make this a better shot.

I shot this with my Leica M3 on 800 ISO Cinestill film - I guess I was pushing it with the exposure ;P

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated!