Cafe Culture

[yogestee]

A cafe culture has sprung up in my town..

Canon 350D/Canon 70-200 2.8L
400th@f13
400ISO

Jurgen
Australia

[Ronnoco]

Well, the concept and the subject works very well but the busy distracting background is a challenge. I would consider experimenting with selectively blurring out the background in photoshop or even darkening some or much of it.

Ronnoco

[McMadCow]

This is an interesting concept, Jurgen, but I think it's a bit static for my tastes. I really don't want to tell you how to compose your shots, but I think this one has the angle working against it. The woman is leaning down, intent on her paper, but your angle and location doesn't really take advantage of her positioning. I think if you shot at a greater angle (lower or higher) and got her from a profile, this would be more effective.
On the plus side, I like the shading on her face. It's nice and dramatic and it's probably the most successful element of this shot.
Also, that rainbow effect on the lower left is surprisingly distracting. I found myself staring at it wondering where it came from. Probably a little bit of lens flare.
Thanks for posting!

[Yoyo Szeto]

Hi,
I think the tabloid paper adds a lot to the shot, especially the word"gossip". I also like the woman enjoying the sunlight although the colour of the light may imply it is a bit hot.
yoyo

[Ronnoco]

[QUOTE=McMadCow] I think if you shot at a greater angle (lower or higher) and got her from a profile, this would be more effective. [QUOTE]

No! Lower would have had her chin intefering with the newspaper and looking down on her would not have been appropriate either. Profile would lose most of her expression and that would have made a weaker photo as well.

Ronnoco

[GB1]

I like the shot for what it is - someone just sitting down for lunch or breakfast and reading the paper. Seems like a 'rest of our life' shot where we do average things 90% of the time, with wild photographic things the rest. The background doesnt bother me cause again, cafe's are crowded sometimes and people have to park, so it makes the shot real and not over-composed.

That being said, the lighting is a little bright here. Seems like she's under a bit of a spotlight. Looks like Australia has the same intense desert light we do here in the western US.......

GB

[yogestee]

I like the shot for what it is - someone just sitting down for lunch or breakfast and reading the paper. Seems like a 'rest of our life' shot where we do average things 90% of the time, with wild photographic things the rest. The background doesnt bother me cause again, cafe's are crowded sometimes and people have to park, so it makes the shot real and not over-composed.

That being said, the lighting is a little bright here. Seems like she's under a bit of a spotlight. Looks like Australia has the same intense desert light we do here in the western US.......

GB

GB,,,,funny you should mention the lighting...Here in Australia the light is very harsh,,and believe it or not this is winter...

Jurgen
Australia

[mpreslar]

Jurgen,

I don't know the shooting environment you were in (planned shot, grab shot, 'try to get the shot without the person seeing the camera and "posing" shot', or whatever) but with this busy background and hot lighting I would take the settings to ISO-100 and open the aperture up to get a selective DOF to blur the background a bit, but not enought to make the front edge of the newspaper loose focus. I would also underexpose it a by at least 1/3 stop if not a whole stop to tone down the lighting, or spot meter on the left side of her face (her left, where the light is brightest).

Of course, this is all just woulda-coulda-shoulda since the photo oportunity is now long past! ;)

Good idea, just a bit busy and hot IMO.

[yogestee]

Jurgen,

I don't know the shooting environment you were in (planned shot, grab shot, 'try to get the shot without the person seeing the camera and "posing" shot', or whatever) but with this busy background and hot lighting I would take the settings to ISO-100 and open the aperture up to get a selective DOF to blur the background a bit, but not enought to make the front edge of the newspaper loose focus. I would also underexpose it a by at least 1/3 stop if not a whole stop to tone down the lighting, or spot meter on the left side of her face (her left, where the light is brightest).

Of course, this is all just woulda-coulda-shoulda since the photo oportunity is now long past! ;)

Good idea, just a bit busy and hot IMO.

I get your point mpreslar...In these situtations one has to be quick...Get the image, get out of there and worry about the athstetics later..I spose its my media training..

Jurgen
Australia