The Friendly Confines

[Dubbs5050]

just another day in the neighborhood

[Addies Granddaddy]

Ahhhhhh, baseball's back.
Nice one.
John

[MB1]

I think as photographers we want to capture images that set us apart from "just some guy with a camera." Part of the process is to think about what is in and isn't in the frame of our images.

Notice how the legs are chopped off the 2 men on the far right of the frame? Notice how the sky fills at least 40% of the frame? What in this image is interesting and says "ball game"? All that sky doesn't fill a special need but having more people (or bigger people) would likely make this a stronger image.

I think you should have pointed the camera lower, moved a step or 2 closer to the subjects and perhaps reduce the contrast just a bit. That way the details would be clearer, the essence of the ball park experience would be stronger and there would be less empty space in the frame.

[CanonFan]

MB1, you're absolutely right. This is a nice snapshot taken by a tourist. It really isn't a photograph of anything in particular and doesn't convey any emotion at all. I also get a feeling of being off-balance - the tilted roadsign doesn't help.

[andywatson00]

hi, every time i try and take a photo like the one you have posted the blue sky comes out white.. doyou use a filter to give the sky its natural colour? ( bit of a noobie question i know)

[Dubbs5050]

MB1, you're absolutely right. This is a nice snapshot taken by a tourist. It really isn't a photograph of anything in particular and doesn't convey any emotion at all. I also get a feeling of being off-balance - the tilted roadsign doesn't help.

well, I guess I wouldn't consider myself a tourist, considering I live 1/2 mile down the block, and as for the emotion, I'm sure anyone who has ever been to Wrigley on opening week would disagree....The two men in the foreground definitely take away from the pic....or maybe I should have waited another 20 minutes until the who road was blocked off with excited fans....couldn't do much about the tilted signs, because if I made them straight, I would have tilted the ballpark. If anything, I think the sign helps draw the eye to the central image...the Wrigley Field facade. I supposed I could have shot less sky, but atleast it was a beautiful day ..... I feel it adds to the sublime aspect of the ballpark.

[lemon]

well, I guess I wouldn't consider myself a tourist, considering I live 1/2 mile down the block, and as for the emotion, I'm sure anyone who has ever been to Wrigley on opening week would disagree....The two men in the foreground definitely take away from the pic....or maybe I should have waited another 20 minutes until the who road was blocked off with excited fans....couldn't do much about the tilted signs, because if I made them straight, I would have tilted the ballpark. If anything, I think the sign helps draw the eye to the central image...the Wrigley Field facade. I supposed I could have shot less sky, but atleast it was a beautiful day ..... I feel it adds to the sublime aspect of the ballpark.

I think the important thing to remember is that none of us were there. None of us could feel the excitement as yet another Cubs season opens with potential only to be doused by mid-July. (I'm a Mariners fan, I can say that... )

Seriously, your job as the photog is to make us feel what you felt. It's a tough assignment. MB gave some great pointers and while you're free to disregard them, you may want to reconsider the comments of an unbiased observer.

[Greg McCary]

I agree with MB, but also feel a couple of big steps left and shooting up the road and use it to draw the viewers eyes into the shot would work. Also try and not have things hanging out of the frame. The truck on the left and light pole on the right. Those should be cloned.

[gahspidy]

I have enjoyed looking at the scene in your photo, but to bring this up to a higher level I agree with MB1's points. I think you have tried to include too much in the scene, where usually "less is more" holds true more often than not. Also, the hard lighting of mid day made this difficult for you to capture without all that contrast.. It helps usually to try and think about isolating the parts of a given scene that really contain what you want to show, and leave the extraneous stuff out.

[Len J]

Some great advice in this thread..........I hope to remember it when I'm shooting.

Thanks

Len

[Dubbs5050]

Thanks for all of your feedback...I appreciate the criticism, as long as it is constructive. I will go back and give this one another shot..

[DrRoebuck]

If you want to capture the excitement of the day, you'll either need to get in close on a couple of rabid fans or maybe go to one of the neighboring rooftops and take a broader shot when the surrounding streets are packed with people.

[bfou4x4]

GO CUBS GO!!!

[andywatson00]

the new picture is amazing... only thing missing is some clouds or so stars in the sky

[Dubbs5050]

nice shot......what day and time did you get that shot? not very often you do not see ANY people there...nice shot

[bfou4x4]

thanks, I got the shot last sunday late after the Astros game, right in front of the cubby bear. There were still some people out chanting "***edome!" walking down the street haha