[LucaBumble]

Well.. today I went for a walk because I really needed some exercise and the weather was good... But as I got a new manual lens, I wanted to take it with me and take some test shoots.

First of all, What do you think of this one ? I thought it's inspiring to see that grandparental couple walk hand in hand.
I'm unsure in the Black and White tones (if I should give it little sepiatone or not, how the brightness is best)
I'm not sure if and if yes how much film grain I should add
I'm not sure what crop looks best for this
I cannot decide

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31901924/IMGP2679.DNG
For those of you who want to try to do it the RAW-File.


And here the file you can see in the attachements in better quality:https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31901924/IMGP2679r7final.jpg

Attached Images

 

[Kerrowdown]

Like the subject matter a lot, but... it's just all a bit too central for me. I'd try cropping a bit off on the left so that the couple are on a third with space to walk into following the curve round, IMHO would make for a better composition.

[LucaBumble]

First of all thanks for the answer I know what you mean.. I thought maybe it looks cool if its exactly in the middle but it obviously doesnt

Just so you know... the original size is this :https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31901924/IMGP2679r6.jpg


Am I right if this is kind of what you meant ? ( I didnt want to cut the trail, but well then its central again)...

[Kerrowdown]

I thought maybe it looks cool if its exactly in the middle but it obviously doesnt

Hey don't mind me there's no right or wrong when it comes to imagery...

I just think the composition looks so much stronger in the second version.

[csa]

Yep, the 2nd one (cropped) looks better to me. It actually makes the walkway look more curved, that adds to the overall composition. Also the cropping makes the couple more prominent in the photo!

[LucaBumble]

Thank you very much for your responses !

And yes Kerrowdown you're absolutely right, but some solutions are better than others I guess

I often cannot decide what I should crop... is there a good way to learn it ?

[ZoeB]

Thank you very much for your responses !

And yes Kerrowdown you're absolutely right, but some solutions are better than others I guess

I often cannot decide what I should crop... is there a good way to learn it ?

Trial and error, pretty much. Consider the rules of composition-- rule of thirds, leading lines, distracting background elements. And straight horizons, of course
Luckily, cropping in most editing software isn't final, so trying it out and changing your mind is no problem!

[Kerrowdown]

Luckily, cropping in most editing software isn't final

Not like the old days when scissors were the tool of choice or even a guillotine if you were more affluent.

[dunerunner]

This is really a nice image, thanks for posting it. Here is a variation on cropping and tone.

[ZoeB]

Not like the old days when scissors were the tool of choice or even a guillotine if you were more affluent.

Yeah, man, not only was ctrl-z not so much an option, but fingers(/heads) seemed to be at a much greater risk

[wildman]

For those of you who want to try to do it the RAW-File.

When I brought it into ACR I changed it all back to defaults straight out of the camera and went from there.
Seemed clear to me it was a mood shot not content so I ran with that......

[LucaBumble]

Wow those look great ! Thanks for experimenting with it and showing me your versions !

I especially like that you placed the couple in the right third of the picture. I was thinking to do so too but didn't. But it definetly looks better than right in the middle as my first version was.

@dunerunner The sharp black and white tones of your version are looking great on this. I didnt think on doing it like that. I thought soft tones would match it better.
But as it comes out in your version it looks just great. I like the cropping of your version the most.

@wildman It's nice to see it in those soft color tones and the red hat. It looks very interesting to see them walking from shadow into light and definetly creates the mood I wanted it to create. Thanks for sharing your version. I


Thanks for investing the time. ! It's very nice to see these variations.

[Logics]

I would definitely crop the foreground to at least where their shadows start because that is useless empty space which does not add to the scene nor to the mood.

Dropping more of the image into shadow helps because a lot of the shadow detail is distracting and does not help with the ambiance. More highlight detail does, however.

Cropping to offset the couple either left or right works. Cropping the left out to to eliminate the fence posts is nice. Fences seem to imprison. Cropping the right so the path goes almost out of frame suggests a long-lasting walk (however, I think the slope of the right bank might add rhythm but maybe not). Cropping some of the higher branches on top may also eliminate empty space which does not contribute to the scene (but some is necessary).

Two very quick and dirty edits; one cropped left, one right. I left green in the scene for "new life" sort of feel. Took out most of the red. Left some in the hat deliberately. Toned down the blues [EDIT: Not nearly enough in the second image]. Took out shadow details.