Misc Connected Isolation

anotherrandomuser · 02-28-2010, 06:40 PM

Hello all!

I took this photo to submit to a yearly magazine my school publishes. It symbolizes how connected our generation feels, but how alone we actually are. I have until March 2 to submit. Any help, ideas, or critique is great. Feel free to be a rude as possible. I can take it

Attached Images

drifter · 02-28-2010, 07:51 PM

I'm not experianced enough to offer any critique on this, but I do like the shot!

D4rknezz · 02-28-2010, 07:57 PM

Love the idea.
Just brainstorming - how would it look like if there is a second station somewhere further up ahead?

Damn Brit · 02-28-2010, 08:19 PM

I think the subject is too small in the frame to be affective.
The background is blurred but not by much, f/16 would have brought more into focus, a larger aperture (my preference) would make the background less in focus and isolate the subject more which would put across your intended narrative more effectively.

Last edited by Damn Brit; 03-01-2010 at 01:39 AM.

D4rknezz · 02-28-2010, 08:24 PM

The way i see it, the small subject in the vast landscape is akin to a single dot on a canvas - i dont know if it isnt a conscious effort to show the theme of being "alone"....

fractal · 02-28-2010, 08:26 PM

What a great idea.

I agree with Gary. Maybe you could do a crop.

He looks a little dark & the image looks quite dull. Were you going for a bleak kind of look?

anotherrandomuser · 02-28-2010, 08:52 PM

I was indeed trying to show how alone I was, and the dullness added to that. However, I do think croping does add to the picture. As a result though you can see more noise. I attempted to reduce it, but the photo becomes too soft. Such a hard decision...

D4rknezz · 02-28-2010, 09:07 PM

Well, reducing your shutter speed will allow you to take the picture at 100 or 200 ISO, which will reduce your noise..

anotherrandomuser · 02-28-2010, 09:15 PM

The thing is, I really dont want to lug the desk back out there. I do agree that I should of reduced the iso. Thanks for the info.

Damn Brit · 03-01-2010, 01:38 AM

Originally posted by anotherrandomuser

The thing is, I really dont want to lug the desk back out there. I do agree that I should of reduced the iso. Thanks for the info.

So really, when you said this in the first post

Quote:

Any help, ideas, or critique is great.

, what you really meant to say was "Can I crop this to make it better or is it really good the way it is?", yes?

slinco · 03-01-2010, 12:05 PM

It took me way too long to figure out what it was. At first I thought small tractor of some sort, then I thought it was a worker planting crops, then I saw it was a guy at a computer desk. Part of the reason it wasn't obvious is that the subject is so dark - the chair, the shadow under it, the guy, the desk, and the monitor screen are all black. No detail, nothing to grab your eye and tell you what it all is. And why is the monitor screen black? Shouldn't the computer be turned on? If I were trying to salvage this I'd composite something onto the monitor screen so it looks like the computer is on, and I'd try and drag some detail out of the rest of that blackness. There's more to do but that'd be a good start...

atupdate · 03-01-2010, 01:01 PM

I think this image has a lot of potential. If you mask the sky and process it differently than the land, you can bring the focal point of the image to you and still allow the viewer a chance to look around.

Tim

ETA: I did this processing on my crappy work computer and it looks a bit over saturated on my better computer at home.

anotherrandomuser · 03-02-2010, 09:27 PM

Alright, here is the revised version with some of the tips in this thread. Thanks again!

sbphotog · 03-03-2010, 02:58 AM

My tuppneyworth...

I'm a firm believer that if you're TRYING to convey a message or idea with a photograph, you shouldn't NEED to have a blurb explaining it. In that vein, I ignored your blurb and tried to decide what this photo meant for me... Ultimately, I couldn't decide. I had some vague ideas about the commercialisation of agriculture (a very literal interpretation I admit), to some apocalyptic/solitary humanist ideas.

However, I do like the idea of the photo having read the blurb, but personally, I prefer photos to do 'the talking'.

anotherrandomuser · 03-03-2010, 04:20 PM

I submitted the last picture I posted yesterday, so wish me luck. I'll post back if I get accepted. Thanks for all the help.

02-28-2010, 06:40 PM	#1
anotherrandomuser New Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Austin tx Photos: Gallery Posts: 6	Connected Isolation Lens: 26.0 Camera: ist DL Photo Location:* Hutto, Tx ISO: 800 Shutter Speed: 1/1000s Aperture: F9.5 Hello all! I took this photo to submit to a yearly magazine my school publishes. It symbolizes how connected our generation feels, but how alone we actually are. I have until March 2 to submit. Any help, ideas, or critique is great. Feel free to be a rude as possible. I can take it Attached Images

02-28-2010, 08:52 PM	#7
anotherrandomuser New Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Austin tx Photos: Gallery Posts: 6 Original Poster	RE: Connected Isolation I was indeed trying to show how alone I was, and the dullness added to that. However, I do think croping does add to the picture. As a result though you can see more noise. I attempted to reduce it, but the photo becomes too soft. Such a hard decision...

03-01-2010, 01:01 PM	#12
atupdate Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Dayton, OH Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,724	I think this image has a lot of potential. If you mask the sky and process it differently than the land, you can bring the focal point of the image to you and still allow the viewer a chance to look around. Tim ETA: I did this processing on my crappy work computer and it looks a bit over saturated on my better computer at home. Last edited by atupdate; 03-02-2010 at 05:41 PM.

03-02-2010, 09:27 PM	#13
anotherrandomuser New Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Austin tx Photos: Gallery Posts: 6 Original Poster	Alright, here is the revised version with some of the tips in this thread. Thanks again! Attached Images

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02-28-2010, 07:51 PM	#2
drifter Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: UT Posts: 92	I'm not experianced enough to offer any critique on this, but I do like the shot!

02-28-2010, 07:57 PM	#3
D4rknezz Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,196	Love the idea. Just brainstorming - how would it look like if there is a second station somewhere further up ahead?

02-28-2010, 08:19 PM	#4
Damn Brit Guest	I think the subject is too small in the frame to be affective. The background is blurred but not by much, f/16 would have brought more into focus, a larger aperture (my preference) would make the background less in focus and isolate the subject more which would put across your intended narrative more effectively. Last edited by Damn Brit; 03-01-2010 at 01:39 AM.

02-28-2010, 08:24 PM	#5
D4rknezz Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,196	The way i see it, the small subject in the vast landscape is akin to a single dot on a canvas - i dont know if it isnt a conscious effort to show the theme of being "alone"....

02-28-2010, 08:26 PM	#6
fractal Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,547	What a great idea. I agree with Gary. Maybe you could do a crop. He looks a little dark & the image looks quite dull. Were you going for a bleak kind of look?

02-28-2010, 09:07 PM	#8
D4rknezz Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,196	Well, reducing your shutter speed will allow you to take the picture at 100 or 200 ISO, which will reduce your noise..

02-28-2010, 09:15 PM	#9
anotherrandomuser New Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Austin tx Photos: Gallery Posts: 6 Original Poster	The thing is, I really dont want to lug the desk back out there. I do agree that I should of reduced the iso. Thanks for the info.

03-01-2010, 01:38 AM	#10
Damn Brit Guest	Originally posted by anotherrandomuser The thing is, I really dont want to lug the desk back out there. I do agree that I should of reduced the iso. Thanks for the info. So really, when you said this in the first post Quote: Any help, ideas, or critique is great. , what you really meant to say was "Can I crop this to make it better or is it really good the way it is?", yes?

03-01-2010, 12:05 PM	#11
slinco Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 203	It took me way too long to figure out what it was. At first I thought small tractor of some sort, then I thought it was a worker planting crops, then I saw it was a guy at a computer desk. Part of the reason it wasn't obvious is that the subject is so dark - the chair, the shadow under it, the guy, the desk, and the monitor screen are all black. No detail, nothing to grab your eye and tell you what it all is. And why is the monitor screen black? Shouldn't the computer be turned on? If I were trying to salvage this I'd composite something onto the monitor screen so it looks like the computer is on, and I'd try and drag some detail out of the rest of that blackness. There's more to do but that'd be a good start...

03-03-2010, 02:58 AM	#14
sbphotog Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 27	My tuppneyworth... I'm a firm believer that if you're TRYING to convey a message or idea with a photograph, you shouldn't NEED to have a blurb explaining it. In that vein, I ignored your blurb and tried to decide what this photo meant for me... Ultimately, I couldn't decide. I had some vague ideas about the commercialisation of agriculture (a very literal interpretation I admit), to some apocalyptic/solitary humanist ideas. However, I do like the idea of the photo having read the blurb, but personally, I prefer photos to do 'the talking'.

03-03-2010, 04:20 PM	#15
anotherrandomuser New Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Austin tx Photos: Gallery Posts: 6 Original Poster	I submitted the last picture I posted yesterday, so wish me luck. I'll post back if I get accepted. Thanks for all the help.