New to DPS - I'd love some help with one of my favorites.

[A Dill]

Hello everyone!

I've been taking pictures for the past few years, and have just recently stepped up my enthusiasm for the hobby. I've been having a good time looking at many of the pictures on the forums - the assignments are a great idea.

I'd love some input/help/suggestions about one of my favorite photos. I'm thick-skinned - really. Negative/constructive critisism is VERY welcome. Also, if you have any suggestions about printing at sizes larger than 8x10, that would be much appreciated. It may be this shot can't, since it was taken with a 5MP camera.

Thanks!

Aaron



You can see a larger version here:

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z...inWall8x10.jpg

Thanks again!

[jiminyClickit]

A Dill, Welcome

I see the monkey, but it's my imagination that a lion peers out of the area above him, right? This could be a simple wall masonry shot, but the surprise brings it up to more interesting. Subtle colors, well shot. Sorry I can't be more negative.

[A Dill]

Thanks - it was a fun shot to take. The monkey and I were running parallel to each other, on either side of an old wall. At each small window, the monkey would look through to see if I was still there. It was just luck that one of the many pictures I took that captured him peeking through.

No lions there -- if there was, there probably wouldn't have been as many monkeys...


Aaron

[jiminyClickit]

A Dill,

Would love to know what the monkey made of all that . . .

The printing issue is covered in a thread below in Techniques, and to add to it, it comes down to what your expectations are. I've printed a Macro of a dime, to where the dime is 20 inches large. I was quite pleased with the quality, but I also stand about 15 feet away to look at it. My Fuji is 4 mp.

Here's a start:

http://www.design215.com/toolbox/print_guide.php

[schnitzel14]

A Dill,

I have cropped your picture, lightened the shadows and brightened the eyes of the monkey with the drone tool. I thought this way the monkey is better to see and more the focus of the picture.

Mike

[Jargon]

I'd be interested to see a much tighter crop where the monkey's face fills the frame. Then the masonry and shadows would be framing the monkey's face.

[jiminyClickit]

A Dill,

Just to be sure: the original has a charm to it based on the subtlety of the monkey's face appearing in that little opening. The wall is good material, and I'd vote for saving it.

[wulf]

See below for two quick alternative takes. Both have been cropped to a square, with the monkey positioned roughly according to the "rule of thirds", and given various enhancements (making the colours a bit warmer and increasing the contrast).

The main trick was treating the dark strip, including the monkey, as a separate layer from the rocks. That way I could give different colour twists to each and also apply a lot of sharpening to make the monkey's face stand out without making the rocks ugly or too obtrusive.

Wulf

[A Dill]

Wulf - that's a really good idea about treating the dark strip and the masonry foreground as two seperate elements. Brightening the background behind the monkey's face really makes it pop out, and brings out the greens that are behind him. Thanks!

On screen, I like some of the crops - especially schnitzel14's long skinny version. I'm concerned that some of the tighter crops wouldn't print well though, since the image was only shot on a 5MP camera (Canon S50). I think that's a decision on whether or not it's a picture of a monkey, or is it a picture of a wall, that a monkey's peering through?

[wulf]

If it is about the monkey, you'll need a tight crop. If it is about the wall, you might even want to paint the monkey out. The third option is to treat it as about both, accepting that the monkey is a detail that will only be noticed on closer inspection.

Wulf