Improve my "In My Life" shot

[MikeM]

I submitted this shot to the In My Life assignment. It somehow wound up getting 3rd place. The shot was designed to show my big unread stack of biology textbooks with the DP book sitting right in front. I kept my laptop, camera case, and mouse cord in there for a little context. What could I improve?

My initial thoughts are:

- Get rid of the other items in the background (the chair back, bottom part of the cabinet)
- Perhaps too much in the foreground. The piece of the laptop takes up a lot of room without contributing a whole lot, or does it?
- I played with the colors to warm the shot up and move the focus to the passion of photography. For me, the original was just the same old colors I stare at all day in my laboratory. What do you think of the effect? Might there be a better way to convey that feeling?
- Perhaps the shot could have used some more depth with the stack of books in the background.

PP:


Orig:

[Nicole]

Quite an improvement from the original I have to say. You seem to have accomplished what you set out to do.

[Japaslavian]

I think you may have come out with a better result had you tried to get the narrow depth-of-field look in camera, as opposed to softening everything but the photography book in post-processing. I also agree that the laptop does not seem to be contributing much to the shot.
Perhaps try moving in closer to the photo book and focusing on it and filling the background of the frame with mounds of books.
Otherwise, I like the idea, and try experimenting, you might come up with something even more interesting. =D

[wulf]

Originally Posted by Japaslavian

I think you may have come out with a better result had you tried to get the narrow depth-of-field look in camera, as opposed to softening everything but the photography book in post-processing.

I would definitely agree with that as being worth exploring; also, look up some tutorials on simulating a tilt-shift lens / lensbaby, which would give good reference on selective focus.

For me, as one of the judges, it was the idea expressed by highlighting a book about photography while making the ones you should be studying fade into the background that led me to put some of my share of the vote in your direction; I wouldn't count it as one of the top pictures in terms of technical execution but it was the idea that sparked my imagination.

Wulf

[MikeM]

My tools are pretty limited. I'm just shooting with a Canon P&S until I can somehow come up with enough for an entry level dSLR, lenses, and accessories. I've got no Av mode to help with the DOF. I suppose my only option for coaxing the camera to use a larger aperture is to set the ISO really low. And I just checked the EXIF, I shot it at ISO 200 f 2.8. I can set my camera down to ISO 80 but 2.8 is wide open on this little guy.

And yes, Wulf, I did realize this was not technically very good, hence my surprise when I saw it on the front page! But thank you!

I actually did the PP in Picasa since I had just downloaded it and was experimenting. I usually use GIMP, but I was lazy.

I don't have my camera with me today, but I'll try and reshoot later.

[MikeM]

Here's another try. It's not quite as warm and fuzzy as the other, but I've eliminated the distractions and did most of the blurring in camera. I upped it a bit with a layer masked gaussian blur.

[Nicole]

Ok, maybe I'm strange but I prefer the setup in the first one with the laptop, and I'll explain why.

I like the laptop there because I can sympathize with studying by the laptop with books surrounding me. It's almost as essential as the books and adds to the essence of "what I should be doing." The second one, while also not as library-glow yellow, just says books. It's kind of like: Ok, there are books about one thing and there's another book. So it doesn't scream work as much to me. There's my 2 cents.

[MikeM]

I think I kinda liked the laptop in the first one as well. It, together with the piece of the cabinet in the background, reminds me of where I sit all day long. So it may be more cluttered, but it does have more personal meaning. Maybe I'll have to try the original setup again with the macro shot.

[MarlonT42]

I would have to say the 1st one def looks better...it has character.