At the party

[IcyMirage]

I'm a bit unsure about this picture... I quite like the feel it has, but on the other hand something does not look right...




Do you like the picture overall? Do you think the focus should have been on the hand? is the wineglass ok there or is it a distraction?
Also, do you like the 'feel', or might it be too 'lonely' (no other people in the shot) for a picture taken at a party?

[vandergus]

Yeah, I think the hand should be in focus rather than the game tiles (what are those anyway). I like the composition of the picture, the detached arm sneaking a snack from the bowl. The overall atmosphere feels relaxed, like a lazy afternoon on the porch, so if your party was more exciting than that, I don't think the picture captures that. I would call this a vignette shot (that's not an official term, I just made it up). Simple tight framing that conveys a mood or story. A shot that picks a small scene out of a larger setting and focuses on that. As that type of shot it works pretty well (with a correction to the point of focus).

[HockeyFan]

In cases like this, I frequently will photograph it both ways, since I am not always sure which should be in focus. I usually try for a good enough DOF for this not to be an issue, but this might actually be a case where (if the hand can be held still enough) to take the shot both ways and then do some kind of HDR processing.

[lputman]

I think the tiles being in focus is nice although they seem to be a bit too dark and with that, maybe the bowl and hand should be a further away to create more blur on them. Especially since the tiles are so small in comparison to the hand and bowl and they are laying flat on the table. Maybe a shot from a 45 degree angle would work better than straight on. What bothers me is the tablecloth not quite going falling over the edge of the table right where the tiles are which makes the table stand distracting. A crop would fit nicely too, eliminating the bottom of the table and some of the top space.

[IcyMirage]

Thanks for all the great tips I didn't get a chance to make a second picture with different focus, maybe at the next party

[PhotoNewt]

Originally Posted by vandergus

...vignette shot (that's not an official term, I just made it up)...

I like that, very descriptive term - maybe you need to "coin" it...

Regarding the photograph, composition-wise is good, the focus is on the wrong subject - the eyes are usually attracted to the human form. You should focus on the hand or better yet, use a smaller aperture and capture the tiles, hand and glass in sharp focus.

The light and mood are great.

[corry]

yes, perhaps the hand playing with the tiles next time could be the focus of the picture. still a neat shot and one worth capturing.

[mswebb]

When I first looked at the shot I immediately thought "hand is not in focus". Didn't even see the tiles and wondered what was going on at the bottom of the image (the tablecloth edge and under the table).

After reading I went back and saw the tiles. If the focus is the tiles, everything else is a distraction. You could have everything else there if the focus is on the hand and dish as they are strong enough to hold the attention. I just don't think this is the right composition to focus on the tiles. Especially since the tablecloth edge gets sharpened within the DOF.

[IcyMirage]

ok, thanks

btw, that game is called (translated) rainworms. The red images on them are rainworms and you need to collect them in the game... I've only played it once so I don't really know much more about it