How to be better prepared for a street portrait?

[anniehun]

Hi All,

This is a travel/street shot. To me, the real value of the pic is in its spontaneity, the variety of face expressions (that`s kind of story telling), and the lovely way the kids react with their body language to a camera being lowered to their eye level.
What do you think I should do better next time?
What about the composition and the angle? Maybe lower down even more? Include more of the background? Also, is this a crop that you would do, or is it "too" close up?
Thanks for your feedback.
It was an overcast day, background is a worn out building, and I had my camera set on Program mode.
NIKON D60
ISO: 800
Exposure: 1/400 sec
Aperture: 4.0
Focal Length: 55mm
Flash Used: No

From Emotions

[anniehun]

Okay, I edited this post making it shorter and more to the point, hoping to get some pro (or less pro) critique ... Thanks for helping out.

[SCusey]

Coming from a (much) less-pro stand point, I like what I see. I think the background is perfect, and the children's faces look great at that angle. The only thing that I'd point out is that I feel like the crop is a bit tight, and it's noticeable that the little girls arms are cut off in the frame. I'd love to see her arms as she's bracing her pose on her thigh. Same with the boy in the middle.

Thanks for sharing your photo, I love the range of emotion in their faces!

[LeeR]

You must have been channeling Henri Cartier-Bresson. He was arguably the best photographer ever; certainly the best photojournalist. He strongly believed in what he called the "decisive moment" when all of the elements fell into place and something magic happened. One of the things he did to help him capture those moments was to set as many controls as possible ahead of time. This is a bit less important now that we have digital cameras but I still think that when a fraction of a second can mean the difference between a good shot and a spectacular one, preparing still makes sense. In this image the overcast light is really working for you and you have captured a a fun and honest moment; maybe not quite as good as one of his, but you still have time to practice.
My wife and I were in Viet Nam a few years ago and I was amazed at how the kids loved to have their pictures taken. As a matter of fact, my wife nearly set of an international incident when she started taking pictures as school was letting out and drew a HUGE crowd of happy children in a highly sensitive area. Almost got out of hand, but sanity eventually prevailed.
As for what you could do better; I would suggest you take all of your suggestions. Shoot higher, shoot lower, shoot till you fingers bleed; as much as the pros tell you how they planned it, there is still a huge degree of luck mixed in. Like Tiger Woods says, "The harder I work, the luckier I get." Of course, that could have a different meaning these days.

[anniehun]

Originally Posted by SCusey

Coming from a (much) less-pro stand point, I like what I see. I think the background is perfect, and the children's faces look great at that angle. The only thing that I'd point out is that I feel like the crop is a bit tight, and it's noticeable that the little girls arms are cut off in the frame. I'd love to see her arms as she's bracing her pose on her thigh. Same with the boy in the middle.

Thanks for sharing your photo, I love the range of emotion in their faces!

Thanks a lot SCusey, you really helped. I felt the same about the crop but was not sure. I will look for the original and try out other ways to bring them close enough while keeping the arms. Appreciate your comment!

[anniehun]

Originally Posted by LeeR

You must have been channeling Henri Cartier-Bresson. He was arguably the best photographer ever; certainly the best photojournalist. He strongly believed in what he called the "decisive moment" when all of the elements fell into place and something magic happened. One of the things he did to help him capture those moments was to set as many controls as possible ahead of time. This is a bit less important now that we have digital cameras but I still think that when a fraction of a second can mean the difference between a good shot and a spectacular one, preparing still makes sense. In this image the overcast light is really working for you and you have captured a a fun and honest moment; maybe not quite as good as one of his, but you still have time to practice.
My wife and I were in Viet Nam a few years ago and I was amazed at how the kids loved to have their pictures taken. As a matter of fact, my wife nearly set of an international incident when she started taking pictures as school was letting out and drew a HUGE crowd of happy children in a highly sensitive area. Almost got out of hand, but sanity eventually prevailed.
As for what you could do better; I would suggest you take all of your suggestions. Shoot higher, shoot lower, shoot till you fingers bleed; as much as the pros tell you how they planned it, there is still a huge degree of luck mixed in. Like Tiger Woods says, "The harder I work, the luckier I get." Of course, that could have a different meaning these days.

Hi Lee, just like before, I really appreciate the time and effort you put into your "critique". I also must say that even remotely being mentioned "on the same page" with such great photographers is very flattering and moreover, encouraging. While I love the artsy studio work and the long time planned and pre-arranged shots of talented people, I really am amazed with capturing THE "moments", that just happen. I am the most satisfied with my candid shots and those of the non-planned, and truly hope that one day I will be able to include the WOW factor in them, too.
I think in this case I should have shot a lot more about the same kids to finally get what I really wanted ... However, my husband says he is emotionally connected to kids that he never met just from my picture, and I think the message is delivered then, in a way. Of course, there`s room for improvement as per the technical aspects, as I am only an enthusiast now. Asia is surely a paradise for photo shooting ..., agree. I promise I will continue practicing "till my fingers bleed". Best wishes!

[TheEagleSpirit]

I like the picture and composition, keep practicing as practice makes perfect. Try high, low, and each side shots for different angles would be a great idea.
I will soon be getting a similar experience taking 5th generation pictures for my neighbor and family as the new arrival created the 5th generation. I plan on the family portrait, Parents, Great Great Grandmother, Great Grand parents, Grandmother all separate portraits with baby and get some of the baby doing its own cute things.

[anniehun]

Originally Posted by TheEagleSpirit

I like the picture and composition, keep practicing as practice makes perfect. Try high, low, and each side shots for different angles would be a great idea.
I will soon be getting a similar experience taking 5th generation pictures for my neighbor and family as the new arrival created the 5th generation. I plan on the family portrait, Parents, Great Great Grandmother, Great Grand parents, Grandmother all separate portraits with baby and get some of the baby doing its own cute things.

Thanks a lot, I will keep shooting as advised... Good luck with your 5th generation pics, I hope to be able to catch a glimpse on them!