A Boy With His Favorite Toy

[diedravitale]

Date: 11/4/10
Camera: Sony NEX-3
Lens: 16mm
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/5.0
Focal Length: 16mm
ISO: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire

First question is...what is your opinion on vignetting? I used it on the sides of this photo. Don't think I like it, but I am not quite sure.

Second question is...Should I have cropped the tree out on the right? I thought it would look cool originally with the vines growing up the side but now I feel like it may be over powering.

To combine the first and the second question, does the vignetting make the tree heavier and the tree could be kept if the vignetting was gone, or should the tree go either way.

I personally like the lighting and how it creates a kind of halo around his head, but I would like to know anyone else's opinion about it.

I appreciate all and any critiques you have!!! Thanks!!!

[Laurenbiz]

To answer your questions, I do thik that the tree is over-powering. Also, I think the vignetting could be a little softer.

[Eileen D]

I agree that the vignetting and the tree are not adding to the image. More importantly for me the boy and the ball are getting lost in the busy background. My eye keeps going to the over-processed colors and the details behind him. I'd like to see a cropped version that makes him more of the focus since his body position in relation to the ball is quite sweet.

[diedravitale]

Ok well I cropped the photo a little bit more, took the tree and the vignetting out, I am going to post the original photo too so you can see what I am working with. Feel free to edit it yourself if you see something that I don't! The more help now the better, im still learning.


EDIT #2


ORIGINAL

[Kyle]

For the original photo you posted I though you kinda went overboard with the contrast and saturation, it also could have been framed a little better in the original, but you did a good job cropping it.

Here's what I did for my version of editing:

Vertical crop
Curve adjustment for a little contrast and a warmer feel
I simulated some DOF with a lens blur after masking out the ball and the boy.
The lens blur was applied to a selection that was loaded from a gradient skewed sideways to match the dutch angle.

http://digital-photography-school.co...1&d=1297642526

[diedravitale]

Kyle,
I can agree with the overboard now that I see them next to each other. I will def tone it down. For some reason I cannot see that edit that you did, it won't load up. I am really interested to see what you did!

Thanks!

[sar7814]

The saturation is a little overboard but I do think the extra saturation and vibrance does help the photo. Just not as much. As for cropping I really do like the vines and the tree. I would try to crop it so only half of the trunk is in the photo. You may have to just play around with it but dont lose the tree, I really think having it on the edge balances the picture well.

[Kyle]

Sorry, this site's uploader just isn't up to par I guess.
Here it is

[maystery]

I personally like the tree being in the shot. I feel like it's balacing the composition.
I think the saturation went a bit over-board for my own tastes, but still works for this shot somehow.

Don't like the vignette and don't agree that you should crop out everything but the boy and ball. I'd feel differently if he was facing the camera but as it is, it's the back of a child and a ball. The tree and background give context that make the shot IMO.

The one thing that I find quite distracting is the dramatic slope and the way it's cutting through him near the neck.

Otherwise, good job catching a focussed shot of a child in motion, I certainly struggle to :P

[aishuclickz]

nice perspective, but yea the tree was a little distracting.. and also the saturation could have been adjusted.