Gondoliers............

[Art]

Hi all, this pic was taken in the Gondola harbor, Gondoliers are waiting for customers
What are they looking?

Can you please critic composition?

Thanks Art

Exif Version=0221
Maker=Canon
Model=Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS
Color Space=sRGB
Scene Capture Type=Standard
Exposure Mode=Auto Exposure
Shutter Speed Value=1/125 Second
Aperture Value=6.38
Flash=Off
ISO Speed Rating=ISO200

[CNova]

I'm only a beginner so I can't give you expert advice but just from an onlooker's perspective: I think the tourist to the left of the shot is distracting. Also, I am thinking that the subject of the image (the men) fill up the entire frame so they don't lead the eye in any direction. Maybe try different angles instead of straight at them. Sorry I don't know any techniques for improvement...I'm still learning myself. I can see that you are trying to tell a story with your photo though, I get the feeling of watching the men waiting for people as part of the experience you had.

[Art]

Welcome to DPS!!!, my pleasure to receive your first post
Thanks for your comments
Art

[graciousness]

This is a hard photo to take, due to the extreme contrasts of: 1) Bright, bright day; 2) the shade under the tent; and 3) the gondolier's faces are even more shaded from their hats. So, as you can see, their faces are all underexposed. From what I can also gather is that they are not in focus.

So what do you do to make this shot work? Do you spot metre on the sky or their faces?

For me, since the focal point of this image is the gondoliers, I would have exposed for their faces. Spot metering would have helped this. I believe though that in doing this, you would be compensating on having blown out skies but that's the risk you take when taking photos in such harsh conditions like this. I tend to use a polariser when taking photos in the middle of the day when the sun is high up, but then that's when I do landscape. I don't know how spot metering with polarisers would work as that would have made their faces darker, but that's an experiment I would have done. My point, anyway, is I would have done my camera settings so that their faces are well exposed and sharp which did not happen here.

Yes, that tourist is a distraction. I would have waited until he was gone to have taken the shot.

The composition is just not working, either. You wanted to create some sort of mystery to where they are looking at but the way it's composed, it just didn't do it. I would have, personally, zoomed closer in on the shot and show the gondoliers more close up. That would also have helped (perhaps) with determining their proper exposure setting if spot metering is used. You needed a shot where you would have had more negative space to the left so that the viewers' eyes are lead to your question, "where are they looking at?"

It's a nice idea, though, that you saw a story to this whole image. But technically, I think it would have been too hard to have made it work. The way the gondoliers are positioned, the tourist being there, I wouldnt' have taken this shot. A different angle, point of view, and more close up shot is what I would have aimed for.

Hope I've helped. I feel that I haven't given much useful critique, really, as my technical knowledge in how I would have tried to make this shot work is very limited. But I hope I've said something that would, at least, be some points for you to ponder on and experiment with.

Cheers,

Grace

[Art]

Thanks Grace for your comments, I agree wit you, I'll try to crop the tourist
Art

[marcelo_valente]

Hi Art,
I agree with the comments before. Your photo did came out a little dark, and the tourist is distracting.
Funny I have a similar shot. Let me share it with you. I love Venice, beautiful places, full of photo oportunities.



My photo had a person to the right and I croped her out and came out with this nice one of the Gondolere talking. You can see the original on my flickr.

Regards!

[Art]

Thanks for sharing, what a coincidence!!! yes, the tourist is distracting I will crop him
Art