How would you have taken it?!

[super-human]

Hello everyone!
i would just like to share this shot with you guys and and need your opinion how i could make it any better?! also please share how would you have shot this exact same picture.
i like the warm colors and i think it works for this image but i also value your opinion as well so drop me a comment or reply and let me know what you all think.
Cheers,



EXIF DATA
Camera : Canon 60D
Lens : Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L
ISO : 800
Shutter Speed : 1/30
Focal Length : 24.00mm
Aperture : f/2.8
Speedlight : 2 offcamera canon speedlights shot with trigger once behind the subject and another one just in front of face with a diffuser on.

[Doug Sundseth]

There's quite a bit of busy background here that I don't think helps your photo. I'd recommend using a shorter exposure to kill the ambient much more, moving a bit closer, lowering the framing to eliminate much of the space above the amp (?), and possibly moving your flashes in closer and dropping their power to compensate.

[Hill Country Hack]

I agree with Doug on the composition. I do not know enough about lighting to comment. Plus, check your horizontal lines on the window in background and the low partition wall at the DJ stand, it just seems like a little left tilt going on.

I do like the idea behind the shot.

[Chip]

To me, the most interesting things in your photo are the controls on the mixing/sound board (not the cables in the back) and Jay. Everything else give context, but distracts b/c it takes up so much of the photo.

I would've tried to find a way to fill the frame with much more of the controls and Jay. Maybe moving around to camera right? Stand on a chair and shoot downwards? Zoom in? Could Jay have turned his head sideways, so that we'd at least get to see one eye and half of his face? And I would try to leave just a bit of the room/venue, to give some context, but not so much as to distract.

Hope that makes sense. My 2 cents.

[Michael_nine22.com]

Much tighter crop, background is busy, I agree with pretty much everything that was said, your subject is the DJ, you need to Isolate him more.

[Nakean]

Would have killed ambient as much as I could as well, but you haven't told us what the shot was for. This is an all or nothing meaning you would have to really drag the shutter speed to get the ambient enough light or kill the ambient with faster shutter. I think it's the temp of the room that's bothering me the most about it. Maybe cto gels on your flashes. Composition wise the cut off tv/monitor bugs me in the upper right corner. Would have moved myself to the right more and pointed to the left to rid the monitor and bring the giant mural and pole less center weighted. Lastly, it's not clear what this image is for. Is it just for the dj/sound engineer or are you showcasing the event?

[super-human]

i would just like to thanks everyone for taking their time and critiquing the shot. i will certainly keep this feedback in mind and hopefully do better next time.
regards
super-human