What’s Your Preference?

Beckerbulldog · #1 (**permalink**) 01-14-2010, 08:36 PM

So I'm laid off after 20 years working in the same field. So to try and make ends meet I've been going to local sporting events and taking photos to try and sell. Well I've sold only one photo so far. Here is an example of one of my shots.

Did I crop it to much?
I had to shoot at iso 3200 so there was allot of noise, Did I use to much noise reduction? (I use neat image)
Is it an interesting photo?
What else could I have done to make this better?

Important info:
f/3.2
Iso 3200
focal length 135 mm
1/320
White ballance set to flourescent

Thanks in advance

wamplers · #2 (**permalink**) 01-14-2010, 10:01 PM

I don't think it's cropped too much, BUT if someone wants to buy an 8x10, or even 5x7, there is no room to crop it without losing feet (or the ball).

The shot itself looks good, but I would open on up to f/2.8 and get that extra bit of shutter speed.

Jim Bryant · #3 (**permalink**) 01-14-2010, 11:51 PM

I understand what you mean about the cropping aspect. I like to crop for effect, but when the photos go online line you sell, you need to think about leaving room for 8x10's and 4 x 's even 5 x 7's.

73rocks · #4 (**permalink**) 01-16-2010, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beckerbulldog

So I'm laid off after 20 years working in the same field. So to try and make ends meet I've been going to local sporting events and taking photos to try and sell. Well I've sold only one photo so far. Here is an example of one of my shots.

Did I crop it to much?
I had to shoot at iso 3200 so there was allot of noise, Did I use to much noise reduction? (I use neat image)
Is it an interesting photo?
What else could I have done to make this better?

Important info:
f/3.2
Iso 3200
focal length 135 mm
1/320
White ballance set to flourescent

Thanks in advance

It depneds on who you are selling to , , , a newspaper or parents. I have found that when I submit pictures to the local paper the editor crops them even more than I do. Newspaper editors like to "show the emotions" in sports pictures whereas myself and parents like to show something in the picture that "anchors" the action . . . the netting on the basket, endzone pylons in football, finish line markers in track.

Here is an example of a shot I sent in to the paper that was "cropped" to bring out the "emotions" of the shot whereas my original image was "full length":

I will admit on this shot the editor made the right choice though. But if selling to parents / fans I wouldn't get too carried away with croping . . . I think you have the right formula as it is.

Beckerbulldog · #5 (**permalink**) 01-19-2010, 02:17 AM

Here is one I took on saturday that I cropped to get more of the faces. I like this one better than the first one I posted.

f/2.8
1/320 shutter speed
iso 800
manual white ballance

73rocks · #6 (**permalink**) 01-19-2010, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beckerbulldog

Here is one I took on saturday that I cropped to get more of the faces. I like this one better than the first one I posted.

f/2.8
1/320 shutter speed
iso 800
manual white ballance

I disagree with your choice . . . to me the close up of the two girls is just not sharp enough. Yes it shows the emotion of the moment, but it is just too blurry. Your first shot would be my choice by far. If you can crop without loosing sharpness that is fine, but when you start to loose the crispness of the shot then it is not worth getting in that tight.

Here is an example of a shot I had to crop that I thought looked OK at first but when I enlarged it to a 5 X 7 it really lost its luster:

f1.8 / shutter speed 400sec / ISO 640 / focal length 50mm / no flash / white balance manual

Just my own thoughts -
Mark

wamplers · #7 (**permalink**) 01-19-2010, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beckerbulldog

Here is one I took on saturday that I cropped to get more of the faces. I like this one better than the first one I posted.

f/2.8
1/320 shutter speed
iso 800
manual white ballance

It looks underexposed to me...

Jim Bryant · #8 (**permalink**) 01-25-2010, 01:01 AM

Know what you mean? I was first laid off in 2002 after working for Sound Publishing's Port Orchard Independent from 1996 to 2002. Then on March 18th 2009, I was laid off from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer after working for them since 2003. It's been a tough road retraining my eye or rather mind as to not crop so much in the camera's viewfinder to allow for my clients' standard mind set format of wanting loose 8 x 10 prints to fit those 8 x 10 frames. My wife, who's my image master, does all my website work and is always constantly reminding me to shoot looser so she can crop the photo into an 8 x 10. Being a photographer who wants nicely cropped images displayed, would like to tell my clients to instead of buying cheap 8 x 10 frames, go to a frame shop and them matted and framed into what ever format they are printed in. I know, you can get the cropped picture in a 8 x 10, but it the actual printed picture might be an 6 x 9.5 or whatever. So, I guess we have to please our clients with loosely printed prints, because they are too cheap to get them matted and framed properly.