Hey everybody. Am entering a few competitions coming up and this photo I took the other day is in my mind as a potential candidate. Would you be so kind to offer some c/c of how I might make it better or if it just isn't comp worth? Go ahead I can take it! This is what fall looks like in upstate NY for those of you who have never been here with a touch of vibrance added. Is it over done? Crop is 16 x 20 for comp purposes but can change that. There is more to the original on both sides so I could make it 20 long but less high? Thanks in advance for any responses! also...not yet named...

No image showing, Sandy....

Originally Posted by divamum No image showing, Sandy....

sorry, technical difficulties and I am just seeing that it needs a few touch ups! Back to the drawing board :(

For me it would work better in a portrait orientation.....and the skin tones are much too cool.

I hope you don't mind a quick edit ?

Elements 7, a small adjustment in lighting. Then eye dropper color cast adjustment on the back of the boys neck.

Small crop of the sky...

I feel the expanse of the sky takes the focus off the children, too much room for the eye to wander.

The trees have almost as much of a presence as the children but the colors of their clothing are enough to draw your eye to them.



Worthy ?

Yes

I like the halo of light around the girls heads, that seems to seperate or elevate their importance in relation to the boy, another pleasant element if the viewer cares to look a little closer.

Shallow dof works for me 2..

Cheers, Don

I love the idea, but I agree with some of the above; I would probably crop a bit from the sky, and warm it up a bit

I'll add a vote for Don's color-adjusted rendition. What an amazing location and lighting for a shot, I'm quite jealous! I'd say it's definitely worthy.

I love it, (the adjusted version) except for one thing. .. The girls seem to be looking out over the spanse of horizon and the boy has his head down, almost appearing sad. I keep feeling like I wish he were also admiring the scenery as the girls are. I love the way their hair is curled up blowing in the breeze. :)

Originally Posted by ivar I love the idea, but I agree with some of the above; I would probably crop a bit from the sky, and warm it up a bit

Were it mine, I would do something like this (which is a very quick edit in LR) ....

• A GND to darken the sky a bit
• Saturate the autumn colors a touch
• Crop a bit of the sky out

For the heck of it try cropping off the top alot and making it a long skinny on a full sheet of dark paper. Has some potential.

Thanks for all the guidance! Here is an update...warmed it up, swapped a head, cropped for competition size with less sky. Darkened the sky a little but didn't want to overdo it and make it look fake or take away from the children. Better?

Much better, great job and good luck with this print.

Originally Posted by Hackbone Much better, great job and good luck with this print.

- very much better. I like it. Even better than my hack-job!

Very, very wonderful!!!

It's a good shot..but not great imo. Don't know about the competition but shot doesn't really grab me. The colors don't pop enough, the sky looks kinda yucky, the bg overall is cluttered and hazy... the kids are cute enough but not entirely expressive in the capture.

What is wrong with the colors in this photo?

Also, the sky looks like it was pasted in, very strange...

Originally Posted by Ekaj What is wrong with the colors in this photo? Also, the sky looks like it was pasted in, very strange...

I dunno I like the colors

The sky is real, not sure why it looks pasted in, just a little more saturated.....

right, I think in the edit (where you cropped the top and bottom) you also fixed some of the areas you had hit with the adjustment brush. I don't know what kind of a competition you're entering, but if it's one like wppi or something I would suggest being very very precise with that kind of edit. The tips of the hills look like they got some of the adjustment brush as well.

Overall, I do like the shot, I'm not sure about it as a competition shot, but it looks nice. Though, the right side of the sky is a little blah.

Edit: oh, and I really like the subbed head... definitely adds to the image.