Streets of Nafplio - Toy Story

[manthos]

Another one from Nafplio. Is the story worth keeping? It's better than this I think. fstop-cafe.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=people&action=display&thread=123 (this is the previous one: "Shopping")

I would also like some feedback on the processing. Something seems wrong but I can't figure out what.

[robnaylor]

Hi Giannis, of the two street shots I prefer the "girl walking down the street".

This image has an incredible amount of detail and the bright sun with dark shadow is causing some exposure problems and very high contrast, which when combined with the amount of detail is making a very "busy" scene.
I think this is making it difficult to process?

Sometimes perhaps "less is more".

I do see the "Toy Story" link from the vending machine to the little girl holding her "nounou" but I would have struggled to see it had the Title not been "Toy Story".

The little girl's mum in the picture looks like she has a story, but her bowed head and rounded shoulders suggest it is not a happy one - this is a contre to the happy title.

Hopefully a helpful tip Giannis, is to try to keep your own shadow out of frame with street shots, we need to stay almost invisible to the "action".

[jiro]

Really good points in there, Rob. The contrast is too high on this one. My monitor is not professionally calibrated, Giannis so don't take my word for it.

For me, I would crop this one tighter to show only the vending machine and the two main subject. In that way, the story will revolve with the mother and the child. Something like this:

[Kit]

I'd probably crop some of the darker area to the left, but leave two of the three women in the background in for context and also some off the top to keep the original square crop square. The real subjects are the child, the woman and the toy story vendor machine.

[manthos]

Thank you guys!

Rob, you're right. It was hard to post-process this because of the amount of details. Jiro's edit makes much more sense.

I see that silhouettes and sunsets are relatively easy to capture but this stuff is HARD! My first tries are really awkward. I have to improve my seeing considerably if I am to continue with this street thing.

[robnaylor]

Hi Giannis

Here is a link to a webpage with a free e-book on street photography.
"GOING CANDID"

erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/07/download-going-candid-a-free-street-photography-e-book-by-thomas-leuthard/

Hope it helps!

Rob

[manthos]

Thanks Rob! ;D You have my gratitude for all the help you've given.

[BrianB]

Oct 3, 2011 1:25:27 GMT Kit said:

I'd probably crop some of the darker area to the left, but leave two of the three women in the background in for context and also some off the top to keep the original square crop square. The real subjects are the child, the woman and the toy story vendor machine.

Agreed.

For me, I like the detail and the large range of contrast!? Keeping at least some of the street to the left as Kit suggested is definitely part of the moment in my opinion. Either that or Jiro's tighter crop would be wonderful for me if only that was my wife and daughter in the photo and not some strangers!