Friday, March 17, 2006
morning coffee
About three tables were occupied in a square in La Latina (Madrid) on a reasonably sunny morning in mid-October. This was one of them, where beer seemed to be preferred to coffee! Yes, sneaked with a 50 - 200 lens.
Permalink / posted by and copyright of John Ellis : 1:28 PM
Comments:
Not sure this works. Perhaps there are too many competing elements. My eye wanders around - flipping between the highlights. Lots of individually nice touches not quite making a whole.
Was the child actually making eye contact with you? I find in this sort of circumstance it is the children who notice the camera. I wonder what it would have been like if it was the child in focus with the other elements becoming the frame.
I didn't see it that way at all!
I saw the eye contact by the child with the packet of cigarettes. The oblivious adult set the scene for that interaction.
There is a great deal of magic in this picture which appeals to me greatly. I see the girl looking at the cigarettes and wondering whether she could try one. I had a play with it because I felt there was a great deal of merit in the picture. I lightened the girls face, removed the white lines, either side of her head. I also removed the smoke at the top. I thought it added atmosphere but was distracting. See what you think.
I don't recall making eye contact with the child, certainly not without the camera. Whether she is looking at the cigarettes or me is probably open to interpretation. She may even have her mind on something else entirely.
Your suggested alterations work John. But I think that they lead to a slightly different effect with a removal of the 'props' of the street setting. The lightening of the face leads back to the question of where I had put the priority in selecting the subject as auspicious wonders. Given my choice of the sun through the glass, ultimately I prefer her to be a bit more in the shadows.
Thanks for the comments - pity I can't try again! Not many outdoor cafes open round here at the moment!
seems I missed to comment.
a shot by opportunity. like the intentional idea but there are some points I'm not really convinced about. would like to see a bit more (the whole) glass. perhaps it could have been possible by zooming out? don't know. like the slight blurry girl watching but the cigarettes box is unfortunately placed there. *lol* yes I know it would be too much to ask the people to remove the box ;)
as said before I like the idea but the given situation partially didn't cooperate...
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Was the child actually making eye contact with you? I find in this sort of circumstance it is the children who notice the camera. I wonder what it would have been like if it was the child in focus with the other elements becoming the frame.
I saw the eye contact by the child with the packet of cigarettes. The oblivious adult set the scene for that interaction.
Your suggested alterations work John. But I think that they lead to a slightly different effect with a removal of the 'props' of the street setting. The lightening of the face leads back to the question of where I had put the priority in selecting the subject as auspicious wonders. Given my choice of the sun through the glass, ultimately I prefer her to be a bit more in the shadows.
Thanks for the comments - pity I can't try again! Not many outdoor cafes open round here at the moment!
a shot by opportunity. like the intentional idea but there are some points I'm not really convinced about. would like to see a bit more (the whole) glass. perhaps it could have been possible by zooming out? don't know. like the slight blurry girl watching but the cigarettes box is unfortunately placed there. *lol* yes I know it would be too much to ask the people to remove the box ;)
as said before I like the idea but the given situation partially didn't cooperate...