Book Over The Esplanade

[white5tar]

Took this pic of my girlfriend's hand while we were waiting for the NDP Rehearsals to start. Its taken quite some time back and its one of the first few shots I took but I still liked it the most of all the photos I took so far.

She was quite bored and decided to take a book out to read while I was snapping at nothing much in particular. I happened to see her hand was just nice over the Esplanade and hence decided to take a shot at it.

I feel the Esplanade is a place for the Arts, though I dont know much abt Arts and stuff but I feel the book reflects it well.

Picture taken at 32mm ISO 200 1/30s f/7.1.

 

[dennisc]

doesn't tell much. Even some readeable fonts would have made a little more impact. But doesnt say much

 

[Yatlapball]

Why do you like it so much? Any other reason other than thinking the book associates well with the Esplanade?

I personally would have liked to see more of the hands and the book. Although you have stopped down to f/7.1 you still are not getting enough depth of field in my opinion for this. Look at where your point of focus is, the edges of the book and the index finger. Everything else that should be in focus (to me) isn't. i.e. the rest of the right hand at the very least.

Another thing to nitpick would be the leaning buildings.

Composition-wise... Not strong enough to keep a viewer's interest after the 1st glance.

I take it that you have not shot for very long? Keep practising

 

[white5tar]

Points Taken. Will take note of these little details next time I shoot.
Thanks for the critiques.

 

[night86mare]

i see a hand with a messy bg..

in short, there is not much interest in the picture, and the composition is very weak, eye gets very bored after a short glance

keep shooting, cheers

 

[white5tar]

i see a hand with a messy bg..

in short, there is not much interest in the picture, and the composition is very weak, eye gets very bored after a short glance

keep shooting, cheers

Any suggestion on how to compose the pic then?

 

[night86mare]

Any suggestion on how to compose the pic then?

honestly, not in this case

to me, there is no picture here, a hand, the esplanade, i don't see any link or contrasts

 

[zac08]

If you want to relate an artistic book with the esplanade, it might have been better if you were shooting over her shoulder with her looking at the book, focus on the text (relevant parts)

That may give some relation.

 

[DamBuster]

Maybe try a grayscale or sepia treatment see if it works the oracle. Might create some drama out of it.

 

[photo.cavendish]

Technically fine.. do you have a theme statement for your compostion?

 

[white5tar]

Technically fine.. do you have a theme statement for your compostion?

Not really it was taken right there at the moment kind of thing... I only took 2 shots, the other one her hand was covering the Esplanade but its more in focus than this one.

 

[white5tar]

If you want to relate an artistic book with the esplanade, it might have been better if you were shooting over her shoulder with her looking at the book, focus on the text (relevant parts)

That may give some relation.

Good idea I'll keep that in mind.... You all are right I should focus the text more than the edges of the book or the hand

 

[denniskee]

there was a b&w photo exhibited in eye e city some years ago, it show a boy sitting at merlion park, fully concentrating eating ice-cream with his back facing the esplanade.

compare that with your composition of a hand and a blur book, yours just does not grab viewer's attention cause it is not interesting.

try to learn from others.

 

[psychobiologist]

hmmm... did you sharpen the image a little too much? or is my monitor not displaying correctly but the book edges, the pages there.. i see some jaggedness similar to that of "over-sharpening"

it is an interesting composition, definitely an interesting shot to be kept, but if you could have better depth of field of the book/hands, that snap into focus, i.e. the words on the left page, this will generate a much more eye-grabbing picture than the smooth transition you have chosen.

 

[white5tar]

hmmm... did you sharpen the image a little too much? or is my monitor not displaying correctly but the book edges, the pages there.. i see some jaggedness similar to that of "over-sharpening"

it is an interesting composition, definitely an interesting shot to be kept, but if you could have better depth of field of the book/hands, that snap into focus, i.e. the words on the left page, this will generate a much more eye-grabbing picture than the smooth transition you have chosen.

No there's no photo editing done to the pic except downsizing it... I get what you mean it should be the hand and the words that is of focus not the edge of the book.

 

[white5tar]

there was a b&w photo exhibited in eye e city some years ago, it show a boy sitting at merlion park, fully concentrating eating ice-cream with his back facing the esplanade.

compare that with your composition of a hand and a blur book, yours just does not grab viewer's attention cause it is not interesting.

try to learn from others.

Yes I'll look at more photos and try to learn from there. Thx for your comment.