Moment of Joy

[ttiongch]

I took this shot in Botanic Garden when I saw this little girl was playing with bubbles.
My objective is to present the moment of joy when she was laughing and chasing after the bubbles.

In the picture composition, I position the little girl using the rule of third, but I purposely trim her playmate at the edge of the picture.
I feel that if I keep her playmate out of the picture, the picture will appear a bit empty, but if I put the full body of her playmate in the picture, the picture will be dominated by the her and less focus will be on the little girl.

Please tell me whether this picture let you sense the moment of joy and give me your comment on the picture composition. Thanks

 

[espion]

Drop the maid. Better emphasize your intent than take it away doesnt it?

Trees and road are distracting background. Best if bubbles is on all green background, but u'll need a ladder for that. (the complimentary green and pink is good.)

The alternative is to do a different composition altogether, like get in closer, lie on the ground, or yet something else, etc etc

 

[lifepursuer]

Agreed with espion, would be better if shot from a lower view point emphasize more on the face and bubbles. Think a fisheye perspective will have a creative version of this shot too.

 

[espedine]

nice capture bui think ill go for a tigther crop on the girl only instead

 

[yehosaphat]

Go portrait with the girl and the bubbles. Open up your aperture too.

 

[night86mare]

Agreed with espion, would be better if shot from a lower view point emphasize more on the face and bubbles. Think a fisheye perspective will have a creative version of this shot too.

a ladder provides a HIGHER viewpoint.

a lower viewpoint will simply make the bubbles fly around the tree trunks AND tree line.

 

[ttiongch]

Thank you guys for all the pointers, on my next shoot on kids, I will try high and low view points for a different perspective.

Your advice and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[darkroom]

Just thinking out loud...

How about waiting for the bubbles to erm.. float lower and closer to the girl, so she's 'swimming' in the bubbles? Then do a close up on the upper half of her body.

Were you taking this standing up? Maybe if you were squatting and taking it from a lower angle it would be better. Closer to the girl so that the bokeh is better.

 

[ttiongch]

Just thinking out loud...

How about waiting for the bubbles to erm.. float lower and closer to the girl, so she's 'swimming' in the bubbles? Then do a close up on the upper half of her body.

Were you taking this standing up? Maybe if you were squatting and taking it from a lower angle it would be better. Closer to the girl so that the bokeh is better.

Yes, I should have take the shot in a squatting position at the same level as the girl. I believe it would turn out better. Point noted, thanks.

I would like to go closer, but I was a stranger to them, and I was afraid that I might spoil the mood of the little girl if I go any nearer. :sweat:

 

[cheguthamrin]

I love the sharpness!
I echo the other pointers, esp the crop just for the girl, since there's good colour contrast - green and pink.

How many shots did you get for this? I hope to believe there are other shots of other angles too.

 

[tkbonz]

How about black and white conversion, and pump up the contrast. No need to crop.

 

[denniskee]

i have no problem with the maid to be included, but the way it is now looks odd, as though she is a spirit, floating. the pile of fallen brown leaves behind her kind of reduces some separation between her and the background.

 

[ttiongch]

I love the sharpness!
I echo the other pointers, esp the crop just for the girl, since there's good colour contrast - green and pink.

How many shots did you get for this? I hope to believe there are other shots of other angles too.

Yes cheguthamrin, I have some other shots, but most of them are cluttered with messy background.
How about this one?

This is the original one but cropped away the maid.

i have no problem with the maid to be included, but the way it is now looks odd, as though she is a spirit, floating. the pile of fallen brown leaves behind her kind of reduces some separation between her and the background.

How about black and white conversion, and pump up the contrast. No need to crop.

Thanks denniskee and tkbonz, personally I still preferred the maid to be included, but I want the primary focus to be on the little girl.

So I tried out tkbonz's suggestion. Now, the high contrast highlighted the little girl and the maid has merged into the background; it fulfilled what's in my mind.

 

[tkbonz]

The black and white version looks the best IMHO...brings out the little girl. My eye goes straight to the girl.

 

[sjackal]

Yes, the BW version is the best IMHO too, works for me. I do not find the trees distracting in this case, in fact it seems the contrast is essential to bring out the bubbles.

The one with the so called messy background works for me too. I guess the amount of background blur or bokeh is subjective, different people have different preferences.

The one with the maid cropped out doesn't do it for me because there is inadequate space in front of the girl.

 

[cheguthamrin]

my 2 cents'

- BnW looks good cos the original picture is already sharp. I would associate BnW to something gloomy; unless to emphasis in close up facial features / portrait shots.
- the maid in BnW looks like being hung since its only showing from her waist up
- having fun / joy; my stereotyped mind only have pictures of happy laughing kids playing under the rainbows; of you get what I mean

 

[Pinoy]

How about getting the kid to stand out by "painting" her differently? Something like this (yeah, not perfect but just to illustrate what I have in mind).

Not sure if it works for you though.

PS: took the liberty of grabbing your pic. Let me know if this is an issue and I'll have it removed.

:Later,

 

[ttiongch]

my 2 cents'

- BnW looks good cos the original picture is already sharp. I would associate BnW to something gloomy; unless to emphasis in close up facial features / portrait shots.
- the maid in BnW looks like being hung since its only showing from her waist up
- having fun / joy; my stereotyped mind only have pictures of happy laughing kids playing under the rainbows; of you get what I mean

I agree that B&W somehow asociated to gloomy mood and full colour is a better way to show the mood of joy.

How about getting the kid to stand out by "painting" her differently? Something like this (yeah, not perfect but just to illustrate what I have in mind).

Not sure if it works for you though.

PS: took the liberty of grabbing your pic. Let me know if this is an issue and I'll have it removed.

:Later,

Wow! I like that, if the bubbles are in colour would be even better. No worry, please feel free to edit my picture and show your idea. No issue at all, I welcome it.

Is that a tedious effort in pp? I would like to do that too, but I'm new in pp and don't know how to go about it.

Thanks for the time and effort.

 

[sjackal]

Somehow the maid still looks like some kinda spirit but thats ok lah, fairyland for kids.

 

[ttiongch]

Somehow the maid still looks like some kinda spirit but thats ok lah, fairyland for kids.

Yes. Personally I think the picture is more interesting with her in the background and creates a subject for the viewers to comment.