Peace through meditation


rukiazhengde

Member
Jan 25, 2010
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1. in what area is critique to be sought?

I hope to find advice mainly on composition, lighting and post processing tech. I deliberately took the photograph with my father's head in the center so I can photoshop the circular blur afterwards.

Took it with f/3.5 at 0.2s at iso800 as the room was a bit dark. Didn't used flash as I am afraid that it will overblow my father's face.

2. what one hopes to achieve with the piece of work?

I want to show the peace and heightened conscience through meditation. That's why I post process the circular blur.

3. under what circumstance is the picture taken? (physical conditions/emotions)

My father was doing his daily mediation and it suddenly struck me to take a photo without him noticing so it will be full natural. I felt the peacefulness behind it.

4. what the critique seeker personally thinks of the picture

I feel that this will be one of the pictures which will be my stepping stone of improvement.

*edit* Changed photo to original virgin photo. The windows are slanted as my father was slanted to his right.
 

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Maybe you've done too much PS to effectively retain it as a photograph as not a piece of graphic work. All I can make out is a well lit living room and nothing about your dad. What's the point?

And I think don't it's a peaceful feeling to have the living room spinning in the bg.
 

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alamak! where got peace like that!!! see already giddy. think u put too much boomz in the photo liao.
 

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Headache ..... dont feel peace .... giddy .....
 

Thanks for the reminders.

So it's too luan? Will it be better if I just don't do any PS at all?

*btw I don't particularly appreciate "LOL" as a constructive post*
 

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personally i think you applied too much photoshop on this photo until it doesn't look like a photo at all.
 

1) alamak, u changed the original image, than people reading this thread will not know head & tail what was discussed.

2) the non pped image, try correcting the tilt lar. also, it seems focusing is abit out. subject is not in focus as compare to the sofa. background doesnt add to the photo, they become distraction.
 

could you mask ur father... and blur the background with lens blur....too much distraction at the background. the dog beside ur dads head is so cute and robbing attention
 

This original pic feel better now. It does have the sense of Peacefulness. Following points you might like to consider.

1) the leveling of the floor, slightly tilted.
2) reflection on the back window. (maybe u can bring up the curtain and make it more peaceful
3) coffee table stuff. (distracting)
4) stuff dog on the sofa.

I can see that this is your dad's favor place of mediation, if you can't move him to a "cleaner" background, then clean up the back ground.

Overall, this one still better that ur first PP photo. :)
 

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I felt giddy looking at the back ground.......why not put a long cloth cover the back ground.
 

i have no idea what are the previous comments about the original photo, but you changed it.

To me this photo is sharp at the wrong area, I feel you should use a more shallow depth of field, and make sure your subject is in focus n sharp. The backlight is brighter, I would use spot metering.

I don't like the composition. It is "messy" meaning there is too much happening in this photo, too many distractions and it doesn't convey the message in the subject title.

Cheers!