Party with Jerry "the Geator" Blavat in Atlantic Cityby
PhillydigishooterComment by KaDi: Greetings from the Critique Club!
This image is very busy! So much happening...what should I look at? Maybe it's about the women greeting each other? A glance at the title tells me that's probably not the intended subject...but where's "Jerry"?
I can appreciate the difficulty of getting a good angle to capture the subject at a busy venue like this. Nonetheless, the photographer somehow has to overcome the obstacles to capture the intended subject. I think there are several things getting in the way of your success.
Defining the subject: The people in the foreground of the image mostly have their attention on the woman in the black dress and her interaction with the other woman. Because one tends to look where other people are looking the viewer is likely to think that is the subject. Even the person I think is "Jerry" (the guy in the white cap with the microphone) is looking that way. If this is to be about Jerry then Jerry needs to be the focus of attention.
Overcoming distance: A long lens would help a lot to close in on the subject and provide the chance for a narrower depth of field in this case. Barring that, shooting to crop is another option. I'd try to wait until the subject had a plainer background behind him...the fence would be an improvement over the people seated behind him in this image. Then, the image could be tightly cropped to further define the subject.
Eliminating distractions: Though the fencing might feel like a liability I think the crowd in the background is much more distracting. In fact, cropping down from the top would put more emphasis on the repetitive pattern of the fence and the umbrellas. The repetition could be pleasing and easily would recede from the viewer's primary attention as the eye would have places to rest while exploring the remaining people. I also think that seemingly minor things like the black haired woman who appears to be distracted and is looking downward can undermine an otherwise nice moment... I shoot in burst-mode when in situations like this so I have variations to choose from...so much goes unseen at the time of the taking that shows up when viewed on screen.
Black and White is often a good choice to help simplify the surroundings but it does make pattern more prominent. I think it's good to try and think in tones when shooting for B&W and really nail the black blacks, the white whites and strive for a full range of grays...really look to bring out the details in the shady areas of black, such as the clothing of those present, to best define forms.
Overall, a good effort in difficult conditions. Most likely more meaningful to someone familiar with the celebrity, however.
Keep shooting and always remember to have fun doing it! :)
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