See A Penny and Pick It Up...by
island_girl1Comment by ericwoo: Hey there from the Critique Club
First off, always try to include some info about the shot in the Photographer's Comments section. It really helps out when we know what the photographer was thinking and what equipment/lighting/etc. were used, especially when you request a critique.
Camera Work/Technical: You achieved an excellent depth of field here, allowing the viewer to recognize the background, but allowing it to blur enough so its not a distraction. The direction of the reaching arm provides a strong guide that draws the viewer down onto the photograph and onto the penny. The moment is such that it provides a level of expectation that the fingers will close at any second.
Lighting: Excellent choice of positioning to capture this shot. Natural light is always my favorite for shooting, but often difficult to control during harsh times of day. You did a fantastic job with the harsh light to provide a nicely back lit subject with balancing shadows and terrific detail.
Composition/Content: Reading the earlier comments, I tend to disagree with the ones that see the background as too busy. I think that shooting at f/2.8 rendered it recognizable, but not distracting. I do have two small concerns with the composition. First, and the most distracting is that foot with its shadow on the right of the frame. It pulls attention away from your subject and provides a distraction that the eye returns to over and again. Also, but much, much smaller, is the very top, right-hand corner, where the knee crept into the frame. Again, distracting. A little cropping would have taken care of this one. Repositioning that foot and the camera would have helped the overall composition.
My Opinion: I like the concept, but would have liked to have seen a better execution. This would have pulled a 5 from me based on the distraction. It meets the challenge well, and you did a great job with difficult lighting, but that foot pulls you down. With a slightly different composition, I would have voted 6 or 7. Nice work, but there is always room for improvement.
Photographer found comment helpful.
