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Photo Critique #180

Photo Critique #180

on Mar 15th 2013 with 7 comments

Friday Photo Critique is our weekly community project, where we publish a photograph submitted by one of our wonderful readers, then ask you all to offer constructive feedback on the image. It’s a great way to learn more about photography, express your viewpoint, and have your own image critiqued!

Quick Ground Rules

  1. Play nice! We’ve deliberately chosen photographs that aren’t perfect, so please be constructive with any criticism.
  2. Feel free to offer any type of advice – composition, lighting, post-processing etc.
  3. You can also link to photographs that you feel offer a great example of this type of image shot exceptionally well.

Without further ado, here is this week’s candidate for Friday Photo Critique!

The Photograph

photocritique180example

Photo Details & Inspiration

  • FED 2 film camera
  • 50mm Industar
  • ISO 400

I was trying to show the strength and love of the man with the children.

Photographer: Lanny Linehan

Please let us know what you think in the comments – how would you have approached the scene or taken the photo differently? A massive thank you to everyone who commented last week.

The most constructive and helpful comments will be featured on the site. Interested in submitting your own photo? You can do so here!

 
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By

Rollover to read this author's bio or click through to see a full list of posts by this author.

I was raised in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio. After high school, I left for Western Kentucky University where I obtained degrees in photojournalism and cultural anthropology. I am currently employed by CityBeat, an arts and entertainment weekly in Cincinnati. The work I am doing here is very rewarding and I suspect it will continue to be. I am available for freelance work in all areas of photography.  

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  • Siavash

    When I first saw the photo I was like:”ok, this is a dad who cares about his children” and then read your description. So you were successful in conveying that. Good job there. However, when looking at things artistically, the tree branches seem very distracting. Perhaps changing the angle of the shot or removing them digitally would help the composition. The bag full o bottles is also a little distracting. In a way it adds meaning to the subject but it keeps the eye from seeing the more important stuff. The tone of the picture is very flattering to me. All in all good job.

  • Dave

    I like the composition and the purpose.

    The picture has a slightly industrial feel because of the work clothes and the recycling. The building in the background adds to it, but the leaves tell a different story: The leaves seem slightly out-of-place. The leaves also have so much contrast against the light sky that they distract from the subject matter. I would be tempted to photoshop them out to see if you like the image better afterward.

    If you included the leaves on purpose, then the purpose is not immediately obvious. Is it a young tree that compares to the kids? An old tree that is protective and strong? I can’t tell from the photo.

    The tree-leaves also look a little over-processed, as do the shadows on the left side of the father’s face. It looks like you lightened up the shadows with a reflector or a fill light. I think some deeper shadow would have made the light seem more natural, but that is a personal preference.

    The expressions are good, and the use of the father’s hands to show his feelings, and to frame the image is good. I would have cropped out some of the cans and centered the father more, but that is another personal preference.

  • Carole

    I think you have been successful in conveying the emotion you wanted to convey, but I think you can improve the composition with some good printing — either in the darkroom or the lightroom. I think the cans/recycling are too bright and should be darkened down, while the left hand side of the man’s face needs to be brought up so that we can see a little more detail in it. Radically i think if you cropped it so that it is more vertical, getting rid of much of the building behind and much of the bag of cans you have more of what you wanted, the man’s feeling about his children.

  • gmasonjahr

    I think a shallow depth of field would have focused the photography on the subjects and the stated intent of the photographer.

  • Steven Schultz

    I do not have the original to work with all the coloring, but this is what I would do:

    * lighten the faces of the children. It will give a look of innocence and lighten the dads shadows on his face to show his tiredness.
    * Straighten the horizon and the lines on the building to match the horizon.*
    *darken cans a touch.
    * clone out the few leaves above dads head. Leave the rest of the tree it gives hope to the future of this man working hard for his children. Taking the leaves out would be depressing. I don’t think the photo is suppose to be depressing as much as sacrifices parents make for their child in hope of a better future for the kids.
    *clone out the tree and the rest of the boarders where it will need it after straightening the horizon.
    * dark the hands to show hard life.
    * I think straightening the dad upright gives him a sense of pride and honor in collecting the cans. There is no thing this dad wont do for his kids.

    I love the deep look the dad is giving to the camera and the kids look of a bright life ahead. Awesome photo. My final tip is to shot in color and post the black and white. Not sure how you did.
    My two cents..

    • Steven Schultz

      Maybe even blur the background

  • http://www.facebook.com/diveactive Gary Bridger

    It all depends on what the photographers intension was at the time of taking the photo. What is the theme, the story line, is it just a portrait, is it related to the heap of cans, If So then take at a higher view pint long down having the kids with arms full of cans and some money in the fathers, Saying ” we recycle and make our living”. Bit more contrast, and flash may help. As its an over cast day. Black people are better photographed with hard light, If its just a portrait of father in children, then a more level or different pose, get him to need, have the kids sit on one nee and the other in front. And cheer them up, This photo looks a little uncomfortable. Again if related to the cans, you could have father in front, and this children sat on top of the cans. Bring life to the photo.