2 labourers

[dubaiphil]

These guys were shopping in the market a couple of months back. Unfortunately the huge difference between light levels under cover in the market and outside is evident here, but as with most subjects I didn't have the chance to move these guys and have no blown areas in the background. So is it still too distracting?

I suppose I could try to lift the 2 guys and move onto a different background in Photoshop, but I tend to prefer realism rather than trying that.

And any comments on the guy on the right? Does he remind anyone of a young version of a famous Welsh actor??? That's what drew me to shooting these guys in the first place, along with the material used as a scarf.

[Andrew76]

Hmmm, I see what you mean about the two blown bits. I don't think it's too distracting, but I can see why you'd be a little disappointed with them. The shot of the 2 guys is awesome - spot on. Too bad the wall of burlap sacs wasn't just a tiny bit bigger!

Still an amazing photo!

[dubaiphil]

Thanks Andrew. It's not too distracting for me, but others may think so. I can't recover anything from the RAW file at all unfortunately. I may just try a similar shot with no people and bracket it to substitute as a background.

So any ideas on the lookalike? It's the eyes that have it...

[Andrew76]

Well, the only Welsh actor I know is Anthony Hopkins - so that has to be my vote!

[Mat Ribut]

Andrew, it is Mark Antony.

[Mike Buckley]

Nothing bothers me about the background or the supposed Welsh resemblances. Wonderful image!

[ktuli]

Phil,

My first reaction to this photo is that I wanted more space on the bottom. I feel it is a head-and-shoulders shot, but the shoulders are getting cut off. Then I did notice the bright areas above them - I didn't notice them at first, but when my eyes went looking for balance to what I perceived as too little space on the bottom, I instantly "resented" all that space going to those blown areas. And then.... then my eyes landed on that figure in the blown area on the right... and for whatever reason, my eyes keep going there. I understand the reason for the amount of space above the main subjects - if you had cropped down from the top, the blown areas would go to the top of the frame and thus command even more attention, or you'd have so little of that roof structure that it would seem miniscule and distracting in its own right.

I seem to be hyper-critical this morning though (see my post on Colin's recent submission - Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments ), so maybe I just need to let my eyes relax a little a wake up some before I try critiquing photos today.

Though - looking at it again, what do you think about a square(ish) crop? Start at the pole to the right of "Mark Antony's" left ear and go to about the left end of the second row of burlap sacks, and just below the top row of burlap sacks to the bottom of the frame. That would leave you with a tighter crop on the faces (which would probably eliminate my complaint about the shoulders), thus reducing the blown area that would need to be "corrected" (which potentially could be fixed with a little cloning). If you'd like, I can work up an example crop later today.

- Bill

[dubaiphil]

[dubaiphil]

I know opinion varies, but I would personally prefer if people asked before editing my photographs.

[DeepWater]

Sorry Phil - absolutely no offense intended. Since you mentioned the highlight areas this was just intended as a suggestion as to how to change that, nothing else. You mentioned Photoshop so I was just trying to share a technique that could change the look and be simpler than selecting the two guys and moving them. Won't happen again

I have removed the offending edit

[KCBrecks]

I can see why you might think there is a resemblance Phil but Burton was much better looking and his nose has a sharper end - there is a very good B& W image on Wikipaedia of him from The Robe in 1953 facing the same way.

[Andrew76]

I can see why you might think there is a resemblance Phil but Burton was much better looking and his nose has a sharper end - there is a very good B& W image on Wikipaedia of him from The Robe in 1953 facing the same way.

Thank you for clarifying!! I was losing sleep! Very hard to understand how Mark Antony is either an actor, or Welsh!