contrast

[KingshukChatterjee]

it was a slum and I found this old woman sitting at the end of her day, and some kids playing. I changed my position to get the kids at the background of her, but I could not come closer so that the children and the old woman can remain natural, without noticing my camera. My main subject was the contrast between the gloomy old shape with the dynamic youth in the melancholy light of the slum. Also, another way of looking at it came to me later, that poverty can kill the joy of life to an aged, but children only require themselves, and time to enjoy..the power of poverty gets defeated to the power that makes pure joy to children.
the problems I faced were
1. due to low light the picture quality gets bad
2. I cannot understand where should I focus, to get both subjects (unlike only the woman, as here) equal prominence
3. what should be the settings to get the color of the children's clothes moro dynamic whil the yellowish light doesnot get over-saturated?
4. overall, I think the theme is not prominent at all...why?
also please point out any other negatives this photo have.

[Donald]

Kingshuk - I think your idea (The concept. The narrative you were trying to illustrate) for the picture is excellent.

I do think you were right to focus on the lady and allow the children to be slightly out of focus.

The greatest challenge is the lighting. I would suggest that work needs to be done to bring the lady more out in the image. I think this could be done by adjusting the lighting on her and also through the use of sharpening techniques and their extension, Local Contrast Enhancement about which you can read in this CiC tutorial.

However, this is going to require access to post-processing software and some skill in the use of layer masks. This may be something you are not yet at the stage of doing (My apologies if I have got this wrong).

[GiacomoD]

Hello Kingshuk,
the subject is very interesting and, despite the problems that you mention, I like it.

I will answer only about colors: if you have the raw file and if (as it looks to me) the light source was artificial, probably you can strongly mitigate the orange-yellowish dominant simply changing the white balance and setting it to a colder value (try a color temperature around 3000K or a preset such as Tungstene).
Once you'll have a more natural color balance, you will be able to work on the children's clothes colors.

Hope it can help

Giacomo

[JPS]

Hi Kingshuk,
I like the idea very much, but agree a bit of PP would help to improve things, something like this:



Hope you don't mind me adjusting your picture.

[KingshukChatterjee]

thanks Donald, for the sincere criticism. and I assure you that you are not wrong I am very little interested and skilled overall about post-processing and editing. anyway, the help you provided has enhanced my ideas, which I will surely try to imply in the next outing.

[KingshukChatterjee]

thanks Giacomo for the suggestions. and I will surely take them not for this photo, but as a knowledge to apply all the way, but about the warm light, I tell you, it was the street light only. and I think I wanted this to stay in the picture as this light adds the gloomy mood I wanted in the photo. anyway I will try the white balancing as you told, and if I can make it work, I will surely post it here.

[KingshukChatterjee]

not at all john. You made it look a bit less warm and more soothing. but I dont know why the children are looking more out-of-focus.......anyway, thanks for letting your creative skills flow over this...