Thoughts please

[gregj1763]

Hi, just wanted to get some opinions on this photo from the wedding I shot in Bali recently.
I tried a much tighter crop originally, focusing on the grooms reflection in the best man's glasses but I thought it was shame to lose the fantastic facial features.
That moustache is one in a million and I also thought that including the blurred flowers etc balanced the image instead of him just looking into blue space.
Anyway, your thought would be appreciated.
Cheers, Greg

[Stagecoach]

Greg,

That's one great shot. Two things that I noticed, the horizon and the dark shadow at the far right but it may be that you have left them intentionally like that.

[Donald]

Creative and innovative. Good one.

[gregj1763]

Thanks Grahame and Donald, glad you think it has merit. Will fix the horizon, the shadow doesn't bother me too much. Cheers

[gregj1763]

Sorry Grahame, you're right, looks better without the shadow. All fixed now
Thanks for your help guys

[Stagecoach]

Greg,

Those two items did not bother me just thought they may not have been considered. As for the horizon it's debatable because the flowers will then be off the vertical but worth trying.

Grahame

[gregj1763]

Here is the revised image, see if you think it is an improvement Grahame.
Personally I prefer it over the first

[Donald]

Yep. That's it now.

[Stagecoach]

Greg,

I would not say I prefer it but it works for me. Interestingly have you boosted the brightness/contrast because the face seems to stand out more in this one, surely not just due to the shadow removal, or is it my imagination?

Grahame

[gregj1763]

Greg,

I would not say I prefer it but it works for me. Interestingly have you boosted the brightness/contrast because the face seems to stand out more in this one, surely not just due to the shadow removal, or is it my imagination?

Grahame

I started again from the raw file Grahame so there may have been some slight differences adjusting shadows and highlights etc.
And thanks for the thumbs up Donald

[Shadowman]

Very nice.

[gregj1763]

Very nice.

Cheers John. Had a great time in Bali, more images to come over the next few weeks

[dan marchant]

I certainly think you made the right choice with the looser crop. The newly tweaked second version is excellent - the subject has so much character that it would certainly be a shame to lose any of it. I also agreed that the oof flowers add to, rather than subtract from the image.

While the shot as is is excellent there is one other reason not to crop tighter, which is that I don't think the reflection itself is strong enough to act as the subject. If the groom were looking into the mirrored glasses the reflection would make a more interesting shot, in which case I would create a second image with the tighter crop, while definitely keeping the current one as well.

Great work.

[gregj1763]

Thanks for the comments Dan, I was rather pleased with the image so it is gratifying that other like it as well especially with the composition which is something I struggle with a bit.
You're right, if the groom had been facing towards the best man a tighter crop would have worked really well. Alas his attention was elsewhere, (watching his bride to be walking up from the chalet) so an opportunity missed but stored in the memory bank as an image to capture in the future.
Cheers, Greg