A rural shard

[Quentin88]

Hello everyone, I would like some criticisms and comments for those pictures =)





Exif:
Model NIKON D5100
Shutter Speed 1/1600 second
Aperture F/8
Focal Length 300 mm
ISO Speed 1600
White Balance Direct Sunlight

Description:
It's an unusual cold, windy and cloudy sunday, a shy sun peer out from the clouds and light up a little hill not so distant from the street. Here, under a little vineyard in the middle of a still green wheat field a little old man is working his land.

The goal:
Capturing a typical rural shard of today italian countryside.

The Question:
It was a really sudden shot opportunity, and I was in a hurry too, I could have setted a lower ISO I know (1600 don't give my D5100 too much noise problems but still lower ISO are always better) but, as I said, I was in a hurry.
I like the second shot better but the farmer expression look a little bit... "pestered", what do you think?

P.S. I like my B&W a little bit underexposed

[davidedric]

A quick response.

The second image is much much better. The main subject is clear, and there is a sense of movement and determination. I find the image is correctly exposed, any higher and the highlights would be blown.

I think the image would be stronger cropped, especially from the right.

The "Italia" sign on the machinery is a bit distracting, but it may be hard to clone out.

I do like the picture, though.

Dave

[Shadowman]

Very nice, you really have to look closely to find your subjects, a bit difficult with the format (b & w) and patterns.

[flashback]

Ciao Pelligrino,
The second image is very good, I really like the intense look on the mans face. The other thing I noticed is that the man is leaning in the same direction as the posts and wires, very cool! B&W conversion in both is very good but your second image is far and away the best.

[Gigi71]

Hi Pellegrino (Jack found a new version! )

I like the angle of the first picture towards the vine, though in fact that wine grower doesn't come into his own... I also like the look of his face, concentrated at his work. Maybe you just think he looks pestered because you considered how he finds it to be photographed at work?
The lighting of the second one is better in my view, and I agree with Dave that the "Italia" label unfortunately is a bit disturbing.
Good images though, I like pictures of people being attentive at their job.

[bnnrcn]

Hi Pellegrino,I especially like #2 with composition ,in #1 the man is lost in the patterns but in#2 he can be seen clearly.A little cropping from right might help the composition in #2

[Geoff F]

I just wonder if you could get away with a fraction more highlight brightness.

The label doesn't bother me; it is part of the machinery.

You could try some alternative crops but I wouldn't want to lose anything from the height so it would mean trying some different size ratios to crop from the sides; probably just one side.

[rpcrowe]

I like both of the images...

#1 is more of an environmental shot showing the man and the vinyard. #2 is more of a shot of the man working....

[Quentin88]

Thanks everyone for the comments and the advices.
I'm not very good with cropping but, as suggested, I tried some alternative, after some tries I found the 8x10 to be, in my opinion, the less "adulterant", what do you think?


So, in the end, no one other than me think that the farmer look a little bit pesterd/irritated? In the end the love you take is equal to the love you make?

P.S.

Ciao Pelligrino...

Hi Pellegrino (Jack found a new version! )

I see =P But the best one is still

Pellegringo

by Geoff F

[bnnrcn]

Cropped one is better

[flashback]

Pell...e...grino; mea culpa, mea culpa.......
I much prefer the second image, there is more of a sense of...urgency. Moreover with more of the unturned foreground shown, it matches (and explains) the expression on the man's face.