B&W Italy

[RobFellows]

A few street pics from Italy, your comments are most welcome.

I thought these were some of the more interesting shots I took that were not monuments or the wife taking "selfies".

1


2


3


4


5

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Rob,

Welcome to the CiC forums from me, great to have you join us.

#1 This might have stood a bit more exposure and contrast. The framing is a little off ideal; feet cropped on chap in dark shirt and the subjects are dead centre of frame - I would have panned a little down and to the right (after grabbing and holding AF), so they were positioned in the left hand side (as we view) looking further in to the frame. However, you have caught a wonderful moment there with one guy in an animated conversation with someone above, plus the other apparently trying to think through a knotty problem - good timing.

#2 is a great street scene which gives us much to ponder. It is a slight shame about the two people encroaching in to the lower left corner, but I still support your crop/framing.

#3 I like your decision to pan with the scooters and hence have them sharp with the walkers (pseudo) speeding by. The tilted column on the right isn't ideal, but given the circumstances, is probably unavoidable and almost impossible to correct in PP without sacrificing too much else of the composition, so I think we should accept it as it is.

#4 A good capture of two chatting and one snoozing. I hesitate to suggest cloning out the bag, since it is probably a part of the scene.

#5 A pretty standard tourist shot, raised above the norm by good control of the dynamic range. Did you have to clone out any litter in the canal, or are they tidier these days? (I last visited Venice, oooh, some 40+ years ago)

I hope those comments are helpful, Dave

[RobFellows]

Awesome, thanks for that Dave. All of these are un-cropped and have really had only basic sharpening and maybe a shadow tweak in the last one.
If I ever get Photo Shop I might start with some proper manipulation. but that gives me something to go on with composition.
Really appreciate the feedback.

[Shadowman]

European cities work so well in B & W, and quite a few S. American cities as well; the fashion, autos, and buildings often lend itself to a timeless capture. Nice series.

[IzzieK]

My favourites here are #1 and #5...#1 for making me wonder what those two gentlemen are up to...the last one reminds me ov Vienna.

[William W]

1. General Advice for Street (Group Portraiture) Shooting : Shoot WIDE - CROP in Post Production.

2. General Advice for Black and White: Appreciate the not everything is better in Black and White, than Colour.

***

Examples of 1.

Frame 1: if it were shot wider then there'd be the option of repositioning the men to camera left and thus you'd have more negative space camera right into which they could ponder. Also you'd have two feet for the fellow on the left to stand upon. As Dave noted, you nailed the timing, which is great and in most situations a difficult part of the to **** to get correct, just don't be so eager to get in so close.

Frames 2 and 3: IF each were shot wider - in F2 you'd have the option of cropping an interesting portrait of four people's backsides - the two on the bike and the two camera right, without clipping any body parts. In F3 you'd have the option of creating more negative space into which they could ride their bikes.

*

Example of 1.

In Frame 1 the sky is overcast, i.e. soft light; there's o texture to the clothing there's very little texture in the wood of the pier and there's not much guts in the water and the scene is too wide for an intense intimate moment of one facial expression . . . I would reckon with all those elements generally acting as a negative for B&W - the Colour version would make a more interesting shot . . .?


WW

[RobFellows]

Thanks for that Bill,

Take your point about shoot wider/crop later.

Here is the colour one and a slightly more saturated B&W

1a


1b