Critique Welcomed Street - Balloon Exchange

[alfie Wright]

I had a walk around Nottingham on Sunday & took a few images that I've not got around to processing yet, so I'll add one or two as I work my way through them. I took a mixture of close up portrait types & some a little more traditional street type stuff, trying out some of the suggestions that some of you made in my last street thread...

More than happy for a few more pointers, well here's the first one...


Balloon Exchange by alfie2902, on Flickr

 

[Brian Moore]

I like this. It's all action and message as told by the looks on the people. The lad is checking out the balloons and comparing them to the one his sister has selected. Meanwhile she's fishing out the coins ("Where's that tanner?" she's asking herself) and the balloonmeister is pleased as punch he's made a sale. Very nice street shot, Alfie.

 

[Lesley Jones]

Perfect timing - really well done!

 

[Brodie Jackson]

Really like this shot

 

[Pete Askew]

Very nice Alfie. As Brian said, the story and composition as well as the timing work well. Certainly worthy of a very fine black border I reckon and maybe a tiny lift in contrast. A super shot all round though. Looking forward to more.

 

[alfie Wright]

Thanks for the kind words all.

After looking through the rest of the images that day, this is probably about my favourite.

Pete, I suspect it's the lack of monitor calibration, but when I export my images as Jpeg's they seem to lose a little contrast & depth in the dark tones from what I'm seeing in the LR Develop panel. I don't really have any knowledge of colourspace, but suspect the difference I'm seeing is due to calibration. I also don't have any software atm to allow me to add borders or frames to my images. I tried using the print panel to get a fine border, but also get a white border too. Thanks for your input it's very much appreciated.

 

[Pete Askew]

There is a way to add a sort of black border to images in LR which works on most images. Create a gradient while holding down the shift key (to keep it parallel with the edge you are working) and drag it a tiny way into the image (I start with the cross-hair touching the edge from the outside and extend it in till the other side is touching on the inside). The reduce exposure for the gradient to 0 leaving a black line with a softish inner edge. Repeat with the other sides.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[alfie Wright]

Thanks for the tip, Pete. I may well have a play with that!

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Lovely observation and great timing Alfie