Festival of colors

[Dave Butcher]

I was out shooting birds and waterfowl at Sunset Park when I came across the Festival of Colors and shot a few images. They were split second and I waited for the first two as I missed the first time they threw colored dust in the air.

 

[Andy brown]

Dave, cool shots and it looks like it was a great event to witness.
I had a closer look at these shots and do believe some cropping might improve them a bit. the third one for example with the couple would benefit from removing some distractions (the guy in the cap for instance).

This type of thing is extremely difficult to photograph because absolutely nothing is static.
You can't plan much at all. That said, someone like Robert (Watcher) would probably nail it. Mind you, he'd use all of his vast experience and sort of see things happening before they even do and know instinctively where to aim and what to be on the lookout for (and then he would post process it all superbly).

The first two shots are very good also, zooming in to just the hands and colours might have elevated them to being brilliant.

Well done Dave, like I said, this is HARD to shoot and you did really well.

Shoot it again next year with another year's worth of experience and I think you will take it from very nice to exceptional (and if you don't, there's always another year).

I hope I'm not sounding condescending at all. You're definitely making big strides.

 

[Asher Kelman]

To crop, conserve, criticize or keep silent?

I was out shooting birds and waterfowl at Sunset Park when I came across the Festival of Colors and shot a few images. They were split second and I waited for the first two as I missed the first time they threw colored dust in the air.

I know for a fact several guys here would go apoplectic on hearing an utterance of guidance to a picture they have deemed fit to share with the rest of the planet!

So one has to know something about the folk we dare to be honest with. Still, it could very well be that the crop we sought is exactly what the photographer was trying to avoid, distancing themselves from expectations.

But let's imagine that, in this case, we have open-mindedness and a wish to hear feedback. I do think Dave that is what you like.

I agree with Andy that the last picture, with the two joyous kids on the left, is sufficient and we even can sacrifice the girl on the right, (a big step, I admit), but then we lose the guy with the hat and now have a strong focused picture. Amongst the standard aphorisms of photography 101, (most of which I disobey), such as frame close and crop closer, don't have rods/poles coming out of your subjects head, exclude what is not absolutely needed and the like), excluding the distractions is the most important. The picture, unless one is including multiple scenes, such as Pieter Bruehgel the elder, have just ONE center of focus.

With that I would advocate cropping to make each picture stronger. When the folk in the picture are given the control over the visual real estate, one has a better chance of stopping passers by in their tracks and inviting them in to get seduced!

If that is what you want, then crop. If you are documenting who was there, then don't!

Asher

 

[Dave Butcher]

I know for a fact several guys here would go apoplectic on hearing an utterance of guidance to a picture they have deemed fit to share with the rest of the planet!

So one has to know something about the folk we dare to be honest with. Still, it could very well be that the crop we sought is exactly what the photographer was trying to avoid, distancing themselves from expectations.

But let's imagine that, in this case, we have open-mindedness and a wish to hear feedback. I do think Dave that is what you like.

I agree with Andy that the last picture, with the two joyous kids on the left, is sufficient and we even can sacrifice the girl on the right, (a big step, I admit), but then we lose the guy with the hat and now have a strong focused picture. Amongst the standard aphorisms of photography 101, (most of which I disobey), such as frame close and crop closer, don't have rods/poles coming out of your subjects head, exclude what is not absolutely needed and the like), excluding the distractions is the most important. The picture, unless one is including multiple scenes, such as Pieter Bruehgel the elder, have just ONE center of focus.

With that I would advocate cropping to make each picture stronger. When the folk in the picture are given the control over the visual real estate, one has a better chance of stopping passers by in their tracks and inviting them in to get seduced!

If that is what you want, then crop. If you are documenting who was there, then don't!

Asher

Thank you Asher I was documenting the people there and their reactions. I started out at Sunset Park documenting the waterfowl and birds and came across this festival and as I looked through the view finder of my camera and saw the couple and the girl it touched me at the three different reactions to the festival, music, and believe it or not I standing at least 50 feet away felt the happiness and peace that the festival was trying to get across to people.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Thank you Asher I was documenting the people there and their reactions. I started out at Sunset Park documenting the waterfowl and birds and came across this festival and as I looked through the view finder of my camera and saw the couple and the girl it touched me at the three different reactions to the festival, music, and believe it or not I standing at least 50 feet away felt the happiness and peace that the festival was trying to get across to people.

Great, Dave!

?


Now having that understood, are you totally satisfied and fulfilled, or would also like to go beyond, "documentation" as in a police report, to documentation, as in providing great pictures for the organization, a newspaper or else an exhibition. For this, you have to edit your pictures.

If none of these apply, then the subject is mute!

I would love to see you exploit your observations and go from raw material to pictures that command attention and recruit more people to enjoy your work!

Asher