Crop Vs Non cropped?

hussey

Hi I am looking for some feedback regarding some editing techniques I used.

I'm teaching myself photoshop and this week is mono shots.

I thought I found an interesting shot of a man underneath a lamppost reading a leaflet, I thought it turned out pretty well.


Now there is a group of people gathered around the top RHS, a vigil but I cannot decide if this adds or takes away. (personally I thought took away, but my friend reckons adds as they reckon it looks like he is preaching)

Compare this to my crop


so any feedback and why??

also I turned number two into a sepia mono tone ... any feedback on this VS B&W would also be appreciated thanks.



P.s. the man is actually just handing out leaflets in regard to the vigil, and was also talking to anyone who stopped and watched

Borderfox

second one for sure, it looks like something from a spy novel. The sepia really suits it but so does the black and white.

Calina

I prefer no 2 as well. There's something more atmospheric about it.

WHIP IT!

Definitely No 2 for me for what it's worth. Kind of tells more of a story.

Borderfox

reminds me of this film "the third man"

Placebo

#2 is black and white

emul

Number 2 great capture and good crop IMHO

Borderfox

#2 is Sepia.

hussey

Cheers guys!

I was aiming for the spy/mystery with the crop ... I'll have a play with it some more, maybe try to darken the water a bit so just the lamppost trail is bright.

AnCatDubh

As they stand i'm in the #1 camp and b/w conversion.

Your crop in #2 I feel is a little too tight that makes the individual look slightly out of a correct placing - not by much but just enough for me to think a little more to the left and down would have been really great.

If you crop wider you will get another body into the shot which you probably don't want so you could potentially crop wider and clone out the other individual perhaps - they are dark and small so it probably wouldn't be too big a job.

Then again, I appear to be in the minority on this one so you may be better just with moving forward with #2

A cracking shot by the way - i think a person or people will really add to it.

Cheers.

Reoil

Cropped, but not the way you've done it.

CabanSail

I too like the cropped image over the full one. In the first image there are distractions which do not add to the image. the leading lines work much better with the crop.

hussey

Reoil wrote: »

Cropped, but not the way you've done it.

Suggestions?

xshayx

Borderfox wrote: »

second one for sure, it looks like something from a spy novel.

Just as Keith said!

I love the processing of no.2 but as said before the crop takes the emphasis off the lone character.The postitioning of the character at the top right is good but there's just a bit too much empty space.Cropping to the edge of the 3rd light and up a bit would vastly improve the photo imo.

AllMyOwnTeeth

I agree with Inibaz. Cropping to the 3rd light should make the character look less tight to the edge.

ThOnda

The processing of the cropped picture is nicer, but few things are too close to the frame, like the last light on the right. Something about the cropped one feels cramped.
But still, some cropping would help the first picture to be more simple and even more interesting.

CabanSail

Have had a quick fiddle myself.