The reader

[PiroStitch]

I've worked on this image for the past couple of days and getting over it. I wanted to preserve the soft and muted tones from the available light, while giving it a bit more contrast. Admittedly, the shot isn't as sharp as it could be but for me it adds to the ambience.

It portrays the ever transforming culture in Melbourne where it is heavily influenced by Europe - sitting in a laneway cafe, having a smoke, the tweed hat, reading a trashy newspaper...

Thoughts?

Original


Re-worked

[aim54x]

I prefer the original...something is lost in the rework. I would also explore a crop that removes some of that dead space on the RHS, I find my eyes wonder over there too much.

[Matt. K]

This image has a lot of potential and could probably be reworked in many different ways. I think your second version puts too much emphasis on the newspaper and the chair, which detract from what should be the main subject...the reader. The colours are great and I like the complexity of the composition, the scattering of objects and their placement. It all works. Your challange is to get the lighting right in order to get the image to the next level. Perhaps add a soft shaft of light using Photoshops lighting filter?

[Murray Foote]

There's mystery in the first that has gone in the second. But the first still isn't quite right. Maybe one-third of the way from the first to the second.

The pale blue border of the forum page doesn't help either. Maybe a white line around the image then a thicker black border.

[PiroStitch]

And now you understand my challenge I'm going to keep working on this photo for awhile until I'm happy with it. Each time I come back to it, there's something I see that I dislike. Thanks for helping me validate that I'm not trying to polish or "save" a crappy photo. I haven't missed the irony of this whole exercise, the instantaneity of a photograph requiring a lot of time to achieve a photo which I'm happy with.