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Winter Seashelling on Buzzards Bay
Winter Seashelling on Buzzards Bay
jlanoue


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Environmental Portrait II (Basic Editing)
Camera: Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT
Lens: Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
Location: Buzzards Bay, MA
Date: Mar 16, 2008
Aperture: 5.6
ISO: 800
Shutter: 250th
Galleries: Nature, Portraiture
Date Uploaded: Mar 16, 2008

 My daughter never misses an opportunity to go seashelling when we visit aunt pat on buzzard's bay in Massachussetts regardless of the season. Here she is with a handful of shells (mostly crustaceon) after a good search around the marsh. Kids have been coming to this marsh for the last 200 years in search of washed up ocean treasure. ISO 800, 1/250th second, contrast, curves and saturation.

post challenge: thanks for all the constructive comments! I had honestly thought this would do better, but DPC is no place for the faint of heart! My daughter's environment is the great outdoors, so shutterhack's comment below misses the mark. I had try to convey this by showing her searching for goods on a bitter cold new england day with a stiff ocean breeze in her face (but yet she's still out there seashelling). After reviewing some of the higher scoring portraits in this challeng as well as taking into account the comments below, I'd probably have shot this one a bit tighter and gone with a grey jacket, the red seems to steal too much attention. Also would have gone with a tighter crop but still include some ocean. Anyway, I'm learning, and thanks for the great feedback!

Statistics
Place: 105 out of 159
Avg (all users): 5.1621
Avg (commenters): 6.2308
Avg (participants): 4.9091
Avg (non-participants): 5.2323
Views since voting: 841
Views during voting: 405
Votes: 253
Comments: 17
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
 03/26/2008 10:21:57 AM
Hi John, I didn't get a chance to vote, but I'll offer my thoughts now for what there worth. First, I really like the image - very engaging, you've connected well with the subject and I feel the environment is sufficently shown to make this meet the challenge (others have different opinions bout this obviously). From a technical standpoint, the photo just needs to be sharper. I believe that the colors work fine, but I believe a closer crop (perhaps taking out the water and trees in the background would have helped) This is one where you'd need to experiment to know for sure. Overall I would have given this a 6, I definately think it has potential just needs some work.

Jack

Edited to say - just my opinion, hope this helps stimulate your thinking.

Message edited by author 2008-03-26 14:23:28.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/25/2008 08:34:15 PM
HAHAHA
How funny is that!?!

I SOOOooOoooo beat your ass! ... but only by a smidgen :p
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
03/25/2008 05:34:43 PM
I think a less centered crop and a bit more sharpness would have made this wonderful. Still, very pretty. Great colors, love her expression.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/25/2008 05:39:17 AM
Nice photo, though it does have the feel of a snapshot. For me, I might have liked to see what's in her hand a bit more (different angle?) and definatly less of the body so that you could focus more on the face and hands.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/25/2008 05:27:50 AM
nice, somthing about the red isn't dramtic enough...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/23/2008 09:18:09 PM
interesting. I like the way her hair echoes the landscape. This is basic editing so you are a little limited, but I feel like this image has potential to be worked a little more in photoshop to make it pop. seems there are the makings of a dramatic sky that could be brought out a little more. (there are some posts in the forums going on now about how to do this)

this is a nitpick but I feel like the jacket distracts. If this was a planned shoot (which perhaps it was just a candid) I would think a more muted color would be better to let the reds of the landscape and her hair dominate.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/23/2008 11:39:15 AM
Nice photo i like the background a lot
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/21/2008 06:39:51 AM
Such camouflaged hair! I really like the windswept appearance.
Despite the dreary weather and obvious cold she has a very warm smile & looks quite proud of her findings.

The centered composition really works for this shot because you've also centered the land in the background, she leads you right into the landscape without dominating it. If you had composed it so that there was only one body of water (to the left or right) then the centered person would throw the whole thing off balance but as is; well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/21/2008 04:49:12 AM
The first thing that hits you is the color of the subjects hair and how it blends with the background grass...very cool photo and I love the framing as well...nicely done! I live in mass and would love to know where you took this...looks like the Onset area....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/20/2008 09:04:28 AM
Love the coloring match of the hair with the grasses. I would prefer a tighter focus and some more action...like your subject sifting through the sand to find the shells.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/20/2008 08:10:44 AM
i would have liked to see this as a portrait rather than landscape. But I loooooove the color of her hair with the color of the grasses, especially with the wind blowing. great shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/20/2008 07:33:08 AM
I love the way her hair matches the environment. It's a really nice photo. I think the composition might work even better if she wasn't so centered.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/20/2008 03:51:03 AM
that looks so cold ..... being in Aust its hot . duxs :) nice capture
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/19/2008 03:23:24 PM
I can smell the water and feel the breeze, excellent capture, just a little too centred. 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/19/2008 02:18:45 PM
Great location! It might be a little more interesting if she weren't right in the middle of the photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/18/2008 11:37:29 PM
A tighter crop and having the subject not in the center might help.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/18/2008 08:38:21 PM
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject's usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject's life and surroundings. The term is most frequently used of a genre of photography.


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