Tuesday, January 6

1% iffy

Contributed by B Johnson

About 98% of the snapshots I take are crap. This was in the 1% that was iffy. I had to put my ISO on 400 and put my aperture to a minimum because the lighting was pretty bad. The shot has some nice lines that lead your eye around. I ran a layers and curves adjustment to lighten the shot up a bit, and I decided to put it in black and white to remove some distracting colors and because the high ISO didn't seem to stand out nearly as much. Enjoy.
My Portfolio

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice job! I think going with black and white was a realistic choice. There's a little bit of a story in this photo and I like that quality. You're correct in saying it moves the viewer's eye around the frame and I like the follow up from human to cat. It almost looks as though the cat might have been in action which was a conscious choice because these are always more interesting. It would be a little bit of an enhancement to put a different background on this one but the one here is not too distracting, except for the window or border behind the person. After looking at the picture I was kind of drawn to that spot. Great job overall and I look forward to seeing more like these.

Anonymous said...

I really like this photo. I used to have a cat so it brings back memories. I really don't have any critiques for this picture. I think it would be cool if I could see the cat's face. Overall, I really like this shot.
AM SPHS

Anonymous said...

i like this picture.
i think you made a good choice with making the aperture smaller because of the lighting, that did bring out a little more in the shot. however if some of the lines were sharper, the picture would be so much better.

sphs
em

Anonymous said...

This picture caught my eye. I think the lighting could be a little stronger, but the contrast works well. Good choice on making this black and white. It wouldn't have the same effect if it were in color. Also, I really like how you can only see the nose of the person and only the nose of the cat. It adds a little mystery. Good job overall.
MC SPHS

Anonymous said...

This picture really caught my eye right away. I think it was because of the exact moment you had taken it. This is one of those pictures that are very rare and hard to get. This is also very unique! The lighting was probably the hardest thing pull off, but I think you did a great job with that. I think your choice to put this in black and white was an excellent choice. I think you were right about the colors being distracting. Great Job!
CA
SPHS

Anonymous said...

I like this picture, and I think it looks pretty cool. I never really see many pictures like this, and I think this one looks pretty good. I like how you can only see part of the person and part of the cats face, and I like how you can see all the hairs sticking out from the cats arm.

Anonymous said...

I am a big fan of this picture. I love the choice you made to make it black and white. I really like how the neither the whole cat or person is viewable. I do wish that the lighting was a little bit stronger; but the contrast of the shot makes it work. Overall, i think this is a really good shot. - TW SPHS

Anonymous said...

This photo is interesting and kind of funny. The cat's arms and the face are in focus. I like how the white outlines the cat's arms. You can also tell what's the background because its blurry. I think the cat's arms are running straight through the photo. Kind of. I wish there was more contrast in the photo but its still good. I'd love to have a picture like this. Its funny and makes me giggle inside.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love this photo! It makes me smile every time I see it! I think the composition is pretty good - I like how you can only see their mouths on the edge of the frame. The only thing I notice is that the middle is a little blurred, but that doesn't really bother me at all. I love it!

Caroline - SPHS

Anonymous said...

Bryan, I love kitties...so I love your picture. In no way should you consider this picture iffy because not only is he color and lighting great, it's just adorable! not much else I can say because it is indeed very good. In fact I want a copy of it. Oh yes, and what everyone else has said having the kitty and person's mouth in the picture works...very well. Really though, I want a copy of this. PC SPHS

Anonymous said...

This is a really cute photo, I love the black and white-- it definitely makes the photo more intimate. The cat's arm draws your eye both to your face and to the cat, but I think the piece of hair in your face is a little bit distracting. That's really my only complaint, though. Good job!

Bryan said...

It's my girl's face, I don't have that long of hair. :) Thanks for all the critiques.

Anonymous said...

I really like this photo. It looks real. I think if it was sharper the cat would stand out a little more and makin the aperture a little smaller. but other than that i think this is a good shot and i think this picture looks great in black/white.

WR - SPHS

Anonymous said...

This is a fun shot, and it also turned out great. I love the lines that lead your eyes around, also, the black and white makes the shot a lot more intimate. TC-SPHS

Anonymous said...

I think this picture is the cutest thing in the universe! Not only are cat’s my personal favorite, but the way this moment was captured is perfect as well. You did get a lucky shot(: The black and white effect makes it look more realistic in capturing the moment.

-KelseyB_RHS

Anonymous said...

I really love the innocence of this shot, I feel like this was a great moment between you and you're cat, and it's important to remind us of things in our own life that mean a lot. Also, going black and white was the best choice, only because it prevents all the colors present before from overpowering the picture.

Anonymous said...

Aw, kitty :). The DOF is pretty good here; it is very clear as to what the subject is. It's cool how the cat's whiskers are visible, too. The composition is good, though having more of the cat could have been nice. I couldn't say what it is about this photo that caught my eye. All in all, this is a pretty good photo, especially for an "iffy" shot.
- E.M., SPHS

P.S. Was that cat scratching your friend's face? If so, should you not have been helping rather than taking a picture? Just a thought

Chris Kent said...

The thing that I like most about this photo is that it really shows a connection between man & cat. I like how it shows some of the cat's face in one side, & some of your face on the other side. I also think that the black & white gives it a nice emotional appeal as well.

Mackenzie Farmer PHS said...

I honestly love this picture because I love cats, and the bond they have with their owners. I love the leading lines, and how you only left the mouth and nose of both subjects. The lighting is fantastic and the depth of field just adds to people focusing on the cats paws. The mood it sets is comfort, it feels like you just caught the cat and owner playing around.