Homeless lady in Vancouver. What's it missing?

[Shant M]

Hey guys I took this picture a few months ago and liked the concept but for some reason it just doesn't wow me. What can I do to improve it? Burn it? Viginette? Any help is appreciated...

- Shant

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/4976088880_26eb1c1aab_b_d.jpg

[Marko]

Interesting take on this, focusing on the fingers and cup.
For me, these types of photos are photo journalistic so I'd limit the amount of PP. I might burn in the cup by 10-15% and reduce the reddish cast (on my monitor at least) on the hands and face. If you really wanted to play....I might crop the face out and just leave the hands...just a thought.
Hope that helps - Marko

[Bambi]

I like Marko's ideas. my first one in looking at it was to crop to just the hands. they are telling the story.

[Shant M]

Awesome tip guys. I'll play around a bit tonight an repost :)

[JoeMezz]

I'd loose the frame. But that's just me.
I also would like to see it with just the hands

[Shant M]

I'd loose the frame. But that's just me.

Lol, it's me too. Ice been slowly been removing them on my photos one at a time. It was a remnant of my amateur days...

[kat]

I think, if you want to keep her in..maybe (haven't tried it so not to sure how it would work) have her more subtle. Maybe BW/Sepia and not so much she's a silhouette, but to the point she doesn't stand out so much and the focus is right on the cup. I think with the lack of color and a bright white cup it will stand out even more. If that makes any sense at all.

[Matt K.]

I think, if you want to keep her in. Maybe BW/Sepia and not so much she's a silhouette, but to the point she doesn't stand out so much and the focus is right on the cup. I think with the lack of color and a bright white cup it will stand out even more. If that makes any sense at all.

Yup, I agree with Kat. give that a whirl and see where it leads to. The face of the woman is still a very important aspect of the image ..

[Iguanasan]

I can't add to the wonderful suggestions here but I know I would have liked to see a different angle on the shot. I think it would have been better composed if her hand/cup was a little higher up in front of her face a little bit - not obscuring, just closer.

[Shant M]

I can't add to the wonderful suggestions here but I know I would have liked to see a different angle on the shot. I think it would have been better composed if her hand/cup was a little higher up in front of her face a little bit - not obscuring, just closer.

I gotcha. I had given her a few dollars then asked nicely if I could snap a few shots. I dont think I would have been able to pose her, and I was already kneeling on the ground with my 50mm to get this angle. It was a pretty awkward situation to be in...

Anyway here is a crop with some pp:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1028/5189056996_974ca7c686_z.jpg

[Mad Aussie]

I think a B&W is the way to go (nothing colourful or needed in colour here) but with the lady's face still in the shot. I think we need to see it's a lady. B&W will back her face off a little and a bit of sharpening on the fingers and cup will further enhance the real subject here.

[Richard]

I think i'm with MA on this one. I'd like to see the face but in BW.

Those hands tell the story well, withdrawn into the coat with dirty nails.

[JoeMezz]

I would of tried one of these.. (sorry I cropped out watermark (not my intention) .. but wanted to crop tight to the hands).

http://themezz.com/public/2a.jpg

http://themezz.com/public/2.jpg

http://themezz.com/public/2b.jpg

[Shant M]

I tried that crop too. I am between that and this. I cropped till her cup was in the cross of both thirds. I burned her hands and cup a bit and sharpened her dirty fingers, which were an important part of the photo.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5191665084_4011b6b3db_b.jpg

[Iguanasan]

This last one is the best one I think. It tells the story better than any of the others. I just wish that "hot spot" in the upper right was not there.