help me decide

[Bambi]

Okay guys I need your help. I just joined a photography club in my area. Figured it would help me connect with others in my area who share the same hobby (not that I don't like my internet peers ). They have photo contests every meeting and I would like to enter, not so much to 'win' but to get feedback. The category is called Environmental Portrait. It's defined as a portrait that places the subject in an environment to tell the story. Here are my options: let me know what you think:
Young Violinst in Cenral Park:


Young musicians(colour):


Young Musicians (selective colour):


museum curator:

[F8&Bthere]

I think #2/#3 have the most potential, but all of these look soft to me, is it just the way you prepared them to post here?
If not, I'd say taking #2, going black and white (or staying with the selective colour if that rocks your world) and maybe even adding grain to go for a classic/rock'n'roll/magazine look?
I don't know the rules or the judging criteria of the contest but if technical quality plays into the decision they may hold that lack of sharpness against these shots....unless you make it look sorta intentional... or maybe they are fine and I just had one too many beers tonight?

[AntZ]

If it wasn't for the guy behind the violinist and the head appearing out of nowhere, I like #1.

I like #4, except for the icecream lid front/center.

[F8&Bthere]

If it wasn't for the guy behind the violinist and the head appearing out of nowhere, I like #1.

I like #4, except for the icecream lid front/center.

I agree and that's why I didn't choose #1 and I'm pretty much with you on #4 too since it has some cool potential but the stuff laying around the foreground doesn't lend anything to the image, it's just clutter. If it was a copy of Da Vinci Code or something fromt n center in that clutter, maybe? and the cash register, I keep trying to look for some connection or irony between commerce and curator and coming up empty. Maybe not enough beer, hehe, it always stops me from over-analyzing things. I vote for d) as I know these are good but also know Bambi can do better!

[Bambi]

I agree and that's why I didn't choose #1 and I'm pretty much with you on #4 too since it has some cool potential but the stuff laying around the foreground doesn't lend anything to the image, it's just clutter. If it was a copy of Da Vinci Code or something fromt n center in that clutter, maybe? and the cash register, I keep trying to look for some connection or irony between commerce and curator and coming up empty. Maybe not enough beer, hehe, it always stops me from over-analyzing things. I vote for d) as I know these are good but also know Bambi can do better!

*sigh* I figured as much. Now I'm the kid who can do better if she'd just try harder......

back I go to the drawing board. I might fool with making the musicians grainy.....

[Mad Aussie]

I gotta concur with AntZ here too. An environmental portrait needs to make a feature of the environment as much as the human subject I think. Therefore the Museum Curator would need to be surrounded by something that yells 'museum' and a block wall, cash register and **** all over the desk doesn't do it for me at all.

The young band I think lacks that 'enviroment' factor too.

So I end up back at the Violinist because I can correlate the classical music with the outdoor park environment but the distractions just leave it wanting I'm afraid.

In the end I'm sticking you into the 'You can do better' category ... and I know you can too! Next time move around so you have only the violinist and the tree in shot

[Iguanasan]

I vote for the museum curator and here's why.

I don't like #1 due to floating head and the person behind the violinist. Not to mention the fact that the violinist doesn't seem to be actually "violining". The shot just lacks punch for me.

Number 2 and 3 are really the same shot and the composition doesn't work for me. Having half of a person in front and then with the person in the back missing part of his arm, it just doesn't work for me.

The last one doesn't scream museum but it certainly conveys working environment. An old man with all his little bits of stuff around him. Even an ice cream container full of bits of stuff. This, to me, is the most interesting. I'm left wondering why there is a cash register there, too. The only real distraction is that it seems a little grainy to me.

[casil403]

I'm kinda with MA and Antz on this one B....I think #4 is just too busy with all ths stuff in the front and I would have never guessed he was a museum curator cashier because in the clutter there's not really much tying his profession to the enviroment in the photo. I do think there is potential in there though.

#1 has potential also but there's again too many distractions with all the people standing around not looking at him and nothing really tying him to his environment to tell a story. If the people were watching him, well then that to me would have more interest.

The singer images just don't work for me but that's just me and I think if I were to selectively colour it, I would just do the red guitar and forget about the toque.

I've seen your images here lately and I know you can do so much better! So get out there girl and do it!

[Marko]

I would have chosen #4 but like Ma said - where's the museum and what's with the crap on the desk

Also keep in mind that most environmental portraits are planned. A couple of these don't look planned which might be why there are distractions and softness problems in several places. Hope that helps - Marko

[tirediron]

Can you go for a tighter crop on #4? I have to admit that none of the others really do it for me (for more or less a compilation of the above-mentioned reasons), but I see real potential for the curator if some of the junk around him was removed.