Low wages, long hours, bad conditions
by Crystal Streams

Comment by Crystal Streams:
Interesting how most of the comments centered around the title. I do agree, I chose a bad one. For those interested, this was shot in a park outside of Bangkok. His wages are incredibly low, but its all relative, as the cost of living is also very low. I do appreciate all your comments--even the ones that hurt (my pride)!

Low wages, long hours, bad conditions
by Crystal Streams

Comment by karmat:
you have done well at filling the frame with your subject, and I like the almost triangle formed with his body and arms. That gives the picture a well-balanced look, I think. This angle works well, though my first impression was that you probably should have tried another. The sign in the background was my only clue that this was not an American theme park or something (well, that, and this young man doesn't have on a cheesy uniform), so it is important that it is visible, I think, as the meaning of your picture can change across the ocean.

The lighting is good, as is the focus, in that the subject is well focused. The color are nice, but I am wondering if the "negative" feeling that your title conveys wouldn't better be expressed in black and white. It may also help to emphasize the subject by "downplaying" the other "stuff" in the background. I played around with it some in PaintShop and on my monitor, converting it to black and white, tweaking the contrast a bit, and running an unsharp mask made it a bit edgier and more definable, but that is just my personal taste.

Overall, I felt that the shot was good, and that it fit the challenge well. Good luck in the future.

Low wages, long hours, bad conditions
by Crystal Streams

Comment by Marklane:
Yeah, but he seems to be enjoying himself. Nice colourful pic.

Low wages, long hours, bad conditions
by Crystal Streams

Comment by camelotnorth:
Great shot and the message is very clear.

Low wages, long hours, bad conditions
by Crystal Streams

Comment by Corey:
Dosen't look that bad, I have had worse jobs. :) 5 - Corey

Low wages, long hours, bad conditions
by Crystal Streams

Comment by irae:
Conditions don't look so bad, but I bet you're right about the other two. Very nice environmental portrait with good colors and just enough background to set the scene (Bangkok?).

Low wages, long hours, bad conditions
by Crystal Streams

Comment by PTLParsons:
Great subject matter, and composition with good execution. Wonderful colors, good focus. I want to read to see how much he gets paid and what he makes. Looks like an interesting story. It's a great photo. Good techs. PTL9

Low wages, long hours, bad conditions
by Crystal Streams

Comment by nards656:
Maybe just a little TOO much information here, but the clutter was really out of your control. I would have used a tighter crop, I think, but maybe not. 6 nards656

Low wages, long hours, bad conditions
by Crystal Streams

Comment by fsieradzki:
Thailand or Laos?

Low wages, long hours, bad conditions
by Crystal Streams

Comment by Natasha:
The shot is good, but the title doesnt seem to fit as it looks clean and he seems happy enough! (IMO)