Funeral Procession in Guanajuato, Mexicoby
RyShuComment by karmat: CRITIQUE CLUB CRITIQUE
by karmat
There are things, compositionally, that work in this shot, and there are some things that don't. The end effect is that the result is somewhere in between "really good" and "not so effective."
What works in this shot is the angle that everything is going through the frame. It uses leading lines, subtlely, to lead up and through the frame. What doesn't work quite as well is that it feels like it is cropped/framed too far to the left. The squarish thing sticking out on the left is really distracting, and the front of the hearse is cut off, and that gives the shot an almost snapshot feeling. Most of all, it feels as if you were trying to include too much in this shot -- the hearse, the people, the interesting building in the background. While a lot of that is needed to properly establish context, it does make it a bit distracting, and there is no one place that the viewer's brain can establish as the focal point; there are too many things that could be the focus and they all compete.
Technically, the exposure, focus, etc is good. Maybe too good. A shallow dof would help you to isolate part of the scene and promote it to primary focal point. The color are nice, but since it is a funeral scene, and thus somber, maybe a bw would work well. It would also help to minimize some of the distractions of the shot.
Overall, you have done well at capturing the scene without being disrespectful or obtrusive. Nice work and best to you in future challenges.
If I need to further clarify or explain myself, please feel free to contact me.
karma
Photographer found comment helpful.
