They Got Everything at the Corner Storeby
OneSweetSinComment by karmat: CRITIQUE CLUB CRITIQUE
by karmat
COMPOSITION
I believe the shot could be made stronger, as a whole, if you moved in and let the signs fill the frame a little more, maybe even "spilling" out. Also, maybe move the framing so that the signs are either on the left, and the poles are cropped out, OR the signs are on the right and the building is cropped out. This would move the signs out of the center of the frame, and keep it from seeming so "static." It would also keep the different elements from vying for the viewer's attention.
TECHNIQUE
The focus seems a little soft to me. I am assuming from the N/A on shutter speed etc, that you have little or no control of that. In that case, there might be a couple of things you can do to "hide" the slight blurriness. One would be to convert to black and white, then adjust the contrast so that the blacks are black, and the whites really pop out. I think doing that would help the eye to keep from trying to focus on the different colors as much as well. Another thing I would suggest would be to use a make shift tripod, if you do not have/do not want to carry one. Fill (about 2/3) a ziploc bag with sand, flour or sugar (the latter two do look suspicious from a distance), and use it as a "bean bag" to steady the camera. You can then use the top of your car, a tree limb, picnic table etc. and not have to worry about camera shake.
OVERALL EFFECT
I like the humor in this shot, and how the sign in the background looks like a church which is an interesting contrast with the other signs. Good luck in the future challenges.
Photographer found comment helpful.
