Please c&c this for me

[DonJuanMair]

Overall im happy with this pic, its for an article in a magazine, but the magazine doesnt want the picture to be like an advertisement, it wants kinda like a snap shot. The article is about Blue martini.....i didnt want to get too close because i was worried they would turn the pic down for having too much of a logo.
The moon was there and i thought perfect :)

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k21/DonJuanMair/1024.jpg

tell me if you think any areas dont work etc, thanks in advance

[SwingBopper]

I'd crop out the pole on the left. This will bring the logo to the left too and be somewhat less central in the frame. The moon and stars are a nice touch. A very nice exposure. Too bad you don't have some people in the foreground or on the sidewalk though.

[TekHouse]

I would get in front of that pole and re shoot, then the logo would be bigger and you wont have so may trees in it either.

It does not look obvious from that shot that the Blue Martini is the focal point. Now I know it will be once its in an article, but going from that photo alone its not 'featured' enough.

[Thumbsup]

If you can't re shoot like TekHouse suggests (and I agree with) then try to work with what you have and crop it like Swingbopper suggests.

[sapearl]

Don - nice shot you've done. I think with a little cropping it will make a fine image for a magazine article. Here is my crop suggestion - I've also thrown in just a little exposure level adjustment and some sharpenning.

=>

[Mike McCusker]

sapearl,

Terrific edit. Just what this shot needs. Good work..

[sapearl]

Hi Mike - thanks. All I did was a little fiddling. The OP did all the "real" work with his "eye" and feet ;).

sapearl,

Terrific edit. Just what this shot needs. Good work..

[joedlh]

The mural of the lady, lying down and clearly happy and drunk from all those blue martinis, bothers me -- especially with that sign right in her eye. That's all I see when I look at this photo.

[sapearl]

I hear what you're saying Joe, but isn't that how the Blue Martini wishes to portray itself? Sure, it may bother me a little too, but others consulting a "City Guide" looking for a fun place to go may feel otherwise and consider this a really hopping place ;). "One man's poison....."

The mural of the lady, lying down and clearly happy and drunk from all those blue martinis, bothers me -- especially with that sign right in her eye. That's all I see when I look at this photo.

[Walczak Photo]

I have to agree with joe here to some extend. I don't mind the mural...it's part of the "scene" but the sign bugs me. If a reshoot is possible, since the sign doesn't really look like it's anchored to the sidewalk, I'd suggest the OP just walk across the street and move the sign (then put it back afterwords of course).

I do like sapearl's edit, but the one thing I would add is that I would clean up the moon even more. Even with the added sharpening, the moon still looks a little "hazy". I think it's a wonderful part of the shot and if this was reshot, I'd clone in back in afterwards (assuming it wasn't in the same position for the reshoot), but I would get it sharper since this is for publication.

Just my $.02 worth,
Jim

[RandyMN]

The mural of the lady, lying down and clearly happy and drunk from all those blue martinis, bothers me -- especially with that sign right in her eye. That's all I see when I look at this photo.

I am bothered just as much and at first glance I thought this was a double exposure.

[DonJuanMair]

sapearl great advice! i followed your idea and re-edited the shot, the mural of the lady actually has nothing to do with blue martini, its an ad for the mall its at.
I really dont want to go back and shoot again, i think that would just be asking for trouble, i got asked to leave 2 times by stupid mall cops.

what do you guys think now

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k21/DonJuanMair/blue1x2_filtered-2.jpg

[sapearl]

Glad I could help Don :D.

How are your PS skills - any possibility you cold white was the poster of the lady and then dress that area up with some cloned shrubs, flowers or perhaps a tree to keep it from looking stark? I agree, that's a tough one.....

[DonJuanMair]

i dont know where i would get the shrubs from? :confused:

[sapearl]

Looks like there's one right next to her chin perhaps.

i dont know where i would get the shrubs from? :confused:

[DonJuanMair]

yeah, i just tried it and it looked kind of weird. I know what your saying about the picture of her, but i think on this occasion there is nothing i can do.

[neumanns]

Run this by your editor...After all if you don't produce the normal snapshotish drivel then the readership will start to expect the other contributors to carry more than a cameraphone. And the editor will be under imense pressure to start asking for quality photo's to accompany there articles.

Sorry I couldn't resist...:lol:

[DonJuanMair]

thanks again guys!

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k21/DonJuanMair/article.jpg

[sapearl]

Hi Don - thanks for sharing.... looks good!:D

[DonJuanMair]

hey thanks for the advice!

[Akire]

The mural of the lady, lying down and clearly happy and drunk from all those blue martinis, bothers me -- especially with that sign right in her eye. That's all I see when I look at this photo.


Hate to tell you guys, but I'm pretty sure that's a father holding his child.