Shanghai urban fragments (please C&C)

[PetPirate]

These are from the old back-streets and lanes of Shanghai, most of which are disappearing rapidly.

Hanging out to dry
Canon 450D, 50mm, Av, f/3.2, 1/200s, ISO2oo (Auto ISO, highlight tone priority)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3083/3155898948_2e1f2bbcd6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfwells/3155898948/)

The basket
Canon 450D, 50mm, Av, f/3.2, 1/60s, ISO200 (auto ISO)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/3155062419_63796881e6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfwells/3155062419/)

Thanks in advance!

[rushnp774]

#1: Not a huge fan of it. The fish look like they're in the shadows, which makes sense if you were walking down a back alley of Shanghai. You may have tried to use a bit of fill flash, but not too much to make them look shiny. I'll usually start with my flash in manual mode at about 1/4 power, then adjust from there. The colors look great though!

#2: I don't know if it's a very "compositionally" correct, but I like it. Anything that may be the focus (the basket, window, or gray stone in the wall) is offset from the center and follows the rule of thirds. I may have left a bit more red wall on the right side to frame the picture in more. The texture is fantastic, but the color may have benefited from a bit of fill flash and/or saturation.

Just my two cents. Keep it up!

[PetPirate]

Thanks for the comments.

I agree with #1. When developing the raw, I think I exposed more for the terracotta building in the background rather than the fish. Reason is, I really like the colour. I still like the overall colour cast, but agree its at the expense of the subject popping out.

Wish I could've got more space around #2. I was backed up against a wall and that was the most space I could get. I was anticipating it being a good shot, but was disappointed when I couldn't get trhe composition quite right. I should've changed out the prime lens for it.

[rushnp774]

Wish I could've got more space around #2. I was backed up against a wall and that was the most space I could get. I was anticipating it being a good shot, but was disappointed when I couldn't get trhe composition quite right. I should've changed out the prime lens for it.

You're very welcome. I used the 50mm f/1.8 on my Dad's Rebel XT for a while and I understand, it's a tough lens to take off :D. Oh well, you live you learn. I'd imagine that streets of Shanghai are rich with photo opportunities, so please post more.

[gmacmt]

The problem with the first shot is that the eels (or whatever those are!) get lost in everything else. I think I see a hanging chicken in the land of bokeh back there. I would love to see the shot tight the chicken with a OOF background full of other dead things. They are just all so close together it is hard to tell what is what.

Or that fish in the dead center, you could get above it at 1.8 and get that head in sharp focus with a blur down the line. There are a lot of potential options, just pick out one of the things when they are all so close together. Does that make sense?

Shot number two is bomb. Well composed, great texture, tells a story. Good work.

[PetPirate]

Thanks very much for the ideas :-)

[rushnp774]

The problem with the first shot is that the eels (or whatever those are!) get lost in everything else. I think I see a hanging chicken in the land of bokeh back there. I would love to see the shot tight the chicken with a OOF background full of other dead things. They are just all so close together it is hard to tell what is what.

Wow, I didn't even notice the chickens hanging there. I also agree about some of your other creative possibilities with the eels. PetPirate, if you can get back to that spot easily, I'd go back and try some more things. That 50mm gives you so many creative options, and it'd be fun to just try a bunch of things.