Angela

This is my girlfriend Angela, we went out for coffee and I busted out my camera. Here's the shot. I used to coffee cups to try to lead the eye towards her, C&C is always welcome and encouraged.

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I like the picture, its simple yet effective. I'm not totally sure if I like the cups where they are. The right one feels a bit too close and the left one bothers me cause its covering part of her arm.

Just wondering, where do you keep your camera so that you can easily just pull it out and shoot?

Comp wise its a picture of coffe cups with your friendly girl in the background. I imagine I can see the pic minus the cups and its a reasonable photo..

I agree with Carzee as I was seeing a photo with coffee cups as the main subject.

I think it would have been much better without the cups.

Sorry....

haha, I figured the cups would attract the viewer!Oh well, learning experience. I always have my camera on me btw.

EDIT: I will be with her at the same place again for sure, so I'll reshoot, but the pose will probably different. Also I just realized the curve of the table leads the eye towards her and the coffee cups take it away as well. So I'll use the table more. I really like it when people are honest about my pictures because I never get mad, it just makes me learn which is never bad! Thank you!

I love your great attitude and keeping your camera with you and taking a lot of pictures will improve all your shots.

Keep them coming!!!

Thanks, I'm only 17 (working on photography since 15), I still have a gold mine of photos to take!

Hey denMAR,
good try, you certainly have the inspiration to get good shots.
It's also good that you think about your shots before you press the button, just by slowing down, having a good look at all the image, then pressing the button will improve any photographer.
Try getting your camera down to table level when you take the next image, it will give a much different perspctive, it might work, but worth a try.
Marty

Good effort,I like the shot.

Following-up on what has been said, a couple of pointers :
first...the position where your girlfriend is sitting has 3 elements that lead the eye toward her:
1- the table
2- the converging walls left and right
3- the door

so , a clean table would do jus as well.
I would also use a low fill -flash to lighten up the shadows on the right side of her face.

Best Regards, and good shooting!!

Over all I like the shot. But I agree with other that the cups take away from the picture. My eye is drawn to the cups because they are soo large (they are almost the size of her head it seams)and white while the rest of the photo is deeper and darker colors. I think if you had dark colored coffee mugs or even smalle cups insted of the large white styrofoam cups the picture would be much more effective.

Wow, these are all great points to consider, thanks.

OK I have to ask, who is into making Jack O'Lanterns and defacing the cups? That's a trait I possess...hmmm, styrofoam makes for great modelling & doodling.

What does your girlfreind think of your "camera habit". It's taken me years for my wife to get used to me carrying my camera around! (and I don't even take it everywhere with me). Looking forward to seeing more...

When shooting a portrait, you don't need anything to lead the eye to the subject because the subject is pretty much all there is. Now landscape shooting is another matter.