I'm a young photojournalist living in Ghana documenting human rights abuses in mining communities. Any comments or critiques would be very appreciated.
Thanks!
Taking pictures for documentation reasons is different than I am used to - but let me give you comments on artistry anyway.
Both pictures are quite busy with the main subject too small. I think a lower closer perspective would be better so that the worker fills most of the frame. It would be better if you could see some expression on their faces. You have lots of items leaving the frame that distract. I think you have to get lower and zoom in more.
I suspect the making a better artistic picture will also make you message more powerful.
Thanks for the ideas Scott. I chose those images because the most clearly showed the figure of the miners going in and out of the pit.
Do you prefer this one?
Hi Matthew,
I agree with Scott's comments on the first two.
Third is better with tighter focus on the miners, capturing a connection between the two, and showing emergence from the mine. I think it needs a bit of exposure correction; looks a bit under-exposed. Could also benefit from just a bit of contrast bump and perhaps a bit of shadow recovery.
Happy to post a variation.
Of the first two, exposure is much better on the second, content is more engaging.
Last post is much better because it is closer in and more of their faces.
It still could be framed better - a bit lower to get rid of the left top tank and get the steps in showing where he is going. And it is a bit tight between foreground and the ledge for me.
I would have framed the top left just above his head meeting with the 2x4. That would have got more steps and more foreground.
Thanks tonnes for the comments. I would have liked to get more face shots, but the miners were pretty against it given that what they're doing is illegal. It was a pretty stressful situation actually; noone seemed to like the camera being around. I completely agree with all of your ideas, and hopefully I'll be able to head out there again soon to get some better shots.
Does the publication source for your images have any bearing on what is permitted in post-processing?
Also, I assume you shot those images with a purpose in mind. As an uninformed viewer, I guess I'm asking if I should conclude the workers are being subjected to abuse through what they are doing or is there another conclusion I should take away from the images. Is there a message, or is the stage being set for something else?
Hope you can make sense of what I've asked...I probably have not posed the question very well.
I will say when you're shooting for a story or covering an event sometimes it's good to step back and include some of the surroundings in a photo to give the viewers a sense of the place and conditions.
It's commonly referred to as "Context", as in giving a photo context within the scope of a story.
For instance I can't tell where this little hole in the ground is at all or what that blue motor in the upper left hand corner of the frame is.
Nice work, can we see some more images from the area?
