Sunil Mehta
August 2026 - Real & Artificial
Original
About the Image(s)
Camera: Leica Q
Lens: 28mm Fixed Lens
ISO 320, 1/60 at f/2.8
Post-Processing:
Processed using Lightroom and Photoshop.
About the Photo
This photograph was taken at South Coast Plaza Mall- CA. I was walking around when I noticed a woman entering the mall just as I happened to be standing beside these mannequins. The alignment immediately caught my eye??”the real person and the mannequins seemed to share the same space, creating an interesting visual relationship. I liked the composition and quickly captured the moment before it disappeared.
The image is intentionally left-heavy. While a tighter crop would have balanced the frame, I chose to keep the wider composition to preserve the sense of place and convey the openness of the mall.
Would you have cropped it tighter, or do you think the wider frame better tells the story? Suggestions?
10 comments posted
LOVE how you lightened the mannequins in post and improved them from the original. This way, the real person matches the mannequins.
I like the view of the mall and how you removed distractions.
I agree the mall adds location and placement, and keeps us looking long enough to realize those are mannequins! They are easy to read as "real".
So clever! No suggestions.
Posted: 08/05/2026 01:30:54