Brenda Fishbaugh, QPSA
May 2022 - I Fell in Love with a Cowboy
Original
About the Image(s)
Canon R5 Mirrorless EF 100-400 with mirrorless adapter, handheld
ISO 3200 100mm focal length f/8 1/1000 sec
You might remember my October 2021 image of this cowboy riding off into the sunset, but the fence being an issue to fully carry out the idea.
I showed horses throughout my young adult life, and the woman was my instructor. Decades later, she calls to tell me, "I fell in love with a cowboy". To us, because we showed dressage, hunters and jumpers (Olympics type riding), a cowboy was a street urchin.
Just for fun, I went out to their new home and horse barn to photograph them each working their horses, and then had them walk towards me and took this image.
I have cropped right below the riders' feet to minimize the dust from their previous riding. Should I crop higher to just have the horses' faces? I could certainly darken the bottom of the photo to remove the dust or play with DeHaze on the bottom of the image, but wanted to get your feedback first.
I'd like it to be about the couple, with the horses a second focus, so I didn't do anything to bring out the horses faces.
I cropped, used Auto in Lightroom and then used DeNoise and Sharpen in Topaz. I removed the top white wire of the fence. I then chose a Luminar filter called Deep SKy to make it a bit dreamy, as the couple photo isn't perfect--Tina's mouth is open too wide, they have wrinkles showing, and so on.
Any suggestions? Or cut my losses? I am planning to photograph them again this summer, and I'll do the couples pic first! I'm also going to put her in black, so that it doesn't attract undue interest.
18 comments posted
Given that you're going to reshoot them, I have a creative thought / suggestion. When I look at this image, there's almost a heart shape appearing in the negative space, formed below their hands and between the two riders. With a teeny bit of planning and minor adjustment - left horse facing straight to get the ear out, and the two riders a few inches closer to bring the bottom border together, you could adjust their hands to really bring that shape into place. Not sure if the horses would cooperate with you, but might be really neat particularly in the context of the title/story that you're telling.... Posted: 05/01/2022 14:31:02
Mitch is being really creative here which is good to hear, but I have to disagree with some points. Creating the Heart is an excellent idea, but not at the sacrifice of the separation of the horses, plus I have no problem with the ear crossing the arm. Is you are retaking this then look at showing all of her left arm, maybe even mirroring his?
The crop feels a bit tight, the bottom is fine and the dust at the bottom creates a bit of a vignette to soften the edge, and I looked at cropping wider to the vertical fence posts, and a bit more sky.
I would also think of desaturating all the background a little to bring more focus to the couple, and darken down the fence, but I agree not lightening the horses faces keeps the eye where you want it, on the couple.
Posted: 05/03/2022 06:24:57
Posted: 05/06/2022 18:46:36
Now I am going to read your post and what everyone else has said .....
Now, wonderful feedback from the above. I'd prefer to see the wider view. I really like the dust in the original, but agree with a crop (perhaps disappear the bottom and left-hand third of the original image?).
Nice work Brenda!
Posted: 05/17/2022 04:54:13
Posted: 05/22/2022 11:41:28
I agree with Helen that I think a wider crop with the horses feet might be another version of this image that you could use. Maybe even cropped to portrait or 8x10 to bring the attention to the people but still keep the wider view.
Posted: 05/22/2022 09:20:04
Posted: 05/24/2022 18:08:05
