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Original with SC and fisheye effect

© Anthony L. Mancuso

Original with SC and fisheye effect

Uploaded: January 02, 2010

Description

Exif: F Number: 6.3, Exposure Bias Value: 0.67, ExposureTime: 1/60 seconds, Flash: fired, auto mode, return light detected, ISO: 250, White balance: Manual white balance, FocalLength: 18.00 mm, Model: NIKON D80

Comments

Anthony L. Mancuso January 02, 2010

Sorry for another Xmas shot, I have been trying to clean up my house and my hard drive so not taking a lot of other stuff lately.

I went to fix the barrel distortion in this and decided to instead enhance it to make it look more like a fisheye lens type image...I liked the way the effect looked but wasn't crazy about the expressions of the people on the left side of the image. I did think think they might look forlorn because Santa had left them for the people on the right side who all look happy. But then I thought that might be a little too interpretational for a shot like this so this is the crop I came up with to focus on the right side people. #1222145

Peter W. Marks January 02, 2010

Hey Tony. This is interesting in that it would be easy to say that Santa shouldn't be centered and have his head cut off. BUT it is precisely these features that make the image so much stronger than the other two.
My eyes went first from Santa and his bright red suit to the lady on the right and the 'high five'. Then, the eyes are drawn to the white parcel and the little girl. For me, she is saying, let me get down I want to open my gift!
I like this very much Tony, it speaks to me. #8263999

Dale Hardin January 02, 2010

Tony, this is a wonderful Christmas shot. Love the high five!

I agree on the need to crop but would have liked better without the head chop.

Try a square crop with the bottom where it is, the left side between the girl and the vertical present, and the top just above Santa's head. This will clip the back of the high five lady but it will work because more attention will then be on Santa. #8264002

Dale Hardin January 02, 2010

PS forgot to mention that a lighting adjustment would help also. Darken the highlights on a duplicate image and gradient mask to balance the top and bottom of the shot. #8264005

Teresa H. Hunt January 02, 2010

The first thing my son said when he saw this . . . is "where is santa's head". I understand why you did the crop . . . but decapitating Santa doesn't work for me. :) I would like to see Dale's crop.

I really like the fisheye effect . . . how did you do that? The unhappy people on the left do kinda kill the fun in the shot though. :) #8264155

Anthony L. Mancuso January 02, 2010

Thanks Peter, thats a great compliment to receive..I did think Santa looked macabre in the decapitated state, but at the same time I liked how the attention was drawn to the other faces with his gone...

Thanks Dale, here is your crop and lighting adjustments..

Hope I didn't scare your son Teresa! I accomplished the fisheye look by using the correct camera distortion feature..you can see in the original the wall/ceiling border is bowed in the middle (known as "barrel distortion" for those who may not know). To correct it I would move the slider toward the "pincushioning" side (which means the horizontal and vertical lines are curved in toward the middle). Instead I moved the slider toward the barrel side, making the lines bow even more, thus producing the fisheye effect.. #8264577

Debbie E. Payne January 02, 2010

Tony - I'm going to side with your original image. What it says to me is Santa is on his way home and is exiting the party, ie. the picture. Since it is a pseudo fish-eye image, it needs to have the quirkiness that those images tend to have and that is why I say keep the first image. #8264603

Michael Kelly level-classic January 02, 2010

Tony I have to vote for Dale's crop on this one. I know I can be a little stuffy and traditional and I do try to see the artistic merit of something different, but for me chopping off a head especially when you draw attention to that figure with SC and it is Santa to boot just does not work.

I think the rest of it looks great and to me the Dale crop and fix are perfect. #8265412

Teresa H. Hunt January 02, 2010

I really like the new crop. But the other things you did I think brought out some noise. #8265432

Aimee C. Eisaman January 03, 2010

I so agree the head had to be reattached! I think Dales crop is just what this image needed. Like the high five! The title suits this well too. :~) #8266112

Christie R. Bielss January 03, 2010

Ditto about reattaching Santa's head. Like the new crop but not the new lighting. The girl high-5'ing's arm is now glowing, as are some of the other whites in this image. Like the title. #8266253

Anthony L. Mancuso January 03, 2010

Thanks all...i changed the b+w settting to "newspaper" which makes things pretty bright, but apparently too bright now so I will work tones some more...I am having fun playing frankentstein with santa though, I like Dales crop as well... #8266271

Joan E. Hoffman January 03, 2010

Poor Santa! Actually like both these shots, but have to admit prefer the one with all of Santa! #8266507

Peter W. Marks January 03, 2010

OK friends, I guess I am seeing things rather differently than many (all?) of you!
I wholly understand what you are saying and have no disagreement at all, but I think perhaps we are seeing Tony's images with very different eyes. Neither is right or wrong, but just very different ideas of what makes an interesting image. (and yes, I know that means only from my own perspective not your or yours or yours!) I think ideally if I were an art director on this shoot I would be telling Tony to make two images. One, a vertical to include Santa (and his head!), the high-5 lady and the couple beneath their arms and using the same title as before. The second shot would be another vertical, but focussed on the little girl and the gift. This would include a cropped Santa to give the sense of this being Christmas, not the child's birthday, and would have a title referring to both her joy and impatiance to rip that wrapping paper off!
So Tony, just 356 days to next Christmas. Do you think we could try that?
A joyous New Year to all of you.
#8266692

Rita K. Connell level-classic January 03, 2010

I have to agree with Peter on this one. I like half of santa for the very reason Peter mention it draws you eyes to all the peoples faces. and I believe that is what it was all about. this a great picture for this unusal prespective Tony. #8267047

Susan M. Reynolds level-addict January 03, 2010

Did anyone see Disney's Prep & Landing this year?
I noticed in this short film that Santa's face was never shown....it left me with a feeling of mystery that Santa should have for children.
So While I would say Dale' crop is more aesthetically pleasing, I think I stand alone in saying I like the mystery of the first crop...maybe just not his whole head, but part of his head to keep the whole "mystery of Santa Clause" alive to children everywhere.
#8267677

Ellen H. Robertson level-classic January 04, 2010

I like both of them and the one with the head has its merits, but I like the headless Santa. For me it is different and daring. And even tho he is bright red you do look past him and focus on the faces of the other people. #8270245

Anthony L. Mancuso January 06, 2010

Thanks for all the feedback on this one, I really enjoyed hearing all the different opionins about the unconventional crop I came up with..I think Ellens last comment summed up how I felt about it, but I also liked Dales crop so I will touch them both up and enter them both and see what happens...thanks again.. #8274862

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