Carolyn Todd-Larson, PPSA, AFIAP
January 2025 - Coffee House Workplace
About the Image(s)
Title: Coffeehouse Workplace
Date: July 20, 2018
Camera: iPhone 6s
Focal length in 35mm: 41mm
Exposure: f/2.2, ISO 50, 1/30 sec
Edited in Lightroom for basic exposure adjustments, cropped, and converted to B&W using Nik Collection Silver Effects Pro.
I was visiting friends in New York City and stopped by a coffeehouse for a quick bite on the way to the World Trade Center Memorial. Caught these two working on their computers and concentrating very hard on their work.
I would want to use this photo for street photography themes in PJ or in PID monochrome.
4 comments posted
Karen
The image captures an "ordinary moment", captured from the street, is candid, and not staged,. The subject is clear and the background informative. The use of monochrome focus's the viewers attention on the women.
I find my attention wanders to camera right looking at the book and condiments. The eye/attention naturally drifts to areas of higher luminance. Do you have more space on camera right. Could you crop tighter to on camera left to remove the jars or change the tonal range of the book to reduce the visual pull? Posted: 01/10/2025 14:14:09
The image captures an "ordinary moment", captured from the street, is candid, and not staged,. The subject is clear and the background informative. The use of monochrome focus's the viewers attention on the women.
I find my attention wanders to camera right looking at the book and condiments. The eye/attention naturally drifts to areas of higher luminance. Do you have more space on camera right. Could you crop tighter to on camera left to remove the jars or change the tonal range of the book to reduce the visual pull? Posted: 01/10/2025 14:14:09
It could be cropped on the right, by the black vertical section without any loss in content. The back wall seems altered in some way...almost as if using paint effects, though it could be the phone doing that.
I wonder if it would have more impact if one of the ladies was looking at your or directly into the camera, or interacting between the two.
The book on the stand is distracting. My eyes keep trying to see what it is, and whether I would be interested in reading or looking at it. Posted: 01/10/2025 21:36:45
I wonder if it would have more impact if one of the ladies was looking at your or directly into the camera, or interacting between the two.
The book on the stand is distracting. My eyes keep trying to see what it is, and whether I would be interested in reading or looking at it. Posted: 01/10/2025 21:36:45
Karl Leck
Hi Carolyn, I'm looking for a coherent story. You were there and know it's a coffeehouse, but there is no indication of that for the viewer. I thought of a school cafeteria due to the condiments but the book on a stand is discordant in that situation as well as distracting to our eyes. The girls are concentrating on their screens and we have no idea what's there. A dating app? History class? Rumors and gossip? It's a real-life situation with plenty of ambiguity for the viewer. Karl Posted: 01/11/2025 10:25:58
Laurie Bergner
Hi Carolyn - I think I would agree that it's hard to see the story here. It's ordinary, but maybe two ordinary and not enough to grab of yours interest as they stare at a computer. I'm not sure what would make it better. I would crop some of the right hand side as it distracts from the rest of the picture doesn't really add anything. I do like the use of black-and-white. Posted: 01/11/2025 11:20:00