Sunday Post: Surroundings

Jo Bryant, ,

This week I am putting my own spin on Jake’s theme of Surroundings. As you all know I tried my hand at taking a few wedding photos last week. Because I was a guest I had to sit on my chair and snap away from there. This meant that there were a lot people in the surroundings I couldn’t avoid including in the shots. often distracting from what it was I wanted to portray.

Luckily I like editing…a lot. So I thought I’d show you some photos.

With and without the surroundings. What do you think ?

Published by Jo Bryant

I was born in the land of Banjo Paterson, gum trees, and weather extremes. I am a freelance photographer. I love to make images that make people happy. To capture forever a precious moment. I am also a freelance writer/editor. I live in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, but still like to claim my Australian heritage. I graduated with a Bachelor of Communications in 2008. I am writing my first novel. I love to write poetry, short stories, and also write for the web. And there is nothing that is on a par with a sunny summer's day spent at Waihi Beach.

55 Comments

    1. Thanks Georgia. I actually think that you are right about the first one. But I might just leave the one bridesmaid and flower girls in and get rid of the arm and shoulders in there.

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  3. I like both photos. I second one without looks very romantic. Did you use photoshop? I have it but don’t know how to remove people. You did an excellent job.

    BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!

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    1. Thanks Francine !! I do like the first one…but I wonder if Tom is right when I look at it. All that space in front feels odd maybe ?? I used a software called Photo Impressions to do the editing on that one. I also have GIMP, but I am still trying to figure out how everything works in that one.

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  4. Hello Jo 🙂 I really like your twist and interpretation … with or without spectators… the way I see it, weddings are organised for the spectators and therefore they are necessary in the shots ;), but I love your editing. For me marriages, unions, are to be made without witnesses 😉 – just my opinion, but then I am an odd one!

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  8. First with, second without. I am jealous about photo editing. I can’t afford it and know zero about it. (But if I could afford it, I could learn – lol)
    Nice work, Jo.

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    1. Ahh…Gemma…there’s no excuse then. All mine are freebies bar 1.
      Download the following:
      Picasa
      Photoscape
      GIMP
      All are free and Picasa and Photoscape are easy to master. GIMP requires some effort but you can do a lot more. I zip between them for different things I want to do.
      Now…go…download…and start playing. It’s fun actually, seeing what you can do.

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    1. Thanks Imelda. I posted them on facebook and the bride and groom took some for their profiles already. They seem to really like them and we are going to enlarge their favourite and frame it as my wedding present to them. How cool is that !!!!

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  10. Great Images Jo for this week theme perfect surroundings to be married,
    Thanks for sharing my friend 🙂

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    1. Thanks Jake. It really was the perfect setting – it is called Lovers Cove and is part of a Maritime Park. In the park are also caves and old buildings as it was used in WWII to watch over the harbour.

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  11. I agree with Georgia but most of all like the warming filter you’ve used. I must admit when I first saw them I was impressed that you managed to get them so clutter free! Great job 🙂

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    1. Thanks Gilly. The second one took a long, long time to do but it was my first try at it so I am relatively happy. I think you are all right about number 1 – so maybe it is back to the drawing board with that one. After November finishes that is !!!

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        1. Just a little under…but I plan to lock myself away today – horrible rainy weather and go for it and hopefully pass the mark. Keep your fingers crossed that works. I can’t bear to read half of it – reads like ‘shit’…but then ALL first drafts [unedited] read like that…don’t they? I am such an editor. All I want to do is rework the pages NOW !!!!!!!!!

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          2. I know Gilly. It is one of the reasons I took the challenge. To try to cure that part of me. Just finishing my coffee and tour around some blogs [we all need a break – before you tell me off…hehehehe] then back in to it.

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  12. These are warm and loving photos. Wow—the couple looks so happy and beautiful together. I wish them many wonderful adventures in life together.

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  13. Great examples of how surroundings can change the mood of a photograph! I agree with others have said about both photos. I’ve not tried editing photos in the same way you have, but you inspire me to give it a try. 😉

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    1. I think that almost everyone is in agreement on these two photos Cecelia. I love hearing all the different thoughts and ideas on why number 1 doesn’t really work. Hopefully it will make me a better photographer in the end. You should give it a try. It is fun…sometimes it works, sometimes not but I really enjoy the process and seeing how much you can change an image with a bit of play.

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  15. Interesting take…
    Good work…I like the second version of the second photo very much. I have to agree with Tom…the first one doesn’t work as well. Something about the line of the man’s suit jacket looking too sharp and straight?

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    1. Neither do I most of the time Jo…I just play around trying to figure it out – that’s half the fun. A few mistakes have actually ended up on here and wuite popular.

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  17. Lovely photos both Jo ! First one with . 2nd picture just the two is very romantic and looks very natural . I find it hard to get things out of a picture and for it to look quite right too sometimes – a lot of work involved isn’t there – or maybe it’s the longwinded route round that I take 🙂

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  20. Both great shots Jo and well done! The second is more than ready for framing! How do you think the first one might look if you kept the maid with the flower girls and erased the spare flesh of the other two? Having said that, if I were to do that editing I would end up with a chinless bride and an arm disfigured father of the bride . . . .

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  21. It seems we’re all agreed the second shot is improved by removing the surrounds – sorry granny and cute kids! I agree you haven’t yet ‘got’ the first. Somehow it’s not in balance. Seems to me there are two solutions: turn it into a portrait-shaped image, deleting the rocks and coastline entirely, or maintain the landscape format, but reconfigure the wedding party.

    But first of all I’d try to do something with the rocks on the left – especially those closest to shore – they’re not right. Can you remove the chair-back and paint in the missing rocks? If I could manipulate the software as adroitly as you, I’d then remove the the matron of honour in her stunning black ‘frock’ and chignon (trusting you’ve got other shots of her?) and the stray arm and shoulders, as you said, because otherwise what’s the story? Why are the bride and her father looking down? Are they about to enter somewhere dangerous? But even then the balance seems wrong – so I’d then have to play around with the cropping so the people occupied two thirds of the frame, not just half.

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    1. I am not sure yet how to make it right. I love how everyone has been so helpful providing suggestions that might help to fix it. For the moment it is on the shelf [as I think it will take a while to do], until November is done and I have my 50,000 words down. Can’t sleep, so now I am all caught up on replying to everyone’s wonderful comments…time to make a cuppa and put my head down and write my little arse off.
      😉

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    1. Awwwwwwww – I LOVE it when you visit Russell. I played with the camera yesterday trying to get some action shots. I love this camera more and more every day.

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