Clark White
Explorer
Hmmmmm, I like your thinking! Going to have to try those ideas next time I am out (hopefully soon!).
Thanks!
Clark
Thanks!
Clark
Photo Critiqing Thread
- Thread starter GaryMc
- Start date
Clark White
Explorer
I'm looking to frame a print of this picture and give it to Kelsey, was wondering what advice I might get to improve it. I've played with the brightness/contrast a fair amount on Photoshop trying to bring out the clouds (original has almost no clouds) and trying to make us look more like were in sunlight. Any other tips before I print it off?
Thanks!
Clark
Thanks!
Clark
nwoods
Expedition Leader
I found your arm distracting, so I cropped it, then balanced it by cropping the right side a bit, then slightly desaturated some of the magenta's, cleaned up the faces a bit with spot healing brush, lightened the eyes, added fill light, strengthened the contrast and a touch of vibrance, and also removed some of the orangish green cast.
The image itself is too small to print well, it's going to be a bit pixelated, but should work for 2"x3" prints.
The image itself is too small to print well, it's going to be a bit pixelated, but should work for 2"x3" prints.
Clark White
Explorer
Awesome, thanks! That's exactly what I was looking for. I'm sort of Photoshop retarded right now, so it's taking me a while, but surprisingly I'm figuring out how to do all those things to the much larger original. Thanks again!
Clark
Clark
kellymoe
Expedition Leader
Lost Canadian said:(1) My dad. I dropped the exposure 1 stop. ISO 100, F5.6 for 1/250.
(2) Brother-in-law. Not much to this one, I just turned around, and it looked like a good shot. Matix metered, ISO 100, F5 for 1/320.
]
These are two great shots. I immediately thought of being trapped when I saw both of these pictures. I dont know why for the first one, maybe the plastic bottle? Maybe the two pictures convey how we have left the natural world? The way the dog is looking at the water and cant go in because water pollution? I dont know, but they are great pictures.
Lost Canadian
Expedition Leader
^Many thanks.
Taken outside LaPaz, Bolivia. This shot, a little to my surprise, was actually accepted for National Geographics "places gallery" during the first week of October . Now I ask you more seasoned vets, why do you think this shot was accepted? I had submitted a couple others that I personally thought were better, but they were rejected? I'm looking to learn something here. Any comment or critique is openly welcome.
Taken outside LaPaz, Bolivia. This shot, a little to my surprise, was actually accepted for National Geographics "places gallery" during the first week of October . Now I ask you more seasoned vets, why do you think this shot was accepted? I had submitted a couple others that I personally thought were better, but they were rejected? I'm looking to learn something here. Any comment or critique is openly welcome.
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Photog
Explorer
Trevor,
National Geographic likes to focus on the collapse or civilization. They run articles on depressed areas of the world, and past civilizations that are being dug up, to see what killed them.
The selected photo is a perfect example of that. Even the street on this side of the curb, has grass growing in it. Nobody home, but the animals.
It is well composed. You did a good job using the shadows, even during mid-day light. The pastel colors work well together. The cow is topping on the cake.!
You created a very nice image, that fits NG's perspective. Great job.!
National Geographic likes to focus on the collapse or civilization. They run articles on depressed areas of the world, and past civilizations that are being dug up, to see what killed them.
The selected photo is a perfect example of that. Even the street on this side of the curb, has grass growing in it. Nobody home, but the animals.
It is well composed. You did a good job using the shadows, even during mid-day light. The pastel colors work well together. The cow is topping on the cake.!
You created a very nice image, that fits NG's perspective. Great job.!
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toyota_jon
Adventurer
what a great thread! i have enjoyed reading and looking at what you have all shared! Here are a few of mine that i took while in Italy. I was actually able to sell the prints, (these we scanned from 35mm) i was pretty stoked about that!
Here's a different cropping of an earlier picture
It took me FOREVER to take this pic, as people were constantly walking by
this one the exposure was really bad, and it took me hours to get it to this point, i'm not happy with it but i like the framing
This is one of my very favorite pictures i've taken
tell me what you guys think!
Here's a different cropping of an earlier picture
It took me FOREVER to take this pic, as people were constantly walking by
this one the exposure was really bad, and it took me hours to get it to this point, i'm not happy with it but i like the framing
This is one of my very favorite pictures i've taken
tell me what you guys think!
Photog
Explorer
Sorry for not contributing for a couple months. We don't want this thread to be forgotten, now do we.
This is the critique thread, right? Hold on to your pants.
_____________________________________________________________
You have a good eye for backgrounds and dramatic lighting.
Of course this image has neither dramatic lighting nor a strong background. This photo does create a feeling of Toyota power. The vehicle seems to have climbed above you, and is looking down at you. A little less sky and a little more tire to the left, would give the image a stronger feel.
I see from your other images; you are not afraid to crop. This is a good thing. Now consider how dodging & burning might enhance an image.:ylsmoke:
This is a very dramatic image. Nice use of the sun, close to the "rule of thirds" location, and a sharply focused image throughout foreground and background. With the vehicle taking up such a small portion of the frame, The scenery becomes the subject. If you wanted the 4Runner to be the subject, change the angle of the vehicle, and let it fill more of the frame (at least 20%)
These two slim photos are interesting. They tell a bit of a story without including a bunch of empty sky. The story in the second image is unclear.
When creating a wide angle photograph, that includes the sky, remove the polarizer. In a wide angle image, the polarizer darkens the sky unevenly. Also, images feel better when the subject is "looking" into the open portion of the image, and not into the edge of the frame. The first image would feel/look better if the FJ40 is facing the edge of the frame. It is a nice image, as it is presented; it would be a great photograph with a couple of changes.
This image also has a lot of drama built in. The cliffs in the background are verticle, helping us to see that the 4Runner is actually leaning at this angle. Good foreground focus and subject. The other vehicles in the middle-ground tell a story of a group expedition. The background lets you know it is all happening in a beautiful location. And it looks like there was a bit of flash used, to help fill in the shadows on the 4Runner.
I tend to look at the three parts of the image, 4Runner (subject), other vehicles and cliffs. The subject is filling 1/2 the image, the strong background object is located near the rule of thirds, and not too much empty sky. No distractions, and easy for the eyes to flow around trhe image.
This is the critique thread, right? Hold on to your pants.
_____________________________________________________________
You have a good eye for backgrounds and dramatic lighting.
Of course this image has neither dramatic lighting nor a strong background. This photo does create a feeling of Toyota power. The vehicle seems to have climbed above you, and is looking down at you. A little less sky and a little more tire to the left, would give the image a stronger feel.
I see from your other images; you are not afraid to crop. This is a good thing. Now consider how dodging & burning might enhance an image.:ylsmoke:
sami said:What are your thoughts on these that I took over the weekend?
This is a very dramatic image. Nice use of the sun, close to the "rule of thirds" location, and a sharply focused image throughout foreground and background. With the vehicle taking up such a small portion of the frame, The scenery becomes the subject. If you wanted the 4Runner to be the subject, change the angle of the vehicle, and let it fill more of the frame (at least 20%)
These two slim photos are interesting. They tell a bit of a story without including a bunch of empty sky. The story in the second image is unclear.
When creating a wide angle photograph, that includes the sky, remove the polarizer. In a wide angle image, the polarizer darkens the sky unevenly. Also, images feel better when the subject is "looking" into the open portion of the image, and not into the edge of the frame. The first image would feel/look better if the FJ40 is facing the edge of the frame. It is a nice image, as it is presented; it would be a great photograph with a couple of changes.
This image also has a lot of drama built in. The cliffs in the background are verticle, helping us to see that the 4Runner is actually leaning at this angle. Good foreground focus and subject. The other vehicles in the middle-ground tell a story of a group expedition. The background lets you know it is all happening in a beautiful location. And it looks like there was a bit of flash used, to help fill in the shadows on the 4Runner.
I tend to look at the three parts of the image, 4Runner (subject), other vehicles and cliffs. The subject is filling 1/2 the image, the strong background object is located near the rule of thirds, and not too much empty sky. No distractions, and easy for the eyes to flow around trhe image.
I did not take this one... But i love it!
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Photog
Explorer
It is always rewarding to work hard on a photograph, to get it just the way you want it. One way to eliminate people from public places, is to use very long shutter times. People are never in one place long enough to register in the image. You might have to use some dark, neutral density filters, and a small aperture, to keep from over exposing the image. It also gives you time to use a flash, to brighten the areas and draw the viewer's attention. Take a few shots at normal speeds and apertures, working with the composition, until you find something strong, then set up there, for the long exposure.
Rules: The viewer's eye is drawn to the brightest part of an image first, or the area of highest contrast.
This image draws us through the arches and out the other side. I would like to see more light, up into the ceileng. If you shot this in RAW format, you can make two images; one to bring down the background exposure, and one to bring up the architecture exposure. Bring the two images together, into one photograph, having two layers, with the properly exposed architecture on top. Using a mask, you can cut out the over exposed arch-openings, revealing the properly exposed openings in the layer below. This allows you to create an image, that looks the way your eyes saw it.
As composition goes, try a few things. It would be worth trying a shot, from a little lower angle, looking more upward. This would show less walkway, and more ceiling. This may or may not make a better image; but it is always worth trying. The proportions of this image feel good, not too much of anything, except maybe the floor. The arches shrink into the distance; but they run through the center of the image. Higher or lower might feel better. Again, worth a try. You may try cropping this image, and see how you can change the composition and feel of the image.
Try this again, during a time of day or a time of year, when the light is not so bright, outside. This will lower the dynamic range of the image, and allow you to have a little more detail inside, and not as bright outside.
The lines and form are interesting. Plenty of texture on the bridge structure, and the wooden boat. Again the proportions feel good. The bridge taking a 1/3 and the boat taking a 1/3 of the image space.
Crop to level up the water (make the light pole in the middle of the bridge vertical); it feels like the water is running off the left side of the image. This might keep it from feeling like the boat is about to crash into the bridge also. Exposure is good, focus is good, human interest is good.
Try a couple of these ideas, and see what you think of the results.
Rules: The viewer's eye is drawn to the brightest part of an image first, or the area of highest contrast.
This image draws us through the arches and out the other side. I would like to see more light, up into the ceileng. If you shot this in RAW format, you can make two images; one to bring down the background exposure, and one to bring up the architecture exposure. Bring the two images together, into one photograph, having two layers, with the properly exposed architecture on top. Using a mask, you can cut out the over exposed arch-openings, revealing the properly exposed openings in the layer below. This allows you to create an image, that looks the way your eyes saw it.
As composition goes, try a few things. It would be worth trying a shot, from a little lower angle, looking more upward. This would show less walkway, and more ceiling. This may or may not make a better image; but it is always worth trying. The proportions of this image feel good, not too much of anything, except maybe the floor. The arches shrink into the distance; but they run through the center of the image. Higher or lower might feel better. Again, worth a try. You may try cropping this image, and see how you can change the composition and feel of the image.
toyota_jon said:It took me FOREVER to take this pic, as people were constantly walking by
Try this again, during a time of day or a time of year, when the light is not so bright, outside. This will lower the dynamic range of the image, and allow you to have a little more detail inside, and not as bright outside.
this one the exposure was really bad, and it took me hours to get it to this point, i'm not happy with it but i like the framing
The lines and form are interesting. Plenty of texture on the bridge structure, and the wooden boat. Again the proportions feel good. The bridge taking a 1/3 and the boat taking a 1/3 of the image space.
Crop to level up the water (make the light pole in the middle of the bridge vertical); it feels like the water is running off the left side of the image. This might keep it from feeling like the boat is about to crash into the bridge also. Exposure is good, focus is good, human interest is good.
This is one of my very favorite pictures i've taken
tell me what you guys think!
Try a couple of these ideas, and see what you think of the results.
Photog
Explorer
I was loking back through this thread, and found an image that had no comments. Sorry for the delay, Cristo.
This image has a great feel to it (wet). Sometimes it is difficult to tell how vertical things are, in a photograph. This one does not have that problem.
It looks like it is taken from the parking area, below the falls. I believe the falls face north-north-west, and this keeps them in the shade, most of the time. This can be good and bad. There may be some summer afternoons, that might light the falls directly. This wouldn't be good, unless there is a great sunset to light up the falls.
The good parts: It is well focused, and the exposure is good, for what is in the image. The generally soft light helps with possible contrast problems. Direct sunshine would be worse.
The problems are: The clouds are over exposed (pure white, with no detail), the mist from the waterfalls makes the image look grey and dull.
How to improve this shot: An all blue sky would eliminate the overexposed clouds. Waiting for the wind to make a clearing in the mist. Move to a location that keeps you from looking up through the mist. A polarizer might reduce the hazy effect of the mist.
The best conditions to make this view of the falls look great, may not happen every day. The best opportunities might happen early or late in the day, or maybe during a couple months of the year. It all depends on where the light is coming from.
In the autumn, the sun is lower in the southern sky at noon, keeping the surrounding area in equal shade to the falls. Water volume ma be lower at this time, reducing the amount of mist in the air. Autumn colors might add some color to the image. Weather conditions will make a big difference. Clouds to the north and clear skies to the south. The sunlight reflecting off the clouds (behind you to the north) will light up the cliffs, and still provide a blue sky in the photo.
Of all the images I could find on the internet, taken from this view point, yours is one of the best. I think you could make it even better; but it will take some serious determination.
sleeoffroad said:Black Bear Pass - Telluride.
PS,
Brian, would love your comments on this. I need to get back into the photography thing. I really enjoyed it when I did it. Just spent a week in Silverton and it was nice to just travel around and take pictures.
This image has a great feel to it (wet). Sometimes it is difficult to tell how vertical things are, in a photograph. This one does not have that problem.
It looks like it is taken from the parking area, below the falls. I believe the falls face north-north-west, and this keeps them in the shade, most of the time. This can be good and bad. There may be some summer afternoons, that might light the falls directly. This wouldn't be good, unless there is a great sunset to light up the falls.
The good parts: It is well focused, and the exposure is good, for what is in the image. The generally soft light helps with possible contrast problems. Direct sunshine would be worse.
The problems are: The clouds are over exposed (pure white, with no detail), the mist from the waterfalls makes the image look grey and dull.
How to improve this shot: An all blue sky would eliminate the overexposed clouds. Waiting for the wind to make a clearing in the mist. Move to a location that keeps you from looking up through the mist. A polarizer might reduce the hazy effect of the mist.
The best conditions to make this view of the falls look great, may not happen every day. The best opportunities might happen early or late in the day, or maybe during a couple months of the year. It all depends on where the light is coming from.
In the autumn, the sun is lower in the southern sky at noon, keeping the surrounding area in equal shade to the falls. Water volume ma be lower at this time, reducing the amount of mist in the air. Autumn colors might add some color to the image. Weather conditions will make a big difference. Clouds to the north and clear skies to the south. The sunlight reflecting off the clouds (behind you to the north) will light up the cliffs, and still provide a blue sky in the photo.
Of all the images I could find on the internet, taken from this view point, yours is one of the best. I think you could make it even better; but it will take some serious determination.