Photo Critiqing Thread

[HB 4X4]

I love taking shots like this but I still don't get the crisp results I am looking for. Any suggestions on how to improve a shot like this?

Camera Canon 50D
Exposure Time 10s
Aperture f/4.0
ISO 100
lens Canon 17-55 f/2.8
Focal length 24mm

Shot on tripod with remote shutter release

If you want look at or play with a full size image, you can download it from this gallery on Smugmug:

http://bgarland.smugmug.com/gallery/8327184_7kFQu/1/545639310_pYAYP

Try adjusting your aperture so you have a larger depth of field. Your camera seems to be focusing on the trees (which are silhouetted). Start at 11 and increase it until you are satisfied with the results.

I also want to say that the trees are almost not complete silhouettes, but maybe that's just me. You could try underexposing the shot on by about 1/3. Might take away some of the clutter from the lights as well.

The picture itself is cluttered. Try having less in the foreground while you try these settings.

 

[Tucson T4R]

Thanks for the input. I did use live view and focused on the city lights to get them as crisp as possible with live view zoomed in and manual focus.

I'll try some with your suggestions....including less clutter. :sombrero:

 

[Photog]

Brad,
I saw some of the other pics with your new camera. I also saw your Benbo in the background.

Help with this pic: Anything in the image, needs to be part of the story for the viewer. Everything else is clutter, TMI, etc. In a silhouette image, the silhouette is either the subject or allows the viewer to understand the location. The background is then either the subject or supporting info.

It looks like the colors in your pic are rough, due to high ISO. In Photoshop, I added a layer, and set the trees to be the black-point (click on black-dropper and then click on tree silhouette). I tried to reduce the noise, but that also reduced the quality of the city lights. Then I assumed the image subject is the Tucson City Lights, so I cropped out all the excess image.

Try it again, with better defined tree silhouettes, or cactus, or boulders, etc.

How does this look, compared to your original idea?

PS: My dad has a large collection of Tucon-lights photos from Mt Lemon; usually with multiple lightening strikes.

 

[Tucson T4R]

Thanks Brian. Yep, having fun playing with the new toys. :elkgrin: I like the modificaions you made.

My intent was to have the city lights as the subject and only include the trees to point out it was taken from up high in the pines.

Due to the weather conditions, the valley was a little hazy so that probably also contributed to the lack of clarity.

Good trick to set the black point on the tree silhouette.

 

[HB 4X4]

1. 1/400 sec at f/3.5... ISO 100 at 18mm

2. 1/13 sec at f/22... ISO 100 at 18mm

3. 30 sec at f/22... ISO 100 at 18mm

4. 0.6 sec at f/22... ISO 100 at 18mm

 

[jham]

HB4x4, do you know the specs on those images? speed, aperture, etc...nice shots.

 

[HB 4X4]

HB4x4, do you know the specs on those images? speed, aperture, etc...nice shots.

Added it to each picture on the previous post.

 

[Photog]

Josh (HB4X4),
Lets number the images 1,2,3 & 4, starting at the top.

#1 & #2 - This is a personal thing; but I can't stand sunset/sunrise images. There must be 3 billion of these out there. Sunset/sunrise colors work great as a backdrop for a great silhouette, or as the main light for a subject. Trevor (Lost Canadian) has done some very nice work with morning & evening light. Check out some of his work in earlier posts in this (Critique) thread, and in other threads. Here is an example from my area (Tacoma Narrows Bridge, with Mt. Rainier, at sunrise). This shot was figured out 6 months earlier, and was waiting for the right sunrise colors:

#1 - With the sunset as the subject, the composition is done well. The horizon line is at the rule of thirds, and the sun-spot is also near the rule of thirds. This allows the play & drama in the clouds to rise up and across the image. The sun-streak in the water is nice, but the shoreline on the right side is broken and does not help to lead the eye over to the sun-spot. This would be a good spot to re-visit, and see if you can find the best composition of shoreline, etc., then return again when the sunset is screaming, and get that perfect shot (for those that like sunsets)

#2 - the handrail in the foreground is a distraction from the sunset (subject). When using the technique of having an object in the foreground, make it your subject, allowing the background to show where the subject is located. Galen Rowell and others have done well with this technique.

#3 & #4 - I like these much better than #1 & #2. I think the shutter speed listed for these images is backwards. The longer shutter speed (30 sec) will make the water softer, and the shorter (.6 sec) will maintain the visual of the waves on the water. They both have leading lines, that draw the viewer into the image. Try not to have the leading line come directly from the corner (#4). #3 works because the handrail is so large in the corner.

#3 - I like the soft colors and soft light in this image. The heavy handrail with the hard edges is a nice contrast to all the softness in the image. Good composition. Maybe a little less of the bright sky on the right. The bright area is drawing the viewer's eye away from the rest of the image. If the building is important, make it larger in the image (24mm instead of 18mm lens).

#4 - The walkway leads to the shore and the lights make another trail for the eye to follow; but they don't connect together. The viewer may feel like there are two paths for the eye to follow. See if you can get this shot again, from an angle that will feel like the walkway connects to the trail of lights. Maybe get higher, or shoot from a different position on the walkway, etc.

Finally - See if you can clean the sensor or have it cleaned. There are dust spots on your images.:smilies27

I am looking forward to updated versions of these images Josh.:wings:

 

[HB 4X4]

Josh (HB4X4),
Lets number the images 1,2,3 & 4, starting at the top.

#1 & #2 - This is a personal thing; but I can't stand sunset/sunrise images. There must be 3 billion of these out there. Sunset/sunrise colors work great as a backdrop for a great silhouette, or as the main light for a subject. Trevor (Lost Canadian) has done some very nice work with morning & evening light. Check out some of his work in earlier posts in this (Critique) thread, and in other threads. Here is an example from my area (Tacoma Narrows Bridge, with Mt. Rainier, at sunrise). This shot was figured out 6 months earlier, and was waiting for the right sunrise colors:

#1 - With the sunset as the subject, the composition is done well. The horizon line is at the rule of thirds, and the sun-spot is also near the rule of thirds. This allows the play & drama in the clouds to rise up and across the image. The sun-streak in the water is nice, but the shoreline on the right side is broken and does not help to lead the eye over to the sun-spot. This would be a good spot to re-visit, and see if you can find the best composition of shoreline, etc., then return again when the sunset is screaming, and get that perfect shot (for those that like sunsets)

#2 - the handrail in the foreground is a distraction from the sunset (subject). When using the technique of having an object in the foreground, make it your subject, allowing the background to show where the subject is located. Galen Rowell and others have done well with this technique.

#3 & #4 - I like these much better than #1 & #2. I think the shutter speed listed for these images is backwards. The longer shutter speed (30 sec) will make the water softer, and the shorter (.6 sec) will maintain the visual of the waves on the water. They both have leading lines, that draw the viewer into the image. Try not to have the leading line come directly from the corner (#4). #3 works because the handrail is so large in the corner.

#3 - I like the soft colors and soft light in this image. The heavy handrail with the hard edges is a nice contrast to all the softness in the image. Good composition. Maybe a little less of the bright sky on the right. The bright area is drawing the viewer's eye away from the rest of the image. If the building is important, make it larger in the image (24mm instead of 18mm lens).

#4 - The walkway leads to the shore and the lights make another trail for the eye to follow; but they don't connect together. The viewer may feel like there are two paths for the eye to follow. See if you can get this shot again, from an angle that will feel like the walkway connects to the trail of lights. Maybe get higher, or shoot from a different position on the walkway, etc.

Finally - See if you can clean the sensor or have it cleaned. There are dust spots on your images.:smilies27

I am looking forward to updated versions of these images Josh.:wings:

Thanks!

I'm not a huge fan of sunsets either, but the wetlands are less than a mile from my house, so I figured it would be a good chance to practice. Never done them before this, so I think they are decent for my first try.

 

[Reata Rover]

Can you please critique this one? I am a toatl beginner to the whole digital thing and struggling tremendously.....but here is what i think is a decent picture...

P.S. If the link doesn't work, I will try and get that fixed too.

http://jwbmgallery.smugmug.com/photos/514298784_BMizS-S.jpg

OK, I think I got the link to work, can anyone tell me how to just paste the photo into the thread the way all of you do?

 

[HB 4X4]

Can you please critique this one? I am a toatl beginner to the whole digital thing and struggling tremendously.....but here is what i think is a decent picture...

P.S. If the link doesn't work, I will try and get that fixed too.

http://jwbmgallery.smugmug.com/photos/514298784_BMizS-S.jpg

OK, I think I got the link to work, can anyone tell me how to just paste the photo into the thread the way all of you do?

Upload it to a site like Photobucket (it's free). Once it's uploaded there will be 4 links under each picture. One of them has

 

[Tucson T4R]

Since your using Smugmug, use the get link option under the share pull down. Then copy the link for the size you want to post. Back on the forum click on the insert image icon along the top of the box you are typing the reply into. It's the yellow box with the mountains on it.

Paste the copied photo link into that box and click on OK. It will put the required IMG tags around it and the photo should display in your post.

 

[nwoods]

Excellent that you are using Smug, it works great. I use Firefox as my browser. In Firefox, if you right click on your image on the smugmug page, you will get the option to "copy image location" Do that, then in any forum, click the insert image icon and then paste the link you just copied. (control+V on PC)

Also, note that you can scale the image up and down VERY easily. The last character in the URL string of the image indicates size. In your link above, its the "...-S.jpg", which logically enough, means Small. By changing the -S.jpg to -M.jpg, -L.jpg, or -XL.jpg you can get various image sizes, as follows:

 

[Ryanmb21]

Shan & Bricks

Trying to figure out my Sigma 30mm 1.4, I took some pics of my fiance Shan. So what do you guys think? How can I improve these?

 

[Clark White]

For this one I had to play with it a bit. Basically I went into levels, brightness/contrast, and shadow/highlight and kept going between the three trying to darken it up and increase the contrast. Under levels I brought down the white just a touch so things like her forehead wouldn't be too bright when I increased the saturation. I brought down the brightness some and increased contrast, and just played with the shadow/highlight. I had to go between each of these a couple of times, but I'm also not the greatest with Photoshop.

On this one I used brightness/contrast, hue/saturation, and shadow/highlights. Again, I was just trying to darken it up and increase contrast some. Down on the brightness, up on contrast, less hue, more saturation, and played with the shadow/ highlights. I also went into the color balance and reduced blue/increased yellow just a touch.

Same exact things on this one, down on the brightness, up on contrast, less hue, more saturation, and played with the shadow/ highlights.

I'm sure there are many more tricks with Photoshop, but being new to it those are the ones that I have found tend to make the biggest difference on the most pictures. Hope that helps. I like your composition and lighting, and good use of thirds. Also a most beautiful choice of subjects :26_7_2: