Photo Critiqing Thread
- Thread starter GaryMc
- Start date
photoman
Explorer
My very first attempt at an HDR image, which I find a great new tool for a high contrast situation as this (shooting into the sun). This was 3 images (-2,0,+2). Thoughts?
I might have a slightly different approach to critiques so don't get offended. It is not the intent.
Lets start by having you answer a few questions:
1. When taking this series of shots to make the HDR what was it about this shot that captured your intention? What was the reason for taking these shots?
2. You used HDR on this. Were you shooting shots to practice HDR or did you decide on HDR when shooting this particular scene?
3. Besides HDR what other post process work did you do to reach this image?
cruzinwyo
Observer
1. The reason was really to practise HDR, this was my first attempt ever. I took 10 different shots with various settings and then took them back to see how the different levels changed the end result image. In the end I only used 3 shots to obtain the levels in this image.
2. I thought because of the intense sun directly into the lens, that I was not able to get both the colors of the sky as well as the lighting in the foreground correctly that his actually would be great practise for HDR. I need to work more on averaging my lighting. I maybe could probably have acheived this image with just one shot, but with the 10 different shots I took of this scene, none of them captured the entire scene (clouds,foreground) like i wanted.
3. HDR was the only processing done, besides removal of one spot from a dirty lens. When i messed with any brightness/contrast/color levels, it unnaturally distorted with the end HDR image too much.
Thank you for the questions. It really makes me think back about why I pushed the button! I like it!
photoman
Explorer
Excellent!! Now we can move forward.
Seeing as this was your first attempt at HDR I am actually going to applaud you as it is not overly done and is a believable scene. Majority of HDR work is way overdone.
Now time to crack the whip.
1. HDR is not a miracle worker. Shooting into the sun in a wide scene is very tough to do. Most of the amazing images you see out there are not single images or even HDR's. They are instead most often Merges, which is where a photographer takes 2 - 5 shots of the scene at different exposures and then using photoshop the photographer overlays the images and by using masks, manipulates specific sections of each shot and then blends them together. This shots could not only be many stops apart but could also be taken over the course of hours.
2. Post process is not done after you create the HDR. It doesn't matter if you have Photoshop, Gimp, or even Iphoto there is still work to be done after creating the HDR. Depending on the desired look I recommend adjusting white and black points, contrast adjustments, and possibly some saturation adjustments.
3. HDR and clouds- it is my biggest pet peeve about Photomatix. It always screws up the clouds turing them into gray, noisy, charcoal messes. Always be aware of the whole image including the sky when making your adjustments in the HDR program.
4. Composition- while this was primarily a testing session for HDR processing- composition is always important and is something you should always be working on. There are some positives to this image- the vegetation has some decent contrast and unique shapes which provides an initial draw of attention. The eyes then lead down the center of the image to the layered mountains and to the sky. While there are some pretty large sections of the sky that are blown out there are also some nice tones in there. The right side of the image needs to cropped out as the branch in the sky is distracting. Personally the road bothers me too but I think too much is lost if you crop it completely out. The other issue is the sky as mentioned above. I would crop a significant portion of the sky out and turn this image into more of a panoramic image than traditional landscape sizes.
5. Reshoot- so for next time focus on composition, less on shooting into the sun (unless you are pulling off a sun star), and then spend some more time in the post process. To get some great sky colors all you have to do is change direction you are facing. When the sky is lit up like that there is colors in all directions. No need to battle shooting directly into the sun.
ExplorerExplorer
Adventurer
I'll give this a try
I've got a few pictures from my latest trip that I really enjoy, and would like to see what you guys think...
I think this first on would have been a good candidate for an HDR, but I was shooting offhand... The sky seems washed out and overexposed to me, but the foreground is exposed like I like... I tried cropping out some of the sky, but it really killed the feeling of the railroad bridge going 'somewhere'... Any comments?
I'm pretty happy with this one, any criticism?
I thought these icicles were really neat, and I was going for extreme cold feeling (which is why they are awfully blue)
This was a real quick picture, I saw this hanging ice and thought it looked neat with the water flowing underneath, so I laid down on the rock and snapped it real quick and it turned out real nice (to me), it seems like it might be a little out of focus though...
I hope you guys don't mind me putting more than one picture up...
I've got a few pictures from my latest trip that I really enjoy, and would like to see what you guys think...
I think this first on would have been a good candidate for an HDR, but I was shooting offhand... The sky seems washed out and overexposed to me, but the foreground is exposed like I like... I tried cropping out some of the sky, but it really killed the feeling of the railroad bridge going 'somewhere'... Any comments?
I'm pretty happy with this one, any criticism?
I thought these icicles were really neat, and I was going for extreme cold feeling (which is why they are awfully blue)
This was a real quick picture, I saw this hanging ice and thought it looked neat with the water flowing underneath, so I laid down on the rock and snapped it real quick and it turned out real nice (to me), it seems like it might be a little out of focus though...
I hope you guys don't mind me putting more than one picture up...
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ExplorerExplorer
Adventurer
1.) Well, for this trip I used a Canon Rebel XS? I think... I'm used to using a Canon EOS 1D, so it's a little bit different...
2.) I've been shooting SLR for about 8 months tops... I work for my university as a photographer (hence the familiarity with the EOS 1D)...
3.) I'd like to get to the point where I can take print worthy pictures, photography isn't my dream, but it would be nice to have high quality pictures documenting my work and travels, or maybe to hold down a side job as a small time photographer (and I absolutely hate it when my professors are trying to teach something about their research from a worn out overexposed Polaroid, and would like to avoid that with my students)...
photoman
Explorer
Okay lets go a little deeper.
When shooting these shots:
1. What mode were you shooting in? Auto, Aperture priority, Manual, etc.
2. What was the reason you took these shots? What was it about each one that made you think- I need to get a picture of this?
3. What do you feel are the issues with each of these shots?
4. If you can please post the EXIF data for each of these.
ExplorerExplorer
Adventurer
1.) Everything thing was shot in Aperture Priority...
2.) /3.)/4.)
------------------------------------------------------
[Image]
Make = Canon
Model = Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS
Orientation = top/left
X Resolution = 72
Y Resolution = 72
Resolution Unit = inch
Software = Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows
Date Time = 2010-01-09 00:19:02
[Camera]
Exposure Time = 1/1250"
F Number = F10
Exposure Program = Aperture priority
ISO Speed Ratings = 1600
Exif Version = Version 2.21
Date Time Original = 2010-01-06 13:12:59
Date Time Digitized = 2010-01-06 13:12:59
Components Configuration = YCbcr
Shutter Speed Value = 10.38 TV
Aperture Value = 6.63 AV
Exposure Bias Value = -0.33EV
Metering Mode = Pattern
Flash = Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length = 55mm
User Comment =
Subsec Time = 0.3"
Subsec Time Original = 0.3"
Subsec Time Digitized = 0.3"
Flashpix Version = Version 1.0
Color Space = sRGB
Exif Image Width = 800
Exif Image Height = 808
Interoperability IFD Pointer = Offset: 5168
Focal Plane X Resolution = 3214.612
Focal Plane Y Resolution = 3224.7
Focal Plane Resolution Unit = inch
Custom Rendered = Normal process
Exposure Mode = Auto exposure
White Balance = Manual white balance
Scene Capture Type = Normal
--------------------------------------------------
I took this shot because it was something that really expressed 'going' to me... Just seeing the track go across the river and keep going off into the distance and disappearing...
This shot, I like everything, except how overexposed the sky is
-------------------------------------------------------------------
[Image]
Make = Canon
Model = Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS
Orientation = top/left
X Resolution = 72
Y Resolution = 72
Resolution Unit = inch
Software = Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows
Date Time = 2010-01-07 10:05:07
[Camera]
Exposure Time = 1/1600"
F Number = F10
Exposure Program = Aperture priority
ISO Speed Ratings = 1600
Exif Version = Version 2.21
Date Time Original = 2010-01-06 12:19:48
Date Time Digitized = 2010-01-06 12:19:48
Components Configuration = YCbcr
Shutter Speed Value = 10.63 TV
Aperture Value = 6.63 AV
Exposure Bias Value = -0.33EV
Metering Mode = Pattern
Flash = Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length = 40mm
User Comment =
Subsec Time = 0.57"
Subsec Time Original = 0.57"
Subsec Time Digitized = 0.57"
Flashpix Version = Version 1.0
Color Space = sRGB
Exif Image Width = 800
Exif Image Height = 1193
Interoperability IFD Pointer = Offset: 5168
Focal Plane X Resolution = 3214.612
Focal Plane Y Resolution = 3224.7
Focal Plane Resolution Unit = inch
Custom Rendered = Normal process
Exposure Mode = Auto exposure
White Balance = Manual white balance
Scene Capture Type = Normal
-----------------------------------------
I took this picture trying to capture the power of this fall
I really like this picture, except the fact that the water is exposed nicely, but the surrounding area is overexposed, looks almost like two different pictures... I also think it needs a bit more contrast...
--------------------------------------------------------
[Image]
Make = Canon
Model = Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS
Orientation = top/left
X Resolution = 72
Y Resolution = 72
Resolution Unit = inch
Software = Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows
Date Time = 2010-01-07 10:52:27
[Camera]
Exposure Time = 1/250"
F Number = F10
Exposure Program = Aperture priority
ISO Speed Ratings = 1600
Exif Version = Version 2.21
Date Time Original = 2010-01-06 14:04:41
Date Time Digitized = 2010-01-06 14:04:41
Components Configuration = YCbcr
Shutter Speed Value = 8 TV
Aperture Value = 6.63 AV
Exposure Bias Value = -0.33EV
Metering Mode = Pattern
Flash = Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length = 41mm
User Comment =
Subsec Time = 0.95"
Subsec Time Original = 0.95"
Subsec Time Digitized = 0.95"
Flashpix Version = Version 1.0
Color Space = sRGB
Exif Image Width = 800
Exif Image Height = 1198
Interoperability IFD Pointer = Offset: 5168
Focal Plane X Resolution = 3214.612
Focal Plane Y Resolution = 3224.7
Focal Plane Resolution Unit = inch
Custom Rendered = Normal process
Exposure Mode = Auto exposure
White Balance = Manual white balance
Scene Capture Type = Normal
--------------------------------------
I was going for a real dramatic picture of these icicles
I think the white balance is off... I warmed it up a bit in PS, but I think it still needs more yellow, and it could use some more contrast
-------------------------------------
[Image]
Make = Canon
Model = Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS
Orientation = top/left
X Resolution = 72
Y Resolution = 72
Resolution Unit = inch
Software = Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows
Date Time = 2010-01-07 11:22:14
[Camera]
Exposure Time = 1/250"
F Number = F10
Exposure Program = Aperture priority
ISO Speed Ratings = 1600
Exif Version = Version 2.21
Date Time Original = 2010-01-06 14:14:02
Date Time Digitized = 2010-01-06 14:14:02
Components Configuration = YCbcr
Shutter Speed Value = 8 TV
Aperture Value = 6.63 AV
Exposure Bias Value = -0.33EV
Metering Mode = Pattern
Flash = Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length = 35mm
User Comment =
Subsec Time = 0.3"
Subsec Time Original = 0.3"
Subsec Time Digitized = 0.3"
Flashpix Version = Version 1.0
Color Space = sRGB
Exif Image Width = 800
Exif Image Height = 343
Interoperability IFD Pointer = Offset: 5168
Focal Plane X Resolution = 3214.612
Focal Plane Y Resolution = 3224.7
Focal Plane Resolution Unit = inch
Custom Rendered = Normal process
Exposure Mode = Auto exposure
White Balance = Manual white balance
Scene Capture Type = Normal
----------------------------------
I took this picture because I thought the ice looked really interesting, along with the water rushing under it...
I, myself, feel like it could use a little more saturation and contrast (I seem to bump those two sliders way up though), but I figured I would restrain myself... This is the only picture I'd consider worthy to be reproduced for the public...
photoman
Explorer
I will do these one at a time so bare with me.
Short Version of EXIF=
F10
ISO1600
Focul Length 55mm
Shutter 1/1250
Mettering = Pattern
From this I automatically see a couple things that stand out. I always try to shoot as low an ISO as possible. Your camera will allow you to shoot at ISO 100 which is what I would recommend unless it is too dark or you are trying to stop action. Then adjust up from there. Because your ISO was so high your shutter speed had to be really fast. Higher ISO means the camera sensor is more sensitive to the light being allowed into the camera. Since this is a bright scene the camera made the shutter open and close very quickly because of the sensor sensitivity. A lower ISO would have equaled a longer shutter speed. Not knowing how this scene looked to the eye it is hard to tell if the camera captured it as you saw it.
Composition: The rails are very centrally composed in the image meaning they are almost dead center. In this case it is not such a bad thing as the vegetation on both sides balances out the left to right view. The bridge railing at the bottom needs to be cropped out. It is a horizontal line that stretched across the entire image. This is barrier or an immediate stopping point for the eye where as the rails lead you to the back of the image. The sky is what I refer to as a dead sky. There is nothing of value in the sky so it is actually a detractor to the image.
In all honesty this shot is not very good but there is potential in the scene if you can re-shoot it. This is a place to go back to when the leaves are green and get a train in this shot (if tracks are active). Go back in the early morning, late afternoon, or when there is heavy but broken cloud cover. These times will provide you with better light on the trees, tracks, as well as give you a better sky. This would also be a great location when the leaves are changing.
Short Version of EXIF=
F10
ISO1600
Focul Length 55mm
Shutter 1/1250
Mettering = Pattern
From this I automatically see a couple things that stand out. I always try to shoot as low an ISO as possible. Your camera will allow you to shoot at ISO 100 which is what I would recommend unless it is too dark or you are trying to stop action. Then adjust up from there. Because your ISO was so high your shutter speed had to be really fast. Higher ISO means the camera sensor is more sensitive to the light being allowed into the camera. Since this is a bright scene the camera made the shutter open and close very quickly because of the sensor sensitivity. A lower ISO would have equaled a longer shutter speed. Not knowing how this scene looked to the eye it is hard to tell if the camera captured it as you saw it.
Composition: The rails are very centrally composed in the image meaning they are almost dead center. In this case it is not such a bad thing as the vegetation on both sides balances out the left to right view. The bridge railing at the bottom needs to be cropped out. It is a horizontal line that stretched across the entire image. This is barrier or an immediate stopping point for the eye where as the rails lead you to the back of the image. The sky is what I refer to as a dead sky. There is nothing of value in the sky so it is actually a detractor to the image.
In all honesty this shot is not very good but there is potential in the scene if you can re-shoot it. This is a place to go back to when the leaves are green and get a train in this shot (if tracks are active). Go back in the early morning, late afternoon, or when there is heavy but broken cloud cover. These times will provide you with better light on the trees, tracks, as well as give you a better sky. This would also be a great location when the leaves are changing.
photoman
Explorer
EXIF=
F10
ISO 1600
Shutter 1/1600
FL40mm
Mettering- Pattern
As you said yourself you were attempting to capture the power of these falls- however this falls short on a few levels.
Priority: In this case you should have switched the camera from Aperture priority to Shutter priority and gone for a longer shutter speed to get some water silkiness. A shot with silky falls contrasting against the ice would have been a more dynamic shot.
Composition: Major problem with this shot is that you do not see the bottom of the falls so you cannot tell how large or powerful they really are. In these situations I always try to shoot from above the falls at and angle to get the entire falls or from down at the water level so the falls extend upward in the image. This creates a more dynamic feel to the scene. If neither of those worked than you should have continued to work the scene to find a shot that captured as much of the falls as possible. If you cannot get the top and the bottom of the falls in the same frame try to get the bottom vs. the top. Majority of the time that is the better shot.
Light: The light here is very challenging because the waterfall is in full shade but the cliff face is in direct sun. Again you should have moved so everything in your frame was in the same light unless you have the tools or the editing skills to balance that light. In this case it is several stops.
So much like the first- great location but not the right shot.
photoman
Explorer
EXIF=
F10
Shutter 1/250
ISO 1600
Focul Length 41mm
Mettering = Pattern
Most potential of the four in my opinion.
First of all look at the camera settings in this shot. See now that the shutter speed is 1/250 vs 1/1600 as in the first? This is because this was in full shade so the camera need the shutter to be open longer to expose the image.
Great Subject, good composition, unique view, and decent exposure. The thing that kills this shot is the focus. The point of focus is about half way up the photo (bottom to top) at the tips of the four icicles towards the right of the image. In this case I would have adjusted the focus point to be the icicle that looks like it could be poking you in the eye. If you do no know how to adjust the focus point you need to get out your manual and learn it! If you would have focused on the very tip of that icicle on the left the rest of the image would have blurred into a very pleasing image.
It still appears to be underexposed but that is due to the mettering setting and the white balance setting. Since this is in full shade you should have adjusted the white balance setting to preset shade, 5400K (normal natural light), or left on auto to then adjust in post.
ExplorerExplorer
Adventurer
I will do these one at a time so bare with me.
Short Version of EXIF=
F10
ISO1600
Focul Length 55mm
Shutter 1/1250
Mettering = Pattern
From this I automatically see a couple things that stand out. I always try to shoot as low an ISO as possible. Your camera will allow you to shoot at ISO 100 which is what I would recommend unless it is too dark or you are trying to stop action. Then adjust up from there. Because your ISO was so high your shutter speed had to be really fast. Higher ISO means the camera sensor is more sensitive to the light being allowed into the camera. Since this is a bright scene the camera made the shutter open and close very quickly because of the sensor sensitivity. A lower ISO would have equaled a longer shutter speed. Not knowing how this scene looked to the eye it is hard to tell if the camera captured it as you saw it.
Composition: The rails are very centrally composed in the image meaning they are almost dead center. In this case it is not such a bad thing as the vegetation on both sides balances out the left to right view. The bridge railing at the bottom needs to be cropped out. It is a horizontal line that stretched across the entire image. This is barrier or an immediate stopping point for the eye where as the rails lead you to the back of the image. The sky is what I refer to as a dead sky. There is nothing of value in the sky so it is actually a detractor to the image.
In all honesty this shot is not very good but there is potential in the scene if you can re-shoot it. This is a place to go back to when the leaves are green and get a train in this shot (if tracks are active). Go back in the early morning, late afternoon, or when there is heavy but broken cloud cover. These times will provide you with better light on the trees, tracks, as well as give you a better sky. This would also be a great location when the leaves are changing.
I agree, I wish I could have gone at a different time... About the ISO, I wasn't all too worried with getting 'great' shots, just good documentation, I didn't even worry about ISO, and left it at 1600 so I could shoot offhand (most everything I shot was pretty shady) and be able to shoot quick and on the move (we packed ALOT into one day), this is also the reason I used Av mode... So I could just point and shoot... I normally use Manual mode whenever I shoot for the school, but trying to adjust shutter speed and aperture on the fly with the Rebel is way more difficult...
EXIF=
F10
ISO 1600
Shutter 1/1600
FL40mm
Mettering- Pattern
As you said yourself you were attempting to capture the power of these falls- however this falls short on a few levels.
Priority: In this case you should have switched the camera from Aperture priority to Shutter priority and gone for a longer shutter speed to get some water silkiness. A shot with silky falls contrasting against the ice would have been a more dynamic shot.
Composition: Major problem with this shot is that you do not see the bottom of the falls so you cannot tell how large or powerful they really are. In these situations I always try to shoot from above the falls at and angle to get the entire falls or from down at the water level so the falls extend upward in the image. This creates a more dynamic feel to the scene. If neither of those worked than you should have continued to work the scene to find a shot that captured as much of the falls as possible. If you cannot get the top and the bottom of the falls in the same frame try to get the bottom vs. the top. Majority of the time that is the better shot.
Light: The light here is very challenging because the waterfall is in full shade but the cliff face is in direct sun. Again you should have moved so everything in your frame was in the same light unless you have the tools or the editing skills to balance that light. In this case it is several stops.
So much like the first- great location but not the right shot.
I have more picture of the entire falls, but without a wider angle lens I couldn't capture the entire falls from where I was standing (the only place I could fit the entire falls into the frame was from the top of the bluff)... I thought about slowing down the shutter speed, but I didn't have much time to play with things, so I just let it fly... I do think the spilling silky water against the ice would look 100x better...
EXIF=
F10
Shutter 1/250
ISO 1600
Focul Length 41mm
Mettering = Pattern
Most potential of the four in my opinion.
First of all look at the camera settings in this shot. See now that the shutter speed is 1/250 vs 1/1600 as in the first? This is because this was in full shade so the camera need the shutter to be open longer to expose the image.
Great Subject, good composition, unique view, and decent exposure. The thing that kills this shot is the focus. The point of focus is about half way up the photo (bottom to top) at the tips of the four icicles towards the right of the image. In this case I would have adjusted the focus point to be the icicle that looks like it could be poking you in the eye. If you do no know how to adjust the focus point you need to get out your manual and learn it! If you would have focused on the very tip of that icicle on the left the rest of the image would have blurred into a very pleasing image.
It still appears to be underexposed but that is due to the mettering setting and the white balance setting. Since this is in full shade you should have adjusted the white balance setting to preset shade, 5400K (normal natural light), or left on auto to then adjust in post.
I like the idea of changing the focus... I didn't even know what this one looked like when I took it, I had barely enough room to squeeze my camera underneath the tips of the icicles before it hit the ground, so I just shoved it under there and snapped a few and this was the best... I really wished I could have focused manually... I really have a problem with the Rebel and it's white balance setting, it doesn't have a temperature setting (like the 1D does) it has names like tungsten light, natural light, and I just wasn't sure what to set it on here...
If you'd like to check out any more of my pictures (again most of them on this slide show aren just quick P&S type pictures with the Rebel)
http://s697.photobucket.com/albums/vv332/Rlabean14/?action=view¤t=cda10d30.pbw
Thanks for your time, I'm taking your advice to heart and going to shoot some more this weekend!
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