Wandering around Venice, sooner or later leads to an inevitable encounter.

Kit Lens at 20mm, Camera mode Auto
ISO 200: 1/125 sec @ f5.6

Campanile di San Marco
Attachment 8770

Have Camera, Will Go Up. Naturally (fortunately there is a lift = a charge)

Kit Lens at 21mm, Camera mode Auto
ISO 200: 1/350 sec @ f8

Soaring Over St Mark's Square
Attachment 8767


Kit Lens at 28mm, Camera mode Auto
ISO 200: 1/1500 sec @ f5.6

Laguna Veneta
Attachment 8772

Comments, Advice, C+C invited. Thanks in Advance

Links to previous in series:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/20404-first-anniversary.html, https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/21339-first-anniversary-part-2-a.html

[channeler]

Hi John, I like the perspective and contrast of stone and sky in the first. Personally No 2 doesn't do much for me. I think in spite of the square, perhaps it is too "samey" with all the buildings (but that might just be me). I really like the compositon of the last one. The eye is drawn to interest in different parts of the image.

Paul

[bluespearbone]

Thank you for your time and help Paul.

Your view on shot #2 is exactly the kind of thing sought in sifting out the slingers beyond PP repair. Had tried to conjour something with it via B&W conversion, but struggle with ineptness as may, could do nothing worthwhile so reverted back to the colour.

Fortunately, https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/21385-first-anniversary-part-4-a.html holds my preferred daytime composition (shot the next morning) of the landmark. Please feel free to review and advise.

Another one am not sure about:

Kit Lens at 28mm, Camera on Auto
ISO 200: 1/350 sec @ f5.6

Midday Start
Attachment 8777Attachment 8781

Again comments, C+C and advice appreciated.

[Peter Zack]

The Tower shot is nice but not overly exciting but well exposed and a great sky.

I agree with Paul on the square. That being said, not every shot we take has to be for technical greatness. Travel log photos have a place and this does give a good representation of the area, so it has value that way.

The last is a really nice image and perspective. Vey nice and a beautiful city from this point of view.

The canal shot seems a little washed out from the bright sun. Its a nice perspective and really captures the texture of the city. Just for fun I did a quick mock HDR with the shot to see what was possible. Try to give it a bit of a grittier look with a bit more colour. Might be better, might not but fun anyway.

[channeler]

Hi John, only my personal thoughts: I like the composition. It seems a little over exposed to me. Could be enhanced in PP. Unless you are seeking a particular effect I am puzzled why you used F5.6 on your shot in no 3 and the latest one. I think it causes some loss of sharpness in the distance, which personally I would want to maintain in those scenes. I'd have tried to get up to F11 - F16 range even if I had to go to ISO 400.

Paul

PS: Just read Peter's post after I posted this. I totally agree with his point about travel pictures. I have many shots that are not fantastic images but they conjure up important memories of our holiday times. Sometimes I even deliberately take a shot in a certain place, even though I know the shot will not be anything special, because I want the memory of that time/location.

PPS: I'll actually finish re-editing this post in a minute That looks good Peter. How do you do a "mock HDR"?

[Peter Zack]

Paul, A real HDR is of course 3 to 5 images at various exposures. Something like -2Ev, -1Ev, 0 Ev, +1Ev,+2Ev. So in the "mock" version. I take the original image and use Paint.net to raise/lower the brightness to around +2Ev and another to -2Ev. Saving each separately. Then put the 3 images in Dynamic HDR and then process. It's not the same but can sometimes yield reasonable results.
This one was pushed a bit to the "surreal" to add some grit and contrast to the image to make the colours pop more.

[bluespearbone]

Thank you Peter and Paul, you're both being a great help with the curve.

My attempt to follow advice and correct the shot in PP has been placed next to the image in the original posting.
Curves - darkened midrange
Hue and Saturation - strengthened a little
Exposure - down half a stop
Again C+C most welcome.

...Unless you are seeking a particular effect I am puzzled why you used F5.6 on your shot in no 3 and the latest one. I think it causes some loss of sharpness in the distance, which personally I would want to maintain in those scenes. I'd have tried to get up to F11 - F16 range even if I had to go to ISO 400.

Puzzle no more Paul, this was my first outing with the K100D - infact with a Digital SLR full stop.
Some weeks after these were taken, did begin to try and take [semi] manual control of exposures, but for the Venetian visit all were on full Auto, which am sure, could have been better controlled if I had remembered to switch to the correct program modes.
Thanks for spotting the weakness and advising, am sure some of my other shots can benefit from the experienced eyes of you folk.

Others in the series:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/20404-first-anniversary.html, https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/21339-first-anniversary-part-2-a.html, https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/21385-first-anniversary-part-4-a.html

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Last edited by bluespearbone; 02-23-2008 at 07:02 PM. Reason: Added PP details

[channeler]

Thanks for the HDR info Peter. Must give real HDR a go as I said elsewhere.

PP on the canal scene looks good John. Seem to have got your head around PP much more than I have. Yeah, I find full auto can be a bit erratic at times. I tend to use AV mode for scenes like the above to get full control of DOF. Sometimes I also use bracketing if I'm with someone else and I haven't got a lot of time to experiment with exposure.

Paul

[bluespearbone]

Hi Paul and Peter, thanks again for your time and inputs. Very much appreciated.

Finding Digital PP is both an enjoyable (aided) and monumental curve on which to embark. HDR is mere white noise to me - will look at it one day, but best try grab the basics first (a statement open to correction).

...Personally No 2 doesn't do much for me. I think in spite of the square, perhaps it is too "samey" with all the buildings (but that might just be me).

The Tower shot is nice but not overly exciting but well exposed and a great sky.
I agree with Paul on the square. That being said, not every shot we take has to be for technical greatness. Travel log photos have a place and this does give a good representation of the area, so it has value that way.

PS: Just read Peter's post after I posted this. I totally agree with his point about travel pictures. I have many shots that are not fantastic images but they conjure up important memories of our holiday times. Sometimes I even deliberately take a shot in a certain place, even though I know the shot will not be anything special, because I want the memory of that time/location.

Above quotes are fine examples of how this forum steers and helps.
The 'First Anniversary' threads are my attempt to take a critical look at the better shots of the first year of DSLR. Better is said loosley here, as the sifting will involve rating the shots as A, B or C.

Grade C: Ditch. On review Content or Composition is simply not there, or technically a joke.

Grade B: Worth Keeping as a memory or representation of travel with no guarantees of returning (thanks for the terms gentleman, apologies for the plagiarisms[?sp?]). Conent and composition are fine but without anything special. Technically acceptable.

Grade B+: With review and some cropping and/or B&W Conversion a possible candidate for for grading as A-, or accepted as Grade B.

Grade A-: Good potential, Content and Composition present and technically getting there. In need of some successful PP to be considered for Grade A, otherwise Grade B.

Grade A: Good effort. A worthwhile record of first year DSLR photography. Go to Print and Bind.

Obviously the grading can only be benchmarked within the constraints and content of that 'first year' pool, where the due diligence of outside experience will be very effective and necessary.
So, having presented the first three shots in this thread, the wise get to work. The First and Second shots are immediately recognised as Grade B. The Third described, if translated correctly, as A-. The submission of the fourth was introversally?? in that grey area between C and B but then deftly steered by the wise towards a possible A-.

Apologies for this verbose posting, though am hoping it tenders some kind of excuse for being a pain in the ..., and provides adequate explanation as to why the input from the forum is so much valued.

Thanks again.

Others in the series:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/20404-first-anniversary.html, https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/21339-first-anniversary-part-2-a.html, https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/21385-first-anniversary-part-4-a.html