[LensBeginner]

Hi Neville, I don't think he meant it in a negative way. I would ease up a little bit on the clarity, as it gives it a bit of an unnatural look in some of the images...almost HDR'ish if one can put it that way...IMO

Clarity works for rugby players.
Cheerleaders, I'm with you, just a wee step back.

[traderdrew]

On Saturday I took photos of a rugby match between two provincial sides, the Sharks and the Pumas, in our local Curry Cup tournament, and posted an album of my photos on Facebook.

Today I received a Facebook comment, to my album, from one of the established Canon pro photographers - "mate to much photoshop you are killing us LOL".

I haven't responded to his comment, but it got me thinking that he might have a point, or maybe it's a bit of sour grapes, because I do it for my own pleasure and no financial reward, but it's his business and he has lots of very expensive gear? I don't use Photoshop, only Lightroom, and all I adjust is shadow and highlight levels (to get the histogram balanced), and some Clarity and Contrast. I shot this match with the following settings on my Pentax K-5II and Sigma 70-200mm - 1/2000 sec, f/2.8 and auto ISO (never more than ISO 1000). I also did quite a bit of cropping.

Please have a look at my Facebook album here and give me feedback. You can also view my album on Google Photos here. My initial (internal) reaction to his comment was not very positive, but perhaps I need to learn from his remark...

I agree with the comments in this thread. You can buy copies of Photoshop Elements from eBay for about $25.00 or $30.00. They aren't used copies but just outdated new ones so consider picking one up. I do like Lightroom and I would rather have it than Elements.

Sometimes some of those Canonites have irritated me. They are either pretty cool or they come across as the best photographers who have the best cameras around. The problem with being the latter is they don't learn to improve upon their work. I have seen evidence of this on the net. I'm glad you are taking this positively as I always remind myself to be open to learning more.

[skierd]

There's a lot wrong with the B&W version imo. Contrast works until you lose all the greys. It's a kinda ugly shot too, not trying to be rude and I get that it's an example but...


As far as the OP's photos...
- way too much positive clarity added on most of the images. People shouldn't look like they're made of wet metal imo.
- Color balance seems off, especially skin tones as has been noted. I usually reduce orange saturation/luminance in LR to help skin tones appear more natural from my K-30.
- when selecting shots to edit, watch for derp faces, unflattering poses, etc. Human motion and emotion can be beautiful if captured at the right moment, and incredibly awkward at the wrong moment. Be harsh and overly critical.

Overall though I like the album and the look. Keep developing it and see where it goes! I do agree with Michael too, a few of the action shots would look great in B&W. Experiment!

[johnmflores]

Colors are a touch strong (I'd listen to many of the suggestions posted), but the pro photog is being a bit of a d*ck for making the comment, particularly in public and without constructive criticism. As it stands, the comments does nothing but say, "I know more than you LOL"


You responded maturely and admirably. Better than I might have.

[severalsnakes]

You responded maturely and admirably. Better than I might have.

My passive aggression gland would have been pumping overtime.

[Edgar_in_Indy]

I don't think he would have made the comment if the thought the photos had no merit. It might make a professional nervous when an amateurs can go to where he works and get professional-looking photos.

If he was trying to be nasty, and belittle you, his plan may have backfired since it provided a platform to improve your craft. But again, I don't know what kind of sentiment really motivated his comment.

[mohb]

Some of the ones with a lot of red in them don't look quite right but that might just be the power of red in any picture. The one thing I noticed was all the different shades of green but thenI have the same 'problem' shooting cricket. An excellent set of photos regardless of any tiny niggles, you caught the action and drama very well.

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Last edited by mohb; 09-07-2015 at 01:23 PM. Reason: change a word

[Edgar_in_Indy]

The one thing I noticed was all the different shades of green but thenI have the same 'problem' shooting cricket.

I'm not trying to make anybody in California feel bad, but everybody loves green grass! So it's hard to resist the urge to "green it up" when post-processing.

[MD Optofonik]

Go easy on the "clarity" slider and lower your saturation.

[demondata]

My take on this seems a bit different - I think that there's a compliment there in "you are killing us" - your images are competitive. I don't see any insult or rudeness at all, not sure why some members feel that way. I agree about the photoshopping, even though it's not Photoshop per se, so even that is constructive criticism to me. A pro is offering advice, for free- why not pay attention? I also find many of the images over-processed and unnatural-looking, FB compression surely doesn't help, although the Google images look the same. I'd definitely try for a more natural look, and, wherever possible, minimize distracting background by picking a different vantage point, maybe higher up? Even at f2.8, the background seems to vie for attention. Could be a quality of the lens. In any case, some good images, but removing a few more won't hurt - it's useful to be critical of your own photography so that others don't see images that aren't up to your own standards. If that leaves 100 images, raise your own bar.

[Neville]

Wow, thank you for all the fantastic food for thought and support! I am overwhelmed by the many constructive and affirming comments - so many that I won't even try to respond to all of them individually.

Three things that I can distill out of this thread:
- I need to tone down my saturation/clarity/vibrancy
- I need to be more selective with which images I share
- I am on the right track in terms of timing and capturing the action

I have gone back to my images and modified my settings quite significantly and chosen only a few of the better ones, which you can view in my Google Photos album here. Tell me what you think now? Is there more that I should do? I have also posted a second reply to the Pro's comment, sharing my modified images. Let's see what he says, if he responds at all.

[Jonathan Mac]

Hi Neville, I don't think he meant it in a negative way. I would ease up a little bit on the clarity, as it gives it a bit of an unnatural look in some of the images...almost HDR'ish if one can put it that way...IMO

Exactly my thoughts too.

[Sandy Hancock]

Three things that I can distill out of this thread:
- I need to tone down my saturation/clarity/vibrancy
- I need to be more selective with which images I share
- I am on the right track in terms of timing and capturing the action

That is a very good summary. I think your Canon "mate" has probably done you a favour when all is said and done, but mainly because you have been insightful and humble enough to take the comment on board rather than dismiss it as trolling.

[Neville]

Hmmm, maybe I am doing something right after all - check the Pro's latest comment on my Facebook page!

[manntax]

I have gone back to my images and modified my settings quite significantly and chosen only a few of the better ones, which you can view in my Google Photos album here.. Tell me what you think now? Is there more that I should do? I have also posted a second reply to the Pro's comment, sharing my modified images. Let's see what he says, if he responds at all.

Your photos looks much more natural now and much more appealing to my eyes... good job and nice series of fast paced action !
well done!