Landscape Golden Bridge

mpslxz · 10-30-2018, 02:20 PM - **16 Likes**

This is a photo of a beautiful autumn morning in Vancouver, BC, on Ektar 100 film.
Let me know what you think

Attached Images

**sergysergy** · 10-30-2018, 05:01 PM - **1 Like**

I love the light and the colors. Well done

**Bruce Clark** · 10-30-2018, 10:36 PM - **1 Like**

Brilliant colours. i can't think of a single thing to improve. Well done.

Patricia1066 · 11-02-2018, 08:51 AM - **2 Likes**

You caught a magical moment

aaacb · 11-02-2018, 08:54 PM - **1 Like**

I like this picture, the light and colors are beautiful. and fall looks at its peak. Kudos for the film shot, (how) did you process the scan?

Since this is the critique section, I'll try to give a few suggestions for improvement, though they're at most minor:
- I think the main point of focus is the left side of the bridge. The curve though leads you out of the frame because the path (?) after the bridge is brighter than what' before the bridge. Perhaps burning the gravel that's visible would help avoid that distraction
- the green leaves in the top right aren't a big distraction, and they help increase the overall contrast, but they're a bit bright
- the leafless branches at the top of the frame add little, I would crop them out to a more panoramic aspect ratio.

**Schraubstock** · 11-02-2018, 10:59 PM - **1 Like**

Hi,
I asume this is a scan and you have done some colour adjustments in PP. I am not going to comment on composition here but have some suggestion to have another look at colour and exposure.

Firstly, exposure. I think your image is somewhat underexposed, the sun is quite bright which means the image also should be quite bright. When you increase brightness the colours will brighten up as well.

I have been in Vancouver only three weeks ago and I remember well how some of the leaves of certain trees turn a bright yellow and they are quite striking when the sun shines through them.

Secondly, the overall image is too red. In the old film days when people had to rely on the corner store to develop photographs colours of prints often were flat and grey because they were developed with spent chemicals. The disappointment usually was great. Now it has swung the other way. With modern software colours can be cranked up like there is no tomorrow. I see this all the time. Just google “autumn leaves” and you see pictures as if on LSD.

A good indication that there is too much red overall in your pic is, the tree trunks have, it seems, also turned an autumn colour as well. The trunk second from the left should reflect the yellow of the bright yellow leaves.

If you absolutely insist on that strong red, for what ever reason, this would be of course be a personal consideration and you have some followers. No problems. I would however implore you to consider increasing the exposure.

Only as a guide and your consideration I attach the following image.

tuco · 11-04-2018, 10:32 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Schraubstock

Hi,

Firstly, exposure. I think your image is somewhat underexposed, the sun is quite bright which means the image also should be quite bright. When you increase brightness the colours will brighten up as well.

On my monitor, your version looks way over-the-top on everything except color balance.

Each film has its characteristic. If, say, I placed my shadows 3 stops below the middle gray exposure when I metered the scene, I wouldn't expect to edit them to look like they are 2 stops below below the middle gray.

Last edited by tuco; 11-04-2018 at 10:55 AM.

mpslxz · 11-05-2018, 01:53 PM

Originally posted by aaacb

I like this picture, the light and colors are beautiful. and fall looks at its peak. Kudos for the film shot, (how) did you process the scan?

Since this is the critique section, I'll try to give a few suggestions for improvement, though they're at most minor:
- I think the main point of focus is the left side of the bridge. The curve though leads you out of the frame because the path (?) after the bridge is brighter than what' before the bridge. Perhaps burning the gravel that's visible would help avoid that distraction
- the green leaves in the top right aren't a big distraction, and they help increase the overall contrast, but they're a bit bright
- the leafless branches at the top of the frame add little, I would crop them out to a more panoramic aspect ratio.

I appreciate your feedback. I did a flatbed scan and added some vignette.
I think you are right. Currently, it looks like the left side of the image is the main point of focus, which was not what I was going for. I tried to look around for different angles, though. I lowered the camera but the center post before the bridge was in the way. I moved to the left, while turning the camera to the right to try to avoid that bright part, but the right side was very much busier. I moved a bit closer to the bridge but this time I was losing the shadow from the left tree and also the layers of leaves on the ground, which I liked a lot.
Personally, I am not a big fan of cropping, which forces me to think before taking the shot. Since this was shot on 645, the aspect ratio is different. But I see your point regarding the top of the image.
Thanks for the constructive comments.

---------- Post added 11-05-18 at 03:04 PM ----------

Originally posted by Schraubstock

Hi,
I asume this is a scan and you have done some colour adjustments in PP. I am not going to comment on composition here but have some suggestion to have another look at colour and exposure.

Firstly, exposure. I think your image is somewhat underexposed, the sun is quite bright which means the image also should be quite bright. When you increase brightness the colours will brighten up as well.

I have been in Vancouver only three weeks ago and I remember well how some of the leaves of certain trees turn a bright yellow and they are quite striking when the sun shines through them.

Secondly, the overall image is too red. In the old film days when people had to rely on the corner store to develop photographs colours of prints often were flat and grey because they were developed with spent chemicals. The disappointment usually was great. Now it has swung the other way. With modern software colours can be cranked up like there is no tomorrow. I see this all the time. Just google “autumn leaves” and you see pictures as if on LSD.

A good indication that there is too much red overall in your pic is, the tree trunks have, it seems, also turned an autumn colour as well. The trunk second from the left should reflect the yellow of the bright yellow leaves.

If you absolutely insist on that strong red, for what ever reason, this would be of course be a personal consideration and you have some followers. No problems. I would however implore you to consider increasing the exposure.

Only as a guide and your consideration I attach the following image.

Thanks for your comments. I think you would agree that PP is very subjective, specially when you are scanning color negative film, which is not "what-you-see-is-what-you-get". The reason that the photo looks red is because there was a lot of reflection from the red leaves on the ground and the trees. So the tree trunks were reddish too. Thanks for taking the time to edit the photo. I think it looks too green, which is obvious in the yellow leaves.
I agree with you on the exposure. I think it looks dark.
I very much appreciate your feedback.

**MossyRocks** · 11-16-2018, 12:06 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Schraubstock

Secondly, the overall image is too red.

I think that is more of an Ektar thing. All the pictures I have shot with it always seem to be on the more red side of things.

TaoMaas · 11-19-2018, 07:48 AM - **1 Like**

Overall, I like this shot a lot. The bridge is in the perfect place and the bluish tint to it is the complementary color to the orange of the leaves, which helps give it balance, I think. I keep flip-flopping on whether or not to bring in the left border and let the dark tree trunk frame that side. But that's just personal taste. Great job!

ZombieArmy · 11-27-2018, 06:16 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Schraubstock

Firstly, exposure. I think your image is somewhat underexposed, the sun is quite bright which means the image also should be quite bright. When you increase brightness the colours will brighten up as well.

I agree with this. The foreground because of it feels a bit more dull and doesn't pop like it should.

szs · 12-04-2018, 08:25 PM - **1 Like**

I really like the composition, and how the bridge leads away from the centre. It transmits a certain mystery.

One thing I would be interested in (as there is nothing to improve in this image imo), is how the scene looks like in different lights. So if you have a chance, try and go back at different hours of the day. Maybe you can catch some morning mist, or strong shadows midday or a different illumination and shadow-casting just before sunset.

btw, it doesn't look dark to me. After all, you were standing under trees, so having a somewhat dark feeling is just reflecting the mood....

Cheers, Steffen

Andykins67 · 02-07-2019, 12:57 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by mpslxz

This is a photo of a beautiful autumn morning in Vancouver, BC, on Ektar 100 film.
Let me know what you think

Love the composition and subtle colours. Glad you're keeping 35mm film alive.

lesmore49 · 02-07-2019, 09:52 PM - **1 Like**

Wonderful.

**Mallee Boy** · 02-09-2019, 12:15 AM - **1 Like**

Beautiful scene well captured. Perhaps crop the shadow area off the bottom...it does not really serve any purpose or add anything to the image.

10-30-2018, 02:20 PM - 16 Likes	#1
mpslxz Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 61	Golden Bridge This is a photo of a beautiful autumn morning in Vancouver, BC, on Ektar 100 film. Let me know what you think Attached Images

11-02-2018, 10:59 PM - 1 Like	#6
Schraubstock Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,386	Hi, I asume this is a scan and you have done some colour adjustments in PP. I am not going to comment on composition here but have some suggestion to have another look at colour and exposure. Firstly, exposure. I think your image is somewhat underexposed, the sun is quite bright which means the image also should be quite bright. When you increase brightness the colours will brighten up as well. I have been in Vancouver only three weeks ago and I remember well how some of the leaves of certain trees turn a bright yellow and they are quite striking when the sun shines through them. Secondly, the overall image is too red. In the old film days when people had to rely on the corner store to develop photographs colours of prints often were flat and grey because they were developed with spent chemicals. The disappointment usually was great. Now it has swung the other way. With modern software colours can be cranked up like there is no tomorrow. I see this all the time. Just google “autumn leaves” and you see pictures as if on LSD. A good indication that there is too much red overall in your pic is, the tree trunks have, it seems, also turned an autumn colour as well. The trunk second from the left should reflect the yellow of the bright yellow leaves. If you absolutely insist on that strong red, for what ever reason, this would be of course be a personal consideration and you have some followers. No problems. I would however implore you to consider increasing the exposure. Only as a guide and your consideration I attach the following image. Last edited by Schraubstock; 11-07-2018 at 08:55 PM.

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10-30-2018, 05:01 PM - 1 Like	#2
sergysergy Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,175	I love the light and the colors. Well done

10-30-2018, 10:36 PM - 1 Like	#3
Bruce Clark Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Ocean Grove, Victoria Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,458	Brilliant colours. i can't think of a single thing to improve. Well done.

11-02-2018, 08:51 AM - 2 Likes	#4
Patricia1066 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2018 Posts: 31	You caught a magical moment

11-02-2018, 08:54 PM - 1 Like	#5
aaacb Pentaxian Join Date: May 2016 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,726	I like this picture, the light and colors are beautiful. and fall looks at its peak. Kudos for the film shot, (how) did you process the scan? Since this is the critique section, I'll try to give a few suggestions for improvement, though they're at most minor: - I think the main point of focus is the left side of the bridge. The curve though leads you out of the frame because the path (?) after the bridge is brighter than what' before the bridge. Perhaps burning the gravel that's visible would help avoid that distraction - the green leaves in the top right aren't a big distraction, and they help increase the overall contrast, but they're a bit bright - the leafless branches at the top of the frame add little, I would crop them out to a more panoramic aspect ratio.

11-04-2018, 10:32 AM - 1 Like	#7
tuco Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pugetopolis Posts: 11,030	Originally posted by Schraubstock Hi, Firstly, exposure. I think your image is somewhat underexposed, the sun is quite bright which means the image also should be quite bright. When you increase brightness the colours will brighten up as well. On my monitor, your version looks way over-the-top on everything except color balance. Each film has its characteristic. If, say, I placed my shadows 3 stops below the middle gray exposure when I metered the scene, I wouldn't expect to edit them to look like they are 2 stops below below the middle gray. Last edited by tuco; 11-04-2018 at 10:55 AM.

11-05-2018, 01:53 PM	#8
mpslxz Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 61 Original Poster	Originally posted by aaacb I like this picture, the light and colors are beautiful. and fall looks at its peak. Kudos for the film shot, (how) did you process the scan? Since this is the critique section, I'll try to give a few suggestions for improvement, though they're at most minor: - I think the main point of focus is the left side of the bridge. The curve though leads you out of the frame because the path (?) after the bridge is brighter than what' before the bridge. Perhaps burning the gravel that's visible would help avoid that distraction - the green leaves in the top right aren't a big distraction, and they help increase the overall contrast, but they're a bit bright - the leafless branches at the top of the frame add little, I would crop them out to a more panoramic aspect ratio. I appreciate your feedback. I did a flatbed scan and added some vignette. I think you are right. Currently, it looks like the left side of the image is the main point of focus, which was not what I was going for. I tried to look around for different angles, though. I lowered the camera but the center post before the bridge was in the way. I moved to the left, while turning the camera to the right to try to avoid that bright part, but the right side was very much busier. I moved a bit closer to the bridge but this time I was losing the shadow from the left tree and also the layers of leaves on the ground, which I liked a lot. Personally, I am not a big fan of cropping, which forces me to think before taking the shot. Since this was shot on 645, the aspect ratio is different. But I see your point regarding the top of the image. Thanks for the constructive comments. ---------- Post added 11-05-18 at 03:04 PM ---------- Originally posted by Schraubstock Hi, I asume this is a scan and you have done some colour adjustments in PP. I am not going to comment on composition here but have some suggestion to have another look at colour and exposure. Firstly, exposure. I think your image is somewhat underexposed, the sun is quite bright which means the image also should be quite bright. When you increase brightness the colours will brighten up as well. I have been in Vancouver only three weeks ago and I remember well how some of the leaves of certain trees turn a bright yellow and they are quite striking when the sun shines through them. Secondly, the overall image is too red. In the old film days when people had to rely on the corner store to develop photographs colours of prints often were flat and grey because they were developed with spent chemicals. The disappointment usually was great. Now it has swung the other way. With modern software colours can be cranked up like there is no tomorrow. I see this all the time. Just google “autumn leaves” and you see pictures as if on LSD. A good indication that there is too much red overall in your pic is, the tree trunks have, it seems, also turned an autumn colour as well. The trunk second from the left should reflect the yellow of the bright yellow leaves. If you absolutely insist on that strong red, for what ever reason, this would be of course be a personal consideration and you have some followers. No problems. I would however implore you to consider increasing the exposure. Only as a guide and your consideration I attach the following image. Thanks for your comments. I think you would agree that PP is very subjective, specially when you are scanning color negative film, which is not "what-you-see-is-what-you-get". The reason that the photo looks red is because there was a lot of reflection from the red leaves on the ground and the trees. So the tree trunks were reddish too. Thanks for taking the time to edit the photo. I think it looks too green, which is obvious in the yellow leaves. I agree with you on the exposure. I think it looks dark. I very much appreciate your feedback.

11-16-2018, 12:06 PM - 1 Like	#9
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982	Originally posted by Schraubstock Secondly, the overall image is too red. I think that is more of an Ektar thing. All the pictures I have shot with it always seem to be on the more red side of things.

11-19-2018, 07:48 AM - 1 Like	#10
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	Overall, I like this shot a lot. The bridge is in the perfect place and the bluish tint to it is the complementary color to the orange of the leaves, which helps give it balance, I think. I keep flip-flopping on whether or not to bring in the left border and let the dark tree trunk frame that side. But that's just personal taste. Great job!

11-27-2018, 06:16 PM - 1 Like	#11
ZombieArmy Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 3,210	Originally posted by Schraubstock Firstly, exposure. I think your image is somewhat underexposed, the sun is quite bright which means the image also should be quite bright. When you increase brightness the colours will brighten up as well. I agree with this. The foreground because of it feels a bit more dull and doesn't pop like it should.

12-04-2018, 08:25 PM - 1 Like	#12
szs Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Morelia, Michoacán Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 126	I really like the composition, and how the bridge leads away from the centre. It transmits a certain mystery. One thing I would be interested in (as there is nothing to improve in this image imo), is how the scene looks like in different lights. So if you have a chance, try and go back at different hours of the day. Maybe you can catch some morning mist, or strong shadows midday or a different illumination and shadow-casting just before sunset. btw, it doesn't look dark to me. After all, you were standing under trees, so having a somewhat dark feeling is just reflecting the mood.... Cheers, Steffen

02-07-2019, 12:57 PM - 1 Like	#13
Andykins67 Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Photos: Gallery Posts: 44	Originally posted by mpslxz This is a photo of a beautiful autumn morning in Vancouver, BC, on Ektar 100 film. Let me know what you think Love the composition and subtle colours. Glad you're keeping 35mm film alive.

02-07-2019, 09:52 PM - 1 Like	#14
lesmore49 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Western Canada Posts: 12,350	Wonderful.

02-09-2019, 12:15 AM - 1 Like	#15
Mallee Boy Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,904	Beautiful scene well captured. Perhaps crop the shadow area off the bottom...it does not really serve any purpose or add anything to the image.