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Forum: Photo Critique
03-27-2008, 04:41 PM
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Thank you, all, for your comments!
I take your point about possibly including a little less of the foreground. Axl, I also like your suggestion about the potential for a panoramic rendition.
This photograph was a bit of an experiment with composition. The stones in a circular arrangement lead the eye away from the points of interest in the background. The traditional rule is to have elements in the foreground "lead" the eye to the elements in the background.
I am not one to shy away from breaking rules, but I was wondering if others' eyes were distracted by the foreground.
Deludel: I did play around with the "curves" in Photoshop. The tinting was added in Photoshop as well.
N.
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Forum: Photo Critique
03-25-2008, 10:58 AM
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I made this exposure a couple of weeks ago. Around noon. K100D + DA 18-55 at 23mm. f/8.
I have a couple of questions regarding how this has turned out but I would like to save them till I see some feedback, so as not to bias your evaluation.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
N.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-04-2007, 03:46 PM
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Hi Ari,
I really like the motivation behind your attempt and have a few suggestions to offer:
In image 1, unless the small flower-like pattern on the cap of the pen immediately identifies it as an Agatha Christie, the DOF is too shallow. Even if that marquee proclaims its exclusivity to those in the know, the shallowness of the in-focus region of the pen does not communicate the character of the writing instrument.
The eye is most often drawn to regions of brightness and I find my attention being focused on the title of the book immediately beneath.
In my opinion, the images are too busy in color. Also, the placement of the books with respect to each other is a bit awkward, especially when seen in image 3. Unless you have a specific reason for placing them that way, you could perhaps move the book on top a bit higher while maintaining the angle.
If you are so inclined, you might want to try photographing these again in more subdued light - the reflection of the flash is a bit too harsh - and rendering the images in B&W. B&W has the advantage in most cases of eliminating the distraction of extraneous details and enabling one to focus on what is truly important in the scene. Dodge and burn are your friends in Photoshop.
I look forward to seeing your photographs!
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-20-2007, 10:19 AM
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This is "fine art" material. Very, very, very well executed. The tonality is perfect. This is the kind of HDR that I find really effective. The gentle blur on some leaves and the dynamism of the clouds infuses the photograph with a palpable sense of life.
Excellent work.
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-03-2007, 07:42 AM
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I really like how there appears to be a continuous burst of electricity from the avenue to the sky. Not something that you could have planned for but a very happy coincidence.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-26-2007, 10:13 PM
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Fritz, that's actually quite a nice photograph. The balance might be slightly improved, IMO, if you crop a little tighter.
The blown highlights seem a little less objectionable in the color version. However, my motto is to never give up on a B&W conversion unless it is an absolutely hopeless case.
If you shot in RAW, you can tame the highlights a bit... the rest of him/her is going to be dull but you could rescue that in Photoshop.
If you did not shoot in RAW, mask the really bright portions in Photoshop. Try using the burn tool with a large, soft setting to match the brightness of the rest of the body.
Another option would be to create a new layer, switch blend mode to "luminosity" and pull the contrast curves down only in the masked area.
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-26-2007, 10:02 PM
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Two very excellent lenses and these are very nice example shots. I like #3 in particular... the wheel and the lettering on it are somewhat distracting but that's a minor nitpick.
The FA 50 was my first prime lens purchase and I absolutely adored it. After buying the 35 and the 77, I found that it lost its place in my Bag of Most Oft Used Stuff. Still, every time I use it I find I have that one really pleasing shot (to me at least, heh) that rekindles the magic.
Have fun with it until you get your 31 back :)
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-26-2007, 08:29 AM
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Chris,
This photograph, on its own merit, conveys very little to me. It looks like a funeral home and on looking at your Flickr page I see that it is indeed a photograph made in a cemetery.
The emptiness of this room and a sense of loss are worthy subjects to show and convey. Unfortunately, the elements in this photograph come together in a rather unsatisfactory manner.
The greenery in the bright background is what keeps drawing the eye's attention. The seats look somber enough but seem generic.
The bouquets are the only element that give a sense of what this place is. Now that is not a bad approach... I like photographs that are not so obvious. However, in this case they are in dull light and are poorly defined.
One might derive a philosophical message from closer inspection of this photograph but even then I think a much stronger image is in this room.
Nikhil
The one area
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-24-2007, 08:50 PM
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Fantastic and emotive shots both... the first one is classic... brilliant on many different levels. Very impressive work!
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-24-2007, 04:45 PM
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Very interesting to see photographs of owls... don't recall seeing any while I've trolled through several photo forums.
These guys seem to make willing models, but really, they've got to lose that deer-in-the-headlights look. It's not very flattering.
;)
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-24-2007, 04:42 PM
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Hi Dima,
That's a very nice looking dog you have.
(The following is in the spirit of offering constructive criticism and I hope that you will take it as such.)
You might want to try shooting from a lower position... like babies, dogs respond better to you (esp. when you're photographing them) when you're closer to their level. This is not to say that shooting from your height is wrong, but you will get a different set of expressions and more interesting angles if you go lower.
Also, decide on what you want to show in the frame. The above photographs almost all suffer from having very bright regions in the background. They are extraneous to your subject and only serve to severely distract the eye.
The grey concrete is rather drab and there is too much of it in your photographs. Try a different setting, perhaps?
Concentrate on one thing at a time, starting with composition. Once you get better results on that front, you can turn your attention to other issues... depth -of-field, color balance, etc.
I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun making photographs of your dog! And remember that's fundamental to learning... having fun.
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-23-2007, 10:11 AM
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Simplicity is often key to effective B&W photographs. It is important to have one, or in some cases a few, strong subjects that dominate the frame.
This command of the scene can come from the subject's relative size, it's significant difference in brightness relative to its surroundings, its inherent human interest and too many specific values to really list.
The above photographs are a bit too busy visually to be effective in B&W. As a relative measure, I like #4 the best. The exposure is right, the burnt highlights do not detract and there is sufficient isolation of the subject from its surroundings. I would venture to suggest that cropping on the right and left (more on the left) would further enhance this photograph.
#1 is a classic scene for B&W photography... yes. However, the light in the current frame is too bright and contrasty. An early morning, late afternoon scene would suit it better. Also, there is no anchor (in my mind) to the current frame. The first tree trunk is too far inset into the photograph. Get really close to one trunk so its details can hold interest and then the repeating patterns and shadowplay further enhance the photograph. Of course, this is only one way of doing it. For instance, a person or two in the frame can add a different mood. The possibilities are endless once you have something holding the eye's attention.
I tend to ramble about certain issues... I'll stop now :)
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-22-2007, 11:08 AM
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Thank you very much, aabram and Stephen! (And sorry for the delay in replying.)
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-20-2007, 10:37 PM
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Thank you very much for your comments, Duncan!
Yes, the last one is a bit of a cliche... I just had to shoot one of those since I was at the stations, haha.
I used my Contax G2 and the excellent Biogon 28mm/2.8 lens. Not Pentax equipment but this forum has been my home-base, so to speak, so I figured I wouldn't be really violating the 'spirit of the community.'
The great advantage of rangefinders in such environments is the lack of the mirror-slap. Some of these photographs were taken at speeds of 1/2s (#3) to 1/8s (#5) and I'm quite pleased with the results.
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-20-2007, 10:23 PM
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Donald,
These are very effective B&W conversions. In particular, I like 3 and 4. The light really appears to mould itself around the marquee... the shadows and highlights very nicely define the contours.
I agree with you about the channel mixer solution to B&W conversion not always being best. There is certainly no one method that is the 'best'. I typically use one of the following techniques:
1. Channel Mixer -> Level / Contrast adjustments -> Changing Blend Mode (depending on the final contrast I want) -> Level / Contrast adjustments -> Dodge/Burn; (not always in that order)
2. Conversion to B&W in LAB mode. I typically use this when I want a much more gritty image with very strong black and white regions.
The important thing for us all to remember is that each photograph is unique in its requirements. I usually try three or four different conversions, save them as snapshots, return to them after a little while and see which one I like best.
Nice work!
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-20-2007, 08:31 PM
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You are right... for some reason I was under the mistaken impression that a flash was used.
N.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-19-2007, 10:24 PM
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That first photograph is very, very pleasing to the eye! The vibrance and the life in those yellow fields just leaps off the screen... an even more dramatic experience in person, I'm sure.
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-19-2007, 09:26 PM
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Steve,
First off... that's a great photograph!
With a wide-angle lens such as the one you have used the DOF is quite substantial. So stopping down further is not going to cause you to lose shallow DOF. You might want to stop down one to 1.5 stops. That will slow the shutter speed enough to result in better definition in the background.
However, I think that the lighting and exposure in this photograph is very dramatic and that might be diminished if we could see more of the background.
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-19-2007, 09:08 PM
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Thank you, Donald!
Your suggestions are excellent. I did not have a particular theme in mind when I started shooting but after spending some time getting a feel of these stations... their rhythms and those of the people that use them... I think I have a clearer understanding of what I am trying to convey.... and you put those thoughts very nicely in your post. Cold and harsh, yes... but I also admire the execution of these constructions and how essential they are.
I'm going to try several variations when I go to shoot more next week.
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-19-2007, 08:59 PM
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Hahaha... thank you very much, Jer!
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-19-2007, 08:58 PM
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Thank you very much!
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-19-2007, 08:56 PM
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Thanks, Peter! These were all taken at various stations of the Los Angeles Metro. Very few people ride these trains (compared to say NYC) and even during the week they are quite forlorn.
I don't know if I could achieve the same feel digitally... but I would definitely feel handicapped by the cropped sensor on my K100D. I'm really enjoying film now :)
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-19-2007, 07:52 PM
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Thanks, Chris!
I'm going to take a few more photographs of the escalator in #3. My attempt with that frame was to make it a study of the geometry... the various lines and planes. There's a good photograph somewhere in there, haha.
I am not yet setup to develop my own film and, going by some of the other photographs, the lab that processed it may have over-cooked the negs slightly. I'll ask them to reduce development time by about 10% the next time around.
Another reason for the blown highlights in the negative could be that the shutter speed for that shot was really slow... either 1/2 or 1/3s. I also adjusted the contrast a wee bit in Photoshop and that did exaggerate some of the highlights.
I was aiming for a rather cold and sterile look... I'll try varying a couple of parameters the next time.
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-19-2007, 07:36 PM
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Skorzen, congratulations on the first developed roll! The results are pleasing... good shadow and highlight detail.
Having moved almost exclusively to film recently (I still do shoot a bit with the K100D) I am frustrated that I have not developed any of my film yet. I drop the film off at a local lab that's run by two guys who are very friendly and accomodating... but I just want to have full control over the development process. The layout of my current apartment prohibits me from setting up a darkroom but I shall have one in my next apartment.
Please share more of your work!
Nikhil
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-19-2007, 04:17 PM
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Thank you very much! I shall post some more next week (hopefully!)
Nikhil
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