Rookwood

[Willowmoss]

Hi All

Havent been around much lately but plan on changing that! I have taken some photos in a cemetry in Sydney. C & C Most welcome!

This first photo is of our fallen soldiers graves


An old part of the Cemetry, was a bit spooky








Add more as i play with them.

[Donald]

Emma

Good to see you and your images

I always find it a bit of a task to offer up comments on a series of, like this, 5 pictures, because you're never sure if they person just wants a general comment relating to all 5, or a detailed C & C on each one, which does take a bit of time. I prefer concentrating on just one at a time.

But, let me try and give my opinions. And remember, these are just one person's thoughts. You or others may disagree.

This first photo is of our fallen soldiers graves

I think this one has too much in the way of big blocks of contrast. We have the very dark areas of all the tress and then we have the over-bright (blown) headstones. I think the problem may be that you tried to get this at the wrong time of day. At what time of day could you get a lower sun, pointing more in towards the trees rather than being above, to side and front?

An old part of the Cemetry, was a bit spooky

What I want to do with this is crop it just below where that front old gravestone disappears into the grass. That big block of grass at the bottom does not, I think, add anything to the image. The other 'problem' is that in this one, as in the others that follow where it features, the sky is blown. There is no detail in it. Again, the harsh lighting conditions really stacked the cards up against a successful image. I like the idea of this one and the composition is good.

This one left me wondering what the subject was. Is it that large grave at the front, in which case it's too far over in the frame. Or is it the view through the trees and into the middle distance, in which case that large grave at the front is a real distraction. Without that large memorial in the front and the fact that the sky is blown, I think that would have been a very good one. You've got a lovely composition with the grass in front, the gravestones and trees in the middle ground and us being taken back through those trees into the grassland and trees in the background.

Again, it's the problem of the lighting conditions at the time of the shoot. I think the sun is in completely the wrong position fro this to have worked. Are you able to go back to this location to re-shoot at a time when the sun is lower and directed towards the church. As an example of what could be possible with this, look at the slates (tiles) on the roof of the church. They're well lit and provide a lovely piece of detail (line and shape). That could be replicated on the whole building if you had the light in the right place.

Here, the sun is helping to give some shape and form to the figure. But we have the wing of the angel thrown into deep shade because of the sun's position. Also we have the head of the figure being cut into two by something in the background hitting the head just in the middle. And she also needs a good wash!

What I've written sounds very negative. But I hope it comes across as constructive criticism. You very obviously know what the elements are that are required for a good image and you know how to put them together. What I think happened here is that you were in this location and allowed yourself to forget about the most important element of them all - light.

[Willowmoss]

Sounds odd but i was like a kid in a lolly shop at the Cementry.

Thank you Donald, i really appreciate your comments. When i head to Sydney next i will go back and take more. Will change the time in the day we go (we went around 10am)

Lol yes the poor angel needs a wash. Sadly alot of the old graves are neglected and alot of the older angels are missing there heads.

[Donald]

Sounds odd but i was like a kid in a lolly shop at the Cementry.

That makes perfect sense (which maybe makes me sound odd. Maybe I am odd!). Cemeteries are wonderful places to shoot.

I have a couple on here from quite a while ago - here and here.