Back in Scotland

[Azz252]

Not been on here for a while but looks like it's still going strong. I've just left oz and returned to Scotland. Considerably colder than Australia but good to be home.

Anyway i've got a few shots i'd like some c&c on if poss and anyone has any thoughts, i know where i'd like to improve them but wondering what other folk thought. One of Sydney and the other two back home....

Cheers

[Donald]

Just dipping infor a quick look just now. Welcome home !

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Azz252,

Two requests;
I had a hunt through half a dozen of your posts and I can't find a first name for you, could you enlighten me/us please?
Any chance of seeing these somewhat bigger, say 1000 px wide?

Thanks,

[Azz252]

Aplogies for the late reply Dave! Just got internet sorted in my flat.

My name is Ron.

Think the pictures should be bigger now? The Scottish ones are more or less tests, i can take them anytime the sun is nice. The Sydney one...not so easy now!

1)



2)




3)

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Ron,

No problem, I've just had 3.5 days without home internet myself

#1, well, to my traditionalist view; I'd like a straight and level waterline, and ideally, a vertically corrected bridge too.
I can see some merit in the jaunty angle of the bridge on the left, which is almost juxtaposed with the SOH, so it looks like a composite, rather than a real picture. Although this composition works for me.

#2, possibly a little lacking in tonal range? Foreground not quite dark enough?

#3, I think the top end is ok, reasonable sky exposure for mono, not sure about the blacks though.

Both #2 and #3 flout the rule of thirds in favour of a rule of fifths or sixths, not sure it works for me, but I do like the aspect ratio.

All 3 pics might stand a some more small radius sharpening and local contrast enhancement at their bigger size.

I hope that doesn't come across too critical, and bear in mind these are just my personal views.

Never-the-less, I hope it helps,

[Azz252]

Dave

Thanks for the comments, i like criticism, i'm more than aware i have a long way to go and this can only help me improve which is what i'm here for.

All three of these are merged panorama's (hence the weird looking bridge in Sydney) from between 4 and 6 photographs.

I agree re the colours in the sunset one (2) the foreground should be darker. The castle on the left is also out of focus but i can re-take this easily as its just down the road.

Third one i'm still not sure of, i see what your saying with the blacks, i think the location has got more potential than the photograph gives the impression of. I'm still learning tho and appreciate your comments, i can go back here too

I'm not that up to speed with my PP techniques, i'll look into your suggestions.

Thanks again! Much appreciated.

[Azz252]

Didn't want to start another thread, any thoughts on the below? Still learning...

[Azz252]

Havent been on for a while, i found i was pile driving my head reading forums/photography websites so decided to just go out and take some photos and learn on my own once i understood the basics lol. Anyway these are just a few from the frozen country of Scotland. It's -8 just now. Nice.









Any comments appreciated, still learning

[Yan Zhang]

Hi ,

I am from Sydney, so I am quite familiar with viewpoint of your Sydney shot (the first photo), which is also a common angle for many people for this scene. I think this is a nice shot.

I just have two questions: is there any particular reason to take B&W instead of color for this? Usually at sunset time (or late afternoon) this will look quite nice. Another question: it is panorama form, was it just cropped from the normal landscape form or another way?

[Dave Humphries]

Didn't want to start another thread, any thoughts on the below? Still learning...

Hi Ron,

Looks like I missed this one back in July
So I'll start here.

The composition with the pillar/tower at the end of the jetty/sea wall on the right and a bit of sky to right of that doesn't work for me, my eyes follow the lines and fall off the edge of the picture. I find if I move the picture about on screen at its full size so the right hand edge of my screen forms a crop so no sky is visible to the right of the pillar/tower, it looks better. A crop there would work better in my opinion.

The foreground is very dark and overpowering, I'd definitely "lift" that if I were you.

Sharpening looks OK here, but I still think a local contrast enhancement could clarify the sky and distant shore line more.

Sorry I'm a bit late with this!

Cheers,

[Radu Dinu Cordeanu]

Hi,
If You have not variable density grey filters is regretable.If You have not a HDR software
is regretable too.These kind of static images give time to use them.
All the best.
Radu Dinu

[Dave Humphries]

Havent been on for a while, i found i was pile driving my head reading forums/photography websites so decided to just go out and take some photos and learn on my own once i understood the basics lol. Anyway these are just a few from the frozen country of Scotland. It's -8 just now. Nice.

Hi Ron,

I hope you still like constructive criticism
I feel you're nearly there, errors you make on some shots are not there on others, but the opposite applies, so each one has problems. I get the feeling that soon it will all sorta drop into place and you'll be producing good pics far more often, so please don't lose heart when reading the following critiques.

I think you might benefit from looking at a few other's shots and describing to yourself, or even to us, what you do and don't like about them, what is it that makes a good shot work?

Then you should consider a mental checklist for both shooting and PP.

As I say, I think you're almost there (not that you're "bad" now of course).

No. 1 (above).
Technically this is quite reasonable, but I'm undecided what the subject is; sun(set) OR pier and bouy(?). My eye just hops from one to the other and back again

This is actually two pictures in one, and should be cropped to exclude either the left or the right, then reprocessed to make the best of what's in the image.

Moving on to No.2 (below)

Now, on this one, I do like the composition, and the differential focus of the two subjects, but it is spoiled by the 2 nearest bits of long, yellowed grass; they definitely should have been physically removed before taking the shot in my view, or cloned out in PP. Otherwise a good one.

No.3:

Three things; it's not level, your shadow distracts, and this is mainly because there is no obvious subject. Now that should probably be the wave in the distance, which you have nicely timed, but (again) the lack of Local Contrast Enhancement (LCE) to make that feature more prominent is (to me) a problem.

Winding up at No.4:

The composition of the distant mountain range is spot on (with this crop), unfortunately the shot should have been taken a moment or two earlier, when (I assume) the swan was a little further to the right of the image. I can't count the number of times I have produced similar pictures - I see a shot developing, but by the time I have composed and exposed, "the moment" (of optimum composition) has just passed it's peak.

How do I know this is a crop? - because you have an uncorrected vignette on the left hand side only. I am fairly certain you have lopped a bit of the RHS.

Overall I think you have the height f the swan in the image just right too.

If mine a I would also;
LCE the mountains a bit
Clone out the bright bird on left middle distance and some of the black blobs too
Correct the vignette problem

OK, I'm done I think.
PLEASE do not be dis-heartened, you are so nearly there Ron, and I recognise in your shots, a lot of the things I used to do wrong.

Hope that helps,

[Donald]

Ron

I'm still trying to work out the locations. Is that the Clyde coast you're on?

Anyway, good to see you posting again. I missed the July one too. Think I was on holiday then.

One of the great strengths of this site (I'm sure there are some others too) is the truly constructive nature of the comments you get, such as those above. As is alluded to by Dave, you do always ask yourself if the person posting really did mean C & C and, as a consequence, are they going to be deflated when good, constructive C & C is provided. So, on the basis that I think you did mean it and see the learning opportuntities it provides ......

Re #4 (The Swan) I agree with Dave's comments, other than "LCE the mountains a bit". I like them as they are. Re the positioning of the swan in the frame, I think I would have tried to get the bottom of the 'V' (at the transition point of body and neck), in the centre rather than the fullest part of the body. And whilst Dave refers to 'the moment', I think you've got that insofar as the shape made by the position in which the bird has its neck and head, is concerned. The shape that this makes when you look at the bird and its reflection, is brilliant. It's about the position of all that in the frame.

I think Dave has it spot on re the other images in the set.

I am the living proof that it does all click into place (at least so far as the understanding is concerned). Putting it all into practice - Now that's a different discussion altogether!!

[Azz252]

Thanks to all for the C&C, it's very much appreciated, better still that they were things i was thinking about anyway but not 100% what to do about them. I have to agree the site is excellent for feedback and it's much appreciated. I'll be honest i'm not too fussed re post processing, i'd rather take the correct picture first time than spend ages in photoshop but guess i'll may have to pick it up eventually lol

Dave regarding your comments...

I agree with 1) and the distracting composition. I can't tell either, it's kind of a nice photo to me anyway, this is 3 images i took blended together. Was tired of carrying about an SLR all the time and my old compact broke, so i got an LX3 over Christmas, went for a walk one day and saw the sunsetting and the frosty pier. Anyway i also like it as it's local but as a "photograph" i agree it needs trimmed, i did a quick one as per below?



2) I saw the grass after as well, again i couldn't be bothered to clone it. It was a quick shot i saw with the marker and Turnberry lighthouse in the background plus it was a cold windy day. Supposedly any golfer would know where it is - i shot it at f3.5 i think and kinda wish the lighthouse was a wee bit more in focus - perhaps f8 would be better, i like it tho.

3) Yeah not sure about this one. The water was frozen hence no waves and Arran is in the background but it's 6 exposures blended but you can't really see it properly. More of an experiment shall we say, i did try to clone out the shadow but gave up lol and yeah - no real subject. Except a big blob of frozen water. Which is nice if you're into that kind of thing.

4) Yes it's a crop, i have a Canon 18-200 and at 200 vignetting is a problem so i try to avoid shooting that long but sometimes it looks ok strangely enough depending on the shots. I didn't really think about the composition enough when i saw it, more watching the swan more than the whole picture i think but agree completely re the PP. I need to spend more time with it.

Thanks again for the comments, Donald completely agree with you too.

Cheers