A walk in Heraklio port - feedback needed

[MilT0s]

Hello everyone.

I considere myshelf a new photographer still learning althought I shoot for many years now. I really admire many photographs you upload here and I hope to reach that level at some point of my life.

I recently went for a walk in the port of Heraklio (Heraklio is the major city of Crete and Crete is the biggest island of Greece). For the first time in my life I felt I am going somewhere althought the quality of my photographs is not as I would like to. That's why I could be grateful if you could provide some feedback on all issues (composition, technical issues, post production).

I have uploaded my photographs here. Here are few of them:

[Donald]

Miltos

I hope people will provide you with feedback on your images. However, in order to do so, it would be much better if we could see the images in the post and not just see the links the site on which they are hosted. In order to achieve this, please do read this message - HELP THREAD: How can I post images here?

Also, you listed 13 images in your post above. I would suggest that this is far too many to include in one post. Peopel cannot give detailed comment and criticism on 13 images. If you wish to include more than one image, I would recommend restricting that to two or three. That then allows people to give some more consideration to those images, rather than being presented with a list of 13.

[MilT0s]

Thank you for the advice Donald.

I should have used the "preview" button before the "submit"!

[Geoff F]

So here are my thoughts on the images which are visible here.

With the first one, I feel that you have focused on the less interesting items, on the left side which has resulted in the potentially good shot of the rusty anchor hanging in the water being a bit soft. And I would like to see it hanging vertically. At the moment, it is defying gravity.

With the second shot, you have the tap and drip tray in sharp focus but I find that large area which is out of focus distracting. Particularly as it includes a bright yellow gas bottle. I would crop it, probably around 4 x 5 ratio and lose most of the left side.

I wonder if the grab is a little too dark. And there is nothing there to give an easy indication of scale. If that is a tractor tyre lying half hidden in the background, then it is truly a massive piece of equipment. For me, this image has great potential if you can improve the contrast slightly. But this may need some selective adjustment (eg adjustment layer and mask).

The last one works fine. A nice action shot.

[MilT0s]

Hello Geoff.

Thank you VERY much for your thoughts and time spend for my images. I really appreciate it.

It look like you have a different approach than mine. That 's exactly what I was looking forward to!

For the first one I have an similar one (end of message) that does not defy the laws of physics. Hope you find that better. My intent there was to highlight the contrast of the rusty anchor very the tirquoise see water.

For the second actually I included the out of focus yellow bottle in purpose to make this three colours triangle (blue wall-red floor-yellow bottle) while keeping the focus on the rusty texture of the tap. But in your eyes this combination is confusing.

For the third I needed a sense of mystery. Actually the background was really bright so I needed heavy vignetting to keep the grab the center of interest. And yes this thing is huge as the tyre in the background is a big tractor tyre. I will probably give another PP try.

Once again thanks!

[enaiman]

The 3rd image is definitely a keeper for me, the vignietting works and put in focus that giant claw.

About the anchor - not in my favourite list at all and the last shot you posted makes me wonder if I am seeing an anchor or a giant **** coming out of the water - sorry, couldn't help myself about that

Keep them coming

[MilT0s]

About the anchor - not in my favourite list at all and the last shot you posted makes me wonder if I am seeing an anchor or a giant **** coming out of the water - sorry, couldn't help myself about that

Keep them coming

UUppppsssss!!....

Didn't see it that way. Now it 's obvious!

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Miltos,

I have read your posts, but not Geoff's reply yet, so as not to be 'influenced' by his thoughts, just because I think it'll help you to have another 'independent' review and I'd like to compare what I come up with what Geoff does (or has).

I am torn between two images as my favourites; the 'grabber' and the people shots, both of which I think are very good for completely different reasons, but taking them in turn...

#1 (tyre and anchor) I find the fact there are two things in shot leaves me undecided which is supposed to be the subject, although - the opposing curves are quite nice, unfortunately, the focused wire rope holding the tyre takes my eye away from that and out of the top of frame. Exposure and white balance are good.

#2 (tap and gas cylinder) same problem for me, two subjects - or one subject and one big, bright distraction in the background, but that was also obviously composed as a part of the image, plus the bit of pipe on left could/should be cloned out.
I think there is a picture here, but I would (assuming possible) have got down lower and tried to shoot just the tap, or tap and basin, against the side of the blue tank alone, excluding deck and what's under the tank.

#3 (grabber) this is a very nicely processed mono, good exposure, lighting and vignetting, no confusion over the subject here

#4 (people) I like the arrangement of three people coming towards us and three couples going away. Additionally the concentration on the lead biker's face and the angle of the bike all give the scene some action. If I have one suggestion, it would be to clone out the inexplicable heads visible above the steps on the top of the harbour wall.

Now I'm going to read Geoff's reply and yours to his

Hope that helps,

[Dave Humphries]

Hi again Miltos,

I did briefly comprehend your inclusion of the bold colours in the tap and cylinder shot, this occured to me when I suggested shooting lower (oh, he'll lose the deck colour doing that, but "hey ho"). I still feel the shot is just too cluttered to pull it off, perhaps it might work with some extensive cloning to simplify?

I think the second anchor shot better conveys the colour contrast idea - I have fond memories of the colour of the "the Med" from trips that way (Italy and Capri) when much younger.

Cheers,

[MilT0s]

Dave thanks a tone!

I am glad you mentioned cloning for the BW one. I was consideting that from the begining but I was hesitating for "ethical" reasons... Here is the new version:



My triangle goal between the bicycle and the three couples on the top is now more clear.

As for the tap-gas I tried two things. Totally cropping the gas:


and trying to reduce the impact of the yellow gas cylinder:




I tend to prefer the last one.

[Szczur]

I love the claw. That is really nicely done. Contrast and focus are spot on. Well done.
The people shot looks much better after the cloning work and I think I would be happy to keep that as it is, if it were mine. Nice work.

By the way, I've been to Crete a couple of times and I love Heraklion, I'd like to see more of these.

[MilT0s]

Thank you for your comments Matt.

The whole set can be found here.

[Gene Bjerke]

Miltos,

Just to confuse things more, I like the first shot of the anchor better than the second. The fact that it seems to be hanging at an angle doesn't bother me. I assume that the side of the ship is not vertical, so the anchor not being vertical is not a problem for me. To my eye the second anchor shot, which is much tighter is just a shot of an old anchor, while the first one has more the sense of it being associated with a boat.

I can see what you were getting at with the yellow gas can and the sink. If the gas can were in focus it would look more like you included it on purpose.

I like the redo of the people better.

Gene

[Szczur]

Looking at the whole set, I can honestly say that my favourites are:
8 of 80 - crane - this might be nice in HDR. Heavy machinery works well that way.
30 of 80 - tyre and rope - I like this just as it is.
43 of 80 - umm... I don't know what this is but.... I'd increase the saturation and sharpness a little on the object in the foreground and then add a little extra Gaussian blur to the rest to help reduce the distraction from the ship in the background.
44 of 80 - caterpillar tracks?? - again, I think this would lend itself nicely to HDR.
53 of 80 - claw - that claw looks fabulous in black and white in image 54, I think I'd try this one in b&w too.
60 of 80 - rope - crop closer around the rope and make sure it's sharp. This might work well in b&w with lots of contrast.

I don't care for:
38 of 80 - pulleys - I think this needs to be cropped much closer or else re-shot from much closer to the pulley in the foreground to pick up the detail in the rope. Those other bits and pieces in the background are too distracting and need to go.
54 of 80 - too much going on. Bright red drum? bleh.

The rest I can't comment on one way or the other.

I think you have some very nice photos in that set. certainly I think you have some nice material from which you could make some very lovely images. The six I picked on as my favourites all have real potential, in my opinion. If I were you, I think I'd go back there and get some extra shots of those items, especially if you plan to tinker with HDR.

I'd love to see some new versions of these.

Keep up the good work.