Why I can't shoot good sharp high quality photos?

[Meisam]

That was my point Meisam - having a large area with limited or no shadow detail that takes up 1/2 to 1/3 of your image is usually not considered to be a good composition. Take a look at the examples that you have posted as shots you were trying to emulate; while some of them are dark, the areas that are missing shadow detail are small to non-exisitant.

Do you mean I should use less dark area to have better composition? like this one:

[Manfred M]

I still find the black distracting. The viewer's eyes tend to be drawn to very bright or very dark areas of the image, or places with high contrast. The first thing I see when I look at the picture is the large dark band ant the bottom of the image. I don't think that this is your intent.

[Susana]

When I first started using my Canon (just a 1000D) I was bitterly disappointed with the pictures I was getting as the real subject of them was in soft focus whereas other areas were sharp. Then I noticed where the camera was focusing and altered it to be in the centre and everything started to come right. ...
One of these days you will say WOW though and that's a day worth working towards.

I wholeheartedly agree with this, and wanted to say that aside from all the technical advice given to you here in this thread, which is great, the most important is that comparing your work to photographers who are many miles ahead of you is good for incentive, but it's also important to compare your work, as it progresses, to your own previous work and then you WILL see an improvement - especially when you have that attitude of wanting to improve and being completely aware of what you're doing. I know so many people who were taking snapshots five years ago and are still taking hundreds of snapshots now and nothing is changing or clicking for them. You, on the other hand, WILL have that day when you'll be amazed at the photographs you are making, because you want it and are actively pursuing it. Time, experience, practice and in-depth knowledge of your equipment will get you there. It can be so frustrating though. I sometimes hate looking at someone else's amazing work because it makes me feel so inferior, but most of the time I love it and it motivates me to improve.

Best,

Susana

[Colin Southern]

I still find the black distracting. The viewer's eyes tend to be drawn to very bright or very dark areas of the image, or places with high contrast. The first thing I see when I look at the picture is the large dark band ant the bottom of the image. I don't think that this is your intent.

I agree. I think that with shots like this it's important to reveal SOME detail. Had something similar a while ago ...



On a correctly profiled monitor one will be able to see a modest amount of detail at the bottom which - in my opinion - makes all the difference.

[Meisam]

Thanks Susana, I agree with you and I have some goals to achieve.

Colin thanks for your help and thank you GrumpyDiver, I don't like black areas in photos I just thought maybe it helps viewer but you are totally right!

[Manfred M]

I don't like black areas in photos I just thought maybe it helps viewer but you are totally right!

I guess the question you should ask yourself is that if you don't like something, why would you assume that someone else would like it. I think you should trust your instincts here; I find that if I see something that my eyes jump to in an image and if it isn't the subject then it is a problem that needs to be addressed.

[Meisam]

IMG_2360 by Meisam Tj., on Flickr

[stelin]

IMG_2360 by Meisam Tj., on Flickr

Now that is NICE

[Polar01]

Meisam: it has another world feel to it, nice.

Cheers:

Allan

[Manfred M]

IMG_2360 by Meisam Tj., on Flickr

This is much better; you've brought back the shadow detail.

[Cantab]

IMG_2360 by Meisam Tj., on Flickr

I like this version.

[jcuknz]

[QUOTE=Meisam;252042]Do you mean I should use less dark area to have better composition? like this one:

I don't find the black base too strong but do suggest that you reverse the image to conform with the principle that light colours permit the eye to escape the image and the dark cloud currently on the left would be better on the right hand side to act as a block and hold attention within the photo.

For an audience who read right to left this would presumably not be needed

[Meisam]

There is a photo someone asked me to edit, it is JPEG and has Exposure and Composition problem,



This is what I did to edit, how can I improve it more?!

[Colin Southern]

I'd darken the foreground considerably -- as it stands it doesn't look believable because it's far brighter than one would expect when looking into the light.

[Traveller46]

Forgive me if I am totally way out the box on this one. I have read most of the posts and as a newbie to the art I have picked up quite a lot about how to get good images, thanks to all. The thing for me, and I have to ask, is Meisam, do you wear glasses? The reason I ask is that the gear you have is similar to mine and I get reasonable pictures. For the amount of out of focus images you have posted it may be simply your eyes need testing.
Cheers
William -www.flickr.com/photos/traveller46

[Meisam]

Forgive me if I am totally way out the box on this one. I have read most of the posts and as a newbie to the art I have picked up quite a lot about how to get good images, thanks to all. The thing for me, and I have to ask, is Meisam, do you wear glasses? The reason I ask is that the gear you have is similar to mine and I get reasonable pictures. For the amount of out of focus images you have posted it may be simply your eyes need testing.
Cheers
William -www.flickr.com/photos/traveller46

Hi William
Yes I do, maybe next time I will consider this, I don't use glasses when I take photos, should I do this?!

About cowboy () the photographer told me he wants to make this shot like Cowboy's shot. What does it mean? What should do to make a shot as cowboy shots?! :-/

[jcuknz]

To me the adjustment makes it a horribly soft image.... not sure what if anything is wrong with the composition. The basic photo is two sharply defined areas and the man helps to hold them together. What could have been a good idea would have been a fill flash at perhaps two stops under to lighten the man while keeping the ground dark. It is possible to make the adjustment in editing, done quickly and roughly here to show what I think Colin and I mean. I am sure the horizon is dropping off to the left.

The curves tool to achieve this is a sweeping 's' with the centre locked and bottom to the left and top slightly to the right. Then painted away where the ground is.

[Dave Humphries]

I don't use glasses when I take photos, should I do this?!

It sorta depends what is wrong with your eyes.

Simple focus problems on far on near things can usually be corrected by adjusting the V/F diopter adjustment wheel - spin it back and forth until the grid lines, focus points and readouts are sharp, which should then coincide with the optical image focused through the lens (when it is focused correctly).

However, my eyes have a fair amount of astigmatism (where horizontal and verticals elements don't focus at the same time), and the dioptre adjustment won't handle that, so I look through my glasses when I use the DSLR V/F, but then I need them for distance anyway, so they're already on my face
I still need to be sure the dioptre adjustment hasn't accidentally been changed though.

I believe you can get your spectacle 'prescription' made into an eye piece lens for many cameras, which may avoid the need to wear them, I can imagine this might be useful for some; astigmat, short sighted people, who won't normally be wearing glasses if not reading.

Regarding the cowboy picture, you need to combine the processed sky with the unprocessed foreground and cowboy, but you must avoid a halo around him.

Cheers,

[ajohnw]

IMG_2360 by Meisam Tj., on Flickr

I think I would bring out the for ground a little more Meisam. Just enough to show a little shadowy detail.. If you have exposed for the sky you should be able to bring it out. :-) Try that on an Olympus Pen and the shadows are really compressed but it's possible to bring detail out of even a jpg eg A lot more than you might use but I have just quickly brightened up 2 areas. The larger one was contrast adjusted and sharpened and a small selection made in it and brightened some more.. There was a lot of shadow in the shot. Far more than a camera could show without processing. Some more would be available from raw. Not as much as some would think however. Pen's severely compress the dark tones other cameras will vary but they all do the same thing.




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[Meisam]

This is one of quality I like to learn.
The subject is so sharp, and brighter than background.

more: http://www.joeyl.com/