Summer showers

[veloman]

Taken after a sudden shower in Exeter.

Arwyn

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Arwyn,

Firstly welcome to CiC.

In my opinion, this is a good idea, but reality has gone and spoilt it in places. Although 'spoilt' is too strong a word, I still like the picture and wish I saw these compositions happening in front of me.

I'm just going to list a few things that could be dealt with either as PP or as things to consider 'next time', some you may disagree with, heck some I may disagree with if I saw them - the ones I'm not sure about have an asterisk (*).
a) The window return at extreme right of frame is leaning slightly
b) The top of the lamp is cut/cropped off, might be better to see all of it?*
c) The two drain covers are a little too overpowering, toning down would help
d) The first drain cover is cut through by edge of frame, might be better to see all of it?*
e) Shame about the rubbish bags, could cloned out*, but I think something, or someone, needs to be there
f) I think I'd like to see slightly more highlight detail in the white building on the far distance on left
g) I'd like to see some detail in the wall on the right, the blacks are crushed

On the last two points, since the original was jpg, you probably can't improve on these - your Panasonic DMC-FX50 doesn't (from reviews I found) appear to be able to shoot RAW.

I would stress many of these are relatively minor points, and as noted, others are beyond your control, so don't get despondent.

I think the composition really works and I like the strong lead-in from the gutter grid (assuming that's what it is) to the women and beyond. One advantage of the small sensor camera is the depth of field you've got from f2.8 here.

Well done and hope to see more from you soon.
If you get a chance, please do drop by Intro thread (in Common Room forum) and tell us a bit about yourself.

Anyway, I hope that detailed critique is helpful rather than discouraging and do come back if you have any queries about what I have said.

Best regards,

[veloman]

Thanks for your detailed critique Dave ,I've hoisted on board all your points .The picture attracted me because of the strong contrast between the dark alleyway and the brilliant sun washed building ,it really was a 'snap' taken on the spur of the moment.


Arwyn

PS.I don't ,as yet, possess a PP program of any quality so the 'tweaking' is minimal and basic.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Arwyn,

That's a tricky thing to capture at the best of times, especially with a smaller sensor camera, you did well.

I see your new avatar confirms a theory I held based upon your username, you must be what I'd call 'a serious cyclist' if you frequent velodromes. (Not that I ever have)

I did some road race coverage with a camera not unlike yours in 2008 here (that's a 190 second slideshow of 33 pics). Not been back this year too busy.

Cheers,

[Radu Dinu Cordeanu]

Hi,
HDRI is the solution for this kind of shots.And for many others.
Radu Dinu

[Dave Humphries]

Whilst you might be technically correct Radu Dinu, it won't work to well for Arwyn who is new to photography, has no PP software and when you cannot, as in this case, get all the people to stand still while you take 3 or more bracketed exposure shots with a tripod in a busy, narrow alley. If only life were so simple.

[Colin Southern]

This is the kind of shot that I would shoot RAW - and then add a truckload of fill light (or get someone else to do it for you).

HDR is a possibility for these kinds of shots because there's no movement between the bright and dark areas (the people are more or less fully contained within the dark region - but it would require some careful masking.

[Radu Dinu Cordeanu]

Hi
Dear Dave,I never criticized someone,I only try to help told about something I did,not I read only.On HDR topic I told monthes ago about pseudo HDR for photographers without special soft.
The shot below is a HDRI from 5 shots without tripod from hand only.
Thank You.
Radu Dinu

[Dave Humphries]

I never criticized someone,I only try to help told about something I did,not I read only.On HDR topic I told monthes ago about pseudo HDR for photographers without special soft.
The shot below is a HDRI from 5 shots without tripod from hand only.
Thank You.

Hi Radu Dinu,

I fully appreciate you were not criticising and were trying to help.
However, your response was so short that not even I understood what you were suggesting, and I feared that was completely inappropriate for Arwyn.
However, it seems it could be useful if Arwyn if he is willing to change his post processing in order to get a better result.

I apologise if I was a little abrupt in my response.

Regards,

[veloman]

I do appreciate all the technical imput that my picture has generated,but I feel a little like the visitor to Ireland who asked an old gent' the way to Dublin, who answered "Ah it's Dublin your going to Sor,Well,if I was you I would'nt be starting from here Sor!!

Arwyn

[Radu Dinu Cordeanu]

Dave,if nobody tells to a beginner the road, the beginner remains beginner.Of course steps
are linked of money, knowledge/informations, good taste and so on.All would have been educatad,less money.
Thank You.
Radu Dinu

PS:In art fields I am an all time beginner,because what I like now,yesterday I did not or tomorrow I shell do not.That may be evolution or involution nobody could define.So always on this forum I speak from beginner point of view.
Towards a good understanding,Radu Dinu.

[Dave Humphries]

I feel a little like the visitor to Ireland who asked an old gent' the way to Dublin, who answered "Ah it's Dublin your going to Sor,Well,if I was you I would'nt be starting from here Sor!!

My apologies Arwyn,

I hope my original reply was helpful. Since then we seem to have got a bit involved in technologies and techniques you don't have access to. Furthermore, I, having read your intro post, appreciate you are unlikely to want to follow up on these, although there's no harm in mentioning them.

For a compact camera using only jpg images, this particular scene was technically quite challenging for the DMC-FX150, but the metering seems to have done a pretty good job and the result is perfectly acceptable.

Cheers,