Good, Bad , Why did you bother?? comments please

[KennyF]

I would really like your comments on this photo I took it with a Nikon D3100 at 1/100 and F9.0 I have cropped it to increase the way the image flows and to re position the group of trees and tractor tire marks for better composition (I think)

I loved the way the exposure worked, the evening wasn't far from this light anyway which is why I took the shot. The sun was just coming out from the clouds. I did have an orange filter mounted at some point in the sequence of shots but really cant remember if it was still mounted for this one I am sure it was though looking at the tinge in the sky.



Any comments about how to improve it?
I don't think I'm great at composition yet,
Kenny

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Kenny,

The composition works for me, so don't knock yourself so much

However, I think there is something 'not right' about it, but unfortunately, since it was hosted at CiC at 700 x 501px and not Tinypic at 1400 x 1002px, I can't be sure.

It just isn't as sharp as I'd like, so I wonder what you focused on?

Can I also ask, are you shooting jpg or RAW?

Welcome to the CiC forums from ....

[Geoff F]

I think you are being a bit hopeful in attempting to capture that scene in just one shot, Kenny.

There is just too much tonal range. Your highlights are slightly blown while the foreground is rather dark. A suitable image for a bit of subtle HDR?

Anyway, I've had a quick edit but it probably needs starting with the original full size image.



Possibly a little Local Contrast Enhancement or similar adjustment would increase contrast but I thought that would probably encounter 'noise' problems particularly with the darker clouds.

[Pentaxopithecus]

I would really like your comments on this photo I took it with a Nikon D3100 at 1/100 and F9.0 I have cropped it to increase the way the image flows and to re position the group of trees and tractor tire marks for better composition (I think)

I loved the way the exposure worked, the evening wasn't far from this light anyway which is why I took the shot. The sun was just coming out from the clouds. I did have an orange filter mounted at some point in the sequence of shots but really cant remember if it was still mounted for this one I am sure it was though looking at the tinge in the sky.



Any comments about how to improve it?
I don't think I'm great at composition yet,
Kenny

You know what dude...I personally like it. It's offering me a fleeting moment of visual warmth in an otherwise bleak landscape. True, you could have gotten away with stooping slightly lower and pulling back a little to show us more of those tyre tracks leading us into that cold looking field and yeah, the highlights are a little blown...but you obviously have an eye for the 'moment that's in it' (as the Irish would say)

[pnodrog]

The uninteresting gap between the landscape and the bright clouds in the sky seems to fragment the scene a bit. I have had a quick go at shifting it all around a bit in an effort to get a better link between the two. Also added some local contrast enhancement on the fields to try and accentuate the lighting and compensate for the moved sky. The photograph is certainly worthy of working on.

[KennyF]

Hi All

thanks everyone, I am fairly new to the idea of SLR photography having played with a compact flash for a few years and then decided to have a go at getting a wee bit more technical.
I really appreciate the comments, At the moment I do very little post production stuff such as L.Paul suggested and showed me and I like the change in local contrast from Geoff. Bob I was pretty elevated as I was standing on the bank at the edge of the garden at the time. It really would have been a case of getting "down and dirty" in that particular field but I see your point quite well The original had more foreground and I lost some of the tire marks in the crop but wanted to keep the sky without loosing the picture size ratio.
Thanks to all for taking the time to reply. I feel more confident and have a few ideas of where I might want to concentrate next: lighting and a bit of post prod knowledge.
Kenny

[Pentaxopithecus]

Wow...lightening sounds pretty good. As for down and dirty, I know what you're saying. Cold, wet and mud plastered knees ain't exactly high on any list of photographic requirements!

Keep your eye keen, and your lens clean.

Bob.

[Downrigger]

Interesting edits, all of them, but the potential for benefit from lightening the foreground (Geoff’s) is what struck me as a key step. And “blown” sometimes just seems to belong notwithstanding the technical. But, mainly, credits to the photographer for seeing that there was something notable in that moment.