Some shots while traveling, C&C please

[abhi]

#1 The cottage in the field


#2 To the foothills


#3

[LeoLeo]

Abhi,

I'm suffering from the same problem ( or almost..). I see some beautifull lanscapes, but my captured images are not transferring those feelings to others ( In my case I'm shooting boring pictures...)

Comming back to your pictures, #1 and #3 have 2 problems ( in my opinion, but don't take it to serious )
1. Lack of people / animals ... something alive there.
2. Angle of view. I know, those pictures were made from a moving train, but a higher point of view will draw better the pattern and shapes of working fields. Also rail tracks should not be there.

#2 .. A corect snapshot ?

Anyway, as Colin said...go out and take more pictures
I hope my comments helped you somehow, and not ruined your feelings

Leo

[abhi]

Abhi,

I'm suffering from the same problem ( or almost..). I see some beautifull lanscapes, but my captured images are not transferring those feelings to others ( In my case I'm shooting boring pictures...)

I suffer chronically from the issue of taking completely uninspiring photos . But, that does not stop me from taking more pictures, and trying to correct my mistakes Every once in a while by the law of averages I come up with something that others like

Comming back to your pictures, #1 and #3 have 2 problems ( in my opinion, but don't take it to serious )
1. Lack of people / animals ... something alive there.
2. Angle of view. I know, those pictures were made from a moving train, but a higher point of view will draw better the pattern and shapes of working fields. Also rail tracks should not be there.

I agree, the higher viewpoint or probably even a closer zoom on my part would have helped bring out the pattern in the working fields. But, I wanted the rail tracks in the photo for personal reasons. I guess they remind me to take pleasure in every passing moment. I personally find them to be less distracting in #1 than in #3. I might crop them out later when I feel differently about them.

#2 .. A corect snapshot ?

I think I like this one just because I was leaning out of a moving train to take this photo Got me in trouble with my wife later

I hope my comments helped you somehow, and not ruined your feelings

All comments help, and it takes a lot more to ruin my feelings. So, don't hold anything back

Thank you again, Leo.

--
Abhi

[Shadowman]

With shot #2, try putting someone else within the frame or turn the camera towards yourself, make sure you are holding the wrist straps securely though, and capture the wind blowing through your hair.

For photos #1 and 3, if you are trying to capture the beauty of the mountains then just zoom in, otherwise look for something interesting in the field, you may only have a few seconds to compose the shot though.

[abhi]

With shot #2, try putting someone else within the frame or turn the camera towards yourself, make sure you are holding the wrist straps securely though, and capture the wind blowing through your hair.

Interesting suggestion, John. I will try that next time I can

For photos #1 and 3, if you are trying to capture the beauty of the mountains then just zoom in, otherwise look for something interesting in the field, you may only have a few seconds to compose the shot though.

In #1 I like the little cottage in the field to be the point of focus. There's a path leading up to it, and the line of trees from the left as well as the road in the background. I wonder if a selective color treatment might work better to bring that out. As is, it is probably a little too small to be catch the eye.

in #3 I like the pattern in the field, but I think a higher point of view is desirable as pointed out by Leo.

Thank you for the feedback.

[rpcrowe]

Abhi...

I can relate to your being fond or some images for purely personal reasons (such as the tracks).

I have kept and I like several images because they remind me of things which I enjoy remembering. As an example, here is a picture of my father while he was in the Navy aboard the Battleship USS Texas. It is nothing but a snapshot and not a particularly good one at that but, I would not trade it for the best image I have ever shot...

[abhi]

Abhi...

I can relate to your being fond or some images for purely personal reasons (such as the tracks).

Thanks, Richard, for understanding. I am sure that all of us have similar images. I need to get better at sorting out the ones which may be interesting to others and others that might not.

[FrankMi]

Although I am no expert, I feel the issue may be lack of a clearly defined subject. In the case of landscapes, I try to follow my version of the Rule of Thirds. Put something interesting in the middle third of the image, put something interesting in the top third of the image, and put something interesting in the bottom third of the image. In these shots that might mean in the top, an interesting cloud pattern (or a flock of birds, church steeple, etc.), in the middle, a more defined subject (like a prominent structure, hill, tree, house or animal), and in the foreground, perhaps something on or close to the tracks (like a boy with a fishing pole, a railroad hand car, or, as in the second shot, railroad ties). Having said that, you will still want to make clear what is the main subject and what 'interesting' items support the main subject.

For example, something like this...



In this shot the Firehole River is the subject and the other objects of interest support it.

[abhi]

Although I am no expert, I feel the issue may be lack of a clearly defined subject. In the case of landscapes, I try to follow my version of the Rule of Thirds. Put something interesting in the middle third of the image, put something interesting in the top third of the image, and put something interesting in the bottom third of the image.

For example, something like this...



In this shot the Firehole River is the subject and the other objects of interest support it.

That is a indeed beautiful image, Frank. The zigzag pattern formed by the log, river and the mountains really add to the impact. As for my photos, I think that you are right in that they really lack something interesting in the middle third, atleast #1 and #3. I am unable to think of #2 in terms of the rule of thirds.

After following the discussion, #1, I feel suffers from the main subject (the cottage for me) being too small and not standing out. I will probably try a selective color treatment, though I am not sure if that can save the image.

#3, has a nice converging pattern on the field, but it leads to nowhere. It is missing that prominent object in the middle third again. It will also be helped by a higher viewpoint probably, as pointed out by Leo earlier.

In both of these, I personally like the tracks as the bottom third; Not because they support the main subject, but because they show the sense of movement away from main subject the contrast of today's fast paced life with the still subjects. Though, if I get a chance again, I will align the tracks in #3 at a slight angle

[Radu Dinu Cordeanu]

Hi,
For me,is very hard to take a decision in a fraction of a second so I don't give You any lesson.The third has potential not much but enough....

[rpcrowe]

I tend not to get images which I like very much when I am shooting from a moving vehicle such as a car or a train. First, I don't have the time to compose my shots because the scene is passed so quickly. Secondly, I won't use a longer lens because the motion of moving vehicle (both the speed and the bumping along road or tracks) will result in an unsharp image.

However, if you were walking along the tracks and had the chance to use a longer lens, you could have cropped in-camera to make the hut a more significant part of your image.

The trail approaching the hut is a natural leading line to draw interest to the hut. The hills in the background are also more significant. I cropped this portion out of your image. Obviously, cropping this radically results in an image that is quite pixelated but, perhaps you can imagine the results if you were able to shoot with a longer focal length.



I shot the majority of the images of Yosemite National Park in California with either a 24-70mm f/2.8L or a 70-200mm f/4L IS lens on 1.6x cameras. Of course Yosemite is a spectacular location but, shooting with a longer focal length lens serves to accentuate the scenery...

http://rpcrowe.smugmug.com/Other/Yos...76105480_znpKf

[abhi]

Hi,
For me,is very hard to take a decision in a fraction of a second so I don't give You any lesson.The third has potential not much but enough....

Very interesting, Radu. Did you use motion blur filter in PS to achieve this?

[abhi]

http://rpcrowe.smugmug.com/Other/Yosemite-National-Park/12270384_wRjTD#876105480_znpKf[/url]

Thanks for the tip, Richard. I learnt this lesson last month as well, when I did not take my telephoto to the beach, and there were too far to be included in the foreground, and not close enough for me to walk to before the sunrise would have been over Nice to have some reinforcement

PS: Those are some great shots from Yosemite.

[Shambhala]

abhi .. I love your sense of humour

[Radu Dinu Cordeanu]

Very interesting, Radu. Did you use motion blur filter in PS to achieve this?

Yes,because You,probably,was in a moving train.This filter was applied differentially with lasso tool.As you saw(I hope) I changed the geographic area...somewhat towards tundra with layers,free transform and changing the blending mode.Much easier to do then to explain,around 15 min.To think how the image must show took more time

[abhi]

Yes,because You,probably,was in a moving train.This filter was applied differentially with lasso tool.As you saw(I hope) I changed the geographic area...somewhat towards tundra with layers,free transform and changing the blending mode.Much easier to do then to explain,around 15 min.To think how the image must show took more time

Thanks for explaining your process. I could not have thought of so much myself (both in terms of the look of the image or how to achieve it)