Photography critique thread

[nath_mk6]

So not wanting to clog up the Artistic thread with dodgy photos, I though I better create a new thread where people, starting with me, can post shots they've taken for critique form the more experienced shutter bugs here.

Please only constructive criticism, if you don't like a photo for whatever reason don't just say hate it, explain to the author what you dont like and how they may be able to improve it, this is about helping people grow their skills in photography and using the vast levels of experience here in both shooting and editing photos, something pretty unique in a car forum.

[nath_mk6]

So my first photo is as follows.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2763/4453135989_189753ea23_b.jpg

The editing isn't fantastic as its a mix of a number of layers that I was experimenting with, what I'm not happy with is the photo, to begin with it was in auto, so I need to learn how to use the camera's manual settings. My biggest problem is the framing, not sure if its good or bad, the location was alright, would've been better without the buildings in the middleground, so to capture the refineries rust and rawness. Any suggestions as to how this photo could've been better? I think the wheel should have been straight to begin with...

[schoona]

I'm not a "shutter bug", but learning off a mate all the same. I actually like it with the exception of the darkness in the foreground, particularly bottom right corner. Other than that I like the photo and what you did there :)

[burgs]

I think you are heading in the right direction, i am by no means an expert but i would have positioned the car on either the grass or the concrete, with the wheel being straight or only slightly angled. Framing i would have centered the car more or extended the frame on the right out further if you wanted capture more of the background.

If had a very quick play on photoshop and this is what i would have done with the picture:
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/Burgs/VW%20GTI/4453135989_189753ea23_bEdited.jpg

[nath_mk6]

schoona: thanks, I was more concertrating on the sky to bring out the clouds, problem was it sort of killed the car, prob should try doing it in part, one for the upper layer and one for the car, might have another go at it.

burgs: yeah i was playing with the cropping of the image, the original actually has more background but i didnt like what was in it, I have another one which is a different perspective. Thanks for the comments, all food for thought, was a really quick pull over and shoot as I needed to get home.

originals are here.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2684/4453101695_0dbabba460.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4453875158_eda257f124.jpg

[burgs]

Ill throw one up, im not 100% happy with:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/Burgs/VW%20GTI/IMG_7694ED1SML.jpg

My main problem with this photo is the front of the car is over saturated (with the saturation turning the car from silver to a bluey colour) and the background being under saturated (with the blue in the sky being to light), for the pro's out there is it possible to reduce the saturation at the front of the picture and increase it in the background?

I have tried layering the photo and my hand isnt steady enough to cut the front of the photo out and adjust the saturations seperately.

I also think i need to bring out more detail and character out of the sandstone wall in the background wiith out boosting the highlights on the car anymore.

[10d]

Burgs, coming from old skool photography (aka films) the bluish cast on the car is a common problem when you take photo in the shade under bright daylight. Maybe try isolating the car and sky separately and adjust the colour temperature will work.
Not so much the saturation adjustment. My 2 cents.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4454335516_6cf96d15bf_o.jpg

[nath_mk6]

I see what you mean with the blue tinge and I think 10d is right you need to seperate the two elements which to me is easier said than done with the old mouse. I tried it with the edit i did to Cams pic the other day removing the car editing and then adding a filter over the top to link the two but it was pretty rough and inwasnt really happy with it.

That being said I like the shot you took, but agree with the frustration of trying to bring details out without mucking up the feature element of the photo. Trial and error I guess. Another positive thing is online the framing of the shot, think it's well proportioned and the angle is just enough to make it more interesting without detracting from the shot :)


Ill throw one up, im not 100% happy with:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/Burgs/VW%20GTI/IMG_7694ED1SML.jpg

My main problem with this photo is the front of the car is over saturated (with the saturation turning the car from silver to a bluey colour) and the background being under saturated (with the blue in the sky being to light), for the pro's out there is it possible to reduce the saturation at the front of the picture and increase it in the background?

I have tried layering the photo and my hand isnt steady enough to cut the front of the photo out and adjust the saturations seperately.

I also think i need to bring out more detail and character out of the sandstone wall in the background wiith out boosting the highlights on the car anymore.

[S&H]

So my first photo is as follows.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2763/4453135989_189753ea23_b.jpg

The editing isn't fantastic as its a mix of a number of layers that I was experimenting with, what I'm not happy with is the photo, to begin with it was in auto, so I need to learn how to use the camera's manual settings. My biggest problem is the framing, not sure if its good or bad, the location was alright, would've been better without the buildings in the middleground, so to capture the refineries rust and rawness. Any suggestions as to how this photo could've been better? I think the wheel should have been straight to begin with...

Just my 2cents...

1. Maybe it is my monitor but the pic looks underexposed.

2. The background is a bit busy and takes the attention of your audience away from your subject (i.e. your GTI). I would've chosen a different location to shoot.

3. The subject should fill more of the pic. It is currently dominated by the smoke stacks in the background and the sky. Move in closer.

4. Try shooting your subject from a lower angle (instead of eye level) to add a bit of "aggression" to your baby. Alternatively you could experiment with taking from a higher angle (by using a step ladder). This will add interest to your pic.

[nath_mk6]

Thanks S&H

[nath_mk6]

So been playing a little this afternoon, and its not really something that I would normally publish on the net as its a learning exercise and looks odd, but I couldnt get over how cool the background looked!! well i think so anyway, ignoring the black lines which were fence.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_DC20tvood7M/S6ha6jxGUKI/AAAAAAAAAaI/PMllhSGeYaE/s800/Experiment%202%20-%20interesting.jpg

[Justin Fox]

Looking pretty whack there Nath! Photoshop sure is fun isn't it? The possibilities are endless!

[burgs]

Burgs, coming from old skool photography (aka films) the bluish cast on the car is a common problem when you take photo in the shade under bright daylight. Maybe try isolating the car and sky separately and adjust the colour temperature will work.
Not so much the saturation adjustment. My 2 cents.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4454335516_6cf96d15bf_o.jpg
Cheers mate, thats good advice I will definately try that out :)

[nath_mk6]

So been playing with B&W and colour highlights today, slow lazy day at home, and came up with this, I realise with the two colour sets it breaks the eye line from one to the other, but what do people think?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2749/4489400042_3c2c3907ae_b.jpg

[Rayjuice]

mate good work looking bloody good....but for some reason it reminds me of maccus :D
might be curvy yellow lines none the less it looks great

[nath_mk6]

lol @ golden arches, hmm new maccas add?

[burgs]

I like the photo, the red high lights on the GTI stripes look great.

[nath_mk6]

funny this is burgs, the yellow was me, but the red is just the car itself with a slight increase in saturation, they pop without the red background, have to love the masks tool in PS >D

[burgs]

Will definately have to try it some time, i love the look :)

[Pharkus]

Ok here's a recent shot. Front wheel looks like it's flat due to the angle I'm. I just can't seem to get the composition right. Think that I may have taken with the car too low in the picture and it should be more to the middle. Thought this place would provide some interest with the container and fence in the back ground. You guys are just too artistic. Let me know how I can improve!

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/7844/img1211d.jpg

And yes don't get at me cos it's pretty dirty as well.

[nath_mk6]

Dirty? really where?

I'm no expert but to me I agree its a little too low, and maybe a little too close?

anyway good to see you're experimenting, all these great photographers inspire you to take great shots hey? >D

[Pharkus]

Dirty? really where?

Wheels as usual, paint also had a few bits of dirt etc on there. Also found a small scratch on passenger door handle (yes I can feel it with my fingernail) not much to do but touch up paint me thinks. Really looking forward to getting my tripod this week and going for a night shoot next weekend to experiment.

[burgs]

I like the composition of that photo, I would have cropped the photo a little and cut the cable and junction box off the photo in the top left hand side of the photo.

[nath_mk6]

So what do people think of this one?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2700/4492857484_5341e1705b_b.jpg

[S&H]

The concept is sound but it is a bit too dark. You need to illuminate the car a bit more to make it more interesting.


Try setting the camera to bulb and firing your flash at certain points on the car to illuminate a particular part of the vehicle.
Do several shots and layer them together so that you eliminate the source of the flash. Someone like John should be able to explain the photoshop side of things.

[nath_mk6]

Thanks for the tips, I'll work out what they mean soon ;)

Still working out how to use the standard flash, havent really looked all that hard as of yet. I will get there eventually >D

[S&H]

Thanks for the tips, I'll work out what they mean soon ;)

Still working out how to use the standard flash, havent really looked all that hard as of yet. I will get there eventually >D

The bulb setting holds open the shutter of the camera for as long as you have your finger on the shutter button for long exposures. Usually used with a cable release to avoid camera shake. You might want to set the aperture of the lens to a small opening.e.g f22-f11 and the ISO setting to the lowest possible.

Be careful that you don't leave the shutter open too long though as you run in to noise issues.
http://malektips.com/digital_photography_0039.html

[Ozram]

Love photography, just not very good at it. Also never seem to have the right location when I have the camera with me. Took this one a couple of years ago, late in the afternoon at Mudgee. My son, Alex gassed off a sandy berm and the roost was highlighted with the rays of sunshine coming through the trees. I love the mystical feel to this shot, with all the dust in the air looking like an early morning mist. My camera didn't appreciate it though, needed a thorough clean afterwards:rolleyes:

http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss36/Ozram57/IMG_2528.jpg

[S&H]

Love photography, just not very good at it. Also never seem to have the right location when I have the camera with me. Took this one a couple of years ago, late in the afternoon at Mudgee. My son, Alex gassed off a sandy berm and the roost was highlighted with the rays of sunshine coming through the trees. I love the mystical feel to this shot, with all the dust in the air looking like an early morning mist. My camera didn't appreciate it though, needed a thorough clean afterwards:rolleyes:

http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss36/Ozram57/IMG_2528.jpg

A beautiful and dramatic shot. The stark grey background helps your colourful subject stand out from the rest of the picture. The tree on the extreme right provides a convenient frame preventing your audience's attention from straying off the edge of the picture.

[nath_mk6]

That is a great shot >D

[Pharkus]

Ok. Organised the mini GTG a bit late for ppl and BigYellow had to abort as I didn't respond to an SMS. I still went down to test out the new tripod. Seems like you get some pretty good shots with longer exposures. Here's one, though probably not as great as Illektronic's (I didn't line it up perfectly).

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/9236/img1322au.jpg

Also tried a puddle reflection shot, alas we have water restrictions down here. Or rather the pipes weren't leaking enough.

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/3484/img1361a.jpg

[R32Perth]

Nice shots. Love the R in UG......

[nath_mk6]

they look good Pharkus >D

[benough]

Yo.

Looking for some advice about how to use Lightroom to get the colours right.

The first 2 shots are the same image but processed differently. I just can seem to find a good balance on the highlights i.e. the headlights, wheels.

The third shot I'm trying to get the colour to 'pop' w/out making it look overdone.

Cheers

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Zy7IpJIf9Bs/S8JfNATk-3I/AAAAAAAAAyQ/WvHlU885cMQ/s912/Quakers_Hill_B%26W_1.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Zy7IpJIf9Bs/S8JfzQQAQQI/AAAAAAAAAzE/O1ojieSGkPQ/s912/Quakers_Hill_B%26W_2.jpg

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Zy7IpJIf9Bs/S8Jf0GLLoQI/AAAAAAAAAzI/RRLtI80SrV4/s640/Quakers_Hill_Colour_1.jpg

[nath_mk6]

Took a shot today, and it was way over exposed as I didnt check the settings first, the image was almost completely white, I kept it though and after editing the exposure levels in PS this is what came out. I think it looks kind of like a drawing/sketch.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2784/4522909360_1be3d49812_b.jpg

[nath_mk6]

benough, Frenchie may be able to help he seems to know his way around Lightroom reasonable well.