How to improve these from being snapshots.

[owen]

Hey guys.

Took a couple of shots today but I'm not that impressed. What can I do to them to turn them from ordinary snapshots, or was I jsut there at the wrong time of day?

Cheers,
Owen.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/ ... apshot.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/ ... dpelly.jpg

[phillipb]

Hi Owen,
The first one I can't really see what else you could do to it, I agree about being there at the wrong time. The second I would probably crop the land off the top of the picture. That's only My opinion though.

[Nnnnsic]

Please tell me they were shot in NEF.

[sirhc55]

Owen - your second pic of the birds is a very nice shot. The only advice I can give is to let the eyes roam and the brain too. In this way you will be able to see beyond the norm. Check out some of the shots posted on this forum and I think you will see what I mean.

[owen]

Thanks for the comments guys.

They were shot in NEF, but I have a question. If I set in camera sharpening to +1, does that affect the raw image? I ask because they looked like they'd been oversharpened in photoshop when I opened them up the first time.

I will try to think outside the box Thanks for all comments.

[Matt. K]

Owen
Shot 1...avoid empty foregrounds. They alway weaken an image because the point of interest is way in the back.

Shot 2...the birds and the buildings are 2 seperate images. Simplify by getting closer and de-cluttering.

Not rules, but guidelines.

[Glen]

Owen, Matt's advice is gold.

In shot one I would have walked 20 metres to the stonewall, and shot with the stonewall pointing out to the boat, framing the shot along the right hand side. Or standing on top of the stonewall. May have more impact, might not. Good luck

[owen]

Thanks for the advice Matt. I'll have another go with something in the foreground to attract attention.

here's another one that I didn't post because I thought it was too dark in the rock bits, but I did try to frame the picture with that, however the right hand side is a bit empty.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/ ... C_2832.jpg

Thanks for the comments guys.
Owen.

[phillipb]

Owen, with regards to the darkness of the rocks, you be surprised how much detail you can get out of them if you just play around with the levels in photoshop.

[owen]

Yep.. detail and noise hehe I already tried that and didn't like the level of noise in it. I think attacking that shot at a different time of day with a bit more thought would be a better approach.

Cheers phillip.

[Glen]

Owen, here is a different way of looking at the same shot (3rd). I will delete if you don't want it up.




The colours are a bit screwed from working from a jpg, but you get the idea on composition. A different focal point

[Glen]

I should have cropped even tighter, was trying to keep the channel marker in it.

[owen]

Thanks Glen. That looks quite good. I guess I was just trying to keep the houseboat in there but it was just too far away to have any major advantage. I'll give it another shot some other time. Thanks for showing me a different viewpoint.

Cheers,
Owen.

[Oneputt]

I agree with Matt. In the first one yuou needed a subject in the foreground and in the second I would have cropped out the back ground.The birds were the subject.

[xerubus]

Owen... just my 2 cents...

#1: there needs to be something that holds my attention.. perhaps a different angle.. whether it be lower/higher/left/right etc...

#2: as others have said... crop in and remove the land. also... adjust your levels and contrast.

#3: crop in... if the birds are going to be the focus make the eye lead to them and hold the attention...

cheers

[owen]

Hi guys.

Thanks for the extra suggestions, taken on board and I'll post some more when I get a chance

Cheerio.
Owen.