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mixed bag

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:33 pm
by colin_12
Here are a few that i would like critique upon.

Image
Blow fly

Image
sun burst

Image model ship

Re: mixed bag

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:03 pm
by FrankieP
Good God. That is incredibly clear and I like that the background is almost wholly absent without being flat (is it fly screen?), there's nothing but fly there, it's a perfect close up. In fact that fly is far clearer than an image of a blowfly EVER should be, it's given me involuntary shudders.. I'm repulsed but can't.. look.. away..! :shock:

Gazing upon your beautiful cloud shot with the God rays bursting forth after seeing that fly is such a relief for the eyes! A lovely shot but maybe sharper focus on the trees in the foreground and more contrast might give it more punch as it's all very soft. Those rays though, they're fantastic, what a neat sunrise to witness.

Love the glossiness and clarity of the water in the last one, and the lighting looks great. It's a nice angle in both ways to capture the model.

Re: mixed bag

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:15 pm
by chrisk
#1 is outstanding. id like to know more about the lighting please.

Re: mixed bag

PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:36 pm
by Geoff
I love the first one here too.
Looking closely at the fly, and it's 'nose' area (I don't even know if flies have noses!) but it looks like a 'pig' fly...check it out..hehehe.

Re: mixed bag

PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:53 pm
by MATT
The fly looks like he's whistling... :lol:

I like the second image.. Would be nice on a card.

MATT

Re: mixed bag

PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:56 pm
by ATJ
Three great shots, Colin.

I like the low angle on the blow fly. You have used the DOF well to keep the fly sharp but still have a nice out-of-focus background. The only area of improvement that I could suggest would be a greater contrast between the fly and the background. With the dark background, the legs are almost lost.

The sunburst is stunning. It could perhaps be a tad lighter.

The model ship doesn't look like a model at first. How large was it? Typically, the water gives away the scale but somehow you have managed a choppiness that looks almost to scale as the boat. The wide DOF helps, too.

Re: mixed bag

PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:16 pm
by Mr Darcy
#1 I like the lighting & clarity. but I find the wings being edge on a little offputting. I'd like to see some of the wing. A slightly different angle perhaps.

#2 Noice

#3 Looks like a model. Detail is lost against the water. Also the "waves" help destroy the illusion that it is real.
Maybe a shot from much lower down against the sky. rather than the "Aerial" shot you have taken.

Re: mixed bag

PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:27 pm
by Reschsmooth
Mr Darcy wrote:#3 Looks like a model.


The technical explanation for that optical illusion is that it is a...

colin_12 wrote:model ship
:D :D

Seriously, whilst the fly shot is great, I like No. 2 the best as you have managed to capture detail in both the clouds/sky and foreground. The composition is nice as well.

Re: mixed bag

PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 2:49 pm
by Mr Darcy
Mr Darcy wrote:#3 Looks like a model.



The technical explanation for that optical illusion is that it is a...

colin_12 wrote:model ship



I knew that. Honest. My point was that people who photograph models usually like to make them look "real" (except the female variety, then they are made to look as unreal as possible :lol: ) If this was Colin's intention, he failed, for me at least, though ATJ's comment indicates he succeeded for others.

Re: mixed bag

PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 3:02 pm
by Reschsmooth
Mr Darcy wrote:I knew that. Honest. My point was that people who photograph models usually like to make them look "real" (except the female variety, then they are made to look as unreal as possible :lol: ) If this was Colin's intention, he failed, for me at least, though ATJ's comment indicates he succeeded for others.


Corrected, I stand. :)

Re: mixed bag

PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 6:14 pm
by Matt. K
WOW! The fly is outstanding! A seller! The sky scape is excellent and a notch above the usual ones we get here. The model lship acks sharpness but the water appears to be sharp. I'm still thinking about that one! :shock: :shock: :shock:

Re: mixed bag

PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 7:05 pm
by Glen
Colin that fly is very impressive :D

Re: mixed bag

PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 10:17 pm
by colin_12
Thanks for the feed back.
The lighting for the fly was an sb600 with home made softbox. (see ATJ's web page)
The background is the shadecloth from my bush house.
#2 is an experiment on what I could get out of a very ordinary shot. The foreground was almost black and the rest was pretty washed out.
The model was about 4 feet long. I would have needed wellies to get a lower angle. In the full shot it is very obviously a model.

Re: mixed bag

PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 7:07 am
by Mr Darcy
I would have needed wellies to get a lower angle.

I can lend you a pair :lol: