DSLRUsers.com

Me and my missus went to centennial park few weeks ago and wanted to practice how to use our camera. I adjusted it a bit with lightroom (i'm still new to this so please excuse the quality)

Looking for some Critiques again please

Hi Adrian.

What wb settings did you have in play for these images? They are all - but particularly the first - too yellow. Or did you do that in post?

They also all look, to me, a tad soft. I'm almost thinking Monet-like, to some extent, and while I like Monet's work, I'm not exactly sure that this is a compliment for these images.

Was that an outcome that you were aiming to achieve?

Compositionally, the second one is good, while I think that the third one is almost good. I think that by shifting the subject towards the left (point the camera more to the right), excluding the bushiest tree on the lh side but keeping most of the bare tree, but making that the lh edge/frame. That would have helped to move the bench/people more into the lh third position ... and obviously you would have then brought in something else from the rh side, whatever that might have been.

Hi Gary,

I use auto WB when i took these pictures and found that colour is not intense at all so i use Lightroom enhance/process them.

The purpose for me to make/post these images - i want to have a feeling of old style pictures so colour look yellow. after i uploaded it onto photobucket, it made my pictures very soft. when i compare side by side with the actual picture on my computer, the quality is very different.

Thanks for the advises, much appreciated. I've noticed this is 2nd time you guys mention about LHS for the focus point, is this something that i'm missing? I remember i read some where on the net saying that for human focus point, we would start at LHS then move around. May i ask, is this the reason? btw, I've also read that someone mentioned to be able to make pictures more dynamic, we could break down into 9 section (i'm sorry, i really forgot the name for that). I've been practicing this since i was using canon G10 hence majority of pictures that i took was based on this. But i would love to try your suggestion probably this weekend because missus suggested to go to blue mountain this week

Cheers,
A

Adrian,

I agree with Gary that the shots look soft. They are also very contrasty and do look like the colour has been enhanced.

Judging by the shadows in the first shot, it was taken near the middle of the day. This is one of the hardest times to take photos because the light is so harsh: shadows are very dark and light areas are very bright causing the camera some difficultly in coping with the huge range of exposure.

The second and third shots look like they were taken a little later on the day and the lighting is not as harsh.

There's no rule that talks about left (or right side). There is the rule of thirds, where you divide the frame into nine squares (break it up into 3rds vertically and horizontally) and try to place the area of most interest on one of the 4 intersection points. The rule of thirds can also be used for horizons, so you place the horizon either a third from the top or a third from the bottom. The idea is that using that placement makes a more pleasing image. For sure, it is not a hard and fast rule, and can be broken, but it is worth considering when framing a shot.

I think the point that Gary is actually making is to consider what's in the frame when you take the shot and avoid distracting aspects (busy tree) as well as considering the rule of thirds (for the placement of the bench/people, as a point of focus).

Hi Andrew,

you have amazed me once again, are there anything you don't know? you are absolutely right again, first picture was taken in the middle of the day and 2nd/3rd pictures were taken in the late afternoon on the way back to car.

i keep thinking and thinking after replied to Gary's post and possibly my photography skills still new to none. The post that i read yesterday on here which i think explained pretty much everything.

"Photography is all about light. Let's look at the Greek origins shall we (bet you didn't think you'd learn anything today, eh?)...

* Photo - light
* Graph - letter or writing"

Which i think i'm really lack of skills in this area. i have to understand more about this so possibly try to take some pictures of the shadow like he suggested or a bow of fruit.

......

"Technique is ridiculously important, and it's not something you're going to get overnight.

It's not an issue of RTFM (Read The <Fine or Fucking> Manual) nor is it an issue of having the best piece of equipment money can buy. It's all about practice and learning."

I think i will practices more and more shots to learn more skills. thanks for explain that to me Andrew, i guess i was a bit greedy when taking these shots because i want to record the entire scene instead of focusing the theme.

Cheers for the comments once again, much appreciated.

A

In addition to practice it is also important to have people critique your "practice" so you know how you are improving. While the comments will be specific to the image, try to consider them when next you "practice".

Leigh is right, it is all about light. You have to use light (natural or artificial) to do what you want it to do.

thanks Andrew, will surely do.

Hi Adrian,

amashun1 wrote:I use auto WB when i took these pictures and found that colour is not intense at all so i use Lightroom enhance/process them.

The colour does not need to be intense. If you want it to be intense, then that's fine: that's a creative decision that you are free to make. And you certainly should feel free to do so: these are your images, after all.

Whatever you want as the desired outcome is valid.

The purpose for me to make/post these images - i want to have a feeling of old style pictures so colour look yellow.

Perhaps, rather than making them yellow - which might be an aging effect on the paper (for printed images) you might want to consider a slight desaturation of the images instead. I don;t know if that will give you the look that you're seeking, but it's just another option/idea that you can look at.

Also, consider that small settings changes, rather than big ones, might be in order.

Thanks for the advises, much appreciated. I've noticed this is 2nd time you guys mention about LHS for the focus point, is this something that i'm missing? I remember i read some where on the net saying that for human focus point, we would start at LHS then move around. May i ask, is this the reason?

Typically, our eyes - in most western countries - have learned to read from left to right. Thus, in many images, there is a similar progression in how we view images. But this is not a rule, merely a guide, a suggestion. Once you understand the guidelines such as this, then you can work out how to bend and break and tweak them to get the result that you're after.

At that stage you know what you're doing, and what you're working towards, but until you get to that point, it can all become rather overwhelming. Best to start slowly, deliberately, work with just a few basics, and learn and understand them, and then move on to something else.

we could break down into 9 section (i'm sorry, i really forgot the name for that).

Andrew's already covered the rule of thirds, and this is what I think you;re referring to. Understand the concept of the four intersecting points that he's described, and work towards approximating that with the points of interest in your image.

Also look for leading lines ... a path, such as in your second image, is great. In this image, it's pretty well on one of your "thirds" points, and where it vanishes into the distance, is pretty much on (just a nudge below) one of the intersections that Andrew referred to. In my opinion, the fence, to the path's immediate right, only helps with your leading lines, and that is why I think this image has some good basic points underlying it.

amashun1 wrote:you have amazed me once again, are there anything you don't know? you are absolutely right again, first picture was taken in the middle of the day and 2nd/3rd pictures were taken in the late afternoon on the way back to car.

While I can't speak on behalf of Andrew, I can say that there's lots that I don't know. However, and not wishing to take anything away from Andrew, let's take some of what Leigh said, and apply it to how we see these three images.

First of all, here's the bit that Leigh said ...

"Photography is all about light"

to which you correctly observed ...

i have to understand more about this so possibly try to take some pictures of the shadow

Looking at your three images, tell me what you can see regarding the shadows? There's no secrets here; merely some observations being made. Sorry, Andrew

i keep thinking and thinking after replied to Gary's post and possibly my photography skills still new to none.

Photography is a complex past time. There's a strong technical component, there's the artistic component, there's applied math.

And there's seeing.

We have all been at the place where you now find yourself. The learning is fun, and today, with digital photography, you can shoot for virtually no dollars outlaid, and look and learn in a very short time.

I think i will practices more and more shots to learn more skills. thanks for explain that to me Andrew, i guess i was a bit greedy when taking these shots because i want to record the entire scene instead of focusing the theme.

I certainly would not use the word "greedy". Excited, perhaps. Practicing is what it's all about. Practice, post, listen to the advice offered, and consider it. Choose to not accept that advice, if you wish; that's fine we won't get upset. All we ask is that you consider the advice.

As I said at the start of this post, these are your images, and if you are getting outcomes that you like, then that is what matters most.

Hi Gary,

First of all, thank you for your inputs and advises. sorry for late response as i need time to re-read and digest what you said.

these are your images, after all.

Whatever you want as the desired outcome is valid.

Perhaps, rather than making them yellow - which might be an aging effect on the paper (for printed images) you might want to consider a slight desaturation of the images instead. I don;t know if that will give you the look that you're seeking, but it's just another option/idea that you can look at.

Also, consider that small settings changes, rather than big ones, might be in order.

Thanks Gary, to be honest, i like the lomography style all the time since i saw it (i know they are different as lomo are taken by film and specific equipment...etc) so i would like to learn this skill if possible too. I think i will try to apply for small changes and see how's that go.
I have adjusted my 2nd image a bit from different program, would you consider this is a better attempt?

Best to start slowly, deliberately, work with just a few basics, and learn and understand them, and then move on to something else.

Gary, i'm really interested to hear what you would suggest in this field. could you please advise what kind of practice(s) would be good for beginner like myself?

While I can't speak on behalf of Andrew, I can say that there's lots that I don't know.

Haha, that is because Andrew (ATJ) is an author of an online reef keeping magazine and here so i just amazed he can always point out some facts that most people won't noticed. (in a good way of cause. plus last time he mentioned i took some macros image very close to the front glass when i was using the G10. sorry for the OT of cause once again )

Looking at your three images, tell me what you can see regarding the shadows?

for the first image, the light is coming behind hence the shadow projected forward under the tress.

second image, light coming from left hand side and shadow become less

third image, (OK this is my missus picture and i just realized that after she pointed out) light coming from the front and there are a lot shadow basically all over the ground.


And last, thanks for your kind encouragement and advises Gary, it is much appreciated

gstark wrote:While I can't speak on behalf of Andrew, I can say that there's lots that I don't know.

And there's lots I don't know, too.

gstark wrote:Looking at your three images, tell me what you can see regarding the shadows? There's no secrets here; merely some observations being made. Sorry, Andrew

No need to be sorry. All I was doing was observing the shadows and concluding the time of day the photos were taken from the shadows. That was not to be smart, but to raise the point, to Adrian, that the middle of a sunny day is one of the worst times to take photos, with respect to lighting.

ATJ wrote:No need to be sorry. All I was doing was observing the shadows and concluding the time of day the photos were taken from the shadows. That was not to be smart, but to raise the point, to Adrian, that the middle of a sunny day is one of the worst times to take photos, with respect to lighting.

Yep; I know you weren't trying to be smart. All I wanted to do was to highlight to Adrian that this was not some sort of a secret or magic, but just simple observation on the part of the viewer.

Cheers.

gstark wrote: amashun1 wrote:you have amazed me once again, are there anything you don't know? you are absolutely right again, first picture was taken in the middle of the day and 2nd/3rd pictures were taken in the late afternoon on the way back to car.



While I can't speak on behalf of Andrew, I can say that there's lots that I don't know. However, and not wishing to take anything away from Andrew, let's take some of what Leigh said, and apply it to how we see these three images.

WHat Gary was getting at was that the length of the shadows is different in the two photos. This gives away the relative time.
Of course he could have looked at the EXIF data of the photo too. This would have told him that for photo #1:
# Original Date/Time = 2009:07:25 13:08:47

and for photo #2:
# Original Date/Time = 2009:07:25 14:13:44

But as you noted, it is also important to observe where the light is coming from. as well as its nature. Cameras record light. That's all they do. So naturally, light is the single most important aspect to consider when taking a photo. When you are composing a shot, all you are really doing is arranging the light into pleasing patterns. It doesn't matter to the camera whether the brain looking at that record decodes it as a naked woman, a mountain, a car, or even, conceivably, all three.

Yuor rework of Photo #2 shows marked banding. This is caused by reworking a JPG image. The more often you rework a JPG image, the worse the quality gets. This is why most people here work with (and recommend) using RAW image formats as this degradation does not affect RAW images. If you MUST work with JPG, always go back to the original and work from that. If you need to save it to come back to, save it in some "lossless" format such as PSD, NEF or TIFF, Never JPG. You need to save your final as JPG to display it of course, but also save a lossless version as well.

Thanks Greg, i was thinking about light and shades when i was in blue mountain all day but now you have solved my questions. Also thanks for the advises too.

Cheers,
Adrian