A few shots from Melbourne (5 pics)

[Aussie Dave]

Decided to get out with the D70 and take some photos this morning, drove into the Melbourne CBD.

Here are a few shots I've PP'd thus far:











Comments/critiques (both good & bad) appreciated... :-)

[Killakoala]

All excellent. I reckon you have captured the essence of Autumn in Melbourne with those shots.

The perspective on the music bowl is really good and eye catching.

The inclusion of the two people and the dog on the second one really adds depth and makes it a complete picture.

Nice photos, great colours.

Well done.

[MHD]

Indeed! That one of the music bowl is a classic example of what I like... very strong and dramatic lines

Excellent work...

ahhh geez... one day I will get POTW but not for a while looking at the quality of pics being posted lately!!!!

[BBJ]

Dave, I agree with Killa, these are all great pics and yes thats Melbourne. Place i dont like much but yeh well i think you have captured this very well and done well. Keep it up Dave
Cheers
John

[PiroStitch]

The Sidney Myer Music Bowl image takes the cake for me! Great perspective and strong composition!

[Aussie Dave]

thanks everyone.
I really like the Music Bowl one myself, even though I botched up the PP a little. This shot was taken using Bracketing (3 img) then I layer masked in PSCS and merged the foreground with the sky.

If you look closely on the very right hand side of the horizon (and a couple of other places), the masking was hard to do, around the trees and buildings, so it is a little evident where it has missed.

The colours of all the leaves at the moment are wonderful. Such earthy tones. I had an absolute ball walking around taking photos. I urge everyone to get out there to your local park and snap away.....

I took a few other bracketed shots, which I will try to post in the coming days.

Thanks everyone for the encouragement

[sirhc55]

A very nice collection of a wonderful time of year. The Music Bowl shot is awesome.

[stubbsy]

Dave

Maybe I'm getting crothety in my old age, but the third one just doesn't do it for me, sorry. It hink it's a little too untidy somehow. While I understand your intent with the shot and am normally a sucker for good clean leading lines - I have this compulsion to brush off the dust & other debris (but I'd leave the two leaves). Maybe I need to take some of Mic's pills.

The others are a different story. I' m not sure which I like best, toss up between 1 & 2, but in the first image I keep looking at the blurry clouds in the corners which distracts me from what is an otherwise brilliant image, so I'd give it to #2 by a nose (or should I say leaf ). As killa says, the people in this make the shot.

[Matt. K]

You've got a good sense of composition and it shows with these shots. Thanks for posting.

[redline]

i think there some great photo but the first one the building look a bit posterized you might wanna fix that

[Aussie Dave]

thanks for your honesty Stubbsy. You like what you like, there's nothing wrong with that. At the time I didn't want to jump into the bushes to remove all the debris, so I thought I'd shoot it how it was. I admit it does make it look a little untidy, but I still like it.

I might have another go at redoing the Music Bowl again and merging the 2 bracketed exposures together. After looking at it, I don't think the PP I did gives the shot justice.

Does anyone know of an easy way to select large patches of sky ?? My first attempt kept me busy for about 20 minutes just masking around the skyline to remove the over-exposed sky from the 1st exposure. If anyone knows an easier way, I'd love to hear it....

[Aussie Dave]

Here's a Pano I took from Birrarung Marr, looking towards the city (5 photos stitched into 1):



It was a bit of fun to try and expose for all 5 shots, but in the end I locked EV in where I thought the middle of all exposures were and hoped for the best.....didn't turn out too bad (I think)...

[Nicole]

Great pics Dave. You're right...we should get out to the local parks more often and take advantage of these colours. Nice pano too.

[embi]

I like these pics. I think its time a Melbourne meet was organised so we can take advantage of the colours at the moment.

Your pano is awesome. I wish I knew how to do it

[kipper]

Dave love the last shot. The only thing is if you could give the clouds a little more punch by trying to increase the contrast? to get more of a gradient range from light to dark.

[johndec]

Dave I really like them all, but what I also like is your framing with very professional copyrite and text. Is it a PS action that you got from somewhere?

[Aussie Dave]

Dave I really like them all, but what I also like is your framing with very professional copyrite and text. Is it a PS action that you got from somewhere?

Thanks Johndec.
The frame is a PS action, which I adapted from a Fred Miranda Frame Action.
The signature I have made into a PS brush...I have several different versions and the EXIF data is just the type-tool (added manually) on a seperate layer (using 35% opacity).

I used to have an action that automatically added these but I lost it and I've been too lazy to recreate it.

[Alex]

Dave,
All great shots. I ike Nos. 1 and 2 especially. Did you do much PPing on the 2nd?

Thank you
Alex

[Aussie Dave]

Dave,
All great shots. I ike Nos. 1 and 2 especially. Did you do much PPing on the 2nd?

Thank you
Alex

thanks Alex. Just some Levels, Shadow/highlights, a touch of curves and some USM.

[Greg B]

Great work Dave. I have been meaning to get into the CBD and surrounds for a few weeks on a sunday morning, but just haven't done it yet. Your shots haveinspired me to get it happening nest weekend.

The bowl is a great shot, bit I like them all, beautiful autumn leaves and so on. Good stuff, thanks for sharing.

[KerryPierce]

The shot of the music bowl is great, Dave.

[tcsphoto]

Really like the Music bowl photo. Great perpective with the cables drawing your eyes to the building.

[joolz]

Good shots Dave,
I think I took an almost exact same image as that second image in the Fitzroy gardens about 24 hours before you did. Genji and I went for a short shooting trip out there Saturday morning. I'd post some images but, I'm in Tassie for work for 2 weeks and don't have access to my computer. I agree about the amazing colours of autumn. It was fantastic when the wind blew a swirl of leaves down.