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Author Topic: OK, Let me have it!  (Read 5534 times)

Ken Alexander

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OK, Let me have it!
« on: May 27, 2007, 10:23:02 pm »

Hi gang,

After viewing some of the work posted here I realize I'm completely out of my element.  But, it's also high time to get some reaction from an audience other than "friendly" audiences like friends and family!    

So, here goes...let's here from you.  Your comments will inspire me to get out there and do better!

Regards,

Ken

[attachment=2560:attachment]
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David Anderson

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OK, Let me have it!
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2007, 11:29:22 pm »

Nice texture, tone and detail as far as I can tell.

I don't like the perspective, the horizon behind looks to high IMO.
Also the trunks cropped on the sides makes the shot look a little crowded.

Not a bad effort..
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BernardLanguillier

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OK, Let me have it!
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2007, 06:42:08 am »

Hi Ken,

Thanks for sharing this interesing image.

My first reaction when I saw it was "this is a good picture of a subject that is in fact not very photography friendly".

The tones and detail are great, and the total lack of flare in the upper part of the image is remarkable.

Now, why do I feel that this scene doesn't lend it self too much to photography? Hard to day, but I guess that

1. This tree is interesting both in its globality, and it the texture and detail. These are sort of mutually exclusive requirements,
2. The shape of the main branches are such that they end up being parallel to the side of the image over a long distance, which is generally speaking not very aestheticaly pleasing.

All these things being considered, I feel that you did a great job.

Regards,
Bernard

The View

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« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2007, 02:37:59 am »

Quote
Hi gang,

After viewing some of the work posted here I realize I'm completely out of my element.  But, it's also high time to get some reaction from an audience other than "friendly" audiences like friends and family!    

So, here goes...let's here from you.  Your comments will inspire me to get out there and do better!

Regards,

Ken

[attachment=2560:attachment]
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=119917\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Why do you think you  are "out of your element"? I love light and structure in this image. It is as reduced in noise as your modest comments, and this is why one likes looking at it. It has something truly felt.

You are as good as anybody here. Show us more of your work. (your only danger is being overly self-critical. Enjoy an artist's ego. You deserved it.)

PS: what camera did you shoot this with and how much work did you put into it in which application?
« Last Edit: June 11, 2007, 02:39:14 am by The View »
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The View of deserts, forests, mountains. Not the TV show that I have never watched.

The View

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« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2007, 02:43:15 am »

I feel there's a certain connection to Walker Evans, not subject wise, but mood wise.
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The View of deserts, forests, mountains. Not the TV show that I have never watched.

Ken Alexander

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« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2007, 03:48:57 pm »

Quote
Why do you think you  are "out of your element"? I love light and structure in this image. It is as reduced in noise as your modest comments, and this is why one likes looking at it. It has something truly felt.

You are as good as anybody here. Show us more of your work. (your only danger is being overly self-critical. Enjoy an artist's ego. You deserved it.)

PS: what camera did you shoot this with and how much work did you put into it in which application?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=122151\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks to everyone for your very encouraging comments.  The shot of the cedars was taken with a Nikon D80 with a 18-70mm lens (or something close to that...I can never remember!).  I tried processing it two different ways.  The first was with Aperture, and a second version was processed using DXO first and then Aperture to handle the monochrome conversion.  The image I uploaded is the DXO/Aperture image.

I spotted the cedars driving along a country road northeast of Toronto.  It was a sunny day and I immediately liked it because the tree trunks were in shade but were lit from beneath by light reflecting from the gravel road.  I know it's pretty tightly cropped, but just beyond what you see was a whole lot of blown out sky.

As far as my "body of work" goes, you've just seen it.  I'm just making the transition from snapshot shooter to a slightly higher level.  I have some vacation pictures from Thailand that turned out better than expected.  I might see if some of them deserve to be shown on a website devoted to landscape photography.

Thanks again for your comments!

Ken Alexander
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Ken Alexander

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« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2007, 11:00:24 pm »

Quote
As far as my "body of work" goes, you've just seen it.  I'm just making the transition from snapshot shooter to a slightly higher level.  I have some vacation pictures from Thailand that turned out better than expected.  I might see if some of them deserve to be shown on a website devoted to landscape photography.

[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=122676\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Here's one from southern Thailand, taken from a moving boat.  I didn't think much of it back at the hotel or even when I got home.  It had been a hot, hazy day so the background was pretty blah.  After muchn thinking I decided to take advantage of it and desaturate the background somewhat and punch up the colours of the boat, which is bright yellow and blue.  I liked that a lot better, and then I decided to go B&W, which I like even better.

Any thoughts?

Ken
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DarkPenguin

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OK, Let me have it!
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2007, 11:42:56 pm »

I quite like the second one.  It is the dude in the back of the boat that makes it.  I might even crop the right most island from the image just to keep attention with the dude in the boat and the spray.  (Clean your sensor.)

As to the first one.  I wonder if it wouldn't be a stronger image if the debris in the lower right were cleaned up.   Or just darken the highlights in that corner.  (Actually, there is a more severe crop that does wonders.  Try losing the left tree and a bunch of the foreground.  Put the focus on the pile of roots between the two trees.)

Nice stuff.
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pixelpro

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« Reply #8 on: June 23, 2007, 08:34:21 am »

Tree trunks :

crop out the light in the horizon line straight across image and crop the tree out of the left side of the image. You will be left with three tree trunks that play off in a circular motion just off centre in your new image.

Boat :  

when taking a moving vehicle, boat, train, person running or looking far away into the distance etc. try to give space in front of the subject for it/them to move forward within the photographic space. Otherwise, in your case of the boat, the eye follows the boat out of the image. Try to get interet that works into the centre of the image or around the image.....keeping the viewer engaged as long as possible.

Well done, you are as good as the next person. Don't be afraid to crop, we all do it to improve our images. pp
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