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Author Topic: BAHAMAS  (Read 5404 times)

MikeMike

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« on: July 03, 2007, 10:26:44 am »

This is during my vacation down at the Bahamas, the first thing that comes to mind about that place is damn! there are a lot of jewelry stores! But the people are interesting.

This shot was taken with a Canon 20D with my 24-105L, 1/100 s at f/7.1 ISO 100[attachment=2732:attachment]
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GerardK

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« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2007, 07:46:13 pm »

Hi MikeMike,

Not to brag, but a while ago I won the travel photographer of the year award, single image category, and the prize was a trip to the Bahamas, and it was wonderful. I do recognise the atmos of your picture, though not the location. Have a look at my website and click on the 'Bahamas' galleries for more pictures. Anything you recognise? I loved the Bahamas, mostly for the warm reception, the people are very hospitable and friendly. People will just walk up to you and say 'Hey mon, how you doin', just to pass the time of day. I loved it.

Gerard Kingma
www.kingma.nu
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Rob C

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« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2007, 04:20:41 am »

Yeah, different experiences...

The first time I was there, we drove down a track near Carmichael Village and did some shots on the beach, the car parked not twenty-five yards away in the scrub. During the shoot, one of the girls came over to where I was working with the other one and asked where the tape player was. We didn´t have it and so we broke off and went over to the car to see what was going down. No tape - gone. However, and thank my lucky stars for that, the camera equipment was untouched. Dumbest thief or most considerate one?

On another trip, we were on Paradise Island and taking five when this beach bum wandered over and offered us coke. When I refused, politely, he told me I would be the richest guy in the cemetery, not original thinking but not pleasant either.

There is/was a little supermarket near the bridge, just by the Pilot House Hotel: we went there to buy stuff and it was like running a gauntlet of hostile looks.

On the other hand, we did meet some very nice people indeed, whose generosity extended to taking the group by boat to a private island where we could get better photographs... The guy manning the PR bar at the Bacardi factory was charming.

So there you are - as with so many things in life, the experience is coloured by the type of person with whom you come into contact.

Ciao - Rob C

MikeMike

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« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2007, 09:24:31 pm »

It is a fun place, i found the people to be mostly very fun and nice, like everything there's some that are a tad sketchy.

But what do you guys think of these pictures? anything good, anything bad? let me know  
[attachment=2774:attachment][attachment=2776:attachment]
« Last Edit: July 07, 2007, 09:41:39 pm by MikeMike »
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GerardK

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« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2007, 04:09:04 am »

Hi MikeMike,

I apologise, I realise I didn't answer your question. What I would like to tell you now may disappoint you at first, but hopefully will help you as you progress. My answer is: what do you think?

The fact that you ask 'our' opinion in the first place tells me that you are insecure about whether or not you took a couple of decent pictures. Why? Don't they work for you? Or do they work for you? Here's an excercise I'd like you to try. Do NOT show your pictures to anyone. Make a couple of good prints from a shoot you did recently and place them in front of you. Pick out one that works for YOU without thinking if it would work for anybody else. You'll never know for sure anyway, and what does it matter? Take your time to build a set of pictures that work for YOU. This will give you more self-confidence and that in and of itself will give you more fun in photography. After a couple of months, choose one or two pictures that work for YOU. I'm sure you have a couple of shots that you are secretly proud of, and think "I don't care what anybody else says, these work for me and I'm happy with them". These are the pictures that you needn't care about what anybody else says, because YOU say they work - it's those pictures you can show to others. And then you don't have to ask if they're any good or not. YOU know they are and that's all that matters. Here endeth the lesson ;-). Believe in what you do.


Gerard Kingma
www.kingma.nu
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HickersonJasonC

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« Reply #5 on: July 08, 2007, 08:54:50 am »

Quote
Do NOT show your pictures to anyone. Make a couple of good prints from a shoot you did recently and place them in front of you. Pick out one that works for YOU without thinking if it would work for anybody else. You'll never know for sure anyway, and what does it matter? Take your time to build a set of pictures that work for YOU.
www.kingma.nu
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=127089\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Interesting response, Gerard. I also rarely show my new images to anyone (except my wife if she is interested). It can take anywhere from a week to six months before I know if an image works for me, before I know I'm ready for someone else to see it. I've found that everyone, including people with absolutely no photographic or artistic skill whatsoever, has an opinion. If I show images too soon and someone doesn't like it, before I know that what I've done is what I want to do, I tend to second-guess myself. Once I live with an image I'm proud of for a couple of months, however, I rarely am bothered by detractors.

In the end, it's your art. Let the viewer choose which of your images he/she thinks have value - Don't let him/her choose which images you present for viewing. That is your job as artist.

Jason
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MikeMike

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« Reply #6 on: July 08, 2007, 08:56:12 am »

Quote
Hi MikeMike,

The fact that you ask 'our' opinion in the first place tells me that you are insecure about whether or not you took a couple of decent pictures. Why? Don't they work for you? www.kingma.nu
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=127089\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

The thing is Gerard is that these are the pictures i am proud of and i am in no way insecure of their quality at all. However just because I like them doens't meen that there is something that gets in the way that I don't see that could make them better photographs.

I do appreciate your advice though, but is every photographer that asks for another eye on their photo insecure? I don't think so.

Thank you,
Michael
« Last Edit: July 08, 2007, 09:22:42 am by MikeMike »
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GerardK

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« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2007, 11:39:24 am »

"I do appreciate your advice though, but is every photographer that asks for another eye on their photo insecure? I don't think so. "

I hear you, but in that case you might want to formulate a specific question about a particular picture. i.e. you know you want to convey a specific idea, and you feel you've gotten 90% down the road and are not sure how to cover the remaining 10%. In that case I'd like to point your nose to the Radiant Vista at

http://www.radiantvista.com/

which is an excellent place for guided critiques and loads of examples.

To give you an idea of what you can expect there, I took the liberty of futzing around with your lighthouse image a little bit. Maybe this isn't what you wanted at all, it's just an idea. I enhanced contrast with a levels layer and cloned out the speed boat, just to show you what that kind of thing does to a picture. In composition, it's now leaning towards the right, i.e. the left part of the image doesn't seem to contribute much because the lighthouse is to the right of the centre, and looking to the right as well out of the frame. [attachment=2777:attachment]

By the way, I'm about to leave on a trip so don't get me wrong if I don't reply anymore. Have fun!

Gerard Kingma
www.kingma.nu
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MikeMike

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« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2007, 02:15:25 pm »

Hey Gerard,
Thanks a lot for the input, and I like what you've done to it as well! I guess it comes down to preference. I also like how the lighthouse seems to be hit by a ray of light now. Have fun on your trip!

Anybody else have an idea on the photo?
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Rob C

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« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2007, 11:48:15 am »

Advice. Now that´s a very dangerous thing to both ask for and to give!

I believe that one should not really ask for the advice of others insofar as compositional or subject matter is concerned. These constituents are your very own, the reason you took the picture and nobody else can or should attempt to second-guess your intentions. Do as you want to do - it´s your fun that´s at stake!

This, of course, applies in the non-professional sense of photography; a pro does not always have that choice and so, perhaps, in the case of the latter, the question does not arise.

However, I see no fault at all in seeking technical advice on either film or digital matters: that´s the way to learn more and to make what you do look more accomplished. There is a huge difference between telling somebody how he should think and helping him to improve on what he has already thought; whilst painting is perhaps not the best way to illustrate a photographic point, one need look no further than the traditional art gallery to see that artists tend to retain their individuality - it´s what makes them what they are, after all!

No-one can make another person an artist; they can, however, teach technique.

Ciao - Rob C

MikeMike

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« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2007, 12:41:04 pm »

Good points Rob
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matthew1

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« Reply #11 on: August 16, 2007, 11:44:55 pm »

Good shots. I like the strong colours in your photos.

I disagree with Rob, I think that this forum is for (hopefully constructive) criticism.

I like the modifications made to the lighthouse shot - darkening the image and removing the boat did help it. The contrast makes the colours even more powerful.

I also like the idea about printing images you like and not showing them until you've completely convinced yourself that they work.

(My only problem is - I need a printer!)
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DarkPenguin

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« Reply #12 on: August 17, 2007, 12:20:44 am »

I print images and throw them on the wall for a while to see what I think of them.  I've two up now.  One I keep looking at and have decided is a keeper.  The other that has great technical merit but that just never draws my gaze.  (Which means that every time I go to pull it down I admire my printing and put it back up.  Then I never look at it again.  But, man, if you're going to pixel peep it works.)

My only comment about these photos is that I wish the first one had been taken 1 foot sooner along their path.  Just to get the background aligned with the painted sunset.

Oh, and I prefer the original lighthouse picture.  The other one seems over baked.
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