Just looking for another opinion

[shothunter]

Hello everyone,

I recently started uploading some of my images to the web using picasa - seems to be quite straight forward and easy to use. Below a link to an album I created recently, any c & c on the images would be highly appreciated:

View Album

cheers
ed

[dalethorn]

Good work. The one of the rain on the pavement is particularly good. It makes me feel like I'm really part of the scene.

[MR.FEESH]

I have a shot identical to yours of Schloss Neuschwanstein....I love that castle... and Germany!
Great pictures!!!!

Elby

[shothunter]

Good work. The one of the rain on the pavement is particularly good. It makes me feel like I'm really part of the scene.

Thanks for your thoughts, dalethorn,

maybe I should be a little bit more specific as to which pictures I'd like your thoughts on, so here we go:

Which one of the Lightouse photographs would you prefer, the colour or the bw?

How about the one with the little gate?

And than one that really isnt a landscape in the classic sense, but how to you like the one with the railroad tracks leading into the image with the city skyline in the background?

Lighthouse bw

Lighthouse colour

The Gate

Railroad Tracks

[dalethorn]

Thanks for your thoughts, dalethorn,
maybe I should be a little bit more specific as to which pictures I'd like your thoughts on, so here we go:
Which one of the Lightouse photographs would you prefer, the colour or the bw?
How about the one with the little gate?
And than one that really isnt a landscape in the classic sense, but how to you like the one with the railroad tracks leading into the image with the city skyline in the background?
Lighthouse bw
Lighthouse colour
The Gate
Railroad Tracks

Both lighthouse images were good, but I preferred the B&W - the color shot didn't have quite the drama. The gate was good also, but it felt a bit crowded - too many details in a small space. The RR area was a little too dark - not a lot, just a little. I don't know for sure that it would be better if the shadows were lightened slightly - just a guess.

[shothunter]

Thank you again for your time and thoughts, dalethorn,

I thought the Railroad part might be too dark, I will try to upload one with the suggested changes applied sometime soon.

Since I got my copy of Lightroom 2 I cant seem to get enough of B&W, I love it :-)

Both lighthouse images were good, but I preferred the B&W - the color shot didn't have quite the drama. The gate was good also, but it felt a bit crowded - too many details in a small space. The RR area was a little too dark - not a lot, just a little. I don't know for sure that it would be better if the shadows were lightened slightly - just a guess.

[Roy Money]

Thanks for your thoughts, dalethorn,

maybe I should be a little bit more specific as to which pictures I'd like your thoughts on, so here we go:

Which one of the Lightouse photographs would you prefer, the colour or the bw?

How about the one with the little gate?

And than one that really isnt a landscape in the classic sense, but how to you like the one with the railroad tracks leading into the image with the city skyline in the background?

Lighthouse bw

Lighthouse colour

The Gate

Railroad Tracks

For myself I prefer the color version of lighthouse - the broad swatches of relatively unmodulated grey tones in the b/w don't convey as much drama to me as do these areas in the color version that can draw on the color differences to make the image lively.  I am much more aware of the texture in both cloud/sky and the hillside in the color version.  I used to do only b/w  and now I am only using color so maybe I have become partial to color because that is what I look for.  Nonetheless that is my response.  Its an interesting question as to why one or the other format is better suited to a particular image.  For me I think it has something to do with either details that have sufficient tonal variation for OR strong graphic elements that can carry a b/w treatment.  

In that vein the railroad tracks have a strong graphic element but the skyline is so washed out it really takes a way from the bottom of the picture for me.  I think you should reconsider the skyline section - two options occur to me: adding exposure and sharpening to the skyline if possible (is that haze or just out of focus?) and cropping it out altogether just above where the front of the train disapears into the city.  The lower part has a lot of potential - the main thing I would consider is more contrast to provide highlights in the curve of the road as well as the top of the box cars and the train tracks, it would also be nice to open up the shadows on the left of the train but this would be very challenging to do and also increase the contrast.

Roy

 

[ProPhotoInsights]

Hi Ed,
 I think some of your B&W images are nice but Lake Louise caught my eye.
Love the colour contrast between the soft location colours and the eye catching Red canoes.
Great job.
Simon

[shothunter]

Thanks everybody for your valuable input, I appreciate you taking the time.

The sky in the Railroad image is indeed a little washed out and hazy - this is due to the lighting situation the picture was taken in and It does appeal to my eye (the gradual transition going from relatively dark to fairly bright with the rails leading into the light area) - all respect to your suggestion, Roy, and I may try to do another crop sometime in the future.

If any of you would like to keep an eye on my constantly evolving gallery, you are more than welcome to do so by clicking here.

cheers
ed