Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: Jeremy Roussak on August 30, 2009, 06:37:39 pm

Title: Gate
Post by: Jeremy Roussak on August 30, 2009, 06:37:39 pm

Comments?

[attachment=16320:gate.jpg]

Jeremy

Title: Gate
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on August 30, 2009, 09:18:17 pm

Jeremy,

I was a bit bothered by the fact that the off-center view makes it a little unclear that the gate is sagging. The steps above it are nicely horizontal, but the step just below the gate appears to slant. I played a little with the perspective (using one of my favorite obsolete plugins, Image Align Pro), trying to keep the upper stairs level and getting that one lower stair level, too. The result, as I see it, lets you see more clearly that the gate is sagging on its hinges. 

Does this improve it?

-Eric

[attachment=16325:gate1.jpg]

Title: Gate
Post by: RSL on August 30, 2009, 09:48:45 pm

Quote from: EricM

Does this improve it?

Eric, I'd vote "yes." The correction makes the shot appear straight on so that the stone sill under the gate is level. The confusion arises from the fact that, as you pointed out, the oblique angle of the shot leaves the viewer wondering if the sill itself is sagging. The revision is a very small improvement, but I think it's an improvement.

Title: Gate
Post by: cmi on August 31, 2009, 05:13:07 am

Quote from: EricM

...the off-center view...

Interesting, my inital thought was also that the view should be more geometric, stright from the front.

Title: Gate
Post by: Jeremy Roussak on August 31, 2009, 07:38:48 am

Quote from: EricM

Jeremy,

I was a bit bothered by the fact that the off-center view makes it a little unclear that the gate is sagging. The steps above it are nicely horizontal, but the step just below the gate appears to slant. I played a little with the perspective (using one of my favorite obsolete plugins, Image Align Pro), trying to keep the upper stairs level and getting that one lower stair level, too. The result, as I see it, lets you see more clearly that the gate is sagging on its hinges. 

Does this improve it?

-Eric

Yes, I think it does. Sometimes it takes a fresh eye to see what was wrong with an original.

I don't have ImageAlign, so I've used the perspective feature of the crop tool in PS to produce this, which seems reasonably close to your version:

[attachment=16329:gate.jpg]

I also tried adding a little obfuscation (I've wanted to describe negative clarity like that since it was first introduced!), which gives an interesting effect. What do you think?

[attachment=16330:gate_obs.jpg]

Jeremy

Title: Gate
Post by: cmi on August 31, 2009, 08:50:27 am

I think it gives a bit of a faded look, like an old photograph thats been lying around forever. Im not sure I like this but at the end it has to fit your taste. So if you like it better this way, perfect.

Title: Gate
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on August 31, 2009, 09:19:29 am

Quote from: kikashi

I don't have ImageAlign, so I've used the perspective feature of the crop tool in PS to produce this, which seems reasonably close to your version:

It works for me. Since I have ImageAlign I don't need to learn how to use the equivalent in Photoshop (just lazy).

Quote

I also tried adding a little obfuscation (I've wanted to describe negative clarity like that since it was first introduced!), which gives an interesting effect. What do you think?

I find the effect pleasing. Somehow it looks a bit more film-like, but I'm not sure why. Nice.

Eric