Luminous Landscape Forum
The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: Dave (Isle of Skye) on June 10, 2013, 04:28:19 pm
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Still reacquainting myself with the Vari-ND filter and eating my words as regards to long exposure flat sea shots.
I was standing shin deep in mud and water for this shot and without the appropriate footwear of course. The bird was watching me intently as I quietly setup and took the shot, I think it thought I wanted to eat it or something.
Dave
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+1 (for lack of words)
the bird is icing on an already brilliant cake.
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Excellent.
Alan
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A wonderful motif wonderfully expressed.
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It was worth the mud, Dave.
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+2
I would slightly turn down the saturation, though.
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It was worth the mud, Dave.
Definitely. Your suffering => our gain.
Eric M.
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Yes it works and well done. I have always thought that a pair of wellies is an important part of a photographer's equipment. The only problem is it tempts you to enter the water and there is the possibility of the tripod and camera toppling over?
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Yes it works and well done. I have always thought that a pair of wellies is an important part of a photographer's equipment. The only problem is it tempts you to enter the water and there is the possibility of the tripod and camera toppling over?
Yes I always carry a pair of wellies with me in the boot of the car, as well as a small step ladder (yes I know - I'm obsessed), but this was a couple of miles away from the car and I didn't realise when I set off (even though I knew I was aiming for these wooden stumps at sunset - the bird was a bonus BTW), that the mud was going to be there or so thick and deep and sucky. Although it was at a very low tide, so I suppose I should have known it would get very squishy under foot. Also when you get caught up in the moment and you are zoning into the shot, you sort of just keep on walking forward until you get the frame that you want. I also agree about the tripod legs, which sank into the mush for at least a foot, I sort of leaned on them as heavily as I could until they reached a level that they didn't seem to want to suck down into the grunge any further.
+2
I would slightly turn down the saturation, though.
Leave it with me Slobodan, I will make a variation of tonalities later today and for you to choose from :)
Dave
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OK, here are another couple of versions of the original image, if you would be so kind as to pass a critical eye over them and tell me what you think please :)
I have desaturated them both, a little more for 2b and then even more for 2c and also added a bit more contrast and lightened the overall scene a little. I think 2c has lost it though, but hey ho, I am more than willing to show it here for comparison sakes.
I think I prefer 2b, so if everyone agrees, then I suppose you are right (again) Slobodan ;)
Cheers for all the positive comments BTW, always very much appreciated ;D
Dave
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For me, 2b is best.
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I think that 2b would make a spectacular large panorama print, using the upper half or 5/8. I also think that 2c has better balance between sky and water than 2b. In 2c, the water becomes very intriguing and may actually become the most interesting part of the image.
Alan
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For me 2c works best.
Harald
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Dave I think your exercise in producing different versions is worthwhile. It is ironic that a few weeks ago in another thread there was a discussion about the merits of an image and selling it. I made the suggestion that more than one version could be made with the idea of pleasing a potential customer. I got put down by three of the "heavyweights" on the forum. The point they made was the original vision was the one you should stick to. In this instance I think the original is "best" though the others are also good.
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What the hell's going on here? We are suddenly bursting out with a bunch of great new images on LuLa!
;-)
Rob C
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I got put down by three of the "heavyweights" on the forum.
Yes, being publicly mauled by several members of the upper echelons of Lula, is not a happy place to find oneself in, having just had the experience myself - so definitely been there, done that and got the wheals to prove it. But hey ho, life goes on and we can't all be perfect can we ;D
Yes I agree about showing various versions of your work and allowing people to help inform your own selection skills, by being willing to learn from your peers as to which version they think is best. I know that I have posted images on Lula that I thought were really quite good and they have not been critiqued as I had hoped, but you have to lick your wounds and move on. But on the other hand, I have also posted images that I thought were interesting shall we say and people seemed to really like them.
So yes I agree, if you want to do it, then why not make a few variations and let people choose, although I have to say that there are images that we will all make, that for whatever reason, we feel that they are the complete and final thing and we care little what others think about them and would never want to change them.
Some of my best work has been created only after I made myself listen to what people were telling me and then taking their advice.
Dave
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Some of my best work has been created only after I made myself listen to what people were telling me and then taking their advice.
Surely true for me as well!
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What the hell's going on here? We're are suddenly bursting out with a bunch of great new images on LuLa!
;-)
Rob C
Yes.
A lot of them have been B&W recently but Dave's seaside sunset is an absolute stunner.
Dave you are trying different sorts of compositions recently and I can't wait to see your next offering.
Tony Jay