The End

Critiques [Translate]

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• hay_kes (57038)
• [2009-09-25 4:21]
• [+]

Hi Dennis,
Different nature shot vith great colours and light.TFS.
Cheers,

hAyAti

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• skot (413)
• [2009-09-26 1:04]
• [+]

Hey Dennis,

I read your notes asking why no one has commented on your image and thought I'd weigh in with my opinions.

To begin with, until you get established here on TL (you seem to be on your way) comments may take a while. Even after you are known, you may still have images that go un-commented. I try to learn what it was lacking. You're just going to have to look at as many images as you can on TL and get a good feel for the audience.

I understand your technical limitations when shooting this- shooting from a moving vehicle can constrain anyone's creativity. Unfortunately, an image must still have impact to get someone to click. Only after they see the full-sized version do they get the story on how it was taken, so the thumbnail must have promise.

Although you state that you were shooting the waterfall, all key facets of the image point to the branch as the main subject. It takes up 2/3 of the frame and sits right in front of the waterfall. The waterfall is almost a B/W component while the leaves on the branch are a highly saturated green. The light falling on the waterfall is quite diffused, but the light on the leaves is high contrast. All of these factors- high contrast, vibrant color, and size within the frame -can quickly draw the eye.

You mentioned that you reduced the noise a couple times to blur the water. Not only did it blur the water, but many other components, leaving this image looking more out of focus than time lapse blurred.

My suggestions for shooting this waterfall again:

A) Stop the car. We've all done the drive-by photo, but if you want to make an image to remember, you're going to have to stop. It really irks my wife sometimes, but there is no substitute to getting it right in the camera. Not only is it easier on the photographer, but images tend to look better, too. In order to synthesize a camera effect in software, you have to be a super-talented expert in digital retouching or it'll be easily seen (see http://photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com for some egregious offenses).

B) Get closer. I actually have this stuck on the back of one of my old cameras. Whenever I frame an image from a comfortable distance, I look at the shot and see the sticker. I usually end up keeping the next couple and shelving the first one.

C) Get lower. Or higher. Shots from 5 1/2 to 6 feet up get boring. This shot in particular could have been helped by getting lower. That would have put the leaves higher in the frame and put more attention on the waterfall.

E) Keep looking at photos and making photos. Henry Cartier-Bresson famously said, "Your first 10,000 images are your worst." And he said that in the early days of 35mm film! The more you see and shoot, the better your photography will get. I promise.

I hope that helps a little. Please drop me a line here or at scott @ skotsshots.com if anything's unclear or you have further questions.

skot

Who knew 3000 characters was so limiting?

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• WTS (1405)
• [2009-09-26 7:17]
• [+]

Dennis don't worry about whether people like the photo or not its what you think about it .. we all can express an opinion either good or bad.

I think Skot provided some good advice and thats what this is about..learning from each other.
I found your note interesting in that I would not have thought of reducing the noise to create an effect ... since the water was your main area to change possible selecting those areas only would have been a good choice, this would have left rest of photo in focus.

I actually liked it because it was different and the colors really caught my attention.
TFS and keep posting.

Wayne