my first (successful) post (i hope)

[affablebeef]

i went ahead and got pbase. cause conk had it. and i thought, if i were on pbase, maybe my photos would look that good. there is nothing there now but there will be.

below is copied from my other post, which i have asked to be deleted. and i hope it will be soon.

ok. this is my first post. and i am only aspiring to be an amature photographer. so any help you learned folks can give me would be great.

this is not posed, and it was really dark when i took it. i used about a f/2.4 or 4, i think, and about a 1 second exposure. the iso must have been 400. i shoot with a canon s45.

i am just dying for feedback. i have many other pictures i would love critiqued. i really want to get good at this.

thank you guys very much.


i hope it's not rude to post a file of this size. let me know.

http://www.pbase.com/image/21402863.jpg

[ssim]

I like this photo. The way the spot lights are hitting the girl provides a special effect on her.

I might have moved myself slightly to the right to change the angle of view which might have gotten rid of the vertical stripe landscape between the columns. I find this a little distracting.

Look forward to more of your posts.

[Mark Kemp]

HMMM,

very mysterious, why is she there, why is she dressed as she is, what connection is there between her and the memorial?

A picture full of questions. Very unusual and imaginative.

I have a couple of suggestions I think may make it better

1) Its a bit barrelly - use a distortion tool to straighten the verticals.

2) Crop a little off the right hand side to move her nearer the famous third

3) clone out whatever is in her hand - unless its something important that I haven't understood.

4) try a touch of sharpening and a little more contrast - it may look better or worse, but its worth a test.

[RichardtheSane]

I like this image because.... well, I just do! It has a lot of mystery about it. I agree with mark about the crop, maybe down the vertical line on the right would do it.
Nice one :)

[affablebeef]

thank you all for your kind words, and helpful hints.

mark, when i get off work, i'll try those changes and post the results back here.

i was contemplating getting rid of the box of chocolates in her hand (she didn't like the fact that they were there either) and i tried sharpening but the words on the pillar in the right side got even harder to read. but i'll look at it again.

simm, i was standing right up against another pillar. but let me look at filing that space.

richard, that seems like the perfect to me as well. after i fix the barreling.

thanks again guys

noah

[affablebeef]

looks like i forgot to add the picture. oops.

http://www.pbase.com/image/21421581.jpg

[suzie]

Hi Noah.

I think this is a really interesting subject and the changes you have made have certainly improved the image.

I hope you don't mind, but I had a little play around with this because to me it cried out for B&W - what do you think??

http://www.bytephoto.com/photopost/data/500/216other-med.jpg

Let me know if you want me to remove this.


Suzie.

[affablebeef]

thanks for the idea suzie. it hadn't really occured to me. i don't know if i am crazy about the black and white, but what do you think of a light sepia? either idea, i think, addresses ssim's observation about the sky being distracting. and there is no need for you remove your take on it.

thanks again.

http://www.pbase.com/image/21444768.jpg

[Leighow]

NOAH

PREAMBLE
*********
If you read some of the lit on becoming a photographer, many authors suggest that darkroom experience with B & W is invaluable.

If you join a photo club it may have at least one B & W show/competition a year. Related talk and critique will focus on contrast and paper selection -- as they help to set the range of shades from black.

Photoshop allows you to select Lab "mode" opening up a Lab channel and a Lightness channel. (Sharpeneing by the way is done in the Lightness channel).

YOUR IMAGE NEEDS MORE CONTRAST
*****************************
The major weakness in this image is its low level of contrast, which accounts for its whispy mood. That calls for auto contrast in PS or more contrast or possibly sharpening (equals contrast) in Lab "mode". MOre contrast may kill the whispyness, but improve the photo.

That is what I think Susie was on to.

HOWIE

[affablebeef]

thank you howie. i really apreciate your insight and frankness.

i just have a couple of questions. can lack of contrast be fixed in photoshop? unless i miss the concept, contrast would be a quality of the subject. and i am not sure if i understand 'whispy'. are you refering to granular look of it? i do understand that by turning it sepia i killed any constrast that was there.

thanks for the help. i am trying.

noah

[affablebeef]

one more thing, i am not that familier with photoshop. i use paint shop pro. but, i'll work on it.

noah

[Conk]

affablebeef wrote:
i went ahead and got pbase. cause conk had it. and i thought, if i were on pbase, maybe my photos would look that good. there is nothing there now but there will be.


I am flattered. http://www.adimaging.com/forums/images/smiles/icon_redface.gif
Thank you very much. I just try to do the best I can with the ol' A40. I look back at those photos and see ones posted a year ago and think "Wow, have they ever changed".
About your photo. I think there are likely a few photo opportunities here at this memorial with the lighting and all. I like the angle you chose and I think the lighting is right on. I just think that your girlfriend looks posed. Maybe if she wasn't leaning and if you had of taken one step to the right the tree in the back may have been avoided. There are lots of angles to play with here. Might just be a smörgåsbord of photos. :)