Silverstone Classic – C&C required please!

[Jules.r]

I couldn’t decide if this should be here in Motorsport, or in Critique Corner, I decided to put it here as it’s a specialist subject.

I have a problem with brightness, I’m hoping it is now solved which is why I need your comments on the following images please.

I have a Spyder 2 Express (upgraded to Pro) and have used it to calibrate both my Laptop and my PC, The Laptop has always looked a little dull and dark and the PC has always looked too bright, way too bright but because the Spyder says that you should set the monitor to default settings and then once calibrated leave it alone that is what I did.

I found that after processing my images that I thought looked just right on my PC and posting them on various websites if I looked at them on another machine they looked completely different, very dull and flat.

So, I printed one of my shots, then adjusted the PC monitor brightness down until it looked fairly close, I’m really hoping that I’ve cracked it, I really need to know how these images look to you?

They all started as Raw, have been through Lightroom, Auto tone on all of them then minor adjustments as required. I would normally then apply unsharp mask and Noise Ninja but as yet these have not been through Photoshop.

Looking forward to any comments and advice, not only regarding brightness but anything that could help me improve my photography!

Thank you.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/Jules.r/IMG_3374.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/Jules.r/IMG_3485.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/Jules.r/IMG_3361.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/Jules.r/IMG_3288.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/Jules.r/IMG_3310.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/Jules.r/IMG_3353.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/Jules.r/IMG_3454.jpg

[Joffan]

Not too shabby!

But is it my screen or does the white E-Type in Number 4 look slightly pink?

[RadAL]

any more shots of the F1 LM? :O

[andrewc]

E-type looks a creamy white / ivory to me.

[Joffan]

Yeah you're right, I'm on a different monitor and it looks fine. Plus there's a red gazebo on the left of the shot that's probably passing a bit of red light down onto it...

[Jules.r]

any more shots of the F1 LM? :O

Yes, I took plenty of the Mclaren, I will post them when I get home just for you.

I'm not so sure that it is an LM, it was the regular length, not a 'Long-tail'

Maybe a 'GTR'

I have to say I was expecting more comments, I should definately have posted this in the 'Critique Corner' section, if a moderator happens to see this and feels it should be moved please go ahead.

[RadAL]

thanks man!

[Owain Shaw]

You've done well (I presume with a polariser) cutting reflections, particularly evident in the rich saturated colours of #2.

Some of them use the ol' jaunty angle thing, I'm all for that, if there's a compositional gain from using it, these don't seem to have an obvious one.

Something to watch out for like the reflections you've obviously mastered is backgrounds. The Porsche is overpowered by the massive motorhome that is big and in focus enough to be a major distraction. The Macca could benefit from a less 'Silverstone' background but, I guess you can't choose their location, just work with it and minimise the impact. Going straight on at the E-Type would have cut out the marquay, also, did you want to shoot it with the bonnett up or would coming back a bit later (perhaps even asking them to close it if it wasn't being urgently worked on, I know the HSCC guys are normally pretty accomodating) to get a shot of it closed been a better option?

I think the Aston Martin in the garage shot would benefit from what Susan White (not a photographer) might call a "fat off vignette", maybe some desaturation. Whilst we're on the fat off vignette and desaturation road, try taking #3 on a road trip as well.

What do I know? Precisely nothing and no more, but I've got long name.

Yours, regretting sitting on the wet grass having developed symptoms of "The Pip",

Owain.

[asylumxl]

i agree with what mr shaw said apart from you should bump up the contrast in a few a little aswell. since you have image editing ok enabled, i thought i'd do a little post processing :).

http://www.imageination.co.uk/jagedit.jpg