Feedback needed

[Luminarex]

I've just recently gotten into photography and need some feedback on the shots below. My main interest is in Fine Art Nudes but being that I'm new to this board (need four months/500 posts for the Glamour/Nude section) I was wondering if I could get some responses on these.

The first is of a withering flower outside of a church.
The second is just a Fall scene.


Nothing spectacular, but yeah.

Something I'm curious about is how I should edit my photos with different monitors being on different settings. Where should the brightness and contrast be set on my monitor?

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/YahonatanRex/1-1.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/YahonatanRex/2-1.jpg

[SwingBopper]

I've just recently gotten into photography and need some feedback on the shots below. My main interest is in Fine Art Nudes but being that I'm new to this board (need four months/500 posts for the Glamour/Nude section) I was wondering if I could get some responses on these.

The first is of a withering flower outside of a church.
The second is just a Fall scene.


Nothing spectacular, but yeah.

Something I'm curious about is how I should edit my photos with different monitors being on different settings. Where should the brightness and contrast be set on my monitor?

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/YahonatanRex/1-1.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/YahonatanRex/2-1.jpg

Johnathan, you can find a lot of information on this site about gamma (to adjust your monitor). There are several free software downloads you can use to adjust your monitor's gamma. You can also email the G&N moderators and ask for early access (attach a couple shots of your G&N work).
Your first pic here is missing. The 2nd of a park bench looks properly exposed and sharp; but it's better if you post bigger pictures (1024 pixels on the longest side is the max). Good luck in the G&N forum.

[ADRPHOTOS]

you could've used the gazebo to frame your shot. instead you put the pole smack in the middle, bisecting your image and totally confusing my eye.

the shadows in the gazebo also caused the sky to almost totally blow out...you picked a tough place to try and meter this shot

[Bill Boehme]

This link should keep you busy for a while:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=296149 (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=296149)

Before I got a monitor calibrator and software, I used several of the freebie tools available on the Internet. My favorite for setting gamma is Quick Gamma and its companion program, Quick Gamma Loader.

Setting the brightness is a bit subjective, but generally, it should be somewhat dim in comparison to what you typically see for general purpose computer use. A rough rule of thumb would be that you want the brightness to be such that you would be able to make a reasonable comparison of an image on the screen with a printed image -- this does not mean holding the print next to the monitor and expecting to see the same brightness, but if you look at an image on the screen and then turn away from the screen and evaluate the print under proper lighting, you would then be able to make a comparative evaluation of the two.

[Walczak Photo]

I've just recently gotten into photography and need some feedback on the shots below. My main interest is in Fine Art Nudes but being that I'm new to this board (need four months/500 posts for the Glamour/Nude section) I was wondering if I could get some responses on these.

The first is of a withering flower outside of a church.
The second is just a Fall scene.


Nothing spectacular, but yeah.

Something I'm curious about is how I should edit my photos with different monitors being on different settings. Where should the brightness and contrast be set on my monitor?







Well, as ADRPHOTOS said, the shot of the park bench was poorly framed. Personally I would have found an interesting subject outside of the gazebo (assuming one existed) and then as ADR said, used the window of the gazebo as a framing device. The way you have it here, my eye went right to the post in the middle of the frame and just really got stuck there. In my mind at least, good composition be it glamor & nudes or scenic shots as you have here...good composition is what sets apart great photography from simple snap shots.

As far as colors, contrast and that type of thing with monitors, the first thing I would suggest is getting some type of calibration device to calibrate all of the monitors that you do work on. While there are many to choose from and lots of info here on POTN, I think I've seen the Spyder mentioned as one of the better affordable units (just Google "monitor calibration spyder" and you'll find tons of info). Don't worry other users viewing your material (either here on POTN or abroad), just get your equipment calibrated properly so that you know what you're working with.

Beyond that I would also suggest using the same profiles on all of your equipment. I know a lot of folks here recommend the Adobe RGB but personally I use the traditional sRGB. Depending on how and where you do your prints, not many companies who do prints actually support Adobe RGB (in fact some of them use their own proprietary profiles). This can even apply to your web browser as well...if your browser isn't set up correctly then even though the images look correct in your editing software, they can still come up looking wrong when you post them for review. Very simply, the sRGB profile is more widely recognised (almost a universal standard really) and by using it on all of your equipment, you will have consistant color throughout your work flow from the camera to the final prints...this way what you see on your camera will be (more or less) what you see on your monitor and in your prints (again assuming everything is properly calibrated and barring any editing adjustments of course).

Alrighty, hope this helps!
Jim

[Luminarex]

Appreciate the replies. Erased the first photo because it didn't work. It was a photo of a withering flower with a church in the background. Couldn't tell the building in the background was a church though.

Thanks for the suggestions.