Getting back into the game...

Hey POTN folks!

So, I am finally making time for things I truly enjoy instead of being a 24/7 slave to my job and decided this weekend to go out and snap some shots. After perusing, I found about 13 images, but have a couple that I wanted to toss up.

I'm no professional (warning: This statement is redundant. You'll see why in a second) but here's a couple of shots that I thought stood out from what I selected... Thanks!

(very brief info -- 1) none of these photos are cropped at all. Resized, sure, but not cropped. Only minor color corrections. This was done on purpose, but feel free to critique the fullness or lack of a crop. And 2) The Washington statue in the Boston Public Gardens (in the afternoon) sits directly behind a skyscraper which prevents direct sunlight. Yeah, I could have used my YN460, but I wanted to see what I could capture w/o it since it was still technically daylight (and I was worried about light directly reflecting off the statue).

updated 1st post - not sure if I was supposed to put C&C welcome in the title/post or what, thought being in the C&C forum would imply that..

I think a flash would help #1. Or selective levels adjust.
#2 seems a bit tilted to the left.

I like the angle that you chose for that first shot. If you didn't want to use fill flash (I probably wouldn't either), you might have opened up a bit using exposure compensation. Your camera meter is reading the sky and exposing for that, leaving the statue underexposed. It THINKS it knows better than you do, but meters get fooled all the time. I'm too computer stupid to know how to read your exif data. What metering mode WERE you using?

suecassidy wrote in post #11906019
I like the angle that you chose for that first shot. If you didn't want to use fill flash (I probably wouldn't either), you might have opened up a bit using exposure compensation. Your camera meter is reading the sky and exposing for that, leaving the statue underexposed. It THINKS it knows better than you do, but meters get fooled all the time. I'm too computer stupid to know how to read your exif data. What metering mode WERE you using?

Thanks QBX

Hi Sue --
From what I can see in the exif data, I was pattern metering. That's something that I definitely need to take some time and read up about. What's funny is that I was actually taking my friend out that day to teach him the basics of photography and the beginnings of shutter speed and aperture. I have about 6-7 of these photos at different shutter speeds too. Beyond one that I actually shot at +1.0 exposure, this was the only one that I would consider a keeper.

Shot with the gear in my sig on the 17-85 (@ 66mm) - F5.6, 1/320 sec, ISO 100. If you link back to mistabernie.smugmug.co​m the info is actually still on the photos.

Thanks for the reply

Mistabernie wrote in post #11906675
Thanks QBX

Hi Sue --
From what I can see in the exif data, I was pattern metering. That's something that I definitely need to take some time and read up about. What's funny is that I was actually taking my friend out that day to teach him the basics of photography and the beginnings of shutter speed and aperture. I have about 6-7 of these photos at different shutter speeds too. Beyond one that I actually shot at +1.0 exposure, this was the only one that I would consider a keeper.

Shot with the gear in my sig on the 17-85 (@ 66mm) - F5.6, 1/320 sec, ISO 100. If you link back to mistabernie.smugmug.co​m the info is actually still on the photos.

Thanks for the reply

In cases like this I usually use spot metering. Of course then have to deal with blown out skies. I spend a lot of time in PP trying to fix that with varying degrees of success.

One of my favorite subjects to shoot as well when in Boston. We hang around Long Wharf most of the time.