First Filter Attempts - Sunset & Water

Hey guys just wondering what you thought of these photos, first attempt at some filter photography using the cokin p series, and my new canon 17-55 f2.8 filters used were sunset filter and gradual blue filter in some combination. I need to get some nd's and gnd's. Not really any post just some contrast and changes to the blacks

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/robbbow/6288061​565/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/robbbow/6288582​732/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/robbbow/6288582​602/

Only first one looks natural for me. Third one looks the weirdest. But I don't have any experience using filters apart from polarizing. What did you want to achieve? I think it is important to have a plan and vision when using them.

yeh these weren't supposed to be natural looking, they're just something different I know they don't represent what was there but is that all photography is about? Still experimenting so i know they won't be most people's cup of tea

Unfortunately they look like cokin filter shots.

I like the second one. I think the colors blend nicely.

Baloney...just try to take pretty pictures.

I really like the third shot. I know it does not look 'natural' but where is the rule for that one written? For me, there is too much purple in #1, and the vertical split in #2 is just plain odd.

But like the others, these are just opinions. All you need to do is satisfy yourself!!

personally i dont like any of them but this is one of those things that i have to put my personal opinion aside and see the bigger picture.

for instance #2 is interesting and in all honesty i could see it being sold in a gallery it is as Neutron Boy said really odd but i do think there's a charm about it, id definatly hang that on my wall its different which is good.

I love image 2, love the contrasting colors, it reminds me of "night and day". If theres any way that you can just brighten the blue side a bit to make it look more like day light, I think it would be pretty cool. Very creative, photography doesn't always have to depict what is real, I love them.

thanks guys for the words, both the critique and the compliments. When i go out to take photos I never have a vision in mind, just trying to capture something unique/beautiful or whatever I see when im presented with what's in front of me.

and simplyeuphoric i gave it a go lightening the other side i'm not particularly good at post but its up ^^

One i took last night with a hoya nd400, now this filter is going to take a lot of work getting used to exposure settings, 1 second becomes 6 min 40s! but it is going to produce some trippy effects!

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/robbbow/6302253​548/

chauncey wrote in post #13325621
Baloney...just try to take pretty pictures.

Baloney...like anything else, better results often come from better planning and envisioning an expectation. Unless one just hopes to get completely lucky, that is (and we know how often that plays out).

I'm not a big fan of graduated filters. The first thing that sticks in my eye is the artifact due to not having a clear demarcation in the scene. If it's not apparent, then I spend time looking for it, which detracts from my appreciation of the image. The best example is your "Masts" shot. The base of the masts and furled jibs are blue and the mastheads are orange. As a sailor myself, the artificiality just jumps out at me. There should be a rule: don't take pictures of sailboats with graduated filters.

I don't know what you were getting at with the diffused one.

Thanks for that Argyle and Joe, they are by no means technically good photos, just something different for me, and i shall take both those tips on board, both having foresight before i take the photo as well as making sure there are no obvious errors in them. The shots were very rushed i'm not a very patient person but i guess that will have to change if i want to take some nicer photos!

As for the diffused shot i just liked the colours when i stacked the blue and the orange filter together, totally unnatural purples but just something different

Cheers,

Rob