GKPE: Serious Photography Thread

I felt it time that us kiwis who really wanted to take our photography seriously, have our work critiqued, discuss photography issues had a thread that did not contain ramblings. So here it is.

So post your photos and except honest critique (thats nice dosnt count). If you want to chat about non-related photography take it else where.

Ok I went to Lake Wainamu out at Bethals Beach on Saterday. It is an amazing area with plenty of photos to be had.

Bird life (heaps of fantails) Hudge sand dunes, reeds, and at the end a series of cascading waterfalls.

Here are a couple of photos of the area.
The walk is easy, bit wet with rain. You have to follow the stream around or cut across the sand dunes. If it has rained be prepared to get wet feet.
Budget 4 hrs min for the walk to the end and back
From a light point of view, its quite open and harsh in the mid day and early afternoon.

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With all the feetprints and drift in the rocks I would have cropped them out of the shot in the camera and gone for a tighter portrait of just the fall and less of the reflecting pond, or removed the drift and wet the rest of the rocks.

On a first visit to a new spot I try to cature as much as the enviroment as I can.
When I then go back I isolate the subjects I want.

weka2000 wrote in post #3549765
On a first visit to a new spot I try to cature as much as the enviroment as I can.
When I then go back I isolate the subjects I want.

ive been there several times, there is a clifftop track that overlooks it - its surreal looking down and seeing a huge black moonscape in the middle of the bush.

i find your waterfall photo a bit too orange, the greens are off, hard to describe?
the jetty looks good colour-wise but a little flat, and if you got down lower you would get more perspective with the jetty

I'm not overly in love with your first shot... it seems as though it is missing something

as for the second shot it looks awesome, its just a shame you got the sun hitting those trees in the far background

I was at knee level with the jetty should have used 17-40.
I find the waterfall colours in the ranges impossible.

weka2000 wrote in post #3552993
I was at knee level with the jetty should have used 17-40.
I find the waterfall colours in the ranges impossible.

knee level isnt low enough
sometimes u hav 2 lie down and get the camera just above ground level

Angle Finder C - works well for that

::John:: wrote in post #3553146
Angle Finder C - works well for that

saves mashing your face into the ground anyhow lol

somethingsimple wrote in post #3553166
saves mashing your face into the ground anyhow lol

Don't forget he has a 1DII.. Due to it's build it can't go as low as other cameras!!

I Like the photos. Definitley need to remove the rubbish in the rocks on the second shot.
First shot looks promising. Go back with a model.

This is for honest critique right?

Don't like either of them Tony, they're not up to the standard of some of your stronger work. The first is just lacking anything that makes it go 'wow' and as such appears to me to be more like a well executed shot taken by someone still knee deep in learning the ropes of photography.

You're past that.

The second is technically fantastic. Except I have a deep seated hatred for sickly sweet landscape shots. The waterfall effect for me here is on par with sticking a soft focus effect on a portrait. Dreamy but removes from the shot. That seascape pano you did the other day conveyed the 'knock you on your ass' beauty of the beach in the same way I'd just stand there and go "f**k me!" if I was stood on the beach myself, this looks like a photo of a nice place, pretty place with a layer of varnish on top for decoration.

Verdict: 2 gold stars, good but you can do better.

::John:: wrote in post #3553146
Angle Finder C - works well for that

Woops forgot to put it in my bag

akiwi wrote in post #3553401
Don't forget he has a 1DII.. Due to it's build it can't go as low as other cameras!!

the lens-to-top distance is still similar, depite a recent attempt at upside-down photography failing miserably I think with an angle finder & tripod it would be feasable.

My turn for some serious C&C and I mean serious - tell me everything that comes to mind I don't care what it is I want to know to get better

anyway here they are - 3 shots taken at tonights Howick College Basketball game. I had my 20D and 70-200 F2.8L ISO was way up at 1600 and 3200 and aperture set at 2.8 for the whole game... not many keepers infact these aren't that great either

Tips and tricks mostly apprieciated

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