C&C on a couple shots please

Well, I don't seem to get too much of a response whenever I post my shots, so I figured I should post here. I'm pretty new to dslr (about 3 months), and I would appreciate any tips or help I can get. Right now I'm pretty much just using adobe camera raw for editing.
Please let me know how I can improve any of these. Thanks in advance

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

The first one could be improved with a more complete tonal range. As it is, it looks very flat. Even with a sepia tone, there should still be a full range of values. The composition works rather well, but that post in the foreground is distracting.

The most successful photo is the one of the boats. The colorful hulls contrast nicely with the brooding sky, and there is enough information in the shot to give us a little narrative of sorts: the storm is coming, so the boats are beached, but they defiantly beam their colors in anticipation of the next sunny day.

The lamp photo lacks that kind of visual interest. It makes me wonder what interested you enough about it to take a picture. It rather centered and static and lacks interesting light.

The tree photo could use more depth. It's just a giant silhouette in the frame for the most part. The tree takes up so much of the frame, that there is no obvious point of visual resolution--no point for the eye to "come home."

I have to agree with Phrasikleia. The photo with the boats is the only one that really captures my interest. The bright stacked color of the boats with the stormy sky is definitely a keeper.

The first one only makes me wonder what the sign says on the building. Isn't CCCP Russian?

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the comments guys. The first shot i think I just used way too much fill light, I was kinda going for an old flat look. You can see the other color edit on my flickr, though it is probably a little over done. I agree that the post in the foreground is distracting. You think I could clone that out?

The lamp photo was more of a snap shot, but I did like the way it looked with the textured wall, and I thought the edit worked with it, to give it a kind of old look.

I agree that the tree is framed too tightly, I only had my Nifty fifty with me, and I backed up as far as I could without getting anything else in the shot. Ok it's starting to sound like I'm making a bunch of excused for my un interesting photos.lol.

Not sure what the sign is supposed to say. Thanks for the comments. If anyone is bored and wants to check out my flickr and give me any pointers on how I could improve any of my shots or editing I would appreciate it. Or even just tell me what there favorite shot is.
Thanks again

#1 isn't all that great. There are too many things going on. The tree shot rocks. I think it's cropped just right. I like the contrasting colors and ominous sky in #3.

I hope that you don't mind, I took the liberty to copy these to HD and offer up my humble crit as redesigned photos. Executed in cheap old PSe7.

Chevy Truck pic - convert to B&W - Crop - Levels/+Contrast - Straighten horizon - Cloned out the vertical in center lower foreground.

Garage Light pic - Crop - Levels/+Brightness - Straighten - attempt to make it more mysterious, lyrical, severe.

Your pics all have vignette things happening. Was that intended? Or just the lens/camera?

I tend to like my pics a bit on the darker-overall side, so that is where I went ... but that is just me.

jef

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

And here's the other two.

Boat Pic- levels and crop. (Excellent pic to begin with) Crop to get the shape curve of the cloud mass to counterpoint the shape curve of the boat mass with the tree throwing in the unexpected, and balancing the rail space on the other side.


Lone Tree Pic - Contrast/levels - Vignette removal (again, good pic to start with!


(I kept exceeding the max allowable file size trying to repost these pics, so I hope that they come through OK)

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

I think the above edits are very instructive. He has PPed them to improve contrast and tonal range. In the color one he has improved the saturation and contrast. Nothing wrong with your shots, but more needs to be done with your processing, even if more means less. ) By that I mean the truck photo.)

mhtjef wrote in post #9574462
I hope that you don't mind, I took the liberty to copy these to HD and offer up my humble crit as redesigned photos. Executed in cheap old PSe7.

Chevy Truck pic - convert to B&W - Crop - Levels/+Contrast - Straighten horizon - Cloned out the vertical in center lower foreground.

Garage Light pic - Crop - Levels/+Brightness - Straighten - attempt to make it more mysterious, lyrical, severe.

Your pics all have vignette things happening. Was that intended? Or just the lens/camera?

I tend to like my pics a bit on the darker-overall side, so that is where I went ... but that is just me.

jef

Thanks for the edits, you made them all look better. As far as the vignette, it was intentional. I really need to get out of that, kinda addicted to the vig tool

mhtjef wrote in post #9574497
And here's the other two.

Boat Pic- levels and crop. (Excellent pic to begin with) Crop to get the shape curve of the cloud mass to counterpoint the shape curve of the boat mass with the tree throwing in the unexpected, and balancing the rail space on the other side.


Lone Tree Pic - Contrast/levels - Vignette removal (again, good pic to start with!


(I kept exceeding the max allowable file size trying to repost these pics, so I hope that they come through OK)

Wow, I like what you did here too. Thanks again.

gonzogolf wrote in post #9574515
I think the above edits are very instructive. He has PPed them to improve contrast and tonal range. In the color one he has improved the saturation and contrast. Nothing wrong with your shots, but more needs to be done with your processing, even if more means less. ) By that I mean the truck photo.)

I think you are definitely right. I think sometimes I do a little too much when it comes to processing. I'm still learning, and probably will be for a very long time. Thanks to everyone who contributed so far. I appreciate the feedback.

icebat wrote in post #9576453
I think you are definitely right. I think sometimes I do a little too much when it comes to processing. I'm still learning, and probably will be for a very long time. Thanks to everyone who contributed so far. I appreciate the feedback.

There is a real temptation when you first get access to all these incredibly powerful editing tools to create drama in your photos. But if truth be told if you dont have drama or interest in your photos, you aint gonna find much more in post. Of course you can do some fun things, and we all do, but start with improving whats in a photo before you try to add to it and you'll be surprised how good you can be.

gonzogolf wrote in post #9576496
There is a real temptation when you first get access to all these incredibly powerful editing tools to create drama in your photos. But if truth be told if you dont have drama or interest in your photos, you aint gonna find much more in post. Of course you can do some fun things, and we all do, but start with improving whats in a photo before you try to add to it and you'll be surprised how good you can be.

I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes I think I try to learn too much, too fast. I will definitely keep what you said in mind. Thanks again.

-Sean

Here's a quick re edit I did on the truck shot. I pretty much tried to do what mhtjef did in his edit. What do you guys think?

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

icebat wrote in post #9577200
Here's a quick re edit I did on the truck shot. I pretty much tried to do what mhtjef did in his edit. What do you guys think?

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

I like his crop better; it gets the car further away from the center. Also, you've crushed the blacks. Try to get some of that nice detail back into them.

Last try, is this any better?

your whites still aren't white, have you done a levels adjustment?