New outdoor photos

Hello! I am currently experimenting with different settings on my camera.
I am open for input on these photos.
thanks!!

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Here are a couple more. ( i hope, i had to resize them)
: )

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My two cents:

Photo 1 - your snow is blue! the sky also looks blown out
Photo 2 - the fence looks out of focus to me, though it might just be the small file size of the image. I don't like the composition of the fence cutting through the middle of the image. I'd put the fence on the left side of the image and get lower, if possible
Photo 3 - bring subject to me. I don't know what else to say other than that

I see some people have never actually looked at snow before. Any snow lit by daylight will be blue because daylight is blue. Snow lit by sunshine (like the tops of the drifts in image # 1) will be white. If all the snow is lit by sunshine than all of it will be white.

Benji

(This is about my 15th photographic thing I've had to set straight on this site. It seems this site has an excess of so called experts here that are only experts in their own eyes.)

As long as it isn't yellow, Benji.

Benji wrote in post #11574250
I see some people have never actually looked at snow before. Any snow lit by daylight will be blue because daylight is blue. Snow lit by sunshine (like the tops of the drifts in image # 1) will be white. If all the snow is lit by sunshine than all of it will be white.

Benji

(This is about my 15th photographic thing I've had to set straight on this site. It seems this site has an excess of so called experts here that are only experts in their own eyes.)

Benji,

Thanks for your arrogant, non-constructive, ridiculous criticism. Please point out where I claim that I am an 'expert'. While you're looking for that you can also point out where I say 'My two cents worth'.

How intelligent of you to assume some people have never seen snow. I have about 3 feet of it on my front lawn. How much does Indiana have right now?

It's the pompous claims from some self-proclaimed 'experts' that stifle the learning opportunities and prospective creativity of others. One thing that really erks me about photography is that so many 'experts' who have 'been at it for 30 years from the old dark room days' put themselves on a level higher than those from the digital era.

Anyway, regardless of what you choose to say, the snow, as was my comment about the original photo, is blue. Call it what you want; it's blue snow. And call me stupid and unknowledgeable if you want, but I don't find it terribly difficult to properly capture white snow.

Benji wrote in post #11574250
I see some people have never actually looked at snow before. Any snow lit by daylight will be blue because daylight is blue. Snow lit by sunshine (like the tops of the drifts in image # 1) will be white. If all the snow is lit by sunshine than all of it will be white.

Benji

(This is about my 15th photographic thing I've had to set straight on this site. It seems this site has an excess of so called experts here that are only experts in their own eyes.)

Sorry as a matter of FACT snow is transparent, hence appearing white. Yes I have seen snow with my own eyes.

Also, daylight is NOT BLUE, this too is a fact. Saying snow should be blue in daylight and white in sunshine just show that you have limited knowledge of colour temperature and white balance.

Making snow appears blue in a photo is not necessarily a bad choice, but snow is NOT blue, open your eyes.

Snow is not blue but I don't think the photo is blue either, what you see is shadow and relief which may appear to have a slight blue cast to it. Trust me Canadians know snow.

Voaky999 wrote in post #11575142
Snow is not blue but I don't think the photo is blue either, what you see is shadow and relief which may appear to have a slight blue cast to it. Trust me Canadians know snow.

Good point. You can see what you mean by shadow and relief in photo number 2 in the second set of photos. There is a shadow from a tree? That appears to be blue. I'm far from being a professional. Just starting out actually but this thread caught my eye.

Yes, i realize that snow is white, however, there was a very clear sky that was very blue, hence the blue cast on the shadows of the snow.
Thank you for your input. I was hoping not to get negative but positive so that I learn more as i experiement.
Thank you for your time.

Snow is white. Snow is not transparent. Snow like lots of other things will pick up the color of the light illuminating it. In all of the above examples one can easily see that the snow is white where the sunshine is illuminating it and blue where the sky (daylight) is illuminating it. Look at them for heaven's sake.

As far as "blown out skies" I see "experts" proclaiming this all the time. The truth is the only sky that is blue all day (at least cloudless days) is the north sky. The east sky, west sky and the south sky are only blue at various times during the day and the image maker may or may not catch the sky at a blue time. On days with solid cloud cover the sky will photograph as white. Yes, one can blow out whites but just because something is white in the image does not mean that is is automatically blown.

So daylight is not blue? This is why I love internet experts. If you can type you're an instant expert.
According to this site(and several hundred more on this subject) daylight is blue http://www.3drender.co​m/glossary/colortemp.h​tm

Sunshine is between 5000 and 5400 degrees K and anything above 5500 degrees K (including daylight) is blue.

Benji

Benji,
Thank you for your input! I appreciate you clarifying some things that I thought.
Honestly I was a bit taken back from the first post on here, I thought I was completely out of the game from the 'critique' given on the photos.
So, aside from the apparent difference in opinions of the color my snow should be, (which we both agree, will pick up colors cast from it's surroundings) what do you think of the photos otherwise?
Thanks for your input!!

smackitsakic wrote in post #11573577
My two cents:

Photo 1 - your snow is blue! the sky also looks blown out
Photo 2 - the fence looks out of focus to me, though it might just be the small file size of the image. I don't like the composition of the fence cutting through the middle of the image. I'd put the fence on the left side of the image and get lower, if possible
Photo 3 - bring subject to me. I don't know what else to say other than that

In the second photo, the fence is out of focus in spots. i had my focus on just a single point to get a fair amount of bokeh in the photo. I am trying to experiment with different angles and vantage points. What I may perceive as a great photo may or may not attract someone else.

denise69 wrote in post #11577354
Benji,
Thank you for your input! I appreciate you clarifying some things that I thought.
Honestly I was a bit taken back from the first post on here, I thought I was completely out of the game from the 'critique' given on the photos.
So, aside from the apparent difference in opinions of the color my snow should be, (which we both agree, will pick up colors cast from it's surroundings) what do you think of the photos otherwise?
Thanks for your input!!

Denise,

A really good photograph is actually quite difficult to obtain. It must be properly exposed, well composed, have proper white balance, have viewer impact, be in focus and the lighting must be perfect or nearly so. The very word "photograph" literally means "light written", or "light drawn." Most newbie photographers think the lighting is the last thing they need to worry about. They want to express their artistic urgings so they plop down some rather big bucks and get a camera and a lens and snap a number of shots. In reviewing them however they quickly find out that their images lack something, so they post a few images on a photographic website and ask for critique. Several "experts" weigh in with their vast knowledge they have accumulated in the last six months since they bought their Canon Rebel. These experts think they are doing the OP a favor by saying things like "the image has blown skies", or "the subject has blue hair", or "the white balance is off" and so forth. Sometimes they are right but lots of times they are not.

So the newbie thinks if he or she only had more equipment THEN they will get some good images. So they buy a huge lens (or several of them) and a large bag to pu' em in, and the experts said you absolutely MUST have a speedlight or two or three (all internet experts have at least three) and they go back out and shoot again, and their images are still bad!

To your images. It appears they are properly exposed. The composition however is lacking on them but you are a newbie! Dividing the composition in 1/2 like in the first image is a no no. I use the rules of thirds in about 99% of my work. The second is a little more interesting with the fence at an angle and the old barn is OK, but ya know what? Making outdoor winter shots interesting is very difficult what with the snow, leafless trees and drab brown foliage. Color adds so much excitement to an image. Maybe you may want to experiment with some still life images that you can make colorful.

Keep on posting.

Benji

Benji wrote in post #11577533
Denise,

A really good photograph is actually quite difficult to obtain. It must be properly exposed, well composed, have proper white balance, have viewer impact, be in focus and the lighting must be perfect or nearly so. The very word "photograph" literally means "light written", or "light drawn." Most newbie photographers think the lighting is the last thing they need to worry about. They want to express their artistic urgings so they plop down some rather big bucks and get a camera and a lens and snap a number of shots. In reviewing them however they quickly find out that their images lack something, so they post a few images on a photographic website and ask for critique. Several "experts" weigh in with their vast knowledge they have accumulated in the last six months since they bought their Canon Rebel. These experts think they are doin a favor by saying things like "the image has blown skies", or "the subject has blue hair", or "the white balance is off" and so forth. Sometimes they are right but lots of times they are not.

So the newbie thinks if he or she only had more equipment THEN they will get some good images. So they buy a huge lens(or several of them) and a large bag to pu' em in, and the experts said you absolutely MUST have a speedlight or two or three (all internet experts have at least three) and they go back out and shoot again, and their images are still bad!

To your images. It appears they are properly exposed. The composition however is lacking on them but you are a newbie! Dividing the composition in 1/2 like in the first image is a no no. I use the rules of thirds in about 99% of my work. The second is a little more interesting with the fence at an angle and the old barn is OK, but ya know what? Making outdoor winter shots interesting is very difficult what with the snow, leafless trees and drab brown foliage. Color adds so much excitement to an image. Maybe you may want to experiment with some still life images that you can make colorful.

Keep on posting.

Benji

Benji,
Thanks for taking your time again to post.
I have been 'taking pictures', for what seems forever.
However, with that being said, I am in the process of taking that picture taking to a different level and I am trying to achieve great photographs. I do not have any formal training.
I am currently experimenting with different settings on my camera to try to acheive the outcome right from the camera VS post processing.

An expert, I am far from that, which is why I turn to the forum to opinions.
I realize that there are lots of people out there that have strong opinions and I try to not take them personal. I do appreciate honest constructive input, so from that I can learn. It takes alot for me to put my work out there for critique, for fear it will be torn apart.

I am trying to build a business with portraits, which is going well. I do however, want to pursue other avenues with more options.

p.s. I only have 2 lenses and a small bag! : )

thanks again for your time!