Potential 'Album Cover' entry missed by fatigue...

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX APO IF HSM for Canon

07/26/2004 10:49:39 AM · #1

I was so exhausted from driving home this weekend that after unpacking the car, I didn't even care to fire up the laptop to upload one of these two images to the challenge...

Anyway, what's your take on these? Are they 'winners' or 'wieners'?

This one was considered quite controversial by my wife. Of course, I toned it down a bit from the original band name and to be honest, I am not extremely happy with the results as an album cover.

With this shot, I was aiming slightly for an old Santana Album I have, the name of which I am lacking, but it's a very cool name. Anyway, in that shot, the sky is of a similar coloration, except that instead of the water and the freighter, there is the ocean of sand and a caravan of camels... (Similar concept anyway, sunset, sort of grainy with the transport of goods shown...)

Anyway, tear me apart please.

Both shots were taken from the same location, roughly 30 minutes apart.

*edited to fix 3 minutes into 30 minutes*

Message edited by author 2004-07-26 10:53:32.

Kha0S

Canon EOS-20D

07/26/2004 10:57:27 AM · #2

Hard to tell, but they probably would not have excelled particularly in the challenge.

Landscape shots, particularly distant-horizon shots where you're trying to capitalize on vivid colors or striking patterns in the sky are often very difficult to capture. Without some serious post production (burning, saturation, etc.), these shots just don't seem to carry the impact that they carry when you see them in person.

Regardless, the exposure on the first one is well done, direct sunlight in the frame while still capturing the detail in the water's surface is a difficult shot to catch.

For future shots like this, you might want to invest in a polarizing filter to help darken/saturate the sky, and possible a gradient density filter to further assist in pulling more detail out of the bottom while keeping out some of the light from above.

edit: Also, you might want to rotate the first shot a bit to level the horizon.

/Andrew

Message edited by author 2004-07-26 11:04:01.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

07/26/2004 11:04:03 AM · #3

The problem with the bottom shot is that the freighter was just to far out. I did some serious cropping to end up with what you see here. I need to invest in a polarizing filter as well as a longer focal length lense.

I do my best to avoid heavily post processing images with dodging and burning. The most I enjoy doing, right now, is messing with the exposure level and tweaking the brightness/contrast and sometimes the color across the whole image.

The images looked 'brighter' on my LCD the they do on a CRT. I really should have done my thing to them on a CRT rather then an LCD.

Thanks for your help.

joebok

Fujifilm X100F

07/26/2004 11:06:42 AM · #4

There are a lot of really good entries in this challenge, I think either of yours would have done well - at least by my vote. I like the freighter one the best - good humor! Normally I'm not a stickler for picky things - but the horizon is just a tiny bit off. I think it was making me seasick!

Joe

Kha0S

Canon EOS-20D

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX APO IF HSM for Canon

07/26/2004 11:07:42 AM · #5

Indeed, I can understand your feelings about serious post processing. My only reason for mentioning them was to simulate the effects of a polarizing filter or gradient density filter to make the best result from the captures that you already have.

Nice shots, though.

/Andrew

Kha0S

Canon EOS-20D

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX APO IF HSM for Canon

07/26/2004 11:08:45 AM · #6

Also, it occurred to me, when looking at the last one... it reminded me a lot of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, from Gordon Lightfoot. Same sort of mental vibe that I've always associated with listening to that song.

/Andrew

07/26/2004 11:14:35 AM · #7

Is there a filter or plugin available for PS Elements 2.0 that would be similar to a polarizing filter? (Isn't that against DCP Rules to, or just the Basic editing Rules?)

My main reason for wanting to stay away from heavy post processing is to increase my photographic skills so that I instinctively take pleasing, natural photos. Instinctively meaning using the right settings without relying on the PC to fix 'mistakes' so much.

Once I have that down, I plan on getting into more Post Processing to add more to already decent shots and to rescue some okay shots.

07/26/2004 11:15:40 AM · #8

Originally posted by Kha0S:

Yeah, that's the whole Great Lakes Freighter thing. Just about any distant shot of freighters on the Great Lakes can invoke that feeling...