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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> Finally became a full member - critique me also
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10/19/2010 08:54:58 AM · #1
Ok, been here long enough, you get my $25. And I've decided I need to start entering a LOT more challenges. And work on my post processing. I find I take a lot of pictures, throw them into LR, love some, hate others, and that's it. Don't think I'm focused enough on producing singular great images, and I really want to change that.

Related: I'd love some comments and critiques on some photos I took over the summer in Europe - went to Romania and Italy. My photo website I really love some of these, but others I know I could have done a lot more with, but I'm still really learning. Thanks guys.
10/19/2010 09:04:30 AM · #2
Originally posted by Lockke:

I'd love some comments and critiques on some photos I took over the summer in Europe - went to Romania and Italy.


make sure the pictures are in English, I don't know any other language.
10/19/2010 09:16:26 AM · #3
They're password protected...?
10/19/2010 09:20:40 AM · #4
Eeeeek, sorry. Try now.
10/19/2010 09:23:09 AM · #5
Now that u are a full member, you could put some of your images into your portfolio here, you'd gather more comments (wink, wink)
10/19/2010 09:25:04 AM · #6
Originally posted by h2:

Now that u are a full member, you could put some of your images into your portfolio here, you'd gather more comments (wink, wink)


I will def do that this week!
10/19/2010 09:28:02 AM · #7
Originally posted by h2:

Now that u are a full member, you could put some of your images into your portfolio here, you'd gather more comments (wink, wink)


be sure to "size" them down as they will eat up your space if you don't...(just a suggestion)
10/19/2010 09:42:33 AM · #8
Ok, before I post, what is it that you're looking for? Do you want straightforward, no holds barred, honest critique? Do you want suggestions on how to improve shots? Do you want suggestions on what could be done in post processing?

I'm always a little nervous giving feedback without first knowing what the person is wanting...
10/19/2010 09:47:40 AM · #9
You won't hurt my feelings. I know some are terrible. I think honest is best, and some specifics on post processing would be very very helpful. This was my first real photo tour, and tried to take some shots that weren't exactly vacation pics. Some I thought were good, some I know were def vacation pics.
10/19/2010 10:47:29 AM · #10
I don't have much time right now, but I'll try to get back to more later on. Here are some very general thoughts:

1. Were you using a polarizer? A lot of the shots look washed out and the sky looks quite pale. A circular polarizer can cut down on the reflections, make the sky appear much more as you see it than as the camera sees it, and have the byproduct of adding a little more contrast & saturation. I find them a must on travelogue shots.

2. For many of the shots, I'd increase the contrast. I was looking through the Burcharest series, and they're looking a little flat. Here's an example:

original:


Increasing the contrast by playing with curves


another example:




These are just really quick examples, but it should give you the idea I'm after.

(love the dog shot, btw!)

I have things on specific photos, but I need to run -- I'll try to get back to it later on.
10/20/2010 10:29:44 AM · #11
Thanks Wendy. Yeah that def helps. Do check out some of the Italy pics.. .it was so beautiful there. I'm going to try to put some of these in my portfolio on DPC either tonight or this weekend... too busy at work to do anything other than ban people.
10/20/2010 10:56:39 AM · #12
This is a particularly lovely shot. Nice positioning, nice framing of the statue.

lockke1

Watch how you're cutting your people -- you have many shots that you're cutting them mid calf or cutting off the feet. When you hit them there, it doesn't look intentional, it just looks like bad composition. Include the feet or aim higher.
lockke2

This one is very nice. Good positioning to use the light effectively.
lockke3

lockke4
I like this one very much! Does it need to be rotated a tad? (hard to tell)

Watch your backlighting. You have a number of shots that the people are too dark because they're backlit. You could meter on the person, but you don't want to blow the background, since they're travelogue shots. See if you can find a small reflector or use a tad of fill flash so you don't lose the person.
lockke5
In some cases, if the subject is not too silhouetted, you can make it a bit better in post processing:


I just used curves to get the girl the brightness I wanted and masked out the background. The used curves to darken the background a bit and masked out the girl. It's just a quick and dirty example -- so you'll notice that it's not very well done -- but hopefully it gives you an idea of what you can work with. (I've just been figuring out masking curves myself, so there's probably a better way.)


10/20/2010 11:18:56 AM · #13
In #2 there, I see what you're saying. So where IS it ok to cut someone off? Below the knee seems to be a big no-no. But even above the knee may be terrible? Exactly the waist is bad too yeah? So you pretty much have to do the whole person or stomach and up? I have to work on this one.

#4 - the ground was sloping downward, and I struggled with how to rotate it. Do I level off the ground and the door (which I did) or the door FRAME (which I didn't). Maybe it's just not a good subject because of that and it makes it difficult to figure out what is supposed to be a simple shot.

Where I think I need the most work is #5 - I only have lightroom and don't use curves aside from setting the overall exposure. I will fake dodge and burn sometimes tho. I see what you've done and get the idea... I also maybe should have used a fill flash here.

Thanks for the effort Wendy.
10/20/2010 11:28:22 AM · #14
nope -- the door is a great subject. I guess I would level the verticals since they're longer. It doesn't really matter -- it was just a nit-pick on that one. I like the image quite a bit (but then again, I'm a sucker for interesting door shots.)

I found light room limiting for that very reason. It seemed like you need lightroom and something else to really finish the work. What about photoshop elements? It's inexpensive and then you have curves, masking, dodging & burning, etc. All of which are typical darkroom types of edits.
10/20/2010 12:28:21 PM · #15
Originally posted by vawendy:

nope -- the door is a great subject. I guess I would level the verticals since they're longer. It doesn't really matter -- it was just a nit-pick on that one. I like the image quite a bit (but then again, I'm a sucker for interesting door shots.)

I found light room limiting for that very reason. It seemed like you need lightroom and something else to really finish the work. What about photoshop elements? It's inexpensive and then you have curves, masking, dodging & burning, etc. All of which are typical darkroom types of edits.


Excellent candidate for a perspective correction and lens correction procedure..
10/20/2010 12:32:45 PM · #16
Originally posted by coryboehne:

Originally posted by vawendy:

nope -- the door is a great subject. I guess I would level the verticals since they're longer. It doesn't really matter -- it was just a nit-pick on that one. I like the image quite a bit (but then again, I'm a sucker for interesting door shots.)

I found light room limiting for that very reason. It seemed like you need lightroom and something else to really finish the work. What about photoshop elements? It's inexpensive and then you have curves, masking, dodging & burning, etc. All of which are typical darkroom types of edits.


Excellent candidate for a perspective correction and lens correction procedure..


I was thinking the same thing -- but does lightroom do that?
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