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[OM] Re: Picture of my week

Subject: [OM] Re: Picture of my week
From: Andrew McPhee <macca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:08:37 +1100
Andrew McPhee wrote:

 > Re: http://dev-stop-fix.com/digital_pages.php?n=P2180091
 >
 > My sincere thanks to everyone who critiqued this photo for me, your replies
 > were appreciated.  Everyone said how much they liked it which was nice, but
 > there were no adverse comments.
 >
 > I welcome constructive criticism, so if I put up a photo any time please
 > don't be backward in letting me know if you don't like something about it,
 > or if you can see ways of improving it.




Chuck Norcutt replied:
>Maybe you're just better than you think.  :-)

Chuck, you're a smoothy!  Thanks mate.  I guess after 30 years of taking 
photos I have got confident about my photography, I think I know what makes 
a good picture.  But I'm still learning and I'm keeping myself open to new 
ideas - said with a nod to Bill..!




Skip Williams replied:
>It's a nice enough picture, but something is missing.  Perhaps more
>contrast?  I know a polarizer wouldn't have helped, but maybe a ND Grad to
>darken the sky?  You also might consider shooting a few with an ultra wide
>angle much closer to the rock formation.   Or perhaps schlepping a ladder
>up there and raising your perspective a bit?  I think it would also be neat
>either after sunset, at night with a time exposure, or with an IR filter to
>make everything pop.

Matter of fact I did have a polarizer on, it had a marginal effect by 
darkening the sky in the area immediately above the formation.  A ND Grad 
would have been a better idea but I don't have one in the right size - it's 
now on the shopping list!

Next time I go back I'll try your idea of some photos from a closer 
viewpoint.  A couple of times on the walk up I stopped for a rest and there 
were good low-down vantage points but I didn't take any photos there as I 
was pushed for time and just wanted to get to the top for this photo.

LOL, I assume you're kidding about a ladder?  I was flat out hauling my 
camera gear and my own sorry *ss up there!  But you are on the right track 
- a higher vantage point is available.  I stopped on a ledge but I could 
have gone higher at the expense of more sweat and the courage to climb over 
a couple of large boulders.  Being by myself I didn't want to push my luck 
but next time I'll take a friend and go for a higher view.

Hmmm, and I like your ideas about IR and about time exposures.  Food for 
thought.





Moose replied:
>Well, I can't say there's much of anything I can see not to like about
>it. I can imagine other excellent shots of this subject, There are even
>excellent alternatives from the same vantage point, some available
>simply by cropping. However, I don't imagine any of them being "better"
>than this one. Different, as good, maybe, but not better.
>
>I like the composition. It very nicely shows the rock both as a
>wonderful sculpture and in its context. I like the DOF and inclusion of
>in-focus grass in the foreground.
>
>There is a lack of any reference for the scale of the rock. Depending on
>the focal length of the lens, it could be 10 feet tall or 100. Well,
>there are some clues in the nature of the rock and how it has broken,
>but it is still not terribly clear. That could be a flaw, from some
>perspectives. But I didn't really notice that until you asked what might
>be imperfect in the shot. To me, it is is about shape and how it relates
>to its surroundings and about light, not about size.
>
>There is a pretty good vertical crop in there that emphasizes the
>verticals in the rock. I prefer the existing composition, with the
>verticals of the rock set in the horizontals of the rest of the landscape.
>
>It has a soft quality to the light. I would check what it looks like
>with more edge contrast and midtone contrast. I've tried that
><http://moosemystic.net/Gallery/Others/Cathedral.htm>. The altered
>version is as far as I can see it going without definitely going too
>far. If it were mine, I would probably end up somewhere between the way
>you present it and my 'pop" version. Somebody sugested use of filter(s)
>to get more pop, I like to do it in the "darkroom".

I took about 30 photos with variation of foregrounds and positioning of the 
formation within the frame, this photo turned out to be the best in regards 
to lighting (it was changing by the second) and foreground.

You mention not having any reference for the scale of the rock.  This 
occurred to me too, it is one of the two things that niggle me about the 
photo (the other being the washed-out sky).  But I'm not sure how to get a 
sense of scale into it, people standing around the base would be barely 
visible.  Maybe I could get lucky and pick a time when there are some crazy 
climbers on it.  Or maybe a lower wide-angle viewpoint would do the trick.

Thanks for the comparison image with extra pop, I think it does need extra 
contrast.  Somewhere in between the original and your version would be just 
right.




Boris replied:
>Well, I stopped giving opinions on pictures a while ago, after someone got 
>mad at me for expressing an honest opinion, but now when you said 
>that...you don't like me in a first place, so wtf...:)
>   I think that you should do to this picture what you do best-BW (yes, I 
> have seen your other pictures...)  Then print it and put it on the wall 
> above the fireplace.
>   If you want to keep it in color, I would try winter or spring, whenever 
> that happens in your neck of the woods.  If you wait for the autumn, IMHO 
> it will become one of these pictures so sweet and sugary it makes you 
> puke...:)  kidding, I think that the colors of the fall would take away 
> from the beauty of the rocks.
>   Also I would frame the color version differently, I would crop slightly 
> from the left and top.
>   I am in the process of building a website that would have some of my 
> work, so I expect you to be just as honest as I was when the link to it 
> is posted on this list.

Boris, I had forgotten about our tiff, it's in the past.  And I don't 
dislike you, okay?  ;-)

Matter of fact I do have a b&w version of this photo
(see http://dev-stop-fix.com/gallery_pages.php?n=58-90-9a)
taken about ten years ago in the same position and at the same time of day 
- and I've got an enlargement of the b&w photo on the wall!  But I always 
wanted to go back and get a color photo...

But I can see myself going back a few times more.  Yes, I'll try getting 
spring and winter versions, I think a winter picture of this would look 
spectacular with snow.  The different seasons will also give different 
lighting (angle of the sun, etc).

I am looking forward to seeing your gallery online Boris - and I'll be 
honest and constructive with my comments!


Andrew McPhee
http://www.dev-stop-fix.com/


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