First Try...

[Nicky]

Alright, I'm being brave finally... comments of all kinds more than welcome.

#1 taken about 6 years ago at my home, it's kinda always held a spot in my mind...

#2 taken last summer in Glacier National Park. It's what you see at one point off the side of the Going To The Sun Road...

 

[drdan]

That is a spectacular anvil shaped thunderhead. I think it's well worth doing a little work on in photoshop. Just cloning those powerlines out would improve it. Maybe increasing the brightness slightly too although you may not want to mess with it too much if it has a lot of sentimental value.

I don't know if this is a scan or digital, but in any case I would make sure not to edit the original. Make several copies and only edit the copies.

 

[voodoocat]

Gotta agree with drdan on this one. The powerline is a bit distracting. The image is very dramatic with that mushroom cloud. The colors are outstanding.

 

[mrsid99]

I'm just gonna agree with everyone else, that thunderhead is terrific but it would be nice to lose the power lines.

 

[vonnagy]

i'm gonna go against the grain here and say I don't mind the power lines, sure you can clone them out and viola, you would have a great nature shot, but for me, the powerlines work because:

1. Its adds a 'human' element
2. It gives something extra to talk about besides the thunderhead
3. I love the little birdies on the line, it looks like the thunderhead will blast them away - I know i have a demented mind here but there is something really imposing about the huge thunderhead and the little birds on the line. I am prolly the only one who thinks this though :twisted:

I love the shot Nicky it quite cool 8)

The second shot shows the torn earth, i love the shots like this. However, the tonality doesn't seem quite right. Perhaps use a polarising filter next time and bumping up the saturation a bit.

The image looks a bit underexposed, but i think this shot has alot of potential. Also the most interesting part of the photo for me is the central area with the most erosion, perhaps zoom in a bit on that section.

Very cool shots Nicky, fantastic first post!

 

[drdan]

Vonnagy has a point too and that's one reason to just edit copies. If you end up liking the original better afterall then that's fine, it's your picture.

I've got a pic of Pikes Peak on here somewhere that some people feel I ought to clone out the tops of the trees in the foreground. To me those are important and give the picture perspective. I can tell where I took the picture from for instance and what I'm looking at exactly in terms of distances. It is sometimes hard to separate the emotions and what the picture reminds you personally of from how the picture looks artistically. Another person who doesn't have that attatchment is more likely to want the powerlines (or trees) gone so that the picture has a more direct visual impact. And sometimes it's true, a picture may be more interesting with birds on the line.

The great thing about digital is that you can have it both ways, or several ways. One original, one without powerlines but still with the brooding, extra dark blue, one with more "normal" sky colors. Maybe you'll find a new favorite.

 

[ksmattfish]

I agree that the storm cloud image should be brightened. But I think that the powerlines with the birds make the photo, in fact, I'd try burning them in or something to emphasize them, and cropping the top closer to the cloud which will seem to make the cloud even larger, and more looming. The tiny birds and the awesome thunderhead make a good contrast and adds drama and tension; it puts the fate of the tiny birds lost in the impending brutal storm in the mind of the viewer. Without the powerlines the story disappears, and all you have is a centered (static) storm cloud. Maybe I'm jaded because I live in tornado alley, but the cloud without the tiny, fragile birds isn't enough for me. The whole image would need to be recomposed.

The second image is nicely composed with the land filling the frame and the S-curve of the river drawing the viewer into the frame. There is something odd about the color though. I really like the textures of the rapids, and the earth, and the trees.

 

[Nicky]

First thing, thank you all very much for your comments, they're greatly appreciated.

About the colors, the only camera I own is an SLR so all my pics come from prints and my scanner is really bad... it does something terrible to the colors making everything really dark so it takes a bit to get them up to par again. I will go in for sure though and see if I can't brighten them both up a bit without losing the colors.

Thanks again!

 

[Moni]

Both of them are very good shot

I like the 2nd one most ... it gives something feeling that I am at the top of the world

 

[BunkWild]

thats a little unethical wouldnt you say? altering your photo that much, its alright to touch up the colours and shadows and such. but your re-creating your photo, so its no longer a photograph its a computer made image. just a thought

 

[manda]

Well Bunk, I guess it comes back to the whole debate about whether or not photoshopping a photograph is cheating or no different to using a dark room.
It depends on how you look at it.
Cross processing and really any sort of altering of tones and colours in a dark room is changing the original picture.
I guess you are talking more about taking actual things out of a picture, which in essence is completely altering it. I've never taken something out..lol I wouldnt know how to.
Its all a matter of opinion I guess.