Tall Ship

[kwjones]

Ok, I'm a newbie that got tired of lurking. I'm looking for some tips. I can't/don't edit any of my photos since I don't have PS. About the most I do is cropping.

I wouldn't consider my camera "great", in fact the auto focus on it makes me yell strings of profanities on any given picture. It's a Sony Cyber Shot DSC-50, 2.1 Megapixel. (Looking to upgrade to a Digital SLR in the next year)

OK...let me have it...

Kevin

 

[LaFoto]

Not much wrong with this photo, Kevin. Very nice atmosphere. All I personally would have liked to see is the sun not yet quite so set as it is here. That's all. And that's nothing but a personal preference and no critique. I'm too much of an amateur myself to pass any serious critique, anyway, for I am all unfamiliar with the technical aspect of taking photos.

Shake hands on not changing too much about your photos for the lack of PS on the computer. Although this kind of after-the-shot manipulation IS an art in itself, indeed (and I acknowledge that), me, the "old print" photographer who also has to rely on the (hopefully!) good work of a large lab who do the processing for me, have to see to it that my photos get "nice" the moment I take them... maybe that's why I am happy about any unprocessed photo (other than digitalised on the scanner and maybe better framed) I get to see here.

 

[Rainman]

Sunset and a tall ship. Makes me want to have a seat with my wife, a pitcher of margaritas or 6 pack of Red Stripe, and a Jimmy Buffett CD playing in the background.

I love this image. I agree with Lafoto that having taken it a just a few seconds earlier might have done a little something, but you never know. I usually start a little earlier and shoot every few seconds. You might consider cropping just below the ship's hull, bringing the horizon down out of the middle and reducing the expanse of water a bit. What appears to be a bird, maybe a cormorant, sitting on the starboard end of the main mast yardarm adds a little surprise.

Wouldn't if have been a great stroke of luck if the ship had been facing the other direction? Of course that's one of those things we can't control. ("Excuse me, but could that mountain move just a little to the left, please? Thank you, so much."

 

[kwjones]

I kinda wish it was a little brighter. My camera has a bad "flare" problem with pictures with the sun in it and I really don't know how to tone it down. That's the main reason I took it a few seconds after the sun went down past the horizon.

If I get a chance to go back out to San Diego, I might try to reshoot it. I'd like to see what it would look like if I moved to the right a few more yards. I'll have to go back when they aren't having wildfires so there's less smoke in the air, but it does make for some nice sunsets...

Kevin

 

[bogleric]

I agree that this picture is too dark and a few minutes earlier would have really done the trick.

As for the "flare" problem check into getting some light filters for your camera. I am not familiar with the Sony DSC-50 to know if it can take filters.

 

[drdan]

It's not necessary to spend the money for Photoshop to have good photo editing capability. There are some free programs which are good. I used Print Shop Photo Pro 2.0 for years and it works very well. It's not PS but it's very capable and easy to use. It has an auto enhance feature that sometimes does a great job with one click.

Here are some links to free programs, I think the Nikon View program is high rated:

http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/se...SNH&v=1&&q=photo+editing+software&cp=1252&SP=

http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bi...php?p_prod_lvl1=1&p_prod_lvl2=2&p_cat_lvl1=22

http://www.irfanview.com/

Here is a link to a new copy of Print Shop Photo Pro for about $13 on ebay
http://cgi.msn.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3817670732

 

[terri]

I still am not certain why you're convinced this one needs any editing...it is a serene and lovely image, your composition couldn't be better...who cares if the sun just slipped over the horizon? So you captured THAT moment, as opposed to some pre-conceived notion that showing the sun moments before would have made a better image...? Maybe yes, maybe no.

It's gorgeous, and inviting, as it is. The sun is still reflecting off the water and the sky colors are beautiful. I could walk into this image and be content. I could go on, but you follow my general idea.

Drdan is correct that these free programs can work just fine; I think you will do your photography a great service if you take as many pictures as possible BEFORE you fall into the trap that "every image needs some kind of editing before it REALLY be any good". This image here should be all the proof you need of that.

Happy shooting, and welcome to the forum!