Abstracts from the Farm

[sm4him]

I love #4. If you don't mind me asking, was wondering how you shot these. For example, did you take multiple photos at different exposures to get the one you liked best? What is your thought process on capturing these images? Thanks.

Thanks, CheryIL--glad you like them! My "thought process" when I do stuff like this is really more about the composition and just seeing things differently. All of these were at the barn--so the "normal" thing to do would be to take pictures of the barn, the landscape, the fields--but when I'm shooting macro or abstract, I just try to see things that others wouldn't notice. And then when I see them, I suppose I sort of subconsciously ask myself how well it works as an abstract--most of the non-keeper shots I take in this situation are not because of exposure or focus issues, but because I get back and decide it doesn't really work as an abstract as well as I thought it did.

Until fairly recently, I DID take photos like this at several different settings and then pick the one that was best. Because I did NOT have as much of a handle on that exposure triangle as I liked to THINK that I did. But, largely to all the great advice I've gotten on TPF, I'm getting WAY better at being able to accurately meter a scene and get my settings right the FIRST time. I may take two or three shots of the same thing, but it's more often slightly different perspectives more than different exposures.

 

[sm4him]

I actually like the second #1 better!

Here's another one that's closer to what you're describing--I like it, but imo, it's a little "flatter" than the other.

I like the second one better. It may seem "flatter" because the highlights near the edge are brighter in the first one and the dark areas a little darker. The second could be modified in this way.

Hmm; okay, you both got my attention and I started trying to evaluate WHY I like the first one better. I think one of the reasons is that the front scalloped edge is a little sharper in the first. But I gotta admit, the second version is really starting to grow on me now that I really look at it.
Maybe I'll try working on that first one some more and crop that blown-out area out and see what I think.

Thanks for your opinion, Charlie and KenC!

 

[CherylL1]

I love #4. If you don't mind me asking, was wondering how you shot these. For example, did you take multiple photos at different exposures to get the one you liked best? What is your thought process on capturing these images? Thanks.

Thanks, CheryIL--glad you like them! My "thought process" when I do stuff like this is really more about the composition and just seeing things differently. All of these were at the barn--so the "normal" thing to do would be to take pictures of the barn, the landscape, the fields--but when I'm shooting macro or abstract, I just try to see things that others wouldn't notice. And then when I see them, I suppose I sort of subconsciously ask myself how well it works as an abstract--most of the non-keeper shots I take in this situation are not because of exposure or focus issues, but because I get back and decide it doesn't really work as an abstract as well as I thought it did.

Until fairly recently, I DID take photos like this at several different settings and then pick the one that was best. Because I did NOT have as much of a handle on that exposure triangle as I liked to THINK that I did. But, largely to all the great advice I've gotten on TPF, I'm getting WAY better at being able to accurately meter a scene and get my settings right the FIRST time. I may take two or three shots of the same thing, but it's more often slightly different perspectives more than different exposures.

Thanks so much for your process! I am at the point that I understand the concept of the Exposure triangle, but still learning how to apply when shooting. Thanks again. Love all the textures.