an old gate C&C

[momo3boys]

I drive by this old gate fairly regularly and finally took a photograph of it. I like the closer one personally. What do you all think and how can I make it better?

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[tirediron]

Hmmmm... this is one of those scenes that [I suspect] looks great when you're there, but can be tough to capture with the camera. In part because of a lack of tonal separation between the subject and the background, and in part because the scene is quite busy. I would try and capture this with lighting; say 2 or 3 speedlights to highlight the gate and reduce the background detail by under-exposure.

 

[momo3boys]

I was afraid you'd say that.. I usually see it with the afternoon light behind it. Maybe if I catch it in the morning light? I only have one off-camera flash.

 

[ishootmuscles]

I would turn these shots to B&W and I would "play" with the contrast and the shades of grey.

 

[tirediron]

Worth checking out in the morning... things can look very different a few hours different.

 

[momo3boys]

I did try BW, but the shades are just to similar and gate just disappears.

 

[luvmyfamily]

I did try BW, but the shades are just to similar and gate just disappears.

This is a bad example, but I don't think the gate disappears. I am a beginner, but here is what I did with it. You can play around with curves to bring focus to areas you want.

 

[Starskream666]

What's the best way to reduce exposure of just the background?

 

[rexbobcat]

What's the best way to reduce exposure of just the background?

Flash. Or the adjustment brush in Lightroom. I swear, that brush is like a do-over button in certain situations.

 

[momo3boys]

Flash. Or the adjustment brush in Lightroom. I swear, that brush is like a do-over button in certain situations.

Oooh! That's a good idea, I could use my magic brush in PSE!

 

[thereyougo!]

Personally if it's a gate you pass frequently revisit at a different time. I think it has potential for a good b&w image but the leaves need to have better light for texture

 

[KmH]

"I just missed Superman!"

I used to walk by an old telephone booth nearly everyday on my way to the post office. One Saturday, as I walked by it yet again, I realized there weren't to many of them left, and decided to photograph it before it disappeared, which it did some 6 months later.

I set up 2 speedlights - one (Nikon SB-800) on a a light stand shooting into a 45" umbrella that was set up to reflect the light onto the phone booth, the other speedlight (SB-600 with a Stofen diffuser on it) was on the ground pointing up, just inside the door of the telephone booth to light the inside of the booth. Then I waited for the approach of sunset and shot from a low camera perspective (laying on the ground - Nikon D90, 18-55 mm kit lens @ 18 mm, f/11, 1/15):

Using strobed light (flash) separated the main subject from the background and pandered to the concept - light advances, dark receeds.

 

[thereyougo!]

Here's my edit, using the excellent B&W converter Silver Efex Pro2. I have cropped and cloned out the diagonal tree.


gate for forum c&C by singingsnapper, on Flickr

 

[dxqcanada]

I actually do not think the gate scene you are showing us is interesting enough to take a picture of (even converted to B&W).

What exactly is attracting you to this subject?
Think about it ... you might find that it is not the image you captured.

 

[thereyougo!]

"I just missed Superman!"

I used to walk by an old telephone booth nearly everyday on my way to the post office. One Saturday, as I walked by it yet again, I realized there weren't to many of them left, and decided to photograph it before it disappeared, which it did some 6 months later.

I set up 2 speedlights - one (Nikon SB-800) on a a light stand shooting into a 45" umbrella that was set up to reflect the light onto the phone booth, the other speedlight (SB-600 with a Stofen diffuser on it) was on the ground pointing up, just inside the door of the telephone booth to light the inside of the booth. Then I waited for the approach of sunset and shot from a low camera perspective (laying on the ground - Nikon D90, 18-55 mm kit lens @ 18 mm, f/11, 1/15):

Using strobed light (flash) separated the main subject from the background and pandered to the concept - light advances, dark receeds.

Very good! Was it intended for this thread though? Or perhaps I'm missing some subtlties, having considered it....which I suspect you were....one thing I was going to suggest was to see if using off camera flash at twi light might work...