Comments on photo please

ketan · Sep 2, 2007

This Friday (my weekend day off) I went out with my 30D and kit lens at 3 pm in 42 degree temperature for testing... Have taken few outdoor / indoors.
Request your comments from the point of mainly photo quality - color saturation clarity etc.
I know that I am poor in framing.
No greenery around so only concrete buildings!
Thank you

Fangman · Sep 2, 2007

No great problem there on my screen - just jealous of the 30D, of that strange light (sun I am told) and temperature. iso 800 at F2.8 light here!

Sideburns · Sep 2, 2007

If you could, they all need to be straightened a tad...

But, the colour looks pretty good. The first one is a little light, and the second and third...the sky looks a little weird...but overall good pictures.

~Stella~ · Sep 2, 2007

The darkness at the bottom one is distracting to me, but maybe because I can't fit it all on my screen - I like the rest of it. The last 3 of them appeal to me the most. I like the last one, but it needs....something. Maybe a tad more contrast? Sides cropped slightly? Maybe someone who knows what they are doing will have a better idea.

Jeff Colburn · Sep 2, 2007

Basically, your pictures are very nice. I would work on cropping a little to strengthen the composition, and have a subject for each picture. For example, I can easily tell the subject of the bottom picture, but I'm not sure about the one above it. If you cropped out the opening in the floor where the escalator in the foreground is, the composition would be stronger.

You're doing good. Look at pictures in magazines that attract your attention, and analyze what it is about them that you like, or don't like. Then apply what you've learned to your photographs.

Have Fun,
Jeff

MarkCSmith · Sep 2, 2007

The last two are good, the others you've cut off too many things midway, the boats in the first one, the bottom of the buildings in the next 2.

ketan · Sep 3, 2007

Dear friends (and seniors),

Thanks for taking time and responding to my post.

The first one is a little light, and the second and third...the sky looks a little weird-
May be as the first one was a long shot that is why to me it lookd pretty dull to me too. What really surprised me was why the sky had reddish tint on the right.
In the second and the third I was having my back at the sun, probably that is why the sky came out different! I need to experiment more.

I would work on cropping a little to strengthen the composition.
This is the point highlighted by most of you and extremely difficult for me to understand that what am I needed to do. To me all pictures look straight...if you may take one picture and explain, please.

If you cropped out the opening in the floor where the escalator in the foreground is, the composition would be stronger
I agree, I have another shot as you said and it indeed looks much better.

have a subject for each picture
As I have mentioned in my post, I am not very strong in composing a shot. Maybe, I am always in hurry, as I would be one of those few moving around with SLR. People shoot more with PnS these days, so they give weird look. I myself need to come over this.

The last two are good, the others you've cut off too many things midway, the boats in the first one

I agree, I need to work on this. Buildings were under construction, so I tried to remove some clutter. Boat was cut off, as I wanted to highlight the Super delux 'Burj Al Arab' hotel in the background.

Once again, thank you very much for taking out time. Is this a normal way to post pictures for feed back here or is there any other place in the forum or some other way?
Ketan

Iron Flatline · Sep 3, 2007

You're shooting architecture (a favorite of mine) and I recommend you use a tri-pod. Everything you've heard about landscape photography goes for architecture as well - longer exposures, smaller aperture, composition is key!

Some shots, most notably #2 and #3, have some keystoning. That means that because you're camera is pointed up, the lines converge toward the top - for an obvious reason: the top is further away from you than the bottom. Your own eye/brain compensates for this, but the camera doesn't. In Photoshop there's a filter where you can adjust this, but be aware that too much of this kind of correction takes away sharpness because you're stretching pixels (Filter -> Distort -> Lens Correction -> Verticle Perspective). That's why in the days before Photoshop (and still now) they make something called Tilt-Shift lenses.

ketan · Sep 3, 2007

Never occured to me that for architecture also tripod helps! and the rules like apperture, shutter speed applies. I just go on using SLR like a PnS. Great, let me experiment!
Keystoning, whenever I correct this...since I know that I have done correction, I am never satisfied.
In photo 2, can't we say that perspective looks better?
Thanks
Ketan

Iron Flatline · Sep 3, 2007

The perspective is actually fine in both - esp. the second one. You're right. To me, it is one of my hobbies to shoot architecture a certain way, but my way is not necessarily the "right" way to do it.

The Empress · Sep 3, 2007

MarkCSmith said:
The last two are good, the others you've cut off too many things midway, the boats in the first one, the bottom of the buildings in the next 2.

This is my opinion as well

femalephotography · Sep 3, 2007

I prefer the first two building shots as the lighting and composition are quite good.

marinaw · Sep 3, 2007

I really enjoyed your photos as architecture is a favorite photograhic subject of mine. Much of what I would have said has already been said by others, but I'll add a couple of other comments.

The boats in the first image are certainly sleek looking, and the color of the water is lovely, but my eye is drawn directly to the Burj Al Arab in the background. The architecture is brilliant! Staying there (and taking LOTS of photos) is one of my ambitions. Just waiting for that winning lottery ticket!

Another poster thought the color of the sky looked a little weird in the second and third images, but I think it looks vibrant and clear, and beautifully offsets the colors of the buildings.

I would edit the fourth one to bring out the shadows a bit. Love the roof!

I like the symmetry of the last image. Another poster commented that it was dark, and I agree, but I think brightening the image would lessen the impact of the lamps.

I enjoyed your photos!

gamerz · Sep 3, 2007

Were all photo's taken in Dubai??? Love that place, lived in Abu-Dhabi for three years. Wish I could move back...

ketan · Sep 4, 2007

gamerz, all are in Dubai, the world's tallest building is fast completing. The third photo is at 'Palm' Jumairah if you are aware. A dream place surrounded by sea. Apartments costs around million US. Last two are the largest mall, the Mall of Emirates that has indoor huge ice skiing place...the first one is from the 'neck' part of palm while entering Palm.