I need some help with this photo please...

[Terry Leach]

Took this photo recently on an overcast day. Looking for some constructive critism. My main concern is the sky but what could I have done differently as a whole.

 

[Gaerek]

I'm not seeing a photo...is it just me?

 

[lyonsroar]

^Just you.

Looks warm, halo around the barn. Is this SOOC? As obviously stated, the sky is blown, but it's always possible to put in a new sky. This wouldn't be terribly hard to do on this picture either. Send me a PM and the high res file and I'll give it a shot.

 

[the ringleader]

you can use a polarizing filter- the next time you shoot
or try to do a color replace with the white sky

 

[g-fi]

Bracket exposures and mask in the sky. Is this an HDR?

 

[480sparky67 66]

Use a GND filter.

 

[chaosrealm93]

the barn looks a bit too red

 

[Jarrod268]

Options regarding the sky

1) Try not to show as much sky, cut it all out if you have no other option when in a situation like this.
2) In camera shot - use a graduated neutral density filter to hold back the sky allowing you to balance foreground and sky.
3) Bracket for exposure blending (not for just HDR).

The halo around the barn almost makes me think this is an HDR attempt with photomatix. Was the saturation turned up? I agree with the other poster that the barn is too red. The grass has some reds in it too or some kind of strange color.

 

[Terry Leach]

I did make some saturation adjustments. I knew after I had done so that I probably shouldn't have but left it because I already knew I was gonna submit it for critique. The ground in this picture is red clay and there is alot of yellow in the grass. This is a very poor attempt at a first time HDR. I laugh every time I look at it. Boy do I have some learning to do.

 

[lyonsroar]

Something like this:

Obviously not perfect, but for 10 minutes in PS...

 

[KmH]

You should have gotten a lot closer to the barn, and should have tripped the shutter earlier or later in the day.

The scene had insufficient dynamic range for the HDR technique.

 

[Pgeobc]

The photo should have two things: the subject a little larger (as already mentioned) and the picture should be arranged, if possible, by a little less dead-center.

 

[SrBiscuit]

read up on HDR. everything here is overcooked.

this shot makes me wanna play halo...see what i did there?

 

[AgentDrex]

In a studio...you can move lights to suit taste...outside less so...you mostly have to wait for the sun's position to cooperate...if its really sunny out and there are a lot of contrasting areas (in regards to light and dark)...then bracketing your exposure and stacking them in photoshop will be useful...if its an overcast day where everything is pretty much at the same light value...re-compose the photo until you have a photo that doesn't show the sky...on the other hand...a blown out sky makes it easy to replace with a sky photo taken on a different day...course that doesn't always look nice as the lighting will look different/strange as they did in lionroar's edit...just my five cents...spend it how you wish

 

[Terry Leach]

Now this is why TPF is the greatest place on the web. Thanks so much for the critiques and suggestions. As suggested, I will spend them wisely. I have been taking pictures for about 3 years now. Over the past year or so, however, I have really started getting serious about my work. Serious enough to work towards making some money at it. In this, I have started venturing outside my normal comfort zone a bit. Such as, attempting a little HDR even though I have zero knowedge of this technique. After this experierce, I see that I have to start doing some studying.