Landscapes - Critique?

[mkaguiar]

Hi all, I would appreciate your feedback/critique on this. What would you recommend to improve the photo, or is it perfect ? Should I have done anything different when taking the photo? I've only been able to get feedback from friends and family and I'm sure they're a bit biased.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slidesh...381407.99916596707.1188667042642&conn_speed=1

Hopefully you can access the above link. If not, please let me know and I'll resubmit.

Thanks to all for your help

 

[hacksaw35]

The link doesn't work

 

[mkaguiar]

I had a feeling it wouldn't work.

How's this?

 

[abraxas]

Nothing's perfect, but this is pretty good. Cathedral rocks (?) Sedona? Lot's of water. Got more?

 

[mkaguiar]

Yep Cathedral Rock from Red Crossing Park in Sedona. So you would recommend a little less of the water? I have tons more Unfortunately they're on disks I left at work. I'm actually going up this weekend to try out my new DSLR.

 

[abraxas]

I've seen some real pretty shots come out of there. The red around the place is something else.

 

[The_Traveler]

You need to be more careful about your verticals. The original was on a slant and threw the entire thing off.
Also, too much water. It filled up the bottom half of the picture with rather uninteresting blue stuff and, worst of all, the shoreline cut the picture right in half.
Solve both problems by rotating the picture a bit and cropping off the bottom. It makes for an interesting and more dynamic picture.
Not a bad start.

Lew

btw - post larger images.

 

[mkaguiar]

You need to be more careful about your verticals. The original was on a slant and threw the entire thing off.
Also, too much water. It filled up the bottom half of the picture with rather uninteresting blue stuff and, worst of all, the shoreline cut the picture right in half.
Solve both problems by rotating the picture a bit and cropping off the bottom. It makes for an interesting and more dynamic picture.
Not a bad start.

Lew

btw - post larger images.

Thank you very much for the feedback - I didn't notice the slant - until of course you pointed it out. I will definitely pay closer attention! Now about cropping - How do you crop and retain the original quality? I would assume just crop without resizing?

 

[The_Traveler]

How do you crop and retain the original quality? I would assume just crop without resizing?

I'm sorry I don't know what you mean by this. Crop at the original resolution and then resize for presentation or printing.

From this question, it seems you may be new at this. What software do you use to sharpen, crop, etc?

 

[abraxas]

Since I work digital I'd think -reshoot- instead of crop. Unless the photo's destiny is the web only. I try never to crop more than 10% (loosely) for prints- in my opinion, the shot is lost after that, I didn't catch it.

 

[mkaguiar]

I'm sorry I don't know what you mean by this. Crop at the original resolution and then resize for presentation or printing.

From this question, it seems you may be new at this. What software do you use to sharpen, crop, etc?

Yes, I am new at this. This particular photo didn't have any post processing. I started with the intention of just trying to take good shots without the need to adjust after the fact. However, I quickly learned that post processing is almost essential these days. I am getting myself familiar with Photoshop Elements as well as Photoshop CS2. Right now I'm trying to focus on what to look for in my shots that maybe should be modified as well as what to pay attention to while taking the initial shot. Does that make sense?

My intentions with my photos are to print (including large prints) and I have been told that cropping reduces the quality of the print for enlargements.

 

[mkaguiar]

Since I work digital I'd think -reshoot- instead of crop. Unless the photo's destiny is the web only. I try never to crop more than 10% (loosely) for prints- in my opinion, the shot is lost after that, I didn't catch it.

By cropping 10% or so does it reduce the largest size you can print? So say if I had a photo with a quality good enough for a 20 x 30 print if I cropped in by 10% or less would the quality still be good enough for that same 20 x 30 print?

 

[The_Traveler]

By cropping 10% or so does it reduce the largest size you can print? So say if I had a photo with a quality good enough for a 20 x 30 print if I cropped in by 10% or less would the quality still be good enough for that same 20 x 30 print?

There are no absolute rules. If it looks good enough, print it.
Resolution is only one amongst the issues that influence whether and how large a print should be made.

 

[The_Traveler]

However, I quickly learned that post processing is almost essential these days.

post processing is as important to digital as choice of developer and paper is to film. Straight from the camera images are de-sharpened (I don't recall the technical issues) but should be brought back at least to their original state. What you do beyond that is artistic license.

Right now I'm trying to focus on what to look for in my shots that maybe should be modified as well as what to pay attention to while taking the initial shot.

What I look at in approximate order

Pre shooting:
good composition, attractive color, horizontals and verticals in their place

post shooting
exposure ok (no blown out highlights but whites in correct place), focus correct

Post-processing
First look: reasonable exposure, reasonable composition
Second look: are natural verticals and horizontals in their correct orientation? If not do I want to correct them?
...... refine composition by cropping
...... refine tone and color
.......bit-level corrections for local problems (piece of trash, bad complexion, etc)
...... area sharpening to increase surface contrast
.......save
.......resize to print or display size
........final sharpening.

 

[abraxas]

By cropping 10% or so does it reduce the largest size you can print? So say if I had a photo with a quality good enough for a 20 x 30 print if I cropped in by 10% or less would the quality still be good enough for that same 20 x 30 print?

Just a personal rule of thumb. If I have to crop more than that, I feel I lost the shot.