Leaf on the Sidewalk. C&C please

[Felix0890]

f/5.6
1/250
Canon 18-55 @ 55mm
No flash.
More EXIF Data

 

[Eco]

The white in the top right and top center draws my focus away from the leaf. When I scroll on my computer to hide the white the picture looks fine.

 

[ecnal]

I like it. I would have liked to see a a smaller aperture to maybe get the rest of the leaf in focus, the right half looks a little soft, whereas the edge on the left is nice and crisp.

And the white at the top is distracting but that's an easy fix in PS.

 

[MikeBookPro]

Was the majority of the blur done in Photoshop? In my experience, the blur is heavier than the 18-55 can produce (at 5.6).

 

[TJ K]

The white in the top right and top center draws my focus away from the leaf. When I scroll on my computer to hide the white the picture looks fine.

I think you have your left and right mixed up:lmao:
I think it's a pretty good picture maybe if you edited that blown our part it will enhance it some more but overall nice shot.

 

[inTempus]

I don't find the angle particularly flattering or interesting on the leaf. I also think a flash or a white reflector would have given some color to the image (from the right side). It's a little flat looking to me.

I would also agree that a slightly smaller aperture bringing the right side of the leaf more into focus would have been a little better. As it stands, my eye is constantly drawn back to the sharp focus on the left side of the leaf... and honestly, there's nothing of interest there.

The white circles at the top of the image are distracting too, I would burn them so that they're not as pronounced.

 

[bentcountershaft]

I think the natural light would have made it more interesting if the pic was taken from the other side or if the leaf was rotated 45 degrees or so.

 

[Felix0890]

Was the majority of the blur done in Photoshop? In my experience, the blur is heavier than the 18-55 can produce (at 5.6).

Nope. I actually sharpened it a bit in photoshop, not the other way around. I, like you, was very quick to judge the 18-55 due to its "kit" status. After seeing similar shots taken by others with the lens that had very shallow DoF, I convinced myself to use it until I learned to get the nice effect. So yes, the 18-55 can produce this blur effect.

About the leaf being OOF towards the right. I tried stopping down the lens, but then I got the not-so-attractive background more in focus as well. The location (my school campus) is not a great backdrop so I wanted to keep it blurred more. I brought the aperture to 5.6 again and it looked fine on the LCD. In hindsight, I would have probably kept it at 8ish in order to keep the nice shallow DoF but bring more focus to the red side of the leaf as well.

About the blown up part at the top: damn buses. Two had arrived when I took the shot and I was already late for class so I couldn't wait for them to leave. :/ I tried to clone out the flare but since they replaced the backround in that area, it's hard to make it look like anything but a big black space back there. If any of you knows how to fix the background without it looking fake, feel free to share any tips.

Thanks for the C&C.

-Felix

 

[Felix0890]

I think the natural light would have made it more interesting if the pic was taken from the other side or if the leaf was rotated 45 degrees or so.

I agree with my angle to the light being a bad one.

About the leaf's position, I tried to capture different angles. It was pretty windy today and whenever I got it in the perfect angle, it would move at the last second. This was the best angle that I got from the 10ish shots I took. I'll give it another try on Thursday and hopefully the weather will be on my side that day.

 

[Brian L]

hmmmmm having a hard time believing that was taken with that hit lens. Looks like some stuff was done in photo shop. Maybe I am wrong though..........

 

[BlackWolF]

I like the photo ... and if the white spots on the left upper side would be gone, I would like it even more ... It's peacefull ... Just my amateur opinion tho ... thumbs up :thumbup:

 

[Felix0890]

hmmmmm having a hard time believing that was taken with that hit lens. Looks like some stuff was done in photo shop. Maybe I am wrong though..........

Dude check the EXIF data. Why would I lie about using another lens? :meh:

If you're saying this because you have one, I dare you to go out and attempt a shot similar to this, with the same settings I did. Don't be so quick to judge.

 

[bp4life71]

My comment isnt so much as if the picture is good. Technically speaking it looks perfect.

My question is, why are we taking pictures of leafs on the ground? Lol.

 

[inTempus]

My question is, why are we taking pictures of leafs on the ground? Lol.

Why not?

Why take pictures of people? Pets? Cars? Buildings?

I took a picture of a leaf too. For me it stands as a symbol of the seasonal change and is a beautiful expression of mother nature.

 

[BlackWolF]

My question is, why are we taking pictures of leafs on the ground? Lol.

Why not?

Why take pictures of people? Pets? Cars? Buildings?

I took a picture of a leaf too. For me it stands as a symbol of the seasonal change and is a beautiful expression of mother nature.

I could not agree more with this statement ...