OMG more landscape! Jk, trying something new..

[KevinPutman]

Deviating from my passion of landscape photography, these were shot just messing around.
I haven't dabbled in much aside from landscape recently, so some C&C on these would be great.

^-^
1

2. I know some of the leaves are blown out, and the picture's a tad distracting..but I
wanna know how/if you can make a picture like this work.

3. What would be a good crop for this? I tried messing around but didn't get anything nice.

4.

 

[photocist]

For 2, the only thing that can help this photo is a subject, which it is clearly lacking. 1 would be quite nice if it was sharp. 3 is a dumper, and 4 I think the idea is that the camera is taking a photo of the flower, but it doesnt really seem to work.

 

[mishele]

I give you an A for trying to be creative!!
But these fall short of being very interesting. The first one is the closest to being interesting but it also looks soft.
Keep shooting!!

 

[Ron Evers]

#2 would be greatly improved if the focus was on the blossom buds in the lower left.

 

[KevinPutman]

Thanks guys ^-^

Yeah, I figured 1 would be the only worthwhile one. I'll take it into PS and try to sharpen it up a bit. But just curious, the softness it has, that would be from what? DOF? Which would be from using lower Fstop?

 

[willis_927]

Not sure what the min focus distance is for your camera, but maybe you were too close? Perhaps 1/30 was a bit too slow for the shot?

 

[KevinPutman]

I should probably read up on the focus distance. That is the ONLY picture I've ever taken and noticed that was at a 14mm distance. Every other picture, as you can see from the ones on there, are 6mm. Same with every picture I've taken and checked the EXIF on.

 

[fokker]

I really like #1, I think a little editing could really help it out though. Here's my take on a quickie:

 

[KevinPutman]

I really like #1, I think a little editing could really help it out though. Here's my take on a quickie:

Mm, I like it,
Just messed with brightness/curves/etc?

 

[fokker]

Actually something of a mild orton effect - duplicate layer then add a gaussian blur of about 15px and use multiply layer blend, mess with opacity and then flatten image and mess with levels/curves

 

[KevinPutman]

Actually something of a mild orton effect - duplicate layer then add a gaussian blur of about 15px and use multiply layer blend, mess with opacity and then flatten image and mess with levels/curves

Ahh, I usually use that effect when trying to make something shiny =p
I'll have to try it out on different settings, see what I come up with.

 

[enzodm]

I should probably read up on the focus distance. That is the ONLY picture I've ever taken and noticed that was at a 14mm distance. Every other picture, as you can see from the ones on there, are 6mm. Same with every picture I've taken and checked the EXIF on.

It is not distance, it is focal length. As you might imagine, is very ulikely you took those pictures at 6mm of distance (1/4 inch, for you imperial people).
As I already wrote in your thread on people photography, it is time you start thinking at where to focus and how to compose. The fact the camera automatically focuses in the middle and you do nothing to choose what you want in focus, means it's not you taking the picture... it's the camera. The first one could be nice, but instead of playing with photoshop, go back to the plant and shoot again, trying to focus. More than one time, and if it is not focusing correctly, switch to macro mode (you see that flower icon on your camera?).

 

[KevinPutman]

I should probably read up on the focus distance. That is the ONLY picture I've ever taken and noticed that was at a 14mm distance. Every other picture, as you can see from the ones on there, are 6mm. Same with every picture I've taken and checked the EXIF on.

It is not distance, it is focal length. As you might imagine, is very ulikely you took those pictures at 6mm of distance (1/4 inch, for you imperial people).
As I already wrote in your thread on people photography, it is time you start thinking at where to focus and how to compose. The fact the camera automatically focuses in the middle and you do nothing to choose what you want in focus, means it's not you taking the picture... it's the camera. The first one could be nice, but instead of playing with photoshop, go back to the plant and shoot again, trying to focus. More than one time, and if it is not focusing correctly, switch to macro mode (you see that flower icon on your camera?).

I don't take every picture with that point and shoot attitude =p
But what I don't get..I'll take a picture of a landscape, and I'll set my focus (press the button halfway once the square is where I want the focus), then compose the shot as I want. But even when I do that, my EXIF date will still read 6mm.
I'll get my manual out and read up on that.
Also, even in Macro mode, my camera still read 6mm.

 

[photocist]

Maybe you should read your camera manual? It seems to me that you dont even know how it works, aside from what has been consistently said in your threads.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

6mm isn't your focus distance, it's your focal length.

Google both terms.