Road to Nowhere

deadtoaster2 · May 21, 2007

28mm Focal Length
F/13 @ 1/640 sec.
-0.7 Exposure Comp

General Critique please, what do you like, what don't you like. What would you have changed?

Thanks

prettypinkink · May 21, 2007

I love it. The colors are bright, vibrant and engaging. I would have loved to seen the road travel on into the distance, into a vantage point, but I understand that's beyond your control.

The black border adds a finishing touch.

Nice job.

Sw1tchFX · May 22, 2007

I like the composition, but I think it needs more contrast and the clouds need to be burned a little.

deadtoaster2 · May 22, 2007

More contrast does help! Thanks for the suggestions guys.

Anybody else?

DSLR noob · May 22, 2007

It looks too neon-ish to me and very oddly colored. i'd darken the sky ever so slightly and burn the clouds as well.
Here is a quick edit. I've never burned clouds before but I've seen the effect, I know my edit looks crappy but it was quick, I still suggest burning them yourself, or trying it out.

Also the horizon is too centered. the road being your subject, you should either A) crop out some of the sky resting the horizon on a third and get a panoramic, or B) recompose next time pointed at the road more.

deadtoaster2 · May 22, 2007

Did you change anything to make it less neon-ish? The colors look the same to me... just with a little more contrast.

I will try cropping it and see how it looks.

Thanks for the suggestions.

DSLR noob · May 22, 2007

I slightly desaturated the sky, then upped contrast, which brought the saturation back up. I should've re-desaturated it some more, but I left the ground the same. The sky is slightly different. but year, the ground is EXACTLY the same. No problem for the selections. I hope they help.

gtkelly · May 22, 2007

First - I'm just starting so rank amateur comments follow. Take advice at your own risk..

Not sure I'd burn the clouds, it seems to change the mood quite a bit. Almost from a 'let's have a picnic' to 'get an umbrella'. Also, I'm happy that you can't see the end point of the road. Makes me want to drive up it to see where it ends.

There appears to be a dust speck on one of the clouds. DSLR pointed it out on one of mine and now I'm obsessed with eliminating them.

Great shot!

DSLR noob · May 22, 2007

gtkelly said:
There appears to be a dust speck on one of the clouds. DSLR pointed it out on one of mine and now I'm obsessed with eliminating them.

Haha yeah. I've never had a problem with dust, but I clean my sensor once every 2 weeks because i'm paranoid. I found out they need routine cleaning AFTER I ordered my camera, and thought (what a shame for the price) and I get paranoid every time I flip open the shutter for cleaning that MORE dust will settle on the sensor and it was fine before I used the blower, and also am scared I'll sneeze and jam my hand into the camera and kill the sensor.
I hate dust too, quite an annoying way to ruin a picture!

aammoore · May 23, 2007

Beautiful picture! I also,would not burn the clouds. I feel that you caught the true look of the day...the shadows are cast perfectly on the mountains. The color of the clay road is incredible, looks just like Georgia red clay..lol Love the contrast and lighting.

DSLR noob · May 23, 2007

aammoore said:
The color of the clay road is incredible, looks just like Georgia red clay..lol

but a shade too brown

New England Moments · May 23, 2007

Actually I think its a nice realistic capture, including some haze which is by all means Natural in this type scene... Nice Road lead in , good full frame!
Like it!

Kristen6877 · May 24, 2007

I really like this picture! I also like the black frame too, adds a little more to it.

Mahalo, Kristen

abraxas · May 24, 2007

deadtoaster2 said:
General Critique please, what do you like, what don't you like. What would you have changed?

Composition-wise, I think I would have moved over to the left and forward a bit and tried to capture more of the road beyond the curve. Maybe also raise the camera some and cut down on the sky getting rid of that nearly 50/50 look.

(now that I read the other's comments, mostly like DSLR noob said..)

Post-processing, about halfway between the original and the edit may look good. The mountains need to be punched out a bit.