Savannah Pics for CC. Pic Heavy

[PropilotBW]

I got around to editing my photos from my trip to Savannah this past week. What an awesome city with a lot of history!
This was one of my more thought-out attempts for composition and lighting. I could use your comments and critiques on what I can improve upon.
Thanks!

 

[sscarmack]

Lighting is very harsh in most of these and seem very 'snapshotty', which theres nothing wrong with. Keep on shooting, and look up some reading material on light and time of days, etc.

 

[PropilotBW]

Lighting is very harsh in most of these and seem very 'snapshotty', which theres nothing wrong with. Keep on shooting, and look up some reading material on light and time of days, etc.

Yea, I know I was shooting mid day and the sun was very hot! Not ideal shooting lighting! But besides sunlight, is there anything else to comment about?

you think they all look like snapshots?? The first photo I spent a lot of time thinking about, waiting for crowds to clear, worked on composition, the polarizer, angle of shot, and used a slower shutter speed to try to get some water movement. Definitely tried to make it NOT a snapshot....so what could be improved?

 

[Designer]

I think maybe with the exception of the production worker, these seem somewhat "general" in framing. What I mean by that is they seem framed too wide, with no clear subject or the subject too small in the frame.

Now this is good news! Way better than cropping off part of the subject. Anyway, try a healthy crop on some of them to see what you've got there.

 

[IzzieK]

You know, you should have had some commentary to accompany your shots...say anything that will improve your story telling...let us know what we are looking at. The shots are also too big. Make it only up to 1000 or 1200 px on the longest side so it is easier to open it. 4600 is a little bit too tiring to wait and I have an SSD here in my laptop and full 16 GB RAM. Just my suggestion...

 

[PropilotBW]

You know, you should have had some commentary to accompany your shots...say anything that will improve your story telling...let us know what we are looking at. The shots are also too big. Make it only up to 1000 or 1200 px on the longest side so it is easier to open it. 4600 is a little bit too tiring to wait and I have an SSD here in my laptop and full 16 GB RAM. Just my suggestion...

I appreciate the suggestion. I'm not really telling a story, I'm just hoping for some honest critiques on the photos. But if that helps with the critique, I'll add some in there. I will make the files smaller on my next upload. (they open within a second on my computer...?)

 

[IzzieK]

I appreciate the suggestion. I'm not really telling a story, I'm just hoping for some honest critiques on the photos. But if that helps with the critique, I'll add some in there. I will make the files smaller on my next upload. (they open within a second on my computer...?)

Sometimes in this busy forum, you need to be creative in the way you compose your title too so your posts will be noticed. Also let yourself be known to others by commenting on their posts too. I do not know...it is just what I do. At times these guys will turn your post into a joke but laugh with them, it helps. A photo is not just a photo, it has to tell a story. Incorporate a human element or an animal to it to create impact...like that stairs -- someone walking past it or climbing up will be nice...

The sweets aisle is beautiful and colourful -- a shopper choosing which item s/he likes? will be a nice touch. Or that fountain with the purple flower...a couple sitting down facing the fountain will not hurt.

Also too many shots in one post is really very hard to get a straightforward comment or critique. On all of them, I like your compositions...it has all the potentials despite the time of day. Maybe the WB can be changed by software???

I hate waking up in the early morning just to get a shot...

I shoot airplanes and airshow events and I know I am darn good at it too despite the time of the day (noonish...) because I had learned from the experts in the field. I bet you my other photography stuff sucks too at noon, like flowers and those that can be shot outside in the fields...

Be patient when it takes a while for someone to comment too.

Your large file opens quickly in your computer because the cache is still there lounging in the background waiting for a tap on its shoulders.

Please do not be offended by my suggestions here...

 

[PropilotBW]

I appreciate the suggestion. I'm not really telling a story, I'm just hoping for some honest critiques on the photos. But if that helps with the critique, I'll add some in there. I will make the files smaller on my next upload. (they open within a second on my computer...?)

Sometimes in this busy forum, you need to be creative in the way you compose your title too so your posts will be noticed. Also let yourself be known to others by commenting on their posts too. I do not know...it is just what I do. At times these guys will turn your post into a joke but laugh with them, it helps. A photo is not just a photo, it has to tell a story. Incorporate a human element or an animal to it to create impact...like that stairs -- someone walking past it or climbing up will be nice...

The sweets aisle is beautiful and colourful -- a shopper choosing which item s/he likes? will be a nice touch. Or that fountain with the purple flower...a couple sitting down facing the fountain will not hurt.

Also too many shots in one post is really very hard to get a straightforward comment or critique. On all of them, I like your compositions...it has all the potentials despite the time of day. Maybe the WB can be changed by software???

I hate waking up in the early morning just to get a shot...

I shoot airplanes and airshow events and I know I am darn good at it too despite the time of the day (noonish...) because I had learned from the experts in the field. I bet you my other photography stuff sucks too at noon, like flowers and those that can be shot outside in the fields...

Be patient when it takes a while for someone to comment too.

Your large file opens quickly in your computer because the cache is still there lounging in the background waiting for a tap on its shoulders.

Please do not be offended by my suggestions here...

Thank you for your time spent in your reply. I like and appreciate your suggestions.

Did you notice that there is a person near the purple flowers looking at the fountain? Does that change your opinion on that photo? I originally waited for him to leave, but when he didn't, I just worked with it instead.

 

[IzzieK]

Yessir it did...

 

[keyseddie]

They open quickly on mine. I really like your attempts. I'd like to play with a couple if you don't mind. Have a tennis match soon so after the mid-day feast.

 

[keyseddie]

you think they all look like snapshots?? The first photo I spent a lot of time thinking about, waiting for crowds to clear, worked on composition, the polarizer, angle of shot, and used a slower shutter speed to try to get some water movement. Definitely tried to make it NOT a snapshot....so what could be improved?[/QUOTE]

He is correct. Just because you do all the right things doesn't mean it's any better than the last million shooters that came upon that fountain. You did the right things in all of these shots, so if you're looking for more out of your images then think more and do more. The guy on the bench is the most important part of that shot, but he's sitting on the wrong side so his head is lost in the tree. "Pardon me, sir. I have this really cool shot and if you move to the other side of the bench I'll send you one."
You have two exceptional compositions. All I did below was crop, add structure and a slight bump in saturation.

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[keyseddie]

This one is pretty cool as is. Cemetaries are interesting. They evoke feelings of darkness. Your job would be to illustrate those type of feelings. This is not much different than original, but subtle changes can make an image.

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[PropilotBW]

This one is pretty cool as is. Cemetaries are interesting. They evoke feelings of darkness. Your job would be to illustrate those type of feelings. This is not much different than original, but subtle changes can make an image.

[/URL][/IMG]

i like like both your edits. I originally thought to crop the candy but neglected to. I like your crop

I also thought my original cemetery photo was underexposed, so I brought up the shadows for detail on the headstones. What did you do? Did you soften the image or what?

 

[keyseddie]

In Viveza, I added structure and a little saturation. In color efex 4, I stacked 3 filters. Tonal contrast, mostly to keep the warmth in trees and bricks, the top and bottom would stay cool. glamour glow to spooky it up, and a barely perceptible dark vignette to draw the viewer in. It's about marrying the thought processes of creating the original, which a good shooter should consider their canvas, with the use of software to finish the image. Sometimes it's preconceived from the outset, sometimes it's "oh wow! I can really do something with that."

 

[Braineack]

you think they all look like snapshots?? The first photo I spent a lot of time thinking about, waiting for crowds to clear, worked on composition, the polarizer, angle of shot, and used a slower shutter speed to try to get some water movement. Definitely tried to make it NOT a snapshot....so what could be improved?

He is correct. Just because you do all the right things doesn't mean it's any better than the last million shooters that came upon that fountain. You did the right things in all of these shots, so if you're looking for more out of your images then think more and do more. The guy on the bench is the most important part of that shot, but he's sitting on the wrong side so his head is lost in the tree. "Pardon me, sir. I have this really cool shot and if you move to the other side of the bench I'll send you one."
You have two exceptional compositions. All I did below was crop, add structure and a slight bump in saturation.

[/URL][/IMG][/QUOTE]


This shot would have been improved if it was shot straight on, and the WB corrected so whites were white, not yellow.

as is, without any shallow DOF, it's pretty boring; even with the improved crop.