Some Landscapes... First Post, C & C Welcome

[aprhockey]

IdahoPhoto: Thanks for the advice. I have a Nikon D60 for what it's worth

D-B-J: I don't think my camera has HDR, and if it did I wouldn't know how to use it...

OrionsByte: Thanks for the info, I'm downloading UFRaw right now

I'll try to get used to shooting RAW images
Thanks again for all the comments

 

[Idahophoto]

IdahoPhoto: Thanks for the advice. I have a Nikon D60 for what it's worth

D-B-J: I don't think my camera has HDR, and if it did I wouldn't know how to use it...

OrionsByte: Thanks for the info, I'm downloading UFRaw right now

I'll try to get used to shooting RAW images
Thanks again for all the comments

Yeah that should be fine. I never used the D60, but I do have my old D40 still and had the D90 for awhile and enjoyed most of them very much.

No camera has HDR (High Dynamic Range) This is a technique you use to take exposures of separate areas then blend them together Photomatix . HDR photo software & plugin for Lightroom, Aperture & Photoshop - Tone Mapping, Exposure Fusion & HDR Imaging for photography is by far the most popular program for this. Its free to download and best of all free to use for as long as you want. Downside is it will put a watermark on your image till you pay for it. I would suggest your try it. They have some great photos packs you can download and use with there tutorials that will get you on track in like 5 min. Well worth playing with to see what you think atleast. Its really a very simple program to use. I just started using it myself but have had no problems after watching one video that lasted like 5 min on the basics.

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

I think you are off to a good start. I like your works and see a lot of potential.

Just a thought... What if....

Using Gimp (free photo editing software...) I did an Auto White Balance and an Auto Color Enhance.. plus I recropped the image ussing a 3:1 aspect ratio... I came up with this....

 

[Idahophoto]

Very nice edit

 

[aprhockey]

I tried an edit similar to BuS_RiDeR's but I wanted to crop out the tree on the left and the random buoy (i think that's what it is) on the right hand side. There's not too much of a difference. I changed the contrast a little and tried to make the golden colors show up a bit more.

What do you guys think?

 

[Idahophoto]

Shooting in Raw is easy. What I, and most people do is set your camera to save a raw and a JPEG version. This way you have one shot you can easily look at (Even by camera) and still have the raw version.Downside is ofcourse you will use up more memory card space, but this should not be a problem. My 50D is 15MP and I like to use 4GB cards and often don't use up a full one. As if I change to a real different subject I'll just put in a fresh card.

Don't forget any editing you do to save as a separate file on you PC. This way you always have the original to come back to if you need to. These things take time, so don't get discouraged. Have fun with it and it will all come to ya in no time.

 

[aprhockey]

Thanks for the encouragement

 

[fokker]

I think you are off to a good start. I like your works and see a lot of potential.

Just a thought... What if....

Using Gimp (free photo editing software...) I did an Auto White Balance and an Auto Color Enhance.. plus I recropped the image ussing a 3:1 aspect ratio... I came up with this....

That is a horrible edit, you ruined the colours completely as well as introducing some weirdartifacts in the sky.

OP's one is much better, good job.

 

[Skyclad]

#2 not feeling at all. When you took this, what were you trying to capture?

With #2, I guess I was trying to capture the ominous look of the clouds and maybe the feeling of being alone with a random makeshift soccer goal.

I must be the odd man out on this, because I really, really like this one and I do feel that solitary/lonlely/isolation mood. :thumbup:

 

[aprhockey]

fokker: glad you like my edit, I wasn't too sure about it. I think I overdid it with the orange hue

Skyclad: Thanks... i thought it was one of my better ones also, but everyone seemed to think it was pointless. Though I do think I should've had the goal a bit more centered and zoomed in since there isn't much of a focal point. Unfortunately I won't be able to reshoot that one (about an 85 km bike ride away)