Some new work

eswarpr · Sep 1, 2011

I have been absent from the forum, trying to learn more before posting. Here are a couple from my various experiments. Your thoughts, suggestions for improvements most welcome.

Inspiration by Eswar Prakash (eswarpr), on Flickr

DSC_0500 by Eswar Prakash (eswarpr), on Flickr

Virtuosos · Sep 1, 2011

Way over-exposed sky in #1
#2 You could get a better crop...lots of space above her head. Probablly cut out alittle bit on the right-side too.

eswarpr · Sep 1, 2011

Virtuosos said:
Way over-exposed sky in #1
#2 You could get a better crop...lots of space above her head. Probablly cut out alittle bit on the right-side too.

virtuosos: Thank you for the replies.

On #1: I was trying to imitate a picture post card look on the photo - so I put a higher compensation to achieve that "bleached" look. I guess the sky got bleached too much. I would like to know what would have been a better trick to achieve it.

tirediron · Sep 1, 2011

Comments per req:

1. I don't see this as way over-exposed, but there is a large, distracting nearly blown area in the sky which really grabs the eye. This image desparately needs to be leveled, and I would also crop it, on the RH side, immediately at the left-most point of the red boad to remove that, and the building which isn't really adding anything.

2. This one does need cropping both top and image right. 1/3 stop of fill light coming up and under the hat would have helped. The main issue for me is the pose, especially her left warm. Either have it all in the image, or not visible, but as-is, it's a bit odd looking.

Just my $00.02 worth - your mileage may vary.

~John

Infinite_Day · Sep 1, 2011

The first photo is also slightly tilted to the left to my eye. It could stand for a tad of straghtening on top of exposure compensation editing. And perhaps crop out the building to the right of Big Ben to help draw down some of the open space in the water and the sky?

KmH · Sep 1, 2011

eswarpr said:

Using CameraRaw (ACR 6) I recovered as much of the blown sky as could be recovered from that JPEG, corrected the white balance, straightened based on the vertical side of Big Ben, and adjusted the mid-tone contrast.

Virtuosos · Sep 1, 2011

That edit is an improvement I think... It looks alitle more postcardy. And i didnt mean over-exposed on everything, tirediron explained what i meant in a better way...the big white-mark in the sky. Seemed uber-distracting.

Forkie · Sep 1, 2011

1. Not bad. Like someone else said, a bit overexposed but KMH did a good job of bringing the clouds back. Also, since you're a fellow Londoner, I'd expect you to know your way around the HP a bit, so you should be able to get a more interesting shot than this, which is the same shot anyone who has ever been to London ever, has got!

2. The exposure is much better on this but it's a shame her pose is a bit boring. There is a lot of empty space above her head which should be cropped out. Also, you've managed to chop her fingers off of her left hand and her right arm off completely, which are both a no, no! She needed to be a bit higher up in the frame and you needed to take a step or two back.

With a bit more work and consideration before you take the shot you'll get there. Keep shooting!

bennielou · Sep 1, 2011

Your work is a nice start. I agree with all the comments above.

Keep at it though, because I think you might have a natural eye. Taking the photo is only the first step.

BuS_RiDeR · Sep 1, 2011

#2 is ok... But you should not have cut her arm off at the wrist. That must have hurt.

eswarpr · Sep 2, 2011

Thanks a lot to all of you7 for taking time to reply and thanks for all the suggestions, I will take all that with me and try to correct it and post some more work for your critique.

#1 - I think I have to agree with the tilt thing - because a lot of people have suggested that. I will have to use the autofocus markers to align the subject better (a suggestion from one of my friends). I have started shooting in RAW and using Photoshop to balance things in post production - a much better experience.

#2 - I am still learning composition and portrait photography.

"Miles to go before I sleep"

nntruong · Sep 2, 2011

I agree with the posts above

1. the horizon is skewed so it looks a bit awkward and the sky is a bit over exposed.

2. the it would look a lot better if the hand wasn't cropped out.