Your input/comments are welcome and appreciated

waynegz1 · Oct 20, 2010

Took these on our most recent trip to NYC. These were taken with my D60 and 18-200mm VR II (that I borrowed from a friend, then later bought from him)

What could I have done to make these more effective?

(I know that the Brooklyn Bridge is level, and that will be fixed. What else?)

reznap · Oct 21, 2010

Well... the barrel distortion kinda bugs me on #1.

You already mentioned the leveling out of #3..

I like the repeating 'pattern' on #4 - could take or leave the selective color.

Dislike the selective coloring on #2.. makes the cars look pasted into the picture. Would be a sweet photo if it were say... a ferrari in the cab's place... and without that guy turning right on the left side of the frame.

But yeah, try and fix the distortion on the first shot - I think it's a kick ass photo otherwise.

waynegz1 · Oct 21, 2010

reznap said:
Well... the barrel distortion kinda bugs me on #1.

Dislike the selective coloring on #2.. makes the cars look pasted into the picture. Would be a sweet photo if it were say... a ferrari in the cab's place... and without that guy turning right on the left side of the frame.

But yeah, try and fix the distortion on the first shot - I think it's a kick ass photo otherwise.

How would you go about fixing the distortion?

Dang that Altima, I tried time and time again to get it out. I just don't know how to accomplish that without making it look 'cut and pasty' if that makes any sense.

pvclobster · Oct 21, 2010

Everything except #4 is very centered. I'd love to see some variety that leads me to look elsewhere in the photo.

I'll admit I generally don't like selective color at all. But if you're going to do it, I think it would be better to pick just one subject to focus on and leave in color (especially in #2-the center taxi makes sense as a primary subject, having 2 taxis colored makes less sense to me)

I also like the repeating pattern in #4.

stephvanity · Oct 21, 2010

I love the different effect you took on a very generic photo. More like this!

waynegz1 · Oct 21, 2010

I will work on these more to make them that much more effective. If you guys have techniques that work for you, please share them.

DerekSalem · Oct 21, 2010

Definitely too centered...every one of them (except for the last) seems to be directly centered and sort of mirrored.

They're not leveled. None of them are. 3 are close, but not quite level.

Selective coloring...meh. Some people like it, but a vast majority of people don't. It's a bit weird that you put the focus on the CPH on the police bikes by selectively coloring them.

KmH · Oct 21, 2010

waynegz1 said:
......What could I have done to make these more effective?

Study and apply the various guidlelines for effective visual composition, that apply to the image frame, graphic and photographic elements, light, color, line, form, shape, and intent.

Guidelines like Simplicity, Balance, the Rule of Thirds, color complementarity, use of negative space, leading lines, spatial relationships, diagonal lines to emphasize motion, horizontal lines to convey tranqulity, etc.

http://www.photoinf.com/
http://www.ronbigelow.com/articles/adv_comp/adv_comp.htm
http://www.diagonalmethod.info/

Book recommendations: The Photographers Eye by Michael Freeman. Picture This by Molly Bang. Learning To See Creatively by Bryan Peterson.

I reget to report that the Nikon's 18-200 mm is one of the worst lens values in their current lineup, and has complex barrel distortion in the corners at 18 mm. The distortion does improve until it becomes pincushion distortion at about 35 mm.

Also your images have an embedded ICC profile. Did you embed the profile or make the images with the D60 set to B&W?