Metal Men

InsuredDisasterInsuredDisaster Registered Users Posts: 1,132 Major grins
edited August 22, 2008 in Other Cool Shots
Here in China, there are numerous memorials here and there. In Guangzhou, apparently the Communists got there start here. Oddly enough, ask the Chinese , even the educated ones, and everyone's kinda clueless about the subject. Since I can't read the Chinese, my knowledge of these memorials is a bit vague at best.

They are all photographed in "Hero's Square." I was shooting to get rid of the buildings surrounding the square which limited my angles and I did try wide open apertures, which turned out to be needless.


Grenadier
D300/ Nikon 35 F2
1/2500 2 100 (was trying to blur out some buildings, which I just cropped out instead)

_3013656.jpg

Hero's Sunset
D300/Nikon 35 F2
1/8000 2 100
_3013673.jpg

Time to Kill
D300/Nikon 35 F2
1/1.3 5 200 (Tripod)
On camera flash-Manual Commander mode
SB-800 Off camera Slave, manual mode

_3013724-Edit.jpg


Please let me know what you think, positive or negative.
My blog

Comments

  • SkippySkippy Registered Users Posts: 12,075 Major grins
    edited August 21, 2008
    InsuredDisaster wrote:
    Here in China, there are numerous memorials here and there. In Guangzhou, apparently the Communists got there start here. Oddly enough, ask the Chinese , even the educated ones, and everyone's kinda clueless about the subject. Since I can't read the Chinese, my knowledge of these memorials is a bit vague at best.

    They are all photographed in "Hero's Square." I was shooting to get rid of the buildings surrounding the square which limited my angles and I did try wide open apertures, which turned out to be needless.


    Grenadier
    D300/ Nikon 35 F2
    1/2500 2 100 (was trying to blur out some buildings, which I just cropped out instead)

    Hero's Sunset
    D300/Nikon 35 F2
    1/8000 2 100

    Time to Kill
    D300/Nikon 35 F2
    1/1.3 5 200 (Tripod)
    On camera flash-Manual Commander mode
    SB-800 Off camera Slave, manual mode

    Please let me know what you think, positive or negative.

    The first image needs more light on the statue itself, not keen on the composition of that one.

    Second shot I like how the rays from the sun reach up toward the sky,
    and the silhouette of the Soldier.

    Third shot I like the light...got a nice black sky there for your background.

    Need to work on composition.
    Nice jod InsuredDisaster thumb.gif .... Skippy :D
    .
    .
    Skippy (Australia) - Moderator of "HOLY MACRO" and "OTHER COOL SHOTS"

    ALBUM http://ozzieskip.smugmug.com/

    :skippy Everyone has the right to be stupid, but some people just abuse the privilege :dgrin
  • InsuredDisasterInsuredDisaster Registered Users Posts: 1,132 Major grins
    edited August 21, 2008
    Skippy wrote:
    The first image needs more light on the statue itself, not keen on the composition of that one.

    Second shot I like how the rays from the sun reach up toward the sky,
    and the silhouette of the Soldier.

    Third shot I like the light...got a nice black sky there for your background.

    Need to work on composition.
    Nice jod InsuredDisaster thumb.gif .... Skippy :D
    .

    Is there perhaps some specifics you can give me? I would like to return to shoot again if you'd give me some suggestions on composition.
    My blog
  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited August 22, 2008
    Hi I/D

    Your technique is very good in all these, I think. If you had been able to use some lighting in the first it would have been somewhat different than using the available light, as you have done. A higher ISO might have been more interesting in the first? The statues themselves are not very photogenic, maybe, but you have given some drama to them.

    I think national history for not a small number of Chinese is painful (and as you know there are as well cultural/ethnic groups within China who don't identify fully with the majority Han), and is regarded as propaganda in the hands of the powers that be, rather than fact. How many of us are much interested in learning propaganda?

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • InsuredDisasterInsuredDisaster Registered Users Posts: 1,132 Major grins
    edited August 22, 2008
    NeilL wrote:
    Hi I/D

    Your technique is very good in all these, I think. If you had been able to use some lighting in the first it would have been somewhat different than using the available light, as you have done. A higher ISO might have been more interesting in the first? The statues themselves are not very photogenic, maybe, but you have given some drama to them.

    I think national history for not a small number of Chinese is painful (and as you know there are as well cultural/ethnic groups within China who don't identify fully with the majority Han), and is regarded as propaganda in the hands of the powers that be, rather than fact. How many of us are much interested in learning propaganda?

    Neil

    True. Perhaps the government is backing off the propoganda. Take Mao for example, no longer revered. I just feel that its a bit weird to have these momuments and parks all over the city all dealing with the same "heros" and what not, but people don't know who exactly they are or what they did.


    Thank you for your comments. I agree that the first needs more light on the statues. THis may be outside of this topic, but I'm having trouble getting my on camera flash to trigger the SB-800/600's that I have unless I put it 8 inches away in bright daylight. I read that outdoors can overpower the emitters, which is why I guess radio flash heads are so useful. I tried to use the flashes but was unable to get them to work properly in the first shot.

    Can you give me some suggestions about how to deal with this? Or would a radio flash be needed?
    My blog
Sign In or Register to comment.