DSS #26 Banging head against wall

DsrtVW

:bashI was having a hard time getting started on this one then once started not happy with what I had done. So we have bounced all over the place. Diva I am glad I did not go the prism direction after reading your posts, I had given it a thought.

Please need C&C on shots.
Note to self; take some one with you when you want to light paint a barn.
First idea but it turn out to much like crayons


Portrait of Grandson, he happened to be handy at sunset with fill flash just in case I could not come up with anything else. 200mm f2 sweet bokeh too


Token bird shot with fill flash. Another fail safe:dunno


This one is the one I am leaning towards. A Civic Center fountian using 2 speedlights one with gels from above the fountain

Katmitchell

Hey Chris..

I like the last 3... the first two just look too much like "all" photoshop.... but that is just my opinion..

the kid is great and yes,, great bokeh.. and love the colors..

the bird one is good too, alot of wonderful eye candy in that one..

and the last one very nice and fits the theme the strongest.. however, I would crop it all the way up to the bottom of where it starts and let it fill the frame..

hope that helps..

good luck..

Kat

manbou

Photo (1) is the best one for this contest, as well as the best overall. An eerie, haunting effect caused by the unusual yet fitting colors, the stark contrasts, and the motion of the stars in the sky. Excellent.

(2) is a crude caricature of (1).

(3) is a perfectly ordinary photo (of a cute kid!) that has nothing to do with the contest.

(4) also has nothing to do with the contest theme, and it looks over-processed, yet somehow incomplete.

(5) arguably satisfies the contest theme because of the contrast between the light and dark areas of the object, and it is not a bad photo, but it's just not very emotionally compelling.

Photo number (1) is your best bet. If you submit it, I predict you'll make the finals... IF you crop the right side of the image up to the point where the grassy ground shades into complete darkness.

whiterice

manbou wrote:

Photo (1) is the best one for this contest, as well as the best overall. An eerie, haunting effect caused by the unusual yet fitting colors, the stark contrasts, and the motion of the stars in the sky. Excellent.

Love the effect!

divamum

I actually like #2, only I'd crop out the electrical tower and the foreground -the barn itself is (IMO) the better and more interesting of the two. What other effects do you get with some more aggressive cropping? Just playing with it by minimizing browser window/scrolling, the look is very different depending on what stays and goes...

DsrtVW

Thanks for the feedback.

There is no photo shop on the first two other than where I removed the electric tower and strobe on the hill and not very well(didn't want to spend time on it if it was not going to be used).
I would like to go back and shoot them again now that I had the chance to scrutinize them on the big screen. But I will probably not have the time.

The portraits were a failsafe just in case.

The last one is not that compelling but like was said fits the contest. Using multiple speedlights to give a dull fountain sculpture some life.

There is still time left to be on the hunt.

bf2015

I think the fountain is the best for the contest IMHO.

richtersl

I like the first one very much.

The light has a cool-looking eerie glow to it. Also, it illuminates the barn very well and brings out the wood texture.

I'd leave the high tension wires in there and just remove the strobe. As a matter of fact, I'd even burn them in to emphasize them. They don't distract you from the main subject but they do add interest and balance to the composition. I'd also consider cropping some of the dark mass from the right.

Katmitchell

no photoshop? you mean all of this strange color is just from the extended exposure? is this an HDR Merge? I thought the first two were photoshop enhanced.. or something....

Anyways, I still vote for the fountain.. cropped tight to fill the frame and enhanced in PS to punch it up... but if your gut is telling you one of the top two, then I vote for the first one on those.. good luck and look forward to seeing what you come up with..
I would at least edit and polish the fountain and let us see it complete.. it might surprise you when your done.. and you will have it finished as a backup submission:D ...
Kat

DsrtVW

Correct no Photoshop just modified light and long exposure. Light provided by spotlight with colored filters and flash with gels.
All need final touch up just rough drafts. I am leaning towrds the fountian unless I can revisit the barn but the 3 day weekend provided time for the vampire hours that they were taken.
If I had an assistant with me I probably would have tried more angles. But it was a chore just trying to get around without tripping over all the rocks and other debris. Plus the owls were not very happy with me. Needed some one to hold light on subject so I could get proper focus.
But it was worth a shot and good experience

pyry

I like the second, I'm just waiting to see the flying saucer carrying the blue flood light.

The first is just too, green.

DsrtVW

Hmmm flying saucer, where did that frisbee go. I am now wondering if I can work in another trip to the barn. I have been inspired to give it another shot. I want to try another angle that will work well with the star trails and be less walking around. Plus my work is going to take me up that direction tomorrow evening. I just wish it did not get dark until 9pm

I guess I had higher expectations for the work I did the first time. But when I looked at them on the computer I was let down by the results what I was seeing that night.
I thank you all for the feedback

Katmitchell

ok,

well that explains a lot.. I had no idea you used colored lights on it.. I thought you just shot a long exposure here.. I like the idea.. perhaps you will get the chance to re-shoot.

I here you about the assistant thing.. I had a real hard time shooting the other night on my own with various black lights and color tubes and not extra stand or clamps. however, my sister offered to help me on the recent shoot and that always make things so much easier..

Well good luck with it Chris,

Kat

jeffgroves

Glad to see that you are going back to the barn!
with a little tweaking, I think you certainly have something here. I was amazed to read that the two photos were not PS, but from the light and existing light that you used and I think that gives it potential.

The first one is by far my favorite. So perhaps one more trip to the barn will allow you to be less "let down by the results".

Thank you for making me feel welcome to this forum today!