>> challenge 16 - comment and critiques thread <<

Andy

this is the place to put your potential submissions in to dgrin challenge 16, "the quality of light," for comments, critique, and feedback by fellow dgrinners.

please *do not* make any comments on the images in the main thread for challenge 16 entries. thank you

rutt

Evening light
I started working on this a few days ago, when Andy said it was OK. I already posted these elsewhere, but I was really thinking hard about the quality of evening light when I shot them, so I'd love critiques from you all. As I said when I posted them, there was a lot of quality to the light that evening.

(I'm having a little bit of a hard time keeping up with the rules. It is OK to post multiple images here, right? Don't be afraid to correct me if not; I can take it.)

Andy

number of images to post in the coments thread

rutt wrote:

(I'm having a little bit of a hard time keeping up with the rules. It is OK to post multiple images here, right? Don't be afraid to correct me if not; I can take it.)

post away ... any number you like. but keep in mind, it's easier for folks to comment & critique on fewer images. personally, i'd narrow down to a couple 2 or 3 at a time, leaning more towards 2.... it's less burden on the responders, and therefore you should be able to get more responses. make sense?

pathfinder

rutt wrote:

I started working on this a few days ago, when Andy said it was OK. I already posted these elsewhere, but I was really thinking hard about the quality of evening light when I shot them, so I'd love critiques from you all. As I said when I posted them, there was a lot of quality to the light that evening.

(I'm having a little bit of a hard time keeping up with the rules. It is OK to post multiple images here, right? Don't be afraid to correct me if not; I can take it.)

Nice soft, warm, diffused late afternoon light is always good for me. Particualrly like 2 and 3.

Bryan

Rutt,
I love the last one. The Old classic water front homes/busniesses with the GREAT water reflections. Then the contrast with the Modern ship mast behind the homes. Just a great shot pointing out the great evolution of the waterfront.

I should head down to Newport Beach, CA and see what fun I can get on the water front. Newport is full of great contrasts.

wxwax

Hey kids,

Another hint we've discussed elsewhere. When you're responding to someone's images and you want to include their photos... if it's linked from smugmug, please change the extension from L to S.

That way you change the size of the photo from Large to Small. It makes it much easier to navigate the thread.

wxwax

rutt wrote:

I started working on this a few days ago,

Like this! Remember, it has to be a capital S. Just look at the end of the link, where it says -L.jpg and change it to -S.jpg.

Just click on Reply to this post and you can see what I did.

rutt

11pm, roof with tripod
Tomorrow's Ferry



Tanks:

rutt

Rose with back light
One more, don't mean to hog, after this one, I'll wait for others to post. I just love this topic and I've been having fun with it since Andy gave the green light.

Sandy

I really like the light on the flag in this photo, this being the 4th of July weekend.




Also the nice, easy feeling in the photo of the houses on the waterfront.

Sandy

Nice shot of your beautiful dog. Looks like a Corgy. I like the detail in the photo with the line by the eye.

ginger_55 wrote:

I like all of yours, Rutt. Newport is a bit bigger than I imagined, if that is where you are. I have a dog. All I have is a dog and a bunch of panic. My loyal dog, Lassie........................... nah, he is Skye, but he is loyal, unless I sing, then he doesn't know me.

This was the dog, and dog, and husband that I had. We were out front, because the sun was too low for the backyard. Out front the dogs have to be leashed and watched, hence my husband. So I tried, I really did, the dogs really did not do what I was hoping they would do, so here is the picture I ended up with in my quest for "quality of light".



I might have deleted it, but the dog on the left, well, I thought I might keep the picture just in case. I did not kill the intruding dog on the right, nice of me.

Is this too much photoshopping?



I cleaned it up a bit, below, but I also took out the line by his eye. Should I have left it in, or does it not matter? Also the shadow under his "chin"?




I would appreciate knowing what you all think about the lines around his eyes and the shadow under his chin. Anything else? I have a friend who just sputtered, and over the internet, too, she said, "you took a nice family picture and turned it into a studio type portrait". She was not being complimentary. She wants me out at the marsh before dawn, daily.

ginger

rutt

Your corgi is very nice and better now that I can tell he isn't a fox. The photoshopping looks like it was hard (all those hairs!) How did you do it?
Anway, I'm afraid it also looks a little fake to me. Maybe you have the halo problem described in the discussion of the LL shots?

I wouldn't remove the line. That's a facial feature of this dog, isn't it? The dog doesn't care about it. Not the same at all as Lynn's nudes or Judy and Gail's wedding pictures.

Oh, and what role is the quality of light playing here?

lynnma

rutt wrote:

Tomorrow's Ferry


Oh great shot rutt.. I love the Ferry, I love the second one too but this just tipped the scale..

lynnma

ginger_55 wrote:

I like all of yours, Rutt. Newport is a bit bigger than I imagined, if that is where you are. I have a dog. All I have is a dog and a bunch of panic. My loyal dog, Lassie........................... nah, he is Skye, but he is loyal, unless I sing, then he doesn't know me.

This was the dog, and dog, and husband that I had. We were out front, because the sun was too low for the backyard. Out front the dogs have to be leashed and watched, hence my husband. So I tried, I really did, the dogs really did not do what I was hoping they would do, so here is the picture I ended up with in my quest for "quality of light".



I might have deleted it, but the dog on the left, well, I thought I might keep the picture just in case. I did not kill the intruding dog on the right, nice of me.

Is this too much photoshopping?



I cleaned it up a bit, below, but I also took out the line by his eye. Should I have left it in, or does it not matter? Also the shadow under his "chin"?




I would appreciate knowing what you all think about the lines around his eyes and the shadow under his chin. Anything else? I have a friend who just sputtered, and over the internet, too, she said, "you took a nice family picture and turned it into a studio type portrait". She was not being complimentary. She wants me out at the marsh before dawn, daily.

ginger

Hi Ginger,
I love your corgi shots.. I think this one may be a little ps over cooked and having seen some of your other shots I know you can do better for the "quality of light". I would'nt send you out into the marsh daily, maybe just one morning??:D

rutt

lynnma wrote:

Hi Ginger,
I love your corgi shots.. I think this one may be a little ps over cooked and having seen some of your other shots I know you can do better for the "quality of light". I would'nt send you out into the marsh daily, maybe just one morning??:D

I agree about relevence of the dog to the topic, but I played around with the shot a little anyway, just for fun. What do you think of this crop?

lynnma

My sink..I'm desperate..

lynnma

lynnma wrote:

My sink..I'm desperate..

and pathetic with my shots...when I have feet again I'll improve.. won't I????

Bryan

lynnma wrote:

My sink..I'm desperate..

I like the sink shot, Glass was a great addition, good composition, great color in the flowers, But Lynn, you need to get the water spots off that faucet :sweet

pathfinder

lynnma wrote:

My sink..I'm desperate..

WOW!!! Lovely shot of a very straightforward subject. You no longer need to go outside to get good images. You create them where you see them. Super job!!

I am very impressed. - BUT - now I want an explanation of your Gaussian overlay that you did - You did overlay a Gaussian blur didn't you?

Sandy

Lynn, I like both shots. How did you get the bird to cooperate?

wxwax

Lynn, love the sink! Seriously, that's a really nice shot of a mundane item. Gaussian blur w/a layer?

Ginger, sorry if my post is leading you in the direction. Listen to the majority! I'll clam up!

ginger_55

Patriots Point
Oh, Sid, I got your message, went and took a photo asap.


Raindrops below



Raindrops, like I said

ginger again.

Sandy

Still Life

rutt

Jeez, Ginger, you didn't have to panic after all. 4 really good images, right on topic. The aircraft carrier could be a magazine cover, so vast and sharp!

I'd eliminate the photo session one, though I like it and see the role light plays in it. I don't think it's a contest winner (which might not mean it isn't the best picture, "lol"). The bridge also has hugeness.

rutt

Very nice. The flowers are so nice and red. Because the topic is "quality of light", I found myself wondering what would happen if the candle were behind the glass or vase? Or if the candle were the only light source. There are probably outtakes like that...

lynnma

Bryan wrote:

I like the sink shot, Glass was a great addition, good composition, great color in the flowers, But Lynn, you need to get the water spots off that faucet :sweet

Yeah you know I saw that??? and thought.. well, thats how it is...so funny hey??:D

lynnma

Sandy wrote:

Lynn, I like both shots. How did you get the bird to cooperate?

photoshop....I know I know.. I'm a cheater..:D

lynnma

ginger_55 wrote:

Oh, Sid, I got your message, went and took a photo asap.



Still fishing, after the storm by ginger

Raindrops below



Raindrops, like I said

ginger again.

Two great shots Ginger..lovely light. Feelin better??:D

lynnma

pathfinder wrote:

WOW!!! Lovely shot of a very straightforward subject. You no longer need to go outside to get good images. You create them where you see them. Super job!!

I am very impressed. - BUT - now I want an explanation of your Gaussian overlay that you did - You did overlay a Gaussian blur didn't you?

Thanks Path and Sid.. yep, I think it's standard practice for me right now to gaussion blur everything in site?

Messed with curves a bit. Duplicated the layer. Heavy gaussion blur about 7. Wiped off 50% then with a small brush wiped off 100% from faucet and glass then sharpened all and with a brush sharpen the faucet and glass more. I shudda windexed the chrome first

rutt

ginger_55 wrote:

I like this, I downloaded it without doing anything to it, just because I liked the shapes and was curious.

I PS'ed it to bring up the dramma of the sky. Just LAB curves and sharpening. There are lots of different chromatic directions for a drammatic sky.

GREAPER

ginger_55 wrote:

Oh, Sid, I got your message, went and took a photo asap.



Still fishing, after the storm by ginger

Raindrops below



Raindrops, like I said

ginger again.

Ginger,

These are imho the nicest shots I have ever seen you post. I love them both, glad you can only enter one. I dont know what I would have to do to pick one over the other. Fanstastic work.