I agree. I like this better than everything but the stairs. I think the stairs are a stronger starker and yet more ambigious statement. Perhaps you aren't comfortable making it?
But you should be. The calender girls with the gun is a pretty strong statement.
Challenge 16 entries so far...
Man, the entries on this challenge are awesome!! This is going to be very tough, I wouldn't want to be the judge! I just wanted everyone to know how fabulous they are doing with their work, it is very inspiring!!
You are all so talented, I love looking in wonder at your work!! Thanks for posting and good luck to all!
I agree. I like this better than everything but the stairs. I think the stairs are a stronger starker and yet more ambigious statement. Perhaps you aren't comfortable making it?
But you should be. The calender girls with the gun is a pretty strong statement.
yep you are right rutt.. we did think of omitting the gun but its a wild west shot, cowboy boots and hat etc.. she looked silly holding a rose so we are going with it and will take the flack.. and I'm sure there will be some.
Thanks Wolf and Damon... s'funny is'nt I know what I like (as least some of the time I do) but I never expect anyone else to see what I"m seeing.
Good luck to all in the challenge, it's such fun is'nt it.. lovely to see everyones work and there are some stunners in the one for sure.
Nantucket Harbor, Dawn, 7 July 04
I followed Ginger's advice and did the obvious thing: shoot the harbor from
my roof at dawn. A little cropping, LAB curves, and sharpening and I got:
This one was cropped to make it as rectangular as possible, given that I decided to crop out the near foreground.
And this one is for Charles (and Euclid). The sun is positioned at the lower right golden mean point.
Thank you so much Rutt, am off to play tennis, oh, doG, ............
I won't even talk about the rest of the day when I should go to the doctor with my husband to talk about his surgery in a few weeks.
Brush Marks??????
QUOTE]
There are what appear to be Photoshop brushmarks in the foreground. would lower the brightness on your monitor and maybe up the contrast temporarily if you are having trouble seeing them. The non brushed areas appear darker.
Actually, this, one had the sun right on the lower right golden mean point.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH, Rutt that is beautiful, but you already told me that those sunsets are a very, very bad idea at this time for this challenge!
I completely started at the beginning. I wrote down everything I did. I saved a copy before each important step. There are no brush marks now as I did not use a brush, and, as I said I started at the beginning. This is what I now have, without any lines around it. It feels like this photo is naked here.
Just before it turned totally dark. I can't find the one with the frame, without the frame. I did one, well, I can't get the river real light like it was, but I did one close to the original I took, worked it up and was going to show it, but I forgot to save it, so I am not doing any more of these for tonight.
I followed Ginger's advice and did the obvious thing: shoot the harbor from
my roof at dawn. A little cropping, LAB curves, and sharpening and I got:
This one was cropped to make it as rectangular as possible, given that I decided to crop out the near foreground.
_________________________________________
I know this is dawn rather than a sunset, but doesn't your advice to me still stand. Yes, I thought I gave you good advice. We all need one in our pocket, before we go play, don't you think?
However, I did not mean to do it so well, smile.
Also you have a very good view from your roof. Do you spend much time up there, that is beautiful.
I think it's an interesting shot gubbs but it does'nt tell much of a story.. I still think you have one lying in wait.. I think you should sleep in the barn and wait for the sun to come in over the straw chaff...:D
I think it's an interesting shot gubbs but it does'nt tell much of a story.. I still think you have one lying in wait.. I think you should sleep in the barn and wait for the sun to come in over the straw chaff...:D
I agree..where's Gubbs? And what did you do to him?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH, Rutt that is beautiful, but you already told me that those sunsets are a very, very bad idea at this time for this challenge!
I completely started at the beginning. I wrote down everything I did. I saved a copy before each important step. There are no brush marks now as I did not use a brush, and, as I said I started at the beginning. This is what I now have, without any lines around it. It feels like this photo is naked here.
Ginger.. I think its beautiful, more honest and natrual.. maybe a tinsy winsy little bit more contrast maybe? maybe not.. stop agonizing, it's a great shot.:D
AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH, Rutt that is beautiful, but you already told me that those sunsets are a very, very bad idea at this time for this challenge!
It's dawn, but yes, I'd like something besides just another sunset/sunrise shot. In addition to cell phones, we have nothing but sunsets and sunrises here on Nantucket. I shot this a few days ago:
I've shot a lot of dawn and dusk pictures, many times as fodder for a panorama obsession which seems to have subsided. Take a look, if you like.
So, I'm still hoping to for a different kind of shot, so I can feel I've risesn to this challenge instead of reaching into my old bag of tricks (though LAB curves and the golden mean thing are a relatively new tricks.)
This one is beautiful and more than just another boring sunset or sky shot. The foreground gives it scale and makes the thunderhead really immense. I love the sun on the top of the cloud and the contract to the darkness on the ground and bottom of the cloud.
It's dawn, but yes, I'd like something besides just another sunset/sunrise shot. In addition to cell phones, we have nothing but sunsets and sunrises here on Nantucket. I shot this a few days ago:
I've shot a lot of dawn and dusk pictures, many times as fodder for a panorama obsession which seems to have subsided. Take a look, if you like.
So, I'm still hoping to for a different kind of shot, so I can feel I've risesn to this challenge instead of reaching into my old bag of tricks (though LAB curves and the golden mean thing are a relatively new tricks.)
_________________________________
I understand what you mean. I think that is one reason I didn't bring the photo I have been working on so long, but I didn't bring it out for quite awhile.
Oh, Lynn, the way I was working the contrast and saturation was a trade off and something of a compromise one might call it. I had not masked anything, I did not want to use a brush, I did want to do as little as possible, aside from some blur and the usual adjustments and sharpening. I tried to keep a very light hand on those which is one reason I made copies every step of the way.
I discovered that anything I did affected the whole "picture", more contrast kind of hurt the reflections.
Also, everyone. I may try posting this elsewhere, but nowhere gets the attention this "list" does. Thread is the word, I guess.
I was taught, had it drummed into me, back in the old days of darkrooms and slides. I was taught that, for the most part, detail had to be "there" in all parts of a photo, especially in the dark area of sunsets and sunrises.
I have not noticed that rule I learned so long ago being paid much attention to here. I mean I understand silhouettes and things, high key and low key, but one thing that drove me nuts in the big photo I did was trying to keep detail, green, however faint, in the bottom of the photo, the dark part. Ironically, there appears to be more now than there was when I was trying so hard, smile. I am just wondering how that idea of detail in the dark areas, outside of the silhouette plays now. I used to enter, or watch, contests at a photography club and that was very important. That was why I did a few sunsets, to actually prove to myself that I could follow that rule back then. It took very careful metering.
I would like to bring that question to the attention of Andy, or another doG,
I am not sure where, smile.
I completely started at the beginning. I wrote down everything I did. I saved a copy before each important step. There are no brush marks now as I did not use a brush, and, as I said I started at the beginning. This is what I now have, without any lines around it. It feels like this photo is naked here.
I know Lynn gave you excellent advice: stop agonizing. But Lynn is missing two essential facts:
You like agonizing, and
Even if you didn't, you couldn't help yourself.
After all, what is this challenge? It's not like we are trying to win a Pulitzer or something.
Anyway, I'll just proceed along the sadomasochistic relationship that we have established and tell you what I think.
Here is your latest effort. We'll call it A.
We'll call the following B.
I like the sky much better in B. A is blown out in a much larger area in the middle top. This doesn't work. Turner or Constible would never have painted it that way. By comparison, B has all this sensouus cloud detail in the same place. It really does look like the work of a great English 19th century romantic painter! I can't see the PS brush strokes in B, but I haven't really looked. I'm sure they would be distracting once I saw them. But the subject here is the sky. I'd trade the good sky for a few visible brush strokes any day. But since we know that you love to agonize, I'm sure you can get the best of both worlds.
I've already given you my opinion about the frame. And seeing the two images side by side just confirms this. So how much larger A seems than B? That's because it is larger. Nobody is going to judge your frame. So give them as much image as you can.
I understand what you
Also, everyone. I may try posting this elsewhere, but nowhere gets the attention this "list" does. Thread is the word, I guess.
I was taught, had it drummed into me, back in the old days of darkrooms and slides. I was taught that, for the most part, detail had to be "there" in all parts of a photo, especially in the dark area of sunsets and sunrises.
I have not noticed that rule I learned so long ago being paid much attention to here. I mean I understand silhouettes and things, high key and low key, but one thing that drove me nuts in the big photo I did was trying to keep detail, green, however faint, in the bottom of the photo, the dark part. Ironically, there appears to be more now than there was when I was trying so hard, smile. I am just wondering how that idea of detail in the dark areas, outside of the silhouette plays now. I used to enter, or watch, contests at a photography club and that was very important. That was why I did a few sunsets, to actually prove to myself that I could follow that rule back then. It took very careful metering.
I would like to bring that question to the attention of Andy, or another doG,
I am not sure where, smile.
ginger
Have you all heard anything about this?[/QUOTE]
it's a preference / choice but not an absolute. thank god, there are no absolutes in our art of photography...
the big challenge today with our digital cameras is dynamic range. even the dslrs cannot match the d.r. of film. so, we shoot in raw, to squeeze as much d.r. as we possibly can. now what? expose for the shadows? nah, that for sure will have leave some highlights blown in the shot. so, metering is really difficult. i usually will try several exposures in a mixed lighting situation, but i most often do this: i meter (spot if i can) just off the brightest source of light. i'll overexpose there by .7, 1.0 and 1.3 ev. i've found that one of these exposures will give me the best raw "negative" to work with.
except when it doesn't
sometimes the cameras just can't grab that much d.r. ! dammit!
i'm out for a couple of days
i'm going to san francisco for thursday and friday. one of the cool things i'm going to do while there is some night shots with baldy....
in my absence, please continue to have fun!
holler at one of the other mods if anyone has any questions.
Comments
But you should be. The calender girls with the gun is a pretty strong statement.
No way Lynn, this is beautiful, do not trash it!!!
Man, the entries on this challenge are awesome!! This is going to be very tough, I wouldn't want to be the judge! I just wanted everyone to know how fabulous they are doing with their work, it is very inspiring!!
You are all so talented, I love looking in wonder at your work!! Thanks for posting and good luck to all!
Good luck to all in the challenge, it's such fun is'nt it.. lovely to see everyones work and there are some stunners in the one for sure.
Lynn
Here's what I have so far........Any and all feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks all.
http://lonepine.shutterbugstorefront.com
I followed Ginger's advice and did the obvious thing: shoot the harbor from
my roof at dawn. A little cropping, LAB curves, and sharpening and I got:
This one was cropped to make it as rectangular as possible, given that I decided to crop out the near foreground.
And this one is for Charles (and Euclid). The sun is positioned at the lower right golden mean point.
TML Photography
tmlphoto.com
AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH, Rutt that is beautiful, but you already told me that those sunsets are a very, very bad idea at this time for this challenge!
I completely started at the beginning. I wrote down everything I did. I saved a copy before each important step. There are no brush marks now as I did not use a brush, and, as I said I started at the beginning. This is what I now have, without any lines around it. It feels like this photo is naked here.
Just before it turned totally dark. I can't find the one with the frame, without the frame. I did one, well, I can't get the river real light like it was, but I did one close to the original I took, worked it up and was going to show it, but I forgot to save it, so I am not doing any more of these for tonight.
g
gubbs.smugmug.com
I think the last one, the sunset is the most dramatic and speaks of the quality of light.:D
I agree..where's Gubbs? And what did you do to him?
http://lonepine.shutterbugstorefront.com
I've shot a lot of dawn and dusk pictures, many times as fodder for a panorama obsession which seems to have subsided. Take a look, if you like.
So, I'm still hoping to for a different kind of shot, so I can feel I've risesn to this challenge instead of reaching into my old bag of tricks (though LAB curves and the golden mean thing are a relatively new tricks.)
This one is beautiful and more than just another boring sunset or sky shot. The foreground gives it scale and makes the thunderhead really immense. I love the sun on the top of the cloud and the contract to the darkness on the ground and bottom of the cloud.
_________________________________
I understand what you mean. I think that is one reason I didn't bring the photo I have been working on so long, but I didn't bring it out for quite awhile.
Oh, Lynn, the way I was working the contrast and saturation was a trade off and something of a compromise one might call it. I had not masked anything, I did not want to use a brush, I did want to do as little as possible, aside from some blur and the usual adjustments and sharpening. I tried to keep a very light hand on those which is one reason I made copies every step of the way.
I discovered that anything I did affected the whole "picture", more contrast kind of hurt the reflections.
Also, everyone. I may try posting this elsewhere, but nowhere gets the attention this "list" does. Thread is the word, I guess.
I was taught, had it drummed into me, back in the old days of darkrooms and slides. I was taught that, for the most part, detail had to be "there" in all parts of a photo, especially in the dark area of sunsets and sunrises.
I have not noticed that rule I learned so long ago being paid much attention to here. I mean I understand silhouettes and things, high key and low key, but one thing that drove me nuts in the big photo I did was trying to keep detail, green, however faint, in the bottom of the photo, the dark part. Ironically, there appears to be more now than there was when I was trying so hard, smile. I am just wondering how that idea of detail in the dark areas, outside of the silhouette plays now. I used to enter, or watch, contests at a photography club and that was very important. That was why I did a few sunsets, to actually prove to myself that I could follow that rule back then. It took very careful metering.
I would like to bring that question to the attention of Andy, or another doG,
I am not sure where, smile.
ginger
Have you all heard anything about this?
gubbs.smugmug.com
- You like agonizing, and
- Even if you didn't, you couldn't help yourself.
After all, what is this challenge? It's not like we are trying to win a Pulitzer or something.Anyway, I'll just proceed along the sadomasochistic relationship that we have established and tell you what I think.
Here is your latest effort. We'll call it A.
We'll call the following B.
I like the sky much better in B. A is blown out in a much larger area in the middle top. This doesn't work. Turner or Constible would never have painted it that way. By comparison, B has all this sensouus cloud detail in the same place. It really does look like the work of a great English 19th century romantic painter! I can't see the PS brush strokes in B, but I haven't really looked. I'm sure they would be distracting once I saw them. But the subject here is the sky. I'd trade the good sky for a few visible brush strokes any day. But since we know that you love to agonize, I'm sure you can get the best of both worlds.
I've already given you my opinion about the frame. And seeing the two images side by side just confirms this. So how much larger A seems than B? That's because it is larger. Nobody is going to judge your frame. So give them as much image as you can.
how about the dawn light on the fishing boats?
the fading light of day on the body surfers at sconset beach
the lick of an ice cream cone on main street, 9pm, under the antique street lamp?
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
[QUOTE=ginger_55
I understand what you
Also, everyone. I may try posting this elsewhere, but nowhere gets the attention this "list" does. Thread is the word, I guess.
I was taught, had it drummed into me, back in the old days of darkrooms and slides. I was taught that, for the most part, detail had to be "there" in all parts of a photo, especially in the dark area of sunsets and sunrises.
I have not noticed that rule I learned so long ago being paid much attention to here. I mean I understand silhouettes and things, high key and low key, but one thing that drove me nuts in the big photo I did was trying to keep detail, green, however faint, in the bottom of the photo, the dark part. Ironically, there appears to be more now than there was when I was trying so hard, smile. I am just wondering how that idea of detail in the dark areas, outside of the silhouette plays now. I used to enter, or watch, contests at a photography club and that was very important. That was why I did a few sunsets, to actually prove to myself that I could follow that rule back then. It took very careful metering.
I would like to bring that question to the attention of Andy, or another doG,
I am not sure where, smile.
ginger
Have you all heard anything about this?[/QUOTE]
it's a preference / choice but not an absolute. thank god, there are no absolutes in our art of photography...
the big challenge today with our digital cameras is dynamic range. even the dslrs cannot match the d.r. of film. so, we shoot in raw, to squeeze as much d.r. as we possibly can. now what? expose for the shadows? nah, that for sure will have leave some highlights blown in the shot. so, metering is really difficult. i usually will try several exposures in a mixed lighting situation, but i most often do this: i meter (spot if i can) just off the brightest source of light. i'll overexpose there by .7, 1.0 and 1.3 ev. i've found that one of these exposures will give me the best raw "negative" to work with.
except when it doesn't
sometimes the cameras just can't grab that much d.r. ! dammit!
sigh. we do what we can.
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
i'm going to san francisco for thursday and friday. one of the cool things i'm going to do while there is some night shots with baldy....
in my absence, please continue to have fun!
holler at one of the other mods if anyone has any questions.
latah!
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
Love both of these Rutt.