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DJ-S1 · August 4, 2004

I went to a New England Patriot's practice last night, my first visit to Gillette Stadium. These are the first 2 shots I have tried to process, any comments or suggestions for making them better?

This is a shot of 2 3-story tall banners of past great players, made of a screen-like material to let the wind through which also makes them kind of ghostly...

And this is looking through the bridge and lighthouse tower at the field...

Thanks in advance!

wxwax · August 4, 2004

DJ, it looks like you accidentally started two identical threads, I'll get rid of the other one.

DJ-S1 · August 4, 2004

wxwax wrote:

DJ, it looks like you accidentally started two identical threads, I'll get rid of the other one.

Thanks, I got a "page not found" type error when I submitted it the first time and I didn't think it had gone so re-did it. Sorry!

wxwax · August 4, 2004

I like both shots. They do a nice job of capturing the massive scale of the stadium and the 'posters.' The second one has a great atmosphere. A little PSing to highlight the 'posters' in the first one might make them more dramatic. And maybe bring out a little more detail in the foreground of the second shot?

DJ-S1 · August 4, 2004

wxwax wrote:

I like both shots. They do a nice job of capturing the massive scale of the stadium and the 'posters.' The second one has a great atmosphere. A little PSing to highlight the 'posters' in the first one might make them more dramatic. And maybe bring out a little more detail in the foreground of the second shot?

Thanks, Sid. What were you thinking about highlighting the posters, lightening them up or changing the tone, or something else?

I will try to get more detail out of the foreground in the 2nd one, I think you are talking about the people near the field more than the walkway, true?

wxwax · August 4, 2004

DJ-S1 wrote:

Thanks, Sid. What were you thinking about highlighting the posters, lightening them up or changing the tone, or something else?

I will try to get more detail out of the foreground in the 2nd one, I think you are talking about the people near the field more than the walkway, true?

Yes. The people and everything around them. But without changing the rest of the shot.

Not sure about the posters. Myself, I'd play with effects (more color? a tint? lighter?) to make them standout.

DJ-S1 · August 4, 2004

Okay, thanks I'll give it a try when I get a chance. Thanks for the input!

DJ-S1 · August 4, 2004

Got a chance sooner than expected. How's this? I didn't desaturate it as much and brightened up the foreground a bit. I forgot to de-noise-ify it...

but you get the idea. Maybe I should steal Andy's idea and paste in a moon for some more interest?

cmr164 · August 5, 2004

DJ-S1 wrote:

Okay, thanks I'll give it a try when I get a chance. Thanks for the input!

I really really like the bridge/tower shot but the player shots leave me cold. The botom stands just don't work for me and I do not see any way to crop it.

On the otherhand, the bridge/tower shop might be sold to a calendar or postcard company. I really like it.

Will you enter it into the 'challenge'? It seems on topic and good enough.

wxwax · August 5, 2004

DJ-S1 wrote:

Got a chance sooner than expected. How's this? I didn't desaturate it as much and brightened up the foreground a bit. I forgot to de-noise-ify it... but you get the idea. Maybe I should steal Andy's idea and paste in a moon for some more interest?

That's a huge improvement! And what a great idea, to fill up the negative space with a moon. I'd love to see it.

DJ-S1 · August 5, 2004

cmr164 wrote:

I really really like the bridge/tower shot but the player shots leave me cold. The botom stands just don't work for me and I do not see any way to crop it.

On the otherhand, the bridge/tower shop might be sold to a calendar or postcard company. I really like it.

Will you enter it into the 'challenge'? It seems on topic and good enough.

Thanks! I agree about the player shots, they are just snapshots for my son and I. We were pretty far away even with my 10X, and the camera (or the camera operator) just isn't good enough for that kind of shot. At 3MP, you can't crop enough. But we had a blast anyway, those guys are huge! Wouldn't want to get popped by one of them!

So you like this one better than the bridge shot I entered? I hadn't thought about the contest ever since I entered, but maybe this one is better?

gubbs · August 5, 2004

DJ-S1 wrote:

Thanks! I agree about the player shots, they are just snapshots for my son and I. We were pretty far away even with my 10X, and the camera (or the camera operator) just isn't good enough for that kind of shot. At 3MP, you can't crop enough. But we had a blast anyway, those guys are huge! Wouldn't want to get popped by one of them!

So you like this one better than the bridge shot I entered? I hadn't thought about the contest ever since I entered, but maybe this one is better?

Yep, I for what it's worth, I much prefer this to your entered shot, good job in post too

cmr164 · August 5, 2004

DJ-S1 wrote:

...
So you like this one better than the bridge shot I entered? I hadn't thought about the contest ever since I entered, but maybe this one is better?

I think it is better and I think your shot above is better that the 'enhanced' versions. The kind of mystic stands and the color of the sky in your original play much better for me than a more contrasty version with a more blue sky. The open space is riveting and I do not think it needs a moon or anything else to fill it. (JMNSHO)

DJ-S1 · August 5, 2004

Hmmm, you've all given me a lot to think about. Thanks for all the great input. Maybe I will refine this one a touch and change my entry after all.

DJ-S1 · August 5, 2004

Here's the image I'm going to submit, cleaned up with Neat Image:

Charles, this is desaturated about 15% from the original image off the camera, and I have it set up for low saturation as well. I like the grayer version I first put in this thread too, it makes the field pop out more, but this is a more natural look.

I would have tried to put a moon in just to see what it would look like, but I have yet to produce even a mediocre moon shot. So let's just go with negative space, since I have no choice!

Thanks everyone for the helpful comments. This is one of the best photographs I have ever shot, thanks to what I have learned here. Photography is more addictive than I thought.

wxwax · August 6, 2004

You know, I think Charles makes an excellent point about the grey sky in the original really adding something to the shot. It sets a mood, and complements the materials of the stadium. Perhaps you could try keeping the sky the same, but just lightening the people the way you have?

DJ-S1 · August 6, 2004

OK, now you're just trying to torture me, right?

As I said, I do like the grey version. When does this contest close??? I may get a chance to play with it more this weekend. Although my wife may have something to say about that! :whip :lol

DJ-S1 · August 6, 2004

Snuck home from work early! Not to do this, of course, but I managed to sneak it in... So now, here's the noise filtered, foreground brightened, USM-ed, sky desaturated (66%) version.

Should the upper deck on the right under the bridge should be desaturated too? Even though it isn't sky, maybe it is confusing. What do you think?

wxwax · August 7, 2004

That looks really nice, DJ. The foreground's much better. Anyway you can get your sky back to the slate grey of the original? It was such a mood setter. I don't think I'd desat the interior of the stadium, that's the contrast to the grim sky and grey exterior of the stadium.

You could try to desat the interior, see what it looks like.

The deadline for submissions is Noon Eastern Time, on Monday. So you have time.

DJ-S1 · August 8, 2004

wxwax wrote:

Anyway you can get your sky back to the slate grey of the original? It was such a mood setter.

Hows' this, Sid? Closer to the grey you liked, I think.

wxwax · August 8, 2004

That's a nice job, DJ. It's looking very good. Do you like it?

DJ-S1 · August 8, 2004

Nah, I think you people are crazy.

Seriously, I liked the grey version when I first did it but most people who saw the original shot before I PSed it liked the original better. So I guess I doubted myself a bit and changed it. Then you and Chas both liked the grey better, so I flipped it back! My confidence is impressive, no?

This is the way it will stay, and I am happy with it. I don't know how it will do in the challenge but that's okay. I am curious to get the comments of Andy and the other judge.

Thanks for all the constructive feedback, it really helps.

wxwax · August 9, 2004

I know what you mean about going back and forth. Andy once said that a big benefit to being forced to submit just a single image in the Challenge, was that we'd learn to be self critical. I think part of being self critical is having to decide what you like and what you don't like. Eventually a style that is uniquely yours will emerge from that process. I reckon.

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