*Challenge 24 - miketaylor01's landscapes*

miketaylor01

Not sure if this qualifies.. Might just go out and take a traditional landscape to make sure I am actually shooting for the challenge. But this came to mind as I was walking by it yesterday and I had to shoot it. I will probably try to get another perspecitve of it if you all agree that its even worth pursuing this entry for the challenge. Dont want to make that mystake again so please let me know if you think this fits.
Antennascape


Ok I am throwing this one in here because I dont really think it fits as a landscape but really wanted to share it with everyone because I havent been able to take my eyes off it since I finished working on it in SPP. This is very close to what the original image was with a tiny bit of negative fill light and cropped.

ginger_55

Mike, ginger here, I really like the second shot. I like the first one, too. But I love the second shot.

The only question I have is the shape?

And I don't have an answer to that, but someone does.

ginger

Are those stitched together? If so, and I might be wrong as I don't do that, have never tried stitching frames together, but I thought Andy said "no" to that.

However, I do love that second shot, the colors, the composition, everything.

Of course, I loved the other one you put up, rule of thirds or not, smile.

miketaylor01

Ginger, neither one of these shots were stitched. they are both just crops to make them appear to be panoramics. I was messing with the second one in Sigma Photo Pro, the software that I have to process the images out of my camera with, and loved the effect that I was able to get in the middle of the second shot. I also felt like the top and bottom of that shot were worthless to the composition so I decided to get rid of them and this is what happened. Just a feeling I had, decided to try it and loved the outcome. No stitching though. I think you need special software to do that correctly though.

The first one I cropped to try to emphasize the antennas more. I think it worked.

So do either of these qualify as landscapes and if so do they qualify enough for me to think about entering? Thanks for your feedback ginger

snapapple

Both landscapes

miketaylor01 wrote:

Not sure if this qualifies.. Dont want to make that mystake again so please let me know if you think this fits.
Antennascape

I like both of them.
I've heard people say many times, "Antennae dotted the landscape." This seems to be a good example of that. I've never seen anything like it. A very unusual landscape to be sure. Unique, original.

miketaylor01 wrote:

Ok I am throwing this one in here because I dont really think it fits as a landscape but really wanted to share it with everyone because I havent been able to take my eyes off it since I finished working on it in SPP. This is very close to what the original image was with a tiny bit of negative fill light and cropped.

This is also a landscape. It's a wide vista of the land and sky. A very unusual vista again. Spooky light. Mystery and danger seem to be lurking with that chopper in the sky. To my mind, it could use a little more land at the bottom. But, that's just my opinion. I don't know what others would think.

The topic for this challenge is not as hard to define as the last one, to my mind. "Time" seemed to have many different interpretations. But a landscape or seascape or skyscape is pretty clear. And Andy did define it as covering all of those and more. When the topic is so broad, the entries can be so different. Almost like comparing apples and oranges. That's why each one has to stand on it's own merrits as a good photograph as well as pertain to the theme.

ish

I like the second one better. In fact it is a great shot! It made me think of Vietnam for some reason because of the Huey maybe...

I really like the overall feel of it. I agree with Snappy that a little land would enhance but all the same this wide angle version is worthy of a framing IMHO.

Nir

Mike, the helicopter photo is really cool - much better than the version from yesterday or the day before!

RocketMan

The second, definately, not only is it an unusual shot, as is the first, but it had a much greater impact on me than first one as I scrolled down the page, the chopper just jumps out so well that your eye is imediately drawn to it. Stunning, expansive, definately says "*-scape" to me.

RM

miketaylor01

Made some changes.
Ok, I made some changes to this one. Lt me know which you prefer and even if you prefer the other image I posted earlier over both of these. Thanks for all the input so far. I really didnt even think this image was really a landscape but alot of you have siad you think it does so far so I think I will probably go with it.

The original



New one

snapapple

miketaylor01 wrote:

Ok, I made some changes to this one. Lt me know which you prefer and even if you prefer the other image I posted earlier over both of these. Thanks for all the input so far. I really didnt even think this image was really a landscape but alot of you have siad you think it does so far so I think I will probably go with it.

The original



New one

Mike,
I like the second one with a little more land. The only thing that bothers me is that now the sky is completely blown out.
I tried putting in an adjustment layer with the palest yellow from the sky then erasing it from the rest of the picture to leave what is on the background layer.If this looks anything like what was actually there, it could work. Up to you.

miketaylor01

Yeah I had to do a trade off in deciding if I wanted more detail in the transition between the land and the sky and blowing out the sky and I decided on the detail. But the more I look at it I think I prefer the sky blown out and the little bit more color in the sky cause it just adds to the stark differences between the land and the sky and even the two sides of the sky. I see what you mean though and may give it a go later. Very hard for me to work with laers in this way in elements though I have noticed. Thanks for your advise though will check it out.

snapapple

miketaylor01 wrote:

Yeah I had to do a trade off in deciding if I wanted more detail in the transition between the land and the sky and blowing out the sky and I decided on the detail. But the more I look at it I think I prefer the sky blown out and the little bit more color in the sky cause it just adds to the stark differences between the land and the sky and even the two sides of the sky. I see what you mean though and may give it a go later. Very hard for me to work with laers in this way in elements though I have noticed. Thanks for your advise though will check it out.

I have Photoshop Elements 2.

miketaylor01

Ok I have taken my foot out of my mouth now and have been trying to figure out what it is you mean you have done. The only real difference I notice in your changes is that the helicopter itself looks a little lighter but overall the sky to the left of it still looks blown out to me. Also im horrible with layers so which type of adjustment layer did you use? Im afraid I may need you to walk me through it to figure out what you are trying to say you did. Am very curious to see what effects I can get out of it though. Thanks.

snapapple

miketaylor01 wrote:

Yeah I had to do a trade off in deciding if I wanted more detail in the transition between the land and the sky and blowing out the sky and I decided on the detail. But the more I look at it I think I prefer the sky blown out and the little bit more color in the sky cause it just adds to the stark differences between the land and the sky and even the two sides of the sky. I see what you mean though and may give it a go later. Very hard for me to work with laers in this way in elements though I have noticed. Thanks for your advise though will check it out.

Sorry Mike,
I misspoke or mistyped. I meant fill layer. I put in a solid fill, but a gradient would also work. I picked the lightest yellow, filled the whole layer and erased it from where the background layer was visible(not white). I used 100% opacity on most of it and something small, 7 or 8 at the edge of the white sky to blend. I used a 2 pixel point and 100% opacity to erase it from the chopper blades etc.. At least that carries some color all the way to the left edge. I hope you see yellow on your monitor, I do. It may not be perfect along the edges of mine, but I was just doing a quickie job.

miketaylor01

Thanks
Thanks for the explanation snappy. I wasa racking my brain trying every different type of adjustment layer last night. Nothing could come up with even came close to what you were able to do. One quick question. Do you dislike the blown out sky because of it being tchnically bad or is it dipleasing to your eye? Just curious. I like what you did with the sky when I look at it alone, but then when I look at both I think I like the effect that the blown out sky adds to the picture. I think having the sky basically the same color all the wal across kinda drops some of the dramatic look that the blown out sky adds to the original. Just the first thing that came to my mind when I looked at the two next to each other.

What does anyone else think? Would really like to hear as observations as possible. Will be going out tomorrow to shoot some different places I have been thinking about. Everyone else is posting some really great stuff and im really enjoying lookins at what everyone is coming up with.

gubbs

miketaylor01 wrote:

Thanks for the explanation snappy. I wasa racking my brain trying every different type of adjustment layer last night. Nothing could come up with even came close to what you were able to do. One quick question. Do you dislike the blown out sky because of it being tchnically bad or is it dipleasing to your eye? Just curious. I like what you did with the sky when I look at it alone, but then when I look at both I think I like the effect that the blown out sky adds to the picture. I think having the sky basically the same color all the wal across kinda drops some of the dramatic look that the blown out sky adds to the original. Just the first thing that came to my mind when I looked at the two next to each other.

What does anyone else think? Would really like to hear as observations as possible. Will be going out tomorrow to shoot some different places I have been thinking about. Everyone else is posting some really great stuff and im really enjoying lookins at what everyone is coming up with.

Mike, I agree with you about the blown out sky, I prefer it. If your shooting always try if possible to avoid it. You have always got the option of blowing it out later in post, but once the detail is blown out on the camera its gone for good. (unless of course you drop another sky in )

Pafhfinder had the opposite problem on the "alone together" challenge where the ue black areas on either side of the road increased the mood (I thought). I was surprised he didn't make the vote and wondered if that was the reason.

Its a diificult one, technical correctness has to be an element of the judging process, but there must be some give in that to allow for artistic adjustment . It would be interesting to hear andy's point of view on that.

Anway the heli shot is cool
I think other has real potential too, maybe shoot wider at sunset/rise, and don't cut the camp through the middle

digismile

Mike,

I like the first helicopter shot. The sky IS the heli's "landscape" and the extra ground puts the horizon pretty much dead centre which doesn't look as good to me.

Like Gubb's I like the blown out sky.

Great shot,
Brad

miketaylor01

Not sure if all of these qualify as landscapes. I think they do but some might not as they are not all wide vista type shots. Let me know what you think. these were all taken this afternoon. All shot with 70-200 with the exception of the last one. Sorry about some of them seeming repititious, I just am not sure which ones I like the best of the similair images. Please let me knwo which ones of each type you like better than the others even if you dont think any of these are better than something I have posted previously. The feedback would be greatly appreciated. Enjoy















Sorry if that was a little longer than you were expecting. I linked them all because I like them all in different ways and dont know how to choose between any of them and the helicopter shot I posted before. Thanks for taking a look.

pathfinder

miketaylor01 wrote:

Yeah I had to do a trade off in deciding if I wanted more detail in the transition between the land and the sky and blowing out the sky and I decided on the detail. But the more I look at it I think I prefer the sky blown out and the little bit more color in the sky cause it just adds to the stark differences between the land and the sky and even the two sides of the sky. I see what you mean though and may give it a go later. Very hard for me to work with laers in this way in elements though I have noticed. Thanks for your advise though will check it out.

I really like what Snappy has done with your helicopter image - the colors seems so right for the desert too....

pathfinder

miketaylor01 wrote:

Not sure if all of these qualify as landscapes. I think they do but some might not as they are not all wide vista type shots. Let me know what you think. these were all taken this afternoon. All shot with 70-200 with the exception of the last one. Sorry about some of them seeming repititious, I just am not sure which ones I like the best of the similair images. Please let me knwo which ones of each type you like better than the others even if you dont think any of these are better than something I have posted previously. The feedback would be greatly appreciated. Enjoy















Sorry if that was a little longer than you were expecting. I linked them all because I like them all in different ways and dont know how to choose between any of them and the helicopter shot I posted before. Thanks for taking a look.

This must be one of Saddam's Palaces?? Interesting to see these images this way - High contrast B&W might be appropriate for some of these I think...

ginger_55

Mike, I did not want to write when I saw your post first off. But I do want to say that

I STILL LIKE THE HELICOPTER SHOT, the one first off, with or without the overlay. I love that shot. Almost makes the place look beautiful.
Actually, it does.

The palaces, too busy, IMO. The abstracts were my favorites of that bunch. The color ones. I am really into yellow, though.

I would go with the helicopter. No, take that back, I refuse to take responsibility here...................... I would go with what you like unless you get a certain word from the man in charge.........other than that, I still like the helicopter shot best.

ginger (I lifted that shot off and put it with my stuff, hehe, I could get a small one made...............probably won't, but I really love it, I think I love it best right now.)

snapapple

miketaylor01 wrote:

Not sure if all of these qualify as landscapes. I think they do but some might not as they are not all wide vista type shots. Let me know what you think. these were all taken this afternoon. All shot with 70-200 with the exception of the last one. Sorry about some of them seeming repititious, I just am not sure which ones I like the best of the similair images. Please let me knwo which ones of each type you like better than the others even if you dont think any of these are better than something I have posted previously. The feedback would be greatly appreciated. Enjoy





Sorry if that was a little longer than you were expecting. I linked them all because I like them all in different ways and dont know how to choose between any of them and the helicopter shot I posted before. Thanks for taking a look.

Mike,
I like No. 3 and the last one. The reason - Of the palace shots, No. 3 has enough of the river to make a nice lead-in to the image. The others have more horizontal lines and nothing diagonal to lead the eye into the image.
I like the little bit of human element in the last one as opposed to the version with no people. It's a little tightly cropped on the right, squeezing the man a bit though. The black and white of the ridge in b&w is nice too. I'd like to see it with a little deeper blacks, I think. High contrast. I still think the helicopter shot is my favorite. Your choice on the sky, but I like the color.

miketaylor01

Thanks Snappy that is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for. I still like the helicopter shot the best of the bunch as well but I am torn. I feel like if I enter it in the way that I prefer, with the blown out sky, it will not be treated as a concious decision I made but a big detractor from the image. Do you dislike the blownout sky technically or is it just not pleasing to you as part of the image as a whole? I prefer the blown out sky because I rememebr standing there and the sun being extremely bright to the lef tof the helicopter and less so on the right. And I believe the sky portrays this pretty well. My problem is that I feel like there will be no forgiveness for what might appear to be a lack of creating a technically good shot over a true to situation shot. Maybe I am completely wrong on this but this is how I view the judging. Ive seen plenty of technically great shots that just werent pleasing to my eye. Everyone differs though on what they like so dont take this as an attack on anyone. I was just wondering if you would give me some feedback on how you if you were judging again would treat a situation like this. Would you downgrade the work because there was something technically wrong with it or view that as an aspect of the photo that the photographer was trying to portray? Probably a very fine line. Thanks again though for the feedback. I was thinking along the same lines.

snapapple

miketaylor01 wrote:

Thanks Snappy that is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for. I still like the helicopter shot the best of the bunch as well but I am torn. I feel like if I enter it in the way that I prefer, with the blown out sky, it will not be treated as a concious decision I made but a big detractor from the image. Do you dislike the blownout sky technically or is it just not pleasing to you as part of the image as a whole? I prefer the blown out sky because I rememebr standing there and the sun being extremely bright to the lef tof the helicopter and less so on the right. And I believe the sky portrays this pretty well. My problem is that I feel like there will be no forgiveness for what might appear to be a lack of creating a technically good shot over a true to situation shot. Maybe I am completely wrong on this but this is how I view the judging. Ive seen plenty of technically great shots that just werent pleasing to my eye. Everyone differs though on what they like so dont take this as an attack on anyone. I was just wondering if you would give me some feedback on how you if you were judging again would treat a situation like this. Would you downgrade the work because there was something technically wrong with it or view that as an aspect of the photo that the photographer was trying to portray? Probably a very fine line. Thanks again though for the feedback. I was thinking along the same lines.

Mike,
I went back and studied the two versions of your helicopter shot. I concluded that I would not downgrade it for being blown out. The contrast is much greater with the white sky. Even the trees are silouetted nicely. The yellow and orange color bands are quite clearly differentiated. So the clear line between the yellow and white makes sense. It is almost like a huge ball of sun with the white being the center. I do remember Andy saying once, about someones photo, that he admired their courage to deliberately blow out the sky. It makes a very good way to add emphasis to the foreground. And Gubbs has already said he prefers it white. So, since it is your deliberate decision to have it white, I would go with it. It's always the artists decision and rules are made to be broken when you have a reason. Andy said so.

miketaylor01

Thanks again for your insight into this. I was beginning to worry that taking some artistic liscence on a shot might downgrade it in the eyes of the judges. Im glad that my first thoughts on this were wrong after the last challenge. Not saying at all that yours or andy's judging was bad by a long shot. You two did an awesome job. I just got a feeling that the judges were looking for more technical expertise in a shot than artistic liscence. I know there is a balance between the two. the problem is knowing wether or not someone messed up and blew out the sky and didnt realize it or left it there or emphasixzed it for a reason. I really appreciate your quick responses.

By the way I really like the bridge shot of yours.. The crop works better for me and I thought I was going nuts when I was trying to find the building shadows you were talking about. I finally found them though and think the shot does well with or without them. Keep up the great shooting.

lynnma

Mike, for what it's worth.. I agree with Snappy on the helicopter shot... go with your gut.. go with the one you really like. I love the helicoptor shot, blown sky an all...

cletus

lynnma wrote:

Mike, for what it's worth.. I agree with Snappy on the helicopter shot... go with your gut.. go with the one you really like. I love the helicoptor shot, blown sky an all...

Mike,

Lot's of good stuff... great job.