When Politics Fail - Please help me choose - SF1

pemmett

I saw the judges site and don't think that the Chicken Nugget Wannabes will be appreciated :rofl

I took this set of photos today. Which do you like best? Are any of them contenders? Thanks.

#1


#2


#3


#4


#5


#6



#7 - Chicken Nugget Wannabes ! (Just in case you'd forgotten)


#8 - Chicken Nugget Wannabes ! (Close up, just in case you wanted to see more clearly)


#9 - Monster Cat


Thanks.

Dalantech

Often what separates a good scenic from a great one is timing. All of those new shots suffer from the same thing -they were all shot at the wrong time of day. You'll hear people claim that there is a "golden hour" but in fact the really good light only lasts for a few minutes during a sunset or a sunrise. If you want to submit a scenic (and those images, even though you took them at a military cemetery, are scenics) then you need to shoot when the light is at its best, and not when it's harsh.

I'm not a pro, but I'll point you to this shot so you can see what I mean. There's no fancy Photoshopping in this image -the light painted the scene for me: http://dalantech.smugmug.com/photos/51690373-L-1.jpg

You don't need lighting that's that dramatic -but it wouldn't hurt to get close...

Edit: One last thing: IMHO most, if not all, of the new shots suffer from too much depth of field. The "perspective shots" would be a lot better if the leading cross where the only one that's in focus. An obvious title for any of those shots, and one that would have a lot of impact, would be "Sacrifice".

pemmett

Thanks Dalantech. I can't get into this place after 5pm and the light is still bright, but probably better. I was trying to convey the harsh light with the harsh reality of war, obviously didn't work. Thanks for the feedback. Looks like the chicken may get a running after all

Dalantech

pemmett wrote:

Thanks Dalantech. I can't get into this place after 5pm and the light is still bright, but probably better. I was trying to convey the harsh light with the harsh reality of war, obviously didn't work. Thanks for the feedback. Looks like the chicken may get a running after all

I like you're thinking, but it just came across to me as "wrong time of day" images. A little creative post processing perhaps?...

P.S. Check out the photo filter effects in Photoshop. I'm not saying that it can take the place of shooting in better light, but the warming filters might be just the trick for those shots...

richtersl

Unfortunately you were not there at a good time of day. There are some filters or PS actions you can play around with, which may help. Another option might be to see how some of these images work in B&W.

photogmomma

Try #1 in B&W or low saturation. I really like that shot. It may be harsh light, but it doesn't bother me in that photo as much as the others. And I think it's a stronger picture than the chickens. But then again, that may be the vegan in me.