Ch 32-New Pic, Yellow

snapapple · February 16, 2005

I'm trying something new. I'd like to know if people prefer this or the palm leaf. What do you think?

morrisphotography2003 · February 16, 2005

snapapple wrote:

I'm trying something new. I'd like to know if people prefer this or the palm leaf. What do you think?

I liked the palm leaves more, I think this is a good photo but the only problem that I am having with it is my eyes are being pulled from (the subject) the lemons and toward the watering can with the ducks on it.

snapapple · February 16, 2005

morrisphotography2003 wrote:

I liked the palm leaves more, I think this is a good photo but the only problem that I am having with it is my eyes are being pulled from (the subject) the lemons and toward the watering can with the ducks on it.

Yeah, I was afraid of that. I need to find a plain yellow pitcher or something. I'll keep looking. I've got plenty of lemons on my trees.

morrisphotography2003 · February 16, 2005

snapapple wrote:

Yeah, I was afraid of that. I need to find a plain yellow pitcher or something. I'll keep looking. I've got plenty of lemons on my trees.

can I make a suggestion? I would try using a large bowl to put them in, or try to cut a few and place the knife next to them sort of like you were making a fresh batch of lemon-aid.

snapapple · February 17, 2005

morrisphotography2003 wrote:

can I make a suggestion? I would try using a large bowl to put them in, or try to cut a few and place the knife next to them sort of like you were making a fresh batch of lemon-aid.

Yeah, that was my original idea. I have a nice clear glass pitcher. I was going to mix up a batch of lemonaid and put it next to the lemons, but then I saw the sunflowers. I didn't want to make all that lemonaid and have it go to waste. I'll go ahead and do it tomorrow. I think I'll try to get my husband in the picture too. He'd love to drink some lemonaid.

snapapple · February 17, 2005

Lemonaid
Well, here are my best two from today. Let me know what you think.
No. 1

No 2.

snapapple · February 17, 2005

Bump me up to the top....
Somebody critique my new pics please. Thanks.

purified · February 17, 2005

Wow! This is a big improvement! I think #2 goes best with the challenge, as the yellow truly dominates. The 1st one is great as well, but the person in the background does detract more from the focus. But I LOVE it's composition. I really like both of them, you should be proud!

snapapple · February 18, 2005

purified wrote:

Wow! This is a big improvement! I think #2 goes best with the challenge, as the yellow truly dominates. The 1st one is great as well, but the person in the background does detract more from the focus. But I LOVE it's composition. I really like both of them, you should be proud!

Thanks Kelly,
Funny, you said all the same things I said. No. 2 has the best dominant color thing goin' for it. The first one tells a nice story and has a good composition, but the grey area detracts from the yellow. I told him to wear his yellow sweat shirt, but he said he gave it to Goodwill. :cry What can I do? Maybe tomorrow I can get him to wear a cream colored shirt at least. Whew? Models! So difficult to deal with.

Does anyone have any other ideas on this?

BridgeCity · February 18, 2005

One Word: Banannas!!!

fish · February 18, 2005

Hey snappy, I really like your choice of lighting. It's very soft and mild (except for the reflection in the last shot). I actually like the first image the best. The only thing that I'm not crazy about is the yellow wall or background. I'd go for something equally plain, but a little more neutral. You might also consider pumping up the sat on the lemons. I think you may find with a slight change in color richness, you'll change the focal point of the shot. But the lighting, focus, DOF, composition...all of it is great in that shot.

cheers,
fish

Nir · February 18, 2005

Snappy,

I love the composition of the shot with your husband! Boost yellow saturation on it and go for it!

lynnma · February 18, 2005

Hi Snappy.. I'm with Nir.. I like them all actually, but I really like the fact that there is a live person in the shot..I've been having a really hard time myself "creating" shots for these challenges and sometimes to me they come out sterile.. sortof.. anyway.. I really like the one with the man in it.. I would have liked it even more if he were drinking it, (less posed) and I would boost the color just a tad. I think thats the one tho. I like the fern as well but like this much more. Does this help?:D

wxwax · February 18, 2005

Hi Snapster. Here's my feedback on the three shots.

#1 Love the dynamic angle on the basket of fruit. Feels good. But the composition doesn't work for me. The basket doesn't dominate. And the thing in the top right corner is sorta there and sorta not there. So the composition doesn't feel like it's about one thing or another - it's kinda about the basket and kinda about the thing in the top right corner.

#2 Love the storytelling and the background man! Great fun and very creative. Again, it's the composition that doesn't work for me. Nothing truly dominates the shot - except for the background man! The bowl's partially out of the shot. And the jug's awkwardly placed. The plate's half out of the shot as well. If the bowl filled the bottom left corner, the jug the middle right side, and the tasty man the top left and smaller, you might have a triangle that works.

#3 A cool still life approach. I really admire your creativity in setting up these different shots.

Not to harp, but again I find myself wondering about the composition. The bowl of fruit is cheating out of the shot on one side, but there's a gap on the other side. And the plate sorta feels like and add-in. I guess to me it just feels unbalanced, like the camera has inadvertantly shifted slighty to the right.

ginger_55 · February 18, 2005

Snappy, I agree, the last one, pitcher, lemons, no husband. Then frame husband one and put it on your kitchen wall. They are both good, but the one with no distraction from The Man seems the best for the challenge. Would make a good ad, the man would.

He is very good looking.:):

It is a win/win situation there!

ginger

ginger_55 · February 18, 2005

wxwax wrote:

Hi Snapster. Here's my feedback on the three shots.

#3 A cool still life approach. I really admire your creativity in setting up these different shots. Not to harp, but again I find myself wondering about the composition. The bowl of fruit is cheating out of the shot on one side, but there's a gap on the other side. And the plate sorta feels like and add-in. I guess to me it just feels unbalanced, like the camera has inadvertantly shifted slighty to the right.

Well, I liked it, still do. Do you mean for one thing that it is too tight????
Anyway, the only thing I noticed is that there might be a bit of keystoning with the glass that makes it look like it is falling away. That would mean there is keystoning in other places.

Or maybe it is just a slippery slope.

I like it. Then again, I don't do product/still lives, but I do enjoy them.

ginger

snapapple · February 18, 2005

ginger_55 wrote:

Well, I liked it, still do. Do you mean for one thing that it is too tight????
Anyway, the only thing I noticed is that there might be a bit of keystoning with the glass that makes it look like it is falling away. That would mean there is keystoning in other places.

Or maybe it is just a slippery slope.
I like it. Then again, I don't do product/still lives, but I do enjoy them.

ginger

Thanks for the comments Ginger. You're right about the lens distortion on the last one. I noticed it right away. The lines of the vertical blinds on the right side fan out and the glass seems to lean out. The lines are vertical from the middle toward the right. The bowl seems to lean toward the left. So it can't be rotated. It needs the bottom corners pulled out. I didn't try it because I don't think that's allowed in the "no photoshop" rules. After looking at it a while, I kind of got to like it. It's almost a fish eye effect. I like the light in this one, but I think there are too many elements. I need to make it just three things. I was wondering if the distortion would bother anyone.
Thanks again. I value your opinion.

snapapple · February 18, 2005

wxwax wrote:

Hi Snapster. Here's my feedback on the three shots.

#1 Love the dynamic angle on the basket of fruit. Feels good. But the composition doesn't work for me. The basket doesn't dominate. And the thing in the top right corner is sorta there and sorta not there. So the composition doesn't feel like it's about one thing or another - it's kinda about the basket and kinda about the thing in the top right corner.

#2 Love the storytelling and the background man! Great fun and very creative. Again, it's the composition that doesn't work for me. Nothing truly dominates the shot - except for the background man! The bowl's partially out of the shot. And the jug's awkwardly placed. The plate's half out of the shot as well. If the bowl filled the bottom left corner, the jug the middle right side, and the tasty man the top left and smaller, you might have a triangle that works.

#3 A cool still life approach. I really admire your creativity in setting up these different shots. Not to harp, but again I find myself wondering about the composition. The bowl of fruit is cheating out of the shot on one side, but there's a gap on the other side. And the plate sorta feels like and add-in. I guess to me it just feels unbalanced, like the camera has inadvertantly shifted slighty to the right.

Thanks Sid, for the very thorough critique.

#1 Love the dynamic angle on the basket of fruit. Feels good. But the composition doesn't work for me.

Re: #1 - I liked that basket, but couldn't think of a good composition for it.

Re: #2 - I like the idea of a person in the shot myself. But how do I make him smaller?

tasty man the top left and smaller,

He does seem to dominate too much.

Re: #3 - I'll have to work on that composition. I like the light and the color, but it's too cluttered and crowded.

It looks like I need to combine the good parts of all three pictures and I'll have the perfect shot.

Thanks again for the super critique.

snapapple · February 18, 2005

fish wrote:

Hey snappy, I really like your choice of lighting. It's very soft and mild (except for the reflection in the last shot). I actually like the first image the best. The only thing that I'm not crazy about is the yellow wall or background. I'd go for something equally plain, but a little more neutral. You might also consider pumping up the sat on the lemons. I think you may find with a slight change in color richness, you'll change the focal point of the shot. But the lighting, focus, DOF, composition...all of it is great in that shot.

cheers,
fish

Thanks Fish, for the critique. Looks like you and I are the only ones who like #1. The main thing I didn't like was the yellow background. I didn't like the folds in it. (It's a table cloth, hung over a screen). I also think the watering can is too dark and busy. This might work with a plain white pitcher of flowers. I'll try to find a plain wall to work with here. I'm using window light, so it's hard to find the right window and the right wall or background. I'm glad you like the shot though. Shows that I might be able to work with some of the elements and come up with a better version.

Thanks again for the critique.

snapapple · February 18, 2005

Thanks Nir and Lynn, (Last but not least.)

You've convinced me that a person in the shot is the best bet. I just have to figure out how to get him in without having him tower over everything.

Thank you for looking and commenting. I have some real solid ideas now.

I appreciate the feedback from all of you. Thank you. Thank you.

wxwax · February 18, 2005

More distance = smaller.

Angelo · February 18, 2005

I Like #2 as well but something about scale is bothering me. The lemons appear to be giants in relation to the pitcher.

snapapple · February 18, 2005

Right Sid. I got it, distance.

Thanks Angelo, I appreciate your input. It's distance again. I was trying to make the lemons the main attraction. When you get up close to a camera you look bigger. I was also using the macro mode to get the focus on the lemons.

snapapple · February 18, 2005

By George, I think I've got it!!
OK, I got some distance here. The whole living room. It was harder to get the light though. I need to buy some lights! But, I have a lot of windows here. It's been a rainy day and the sun keeps going in and out. I used a pole lamp to highlight the lemons in addition to being near the window. I used a fill flash.
EXIF DATA:
1/100 sec, f2.0, ISO 100, 8.7mm (guess about 50mm equivelent)

I set the camera on ISO 100 and aperature priority then set it at f2.0. I set it on auto timer. I focused on the lemons, then reframed, then pressed the shutter button. I ran over and sat down and picked up my glass. Click! There it is. Just RAW processing and levels and USM at .5 pixels. What do you think?

GREAPER · February 18, 2005

I like this last one a lot Snappy. It tells a wonderful stury, The color yellow dominates the shot and the DOF is perfect. I would go with this one.

Nee7x7 · February 18, 2005

VEry nice!
This works for me! Great job using shallow dof here...and it definitely fits the theme to a 'T'! Cheers~ Nee

snapapple wrote:

snapapple · February 18, 2005

GREAPER wrote:

I like this last one a lot Snappy. It tells a wonderful stury, The color yellow dominates the shot and the DOF is perfect. I would go with this one.

Thanks Greaper. I appreciate the feedback. I felt that this was the one. I got the lemons smaller than the pitcher (thanks Angelo), I got the bowl and the plate completely in the picture (thanks Sid), I got the people smaller by getting them farther away from the table (thanks Sid). And, I even got myself in the picture.

It took all morning to set up. But I was all ready when my husband got here for lunch. Only had to take a few shots.

Angelo · February 18, 2005

clap

:cheer :cheer :cheer :cheer :cheer :cheer

morrisphotography2003 · February 18, 2005

I agree number 2 is better the colors are sharper the lemons jump off the screen, I want some lemon-aid now

snapapple wrote:

Thanks Kelly,
Funny, you said all the same things I said. No. 2 has the best dominant color thing goin' for it. The first one tells a nice story and has a good composition, but the grey area detracts from the yellow. I told him to wear his yellow sweat shirt, but he said he gave it to Goodwill. :cry What can I do? Maybe tomorrow I can get him to wear a cream colored shirt at least. Whew? Models! So difficult to deal with. Does anyone have any other ideas on this?

mel · February 19, 2005

I really like the latest shot! Perfect for this competition. Even made me thirsty.

It was fun to watch the progression of your ideas, too.

morrisphotography2003 · February 20, 2005

I like the last one the best, keep up the great work

Ch 32-New Pic, Yellow

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