First little Excursion

[freakofnature]

(I used the car to steady the camera; I need to crop it out)

This is a wicked cool shot because of the reflection! Don't crop it out!

 

[Siphorous]

As per Guy, only offering opinions due to being asked. I do stress though Hotty, that these are just opinions to discard or to take on board as you see fit

With this one, for me personally I would have tried to compose this in a way to keep the focus on the central tree/structure etc but chop out the side trees - they are a tad distracting. Of course, you can't move your physical environment around and sometimes have to make do. I would have if it were possible tried for a shot that showed a little more of the structure as well as keep the central tree in the shot.

I really wanted the sun behind the SECOND tree, 'cause I liked it better, but that just was NOT happening. I think I liked it better when it was on the small camera screen...

The only thing about this shot is exposure level. If faced with a similar sunny situation which seems to overwhelm the shot - try notching down exposure level if at all possible. Things can look ok on the cam's small screen and I know from experience all too well that they don't seem so good after. Forgive me for not knowing the camera you have but if you can adjust its metering then that in combination with lowering the exposure a tad would have helped this shot come out better I reckon.

 

[Siphorous]

Matt's lamp shot reminds me a lot of an evening shot I took in Victoria once too.

 

[Siphorous]

I must be very forgetful - I had actually looked at your camera thread but stopped reading it after Tim offered a link that helped! Why I didn't take that on board, I don't know

 

[HottyToddyChick]

This is a wicked cool shot because of the reflection! Don't crop it out!

I did, but it looked all blurry. I think the camera focused on the reflection. It just didn't look right without it.

As per Guy, only offering opinions due to being asked. I do stress though Hotty, that these are just opinions to discard or to take on board as you see fit


With this one, for me personally I would have tried to compose this in a way to keep the focus on the central tree/structure etc but chop out the side trees - they are a tad distracting. Of course, you can't move your physical environment around and sometimes have to make do. I would have if it were possible tried for a shot that showed a little more of the structure as well as keep the central tree in the shot.



The only thing about this shot is exposure level. If faced with a similar sunny situation which seems to overwhelm the shot - try notching down exposure level if at all possible. Things can look ok on the cam's small screen and I know from experience all too well that they don't seem so good after. Forgive me for not knowing the camera you have but if you can adjust its metering then that in combination with lowering the exposure a tad would have helped this shot come out better I reckon.

The last bit completely went over my head! I was *trying* to get the sun in, just not quite in that manner.

And I am ALWAYS open to opinions, good and bad. I'm trying to learn here, y'all!

 

[Guyzerr]

The last bit completely went over my head! I was *trying* to get the sun in, just not quite in that manner.

It's very difficult to get a shot when your camera is pointed directly at the sun which that shot pretty much was. I've managed a few nice shots but that's about it.

 

[Siphorous]

The last bit completely went over my head! I was *trying* to get the sun in, just not quite in that manner.

And I am ALWAYS open to opinions, good and bad. I'm trying to learn here, y'all!

For sure, I wasn't suggesting take the sun out - I like the idea of keeping it in.

Exposure compensation - found the manual for your cam and it had this which explains it easily without too much tech talk from me:

Adjusting exposure compensation

Use exposure compensation to make pictures lighter or darker.

1 In any capture mode, move the joystick UP.
Exposure compensation information appears on the camera screen or EVF.

2 To make pictures lighter, move the joystick UP .
To make pictures darker, move the joystick DOWN.

The setting remains until you change it or turn off the camera.

I had to insert UP/DOWN for the pictures that were in the manual.

Exposure compensation is better to do on the camera at source whilst taking the picture. It can be adjusted afterwards with brightness/contrast (and exposure with good programs) but better to try getting it a bit lower on sunny shots like that. Experiment

 

[HottyToddyChick]

I do know how to do that and have accidentally hit it, so should have no problems tomorrow.

 

[HottyToddyChick]

It's very difficult to get a shot when your camera is pointed directly at the sun which that shot pretty much was. I've managed a few nice shots but that's about it.

Maybe if I try when the sun is higher I'll have a few more options as far as moving me. But it was barely behind that tree. I'm not even sure it is behind it in the picture.

 

[Guyzerr]

Ok here's a quick try at the two I mentioned.

In the first one I added a touch of brightness, increased the highlights a tad, added a wee bit of sharpening and then increased the white level a wee little bit. You have to keep in mind I am looking at it on my calibrated monitor so it looks pretty darn good. I don't know how you see it though.



On this second on I made a few minor adjustments and then cropped the crap out of it. It will look somewhat pixelated cuz I wasn't working on the original and I actually increased it's size.

 

[HottyToddyChick]

Did you use photobucket? For whatever reason, I can't see pictures from there.

 

[HottyToddyChick]

Your brightening looks much better than mine attempt from earlier. I need to learn how to be less cartoony.

I can't believe how different the lamp post looks!

 

[Guyzerr]

Did you use photobucket? For whatever reason, I can't see pictures from there.

Try it again. It's the last post in the previous post.

I might have screwed something up. I'll check.

 

[HottyToddyChick]

It's good now.

 

[freakofnature]

Ok here's a quick try at the two I mentioned.

In the first one I added a touch of brightness, increased the highlights a tad, added a wee bit of sharpening and then increased the white level a wee little bit. You have to keep in mind I am looking at it on my calibrated monitor so it looks pretty darn good. I don't know how you see it though.



On this second on I made a few minor adjustments and then cropped the crap out of it. It will look somewhat pixelated cuz I wasn't working on the original and I actually increased it's size.

To be honest, the lamp post pic would look so much better without the tree in the background. The background is too busy with it.

 

[Guyzerr]

Your brightening looks much better than mine attempt from earlier. I need to learn how to be less cartoony.

It just takes time HTC. You'll get it. just remember to work on a copy. Always leave your original alone in case you mess it up.

I can't believe how different the lamp post looks!

It doesn't take much does it. I'm not meaning to be a smart ass but it's nice not to have a bunch of non related stuff in the pic. Try and keep that in mind when you're looking at the scene through your viewfinder and work with that whenever possible.

 

[Guyzerr]

To be honest, the lamp post pic would look so much better without the tree in the background. The background is too busy with it.

I agree 100%. I could make it go away.

 

[freakofnature]

I agree 100%. I could make it go away.

You could but then it wouldn't be the picture that was taken anymore.

 

[HottyToddyChick]

It just takes time HTC. You'll get it. just remember to work on a copy. Always leave your original alone in case you mess it up.

I don't have photoshop so I'm just uploading them and then saving new ones. No worries about deleting the originals. I do have some I haven't posted though... I might eventually though.

It doesn't take much does it. I'm not meaning to be a smart ass but it's nice not to have a bunch of non related stuff in the pic. Try and keep that in mind when you're looking at the scene through your viewfinder and work with that whenever possible.

Well, that one was Matt's, but I do think it would just be stunning if it were the black lamp post against that blue sky. It would just POP. I might try it tomorrow if there's not too many clouds...

 

[Guyzerr]

You could but then it wouldn't be the picture that was taken anymore.

So what. That's why they created editing programs with erasers in 'em.