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Archive 2015 · Vacation Photos

  
 
aheacock
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Vacation Photos


Hey, I think I got some decent shots on a vacation I took recently. Any advice, critiques are welcome.

(please excuse any errors in the post, this is my first time trying to embed photos)
(edited to have lower resolution images for easier page loading)

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/502/19054861303_015d7acda0_m_d.jpg

Canon 7D 24-105L 1/400 f/6.3 ISO 100

(view full size on Flickr)

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/407/19675804895_7c210bfb48_m_d.jpg

Canon 7D 24-105L 1/160 f/4.0 ISO 500

(view full size on Flickr)

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/256/19486208310_891794a801_m_d.jpg

Canon 7D 24-105L 1/60 f/5.0 ISO 100
combination of many photos to get soft water

(view full size on Flickr)

Thank you!

Edited on Jul 15, 2015 at 07:31 AM · View previous versions



Jul 13, 2015 at 10:20 PM
JohnBrose
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Vacation Photos


nice, but you could work on composition especially on the flowers.


Jul 13, 2015 at 10:29 PM
aheacock
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Vacation Photos


Thank you!

By composition, how might I place the flower in the frame to be more compelling?

When I try to shoot flowers and try to follow the rule of thirds, part of the frame always feels empty, so I resort to framing in the center.

Any ideas?



Jul 13, 2015 at 10:33 PM
AuntiPode
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Vacation Photos


There are situations where centering a subject is a plus, such as when the intent is to express the concept of "static" or "solid", but more often than not, a centered composition is considered static rather than dynamic and dynamic is more appealing.

As Rick Sammon wrote: "When it comes to composition, placing the subject in the dead center is almost always deadly.



Jul 14, 2015 at 05:12 AM
beanpkk
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Vacation Photos


I like #3 -- wondering how many exposures and how you combined them? I assume that's Falling Waters, in Pennsylvania I think?

I also like #2 because of the lighting and the colors, although the little white thing at lower right might be best cloned out. I don't mind the centered composition -- as you say, I'm not sure how else to approach that subject.

#1 is at an odd angle, for me : it took a bit to recognize it. Somehow the background doesn't help either.

Thanks for posting.
keith



Jul 14, 2015 at 06:14 AM
beavens
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Vacation Photos


Welcome to FM and Critique, Adam!

1 - This is some tough light and angle to work at. Front of the flower is underexposed and would need some kind of fill (flash/reflector/etc) light to bring it up to the rest of the flower, or pushing those shadows in post. +1 to minding your crop when it comes to static vs. dynamic. Also that little bit of flower poking out the bottom isn't helping your main subject out, so I would either crop or clone it out.

2 - I've got no problem at all with the centered crop here. The radial bunching of the flower and the framing of the leaves plays that notion up nicely. I would bring up the exposure on the leaves a touch and clone out the stray flower in the lower right.

3 - I dig the framing, but there isn't a lot of visual payload in the shot. I think if the water was your subject then you would really want to tighten the frame on the falls. Maybe look at a tighter crop while still maintaining the framing by the woods?

Keep on posting!

Jeff







Jul 14, 2015 at 06:54 AM
aheacock
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Vacation Photos


Thanks for the comments!

In #1 I was standing beneath the flower, hence the angle. As I was standing there, I noticed the veins within the pedals were revealed by the light above, so I decided to try and capture those veins. Unfortunately I didn't notice the poor quality bokeh until I looked at the photo in Lightroom. Any tips to adjust this? (this photo was taken while stopped by Ohiopyle falls for lunch between tours of Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob)

In #2 I was standing above the bunch of flowers, on a walkway. I knelt down to try and get a better vantage point, but they were below the floor of the walkway (this photo was taken in the Fallingwater visitor center, before we were told to put away our cameras for the tour). I'll attempt removing the white piece this evening, it'll be a good challenge as I'm new to Photoshop/Lightroom.

#3 is the only time we were allowed to take photos on the tour (Unless we had paid for the MUCH more expensive tour $25 vs ~$90). It is a combination of approximately 15 photos, shot handheld. I had seen a youtube tutorial for aligning and combining for soft water the previous week, and figured that would be a good image to attempt it in, especially because you aren't allowed to bring a tripod on the tour.

On a different note, if you ever get the opportunity to tour Fallingwater, definitely take it. The home and area is beautiful! Also, Kentuck Knob is only a 15 minute drive away, so doing both in a day trip is a good idea. However, be sure to read the rules on the websites for the houses, as they are strictly enforced.




Jul 14, 2015 at 07:06 AM
aheacock
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Vacation Photos


beavens wrote:
Welcome to FM and Critique, Adam!

Also that little bit of flower poking out the bottom isn't helping your main subject out, so I would either crop or clone it out.

Jeff


There was actually a bit more of that other flower in the bottom of the frame, and I only cropped out part of it, do you think that leaving more of it, and centering the flower in the top/left third of the photo would yield a more dynamic crop?

Like this:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/390/19499498568_9959001974_z_d.jpg

(on Flickr)

Also, what do you think of a square crop for Fallingwater?

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/435/19066749933_e35191ed1d_z_d.jpg

(on Flickr)



Jul 14, 2015 at 07:45 AM
RustyBug
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Vacation Photos


beanpkk wrote:
the little white thing at lower right might be best cloned out.


AuntiPode wrote:
As Rick Sammon wrote: "When it comes to composition, placing the subject in the dead center is almost always deadly.


While convention would be to clone out the white pistil in the corner, and to avoid a centric subject ... the combination of the two can lessen the "dead" (i.e. no movement) aspect of centric orientation.

Things are visually "dead" / static, when they contain no movement. Leaving the small pistil provides an opportunity for the viewer to move off center ... then the mass of the centric subject overridingly pulls the viewer back, and we have a nice leaf to provide the conduit / path for the journey to & fro ... i.e. movement @ not so dead. Even the leaves that might be leading us out of the frame (attempted movement), can't overcome the subject. We can try to leave (punny ), but we keep coming back to the mass and tonal value of the centric subject ... i.e. more movement.

In the original format capture, the amount of dark negative space is of sufficient mass that it does compete / diminish the pulling power of the subject. By using the crop, we change the weighting / balance / mass of our tonal values and give the power of movement toward our subject, rather than radiating away from away from it.

It isn't the centric subject that is in itself the cause of a "dead" image, it is the lack of movement in an image that renders it dead. While the ROT (Rule Of Thirds) is one approach to impart movement in a composition, it is not the only way, nor always a "best way" to impart movement. Kinda depends on the subject / scene as to whether the ROT will aid in generating movement or not.







Edited on Jul 14, 2015 at 09:46 AM · View previous versions



Jul 14, 2015 at 08:22 AM
beavens
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Vacation Photos


aheacock wrote:
There was actually a bit more of that other flower in the bottom of the frame, and I only cropped out part of it, do you think that leaving more of it, and centering the flower in the top/left third of the photo would yield a more dynamic crop?

Also, what do you think of a square crop for Fallingwater?



I still think it detracts from the main subject and would look to remove it. How much room to you have around the main flower?

I think the square crop works much better.

Jeff



Jul 14, 2015 at 08:41 AM
aheacock
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Vacation Photos


beavens wrote:
I still think it detracts from the main subject and would look to remove it. How much room to you have around the main flower?

I think the square crop works much better.

Jeff


This is the uncropped image:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/269/19501805178_c34fc7a779_z_d.jpg

(https://flic.kr/p/vHiRfj)

---

Thanks, I haven't played with post-processing too much in the past. I'm definitely enjoying it, it extends the joy of taking the photo.

RustyBug wrote
While convention would be to clone out the white pistil in the corner, and to avoid a centric subject ... the combination of the two can lessen the "dead" (i.e. no movement) aspect of centric orientation.

Things are visually "dead" / static, when they contain no movement. Leaving the small pistil provides an opportunity for the viewer to move off center ... then the mass of the centric subject overridingly pulls the viewer back, and we have a nice leaf to provide the conduit / path for the journey to & fro ... i.e. movement @ not so dead. Even
...Show more

Thanks for the explanation, I see what you mean, and like the squared crop much better!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/547/19503204879_114b55f59b_z_d.jpg

(https://flic.kr/p/vHr2k6)

Hopefully as a Computer Engineer this artistic guidance will help me when designing UI's.

Thank you all!



Jul 14, 2015 at 09:33 AM
ben egbert
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Vacation Photos


The second was my favorite until I read the critiques. I do like the new crop better.


Jul 14, 2015 at 04:31 PM
OregonSun
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Vacation Photos


+1 square crop for both 2 and 3. I would also crop a bit tighter on 3 to get rid of the glimpse of sky and the disconnected branch in the top center.

Heron



Jul 14, 2015 at 11:45 PM
AuntiPode
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Vacation Photos


A bit off topic, but FWIW, back in the day when I designed user interfaces for software products I found _Elements_of_Friendly_Software_Design_ by Paul Heckel quite good food for thought:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Elements-Friendly-Software-Design/dp/0782115381

I believe it's become a classic and may still be in print.




Jul 15, 2015 at 12:35 AM
aheacock
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Vacation Photos


AuntiPode wrote:
A bit off topic, but FWIW, back in the day when I designed user interfaces for software products I found _Elements_of_Friendly_Software_Design_ by Paul Heckel quite good food for thought:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Elements-Friendly-Software-Design/dp/0782115381

I believe it's become a classic and may still be in print.



Thanks. I'll have to give it a read. Most of the development I do is embedded, so I only touch the occasional UI, however when I do create a UI I always find it looks uninviting.

I find it very satisfying to try and apply my hobbies to my profession, I feel that it validates the activity as not only something you truly enjoy doing, but also as something which you can do to improve yourself. Not only is it a distraction from work, it can provide you valuable insight.

-----------------------------

In my continued effort to improve image #1, I cloned out the distracting element on the bottom right, and cropped so that the flower fills the frame. I tried to angle the flower so that it moves from bottom left to top right, unfortunately there just wasn't enough extra room around the flower to get a standard aspect ratio, so this ended up quite wide. Maybe it could be used as a 16x9 wallpaper....

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/474/19083496803_1ff92ce711_z_d.jpg


(https://flic.kr/p/v5kUJX)



Jul 15, 2015 at 07:28 AM





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