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Archive 2015 · Introduction & First post

  
 
R.Victor
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Introduction & First post


Hi all,

After spending way too much time working I've gotten back into photography in the last year or so. Lots of changes in equipment since my days shooting T-Max with the trusty OM-G way back when! Still trying to learn the digital side of things, but here is one shot I'm pretty pleased with from this summer. This was taken at what is now called the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve just outside Strong City Kansas. The morning was rainy and overcast, but a quick check of the satellite images looked like there could be enough clearing that I might get some good clouds. After a nice leisurely drive thru the Flint Hills a squall line started forming and I headed toward the ranch thinking the school house would make a nice foreground. Managed to get several shots before the sky opened up and it poured!

Not sure if I got the photo upload setting correct, but we'll give it a try. Taken with a 6D, 28-135 f3.5-5.6, 28mm, f4.5, 1/8 second

Any critiques & comments welcome.

Robert







Nov 17, 2015 at 10:28 PM
JimFox
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Introduction & First post


Hey Robert,

Welcome to FM Landscape!

This is a nice shot, with some nice detail in the clouds that adds to the shot. But I would not call the church being your foreground interest. Your foreground in this shot are the grasses on the ground in front (fore). The church is the visual focus of this shot. The clouds in a scene like this, though it sounds like they were your focus end up just being a background object.

In order for the church to be a foreground interest, you would have had to shoot much wider so that the church would shrink in size in the image and not be the dominant object in your shot.

Your shot here is nice, I only mention the above so that you understand your terms weren't matching what you shot.

Jim



Nov 18, 2015 at 01:47 AM
MartinMcl
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Introduction & First post


Welcome to the Forum, Robert.

There is plenty to like in this shot and it's a spectacular sky! If it were mine, I would crop out a lot of the foreground grass and move the church to the right to make it closer to the frame, leaving the slope of the grass on the left as a lead in to the church. In my mind that make the church more the focus and also increases the importance of the sky.

Just my twopence worth, for what that's worth! :-)



Nov 18, 2015 at 05:39 AM
R.Victor
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Introduction & First post


Thanks Jim & Martin,

Sorry about the misuse of terms, I'll try and do better. That's a good point about using the sloping hill on the left, hadn't thought about that! My thoughts were to put the schoolhouse in the rule of thirds 'powerpoint', Did I get that right? That's what I remember calling it. Your comments helped give me the idea to go back once we get some snow and/or an ice storm and get seasonal shots to make a series.

I figured the cistern pump might be the most objectionable aspect with the stark white enamel, and it may still end up being so. The pump at the two room schoolhouse my mom attended was the more traditional type, but maybe being a national park they had more money for a fancier one.



Nov 18, 2015 at 07:59 AM
dgdg
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Introduction & First post


I like it! Welcome to FM landscape.
You did well brightening the church and grasses without any funky HDR effect.
Crop off a little on the left to lose that road. Or clone it out.

I might play with brightening the lower corners a little to even it out.
Agree you should consider maybe cropping a little off the bottom. Not sure all that dark grass adds anything other than the aspect ratio.
Good job.

David



Nov 18, 2015 at 10:14 AM
R.Victor
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Introduction & First post


Thanks David, This was a single shot with just dodging & burning and a little with the sliding bars for vibrance & saturation. Lightroom/Photoshop is probably one of my weakest points, so any cloning I do would probably stand out like a sore thumb right now. A guy at work is an MEI and on occasion will give me some pointers. But I am working on trying to watch some how to videos to get better.

I see you're in VA. Sounds like I may be making some occasional trips to SW VA for work in 2016. They've suggested Hungry Mother State Part as someplace to go shoot, if you have any other suggestions I'd love to hear then.



Nov 19, 2015 at 07:36 AM
coreybell
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Introduction & First post


I like it too. My eyes want to look at the bright white door, which draws me into the photo.
And speaking of terms...OM-G has a whole new meaning.



Nov 19, 2015 at 08:32 AM
Blakemore
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Introduction & First post


Hiya Robert and welcome! If there's one great thing about this place (especially the Landscape forum) is that there are so many amazing photographers here to learn from. I've spent hours going through these threads and studying these folks images and taking in suggestions. My stuff isn't anything special, but I keep learning and trying. I always enjoy when Jim pops in and helps. He's really great with encouragement and constructive criticism.

I think you have a really great start to your time here with that image above!



Nov 19, 2015 at 08:37 AM
sachman
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Introduction & First post


Love the clouds in this shot, amazing structure and definition.


Nov 19, 2015 at 10:04 PM
KirkB
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Introduction & First post


Love the dramatic, stormy clouds you captured here Robert, excellent exposure and wonderful processing IMO.
I too would be tempted to crop some off the bottom and move the church lower in the frame a bit... but that's personal preference and this is a lovely shot as-is.

Kirk



Nov 19, 2015 at 11:53 PM
R.Victor
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Introduction & First post


Thanks for the suggestions, I'll keep that in mind when I go back for seasonal shots. I just wish I had more time to get out. For me the main part is getting back out into the countryside and relaxing a bit. I even broke out one of my dad's old 4x5 view camera's to play with. But need more practice before I come up with anything 'worthy'!

Oh, and I was going to make a crack about OM-G vs OMG! but figured I'd hold off on that for my first post.



Nov 20, 2015 at 07:41 AM





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