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SherriS
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p.1 #1 · More Maine photos

#1 Bunkers Harbor
Canon 40D, 10-22mm, handheld
1/60 sec, f29, ISO 160, 20mm
I was trying to get the whole scene sharp, and focused on the daisies, but clearly I did not get enough DOF. Where should I have focused? Or should I have opened the lens and picked either the daisies or the boats as a subject?

#2 Corea rowboats
Canon 40D, 10-22mm, handheld
1/125 sec, f29, ISO 400, 19mm

#3 Early morning in Corea
Canon 40D, 35-135mm IS, handheld
1/20 sec, f9, ISO 400, 38mm
I was hoping for a sunrise; this is what nature gave me. Does this ghostly, almost monotone, image work for anybody?

2008 © SherriS

Aug 29, 2008 at 07:52 PM

Kaden K.
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p.1 #2 · More Maine photos

Pretty.

Aug 30, 2008 at 01:04 AM

Scott Stoness
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p.1 #3 · More Maine photos

My preference is 3,2,1

1 is a bit busy for my liking.

2 has really nice lines but feels like you needed a slighlty wide angle to get all the boats in - and a bit soft but good overall

3 - is best good mood, good flow from fg to mg to bg

Aug 30, 2008 at 02:52 AM

sbeme
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p.1 #4 · More Maine photos

First is busy, but I like it.
Second is nice as well. I wonder if there were other angles, crops to choose among. I like the focal point of the tangled and piled lines. The red bins, perhaps, detract. Image might also work with them cropped out. Color, saturation look good. Maybe a bit too bright on some of the seats?
Third does not work for me. I agree with Scott about the fg, mg, bg and like the alignment of the boat with the shore, the balance of rock, boat and background. But its just too lacking in contrast for my taste. I might selectively enhance the contrast over the boat with some masked curves work. Others, I am sure, will differ.

Scott G

Aug 31, 2008 at 01:16 AM

Jo Dilbeck
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p.1 #5 · More Maine photos

#3 is my favorite, but then, I lean very much toward foggy, moody shots like this. I do agree with Scott that the boat needs just a wee bit more contrast to pull it out just a bit, but other than that, I like it.

#1 has a nice composition, but I find the blue thingy on the dock in the front distracting. I personally would have cropped the left side to eliminate it, but that's just me.

#2 doesn't work for me, but only because the open boxes on the left were cut off. I believe a wider angle capturing more on each side and maybe making a pano out of it might be more appealing.

Thanks for sharing,

Jo

Aug 31, 2008 at 08:23 PM

DixPix
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p.1 #6 · More Maine photos

Order of preference: 3,2,1. Number 3 really creates a longing in me to get back to New England and on the water.

Dick

Sep 02, 2008 at 01:35 PM

AuntiPode
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p.1 #7 · More Maine photos

I like them. You might try cropping the lump object from the third image. Also, oddly, you might try careful use of the unsharp mask to add a bit of snap to the boat in number three. You may be able to add a little snap without dispelling the moody, if lightly applied.

Sep 03, 2008 at 02:52 AM

SherriS
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p.1 #8 · More Maine photos

Thank you all for the comments.
On 2, I do have a shot with a wider crop on the left and I'll see whether that makes a more pleasing composition. (A post on the right kept me from including more of that side.) I do like 3 best, but when I get photoshop and practice a bit, I'll try adding a bit of contrast to the boat to see if it improves or detracts.
It was my first trip to Maine, and I do long to go back.

Sherri

Sep 05, 2008 at 09:53 PM

Dark Slider
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p.1 #9 · More Maine photos

I think I like #2 best. Makes me think about how refined (over time) the design of the dinghies must be so that they have settled on a singular design now.

Here is #3 punched up with a quick curves adjust to bring up the detail of the lake(?) bed. Brings up the reflections nicely. (Let me know if you want it deleted.)

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Sep 06, 2008 at 04:52 AM

sifpandor
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p.1 #10 · More Maine photos

Sherri,
Some nice shots here. One thing that hasn't been addressed is hyperfocal distance and diffraction. As you close down the lens diffraction makes your images softer. Because of this, you usually don't want to use f-stops smaller than about f/11 or f/16. Fortunately, the 10-22 gives you a lot of DOF even at f/11. See either the on-line DOF calculator, here;

http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

or the downloadable one here;

http://www.dofmaster.com/custom.html

These are very useful. Set the camera type, the focal length of the lens and the f/stop and the DOF calculator will tell you how much DOF you'll get and where to set the hyperfocal length.

Use the hyperfocal length and keep the f/stop as open as possible and you'll get sharper photos. Also, if all else fails, you can use the DOF preview button on the camera, but this makes the image a lot darker.

Good luck, and happy shooting!
Mark

Sep 15, 2008 at 12:49 PM

SherriS
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p.1 #11 · More Maine photos

Dark Slider,

Thanks for taking the time to work on the picture. I can see where it may make a better picture on the whole, but it loses the feel of being there on that socked-in foggy morning.

Sherri

Sep 15, 2008 at 07:41 PM

SherriS
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p.1 #12 · More Maine photos

Mark,

Thank you so much for this information. In perusing these boards (unfortunately weeks after these photos were shot), I had seen a mention of diffraction. One of the bad habits I had developed over the years, with antsy family in tow, was to stop down as much as possible when I wanted a lot of depth and hope for the best. (I can barely see anything when I press the DOF preview button.) I'll be using these links often. Thanks for addressing it.

Sherri

Sep 15, 2008 at 07:42 PM

Jo Dilbeck
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p.1 #13 · More Maine photos

Sherri - I agree with you, Dark Slider's rendition took the contrast issue much too far and removed the ethereal look from the picture. Here is a very quick version that simply selects the boat with the magic selection tool, and bumps the contrast on the boat only. I think this is more of what you were looking for!

Jo

2008 © Jo Dilbeck

Sep 15, 2008 at 11:42 PM

MoBayRasta
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p.1 #14 · More Maine photos

I would crop the 3rd picture right above the rock. I really love this shot but find the rock distracting.

Sep 16, 2008 at 11:25 PM

SherriS
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p.1 #15 · More Maine photos

Jo, Thanks for the quick redo. It does bring out the boat and keep the mood. Magic selection tool, I'll try that.

MoBayRasta, I think I might like the rock cropped out, too, if I can just get over my need to have the reflection symmetrical.

Thanks again for the comments.

Sep 17, 2008 at 02:05 AM

sbeme
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p.1 #16 · More Maine photos

You could always clone it out....

Sep 17, 2008 at 02:28 AM

sifpandor
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p.1 #17 · More Maine photos

Although cloning it out would work the best compostionally, cropping it would be easier. I agree though that it should at least be tried. Either way has its problems. Cropping you'll lose some of the wonderful reflections, and cloning you'll need to put the chimney on the reflection, and if you leave it alone it is distracting.

Decisions, decisions.

-- Mark

Sep 17, 2008 at 02:28 PM

ISUSMDO
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p.1 #18 · More Maine photos

I was up around Bar Harbour and Kennebunkport this summer and we had heavy rain fall in the Arcadian Park, your No 3 photo reminds me of the next morning...wonderful, and if you don't mind me saying so ...spooky. You can imagine Jack Nicholson in his 'Shining' role isn't far away. Maybe lying down in the boat clutching his axe....great shot.

The rock doesn't bother me at all I'm more concerned about who's hiding in the boat.

I hope you don't take this as belittling your work...the exact opposite is my intention you've captured the mood, the scene and obviously the imagination. WOW

Sep 23, 2008 at 04:35 PM

SherriS
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p.1 #19 · More Maine photos

ISUSMDO,

Thanks for the compliment; I certainly don't find it belittling, but I'm not sure I'll be able to look at #3 the same way again.

Sherri

Sep 24, 2008 at 12:51 AM

Kotasd
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p.1 #20 · More Maine photos

Regarding your question concerning focus distance in the first photo. Try http://www.vividlight.com/articles/3513.htm. It does a pretty good job of explaining it. Page 2 is some math if your interested. Hopes that helps.

BTW I like #2 best, I like 3 the way it's shot, and I think 1 is just a bit busy.

I can see the silver buoy having some potential for a future shot. Maybe sky reflected off water, with only the buoy in the frame? You have some good options for a nice reflection shot, it's worth exploring anyway.

Sep 26, 2008 at 09:02 AM

SherriS
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p.1 #21 · More Maine photos

Kotasd,

Thanks so much for the information. That link is very helpful.

I wish I could go back and explore that harbor and its silver buoy for a future shot, but it's a two-day drive away; maybe next year. I'll keep your suggestion in mind, though, next time I'm around buoys and boats.

Sherri

Sep 26, 2008 at 06:22 PM


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