Greetings,

I've been lucking for a while here and DPreview. Put these images up on DPreview, but it seems that people are just too involved arguing about which camera is better to stop and give some advice.

I've just started using the RAW format on my G9, and processing them with the supplied software and an OLD version of photoshop. It's what I have, so it's what I'll be using for a while.

These are from a recent trip to NYC on black Friday--I processed the ones I liked. They have not been cropped except for the sillouette, but played mostly with contrast and saturation some.

I'd appreciate any constructive criticism or feedback. Thanks in advance!

Roger

You have a great eye. Motion-blur is not my thing, but your candids have a great feel about them. Keeping things sharp and in focus would have improved #5 greatly though.

1 is not really strong for me. Busy, oof, and not clear what the message is. Framing through ankles also not good. Mostly I don't know what you were trying to say with it. A picture should have a story or theme, this one does not for me.

2 for me is a bit soft around the lights but more importantly I do not like the composition - it is not interesting. For me closer to the lights or wider would work better. Between the perspective and wires going out not clear message it does not work.

3 lacks on composition. You have lots of good stuff to work with here (repetition, lines, colors) but the composition does not use them to your advantage. It seems square and boring. I think closer in to emphhasis the repeating stairway or something to make it more exciting is needed.

4 I really like the composition of silhouet. Very nice job. The framing is just right and the black and white is good too. Maybe a smidge off top might improve so there is less suggestion of framing through nose.

5 composition is good (negative interesting space and lady at 1/3 spot) but soft. Might be better with a bit off top and right to move her closer to the edge.

6 Pretty good but tight on top left between frame and building and a bit busy bottom right (tree).

Welcome to the forum and don't be discourage because my views are just my views.

Scott

Thanks, deeprblue, I appreciate your comments.

and Scott, I really appreciate your taking the time for thoughtful feedback. I take it all in the spirit it was intended, and find it to be VERY useful. That is what I was hoping for by posting here. Good thoughts to remember when shooting and processing.

Hopefully some others will chime in, too. I'd certainly offer some advice myself in some other posts, but dont really feel like I'm in a position to do so yet...

Elmoreman,
Welcome and hope you will join in as you feel able to.
My thoughts:
1. Not for me. Uncomfortable amount of vibration/blur and its not clear why he should be that way. What's the story? What is he on? Or supposed to be doing? Feet, where some of the action is possibly occurring, are cut off.
2. Like Scott S: Captured OK but it doesnt draw my interest.
3. Not quite, but you are clearly drawn to the repetitive elements and lines. Good ingredients for a composition. A tighter crop or different angle might eliminate the unnecessary sky and darkness below the bottom balconies. BW might simplify the image, drawing more attention to the lines.
4. I think you nailed this one! Many possible crops might work since you have such a strong silhouette creating such interesting lines.
5. Interesting image, interesting, arresting expression in the context of motion. She needs to be a bit sharper, but that must have been quite a challenge.
6. I've taken many images like this. The buildings are interesting as is the contrasting structures. But something is missing and I dont think you have conveyed the interest in the scene. You may have been limited by possible positions from which to shoot. If you could better isolate the spires against the background building without the darker, extraneous building lower right you would have a stronger image.

Some good ideas, good stuff here.
Keep shooting, sharing, showing more.

Scott

Thanks for the comments, Scott (Scott #2 this time). I'll explain the first shot: my son on the piano from the movie Big at FAO Schwartz in NY. I liked the motion and color, but looking at it through other eyes, I think this is more of a "parent" shot than one that others will like.

I like the ideas for cropping, it all makes sense to me. I really liked the buildings w/fire escapes from Soho, but wasnt sure what to do with it. A close crop in B&W would look cool. I'll give that a try.

The silhouette is my favorite, too. And I like the one in the subway, and was trying for that blank look from the subject, but with the long exposure I got some blur from the limitations of the G9. I should have steadied it on a post or something.

Thanks again...

anyone else?

1. Interesting to me, in an oddly disturbing way.

2. To my eye it's visually awkward the chandelier hangs at an non-vertical angle.

3. Try a couple of degrees of clockwise rotation, a little sharpening and a smallish bump in saturation.

4. I find four appealing as it is. It's an effective curving abstraction of the human form and a good composition!

5. Needs sharpening to be a better image. A first approximation in PS might be the USM at 100%, a radius of 4 or 5 pixels and a threshold of 5 to 8 levels.

6. I like image five. The composition draws my eyes and I like how the light gilds the spires. However, it could be improved by sharpening. It needs less than image four, but it really shines with a proper sharpening.

Hi Roger and welcome to FM. You have some really good potential here. Clearly, the most problematic image is the first one. One thing that I personally like in an image with motion blur is that the background is sharp, which typically only happens when you use a tripod. If you get the opportunity to reshoot this one, or for similar images, I suggest you get a gorilla pod

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/423958-REG/Joby_GP1_01EN_Gorillapod_Flexible_Mini_Tripod_Grip_for.html

very cool tool. Concentrate on getting the piano and feet at various shutter speeds.

BTW, the dad thing is completely understandable. My wife's favorite shot of our son wouldn't be worth anyone's trouble to look at here, but she loves it and sometimes that's the most important thing.

The fourth image is awesome. I agree with Scott Stoness's suggestion on the crop. Perhaps try it just above the upper lip so that the contour is still moving in toward the left frame.

On the final image, I agree with all of the previous suggestions. One more thing that would help me, is if you remove the white structure at the top of the tallest building.

Keep posting, because you're not the only one who learns from this!

-- Mark

Hi Roger,

Welcome to FW and the forum - I think you will find this a helpful, congenial, synergistic group that learns from one another - and this forum, in particular, to be tolerant of all gear persuasions.

Regarding PS, newest isn't necessarily better. IMO, learn to use effectively what you have; you will be far ahead in the area of post-processing.

I think most comments have pretty much covered the ground and I agree; I'll only make a few observations and remember, these are just my opinions.

#1 - I really like the idea and especially abstractness of color scheme - in its own, non-formulaic way, I find it appealing.

#2 - the off-vertical works for me; looks like you've got some noise in the ceiling

#3 - interesting at first glance but I don't find it compelling beyond that.

#4 - nailed it - as Scott and Scott have suggested, explore crops; very nice and would look great on your wall

#5 - I wanted to see how it looks in BW - if you object I'll pull the post. So, a BW rendition that might or might not work for you.

Thanks again for all the comments and suggestions...all very useful in my practice. I think I'll play around some more with these images and keep the suggestions in mind next time I'm shooting.

BTW, the B&W looks good! The grain is more appropriate in that rendition than in the color...

Looking forward to working with you all!

Roger

Roger,

Thanks, that's how the color version struck me - convert me, convert me.

Some folks do crossword puzzles or sudoku, I relax tinkering with images. It's so much more relaxing when they're not my own .

Bob