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 Garutachi
    
Location: MA
Gender: Female
 |  | First time posting.
< on 12/12/2010 12:37 AM >
|  | | | This is the first time I've ever posted photos in the critique section but that doesn't mean you guys need to go easy on me. I'm doing this to improve my skills so let me have it. I'm pretty sure I can handle it. Also, I'm not used to posting photos on the internet so I'm not sure if I sized them correctly. Any advice about resizing in photoshop would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for looking.
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"The Earth is not my home, I'm just passing by." -Tom Waits |
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redSky
Location: Seattle (formerly ATL)
Gender: Male
SPECTRE Vanguard
| |  | Re: First time posting.
<Reply # 2 on 12/12/2010 4:32 AM >
| | | | Note, just about all of this assumes you're shooting with a DSLR.
Shooting-wise, the easiest way to ruin a good shot it bad flash. If it's built into your camera don't even think about using it. Worst. Light. Ever. If you can shoot natural light, either with tripod or a nice fast lens at high iso (I never leave home without a 50mm f1.7). If you *must* use flash while exploring, shell out for a hotshoe mounted external flash and bounce your beam off the ceiling. This will give you a nice soft light that's similar to the soft light you see in the interior of an abandonment (making it less obvious that you're adding light). If you have a flash that works with your camera's metering, throw your camera into aperture mode and tweak your exposure compensation (on flash and camera) and before you know it you'll have an exposure that balances the natural light in the room with the light from your flash. If you really want to go all the way with this, you'll notice that the light of your flash is just a little bluer than the natural light in your shot. This bothers the crap out of me, so I alway keep a mild warming gel on my flash to balance that out.
I like the shot with the phone, you've either got a decent exposure or have done some decent post work. However, your perspective is a little low relative to the phone. Keep in mind that your perspective relative to your subject influences how the viewer perceives the subject. Shooting from below makes the subject more imposing, while shooting from above makes it seem like the viewer is imposing relative to the subject. It's like looking up at a giant vs looking down at a child. If you're not trying to effect the meaning of the shot in either way, try to shoot your subject from a level perspective.
Side note, wtf is that thing in shot #4?!
SPECTRE - Repariamus Urbes Occultas |
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Garutachi
Location: MA
Gender: Female
| | Re: First time posting.
<Reply # 3 on 12/12/2010 4:38 PM >
| | | | Posted by redSky
Note, just about all of this assumes you're shooting with a DSLR.
Shooting-wise, the easiest way to ruin a good shot it bad flash. If it's built into your camera don't even think about using it. Worst. Light. Ever. If you can shoot natural light, either with tripod or a nice fast lens at high iso (I never leave home without a 50mm f1.7). If you *must* use flash while exploring, shell out for a hotshoe mounted external flash and bounce your beam off the ceiling. This will give you a nice soft light that's similar to the soft light you see in the interior of an abandonment (making it less obvious that you're adding light). If you have a flash that works with your camera's metering, throw your camera into aperture mode and tweak your exposure compensation (on flash and camera) and before you know it you'll have an exposure that balances the natural light in the room with the light from your flash. If you really want to go all the way with this, you'll notice that the light of your flash is just a little bluer than the natural light in your shot. This bothers the crap out of me, so I alway keep a mild warming gel on my flash to balance that out.
I like the shot with the phone, you've either got a decent exposure or have done some decent post work. However, your perspective is a little low relative to the phone. Keep in mind that your perspective relative to your subject influences how the viewer perceives the subject. Shooting from below makes the subject more imposing, while shooting from above makes it seem like the viewer is imposing relative to the subject. It's like looking up at a giant vs looking down at a child. If you're not trying to effect the meaning of the shot in either way, try to shoot your subject from a level perspective.
Side note, wtf is that thing in shot #4?!
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Hey, thanks for the tips. Shots 1 and 3 where taken with a combo of my external flash and whatever flashlight/head light happened to be around (the blueness you're seeing is most likely from my head LED head lamp). Next time I go out I'll try setting the camera to aperture mode to get my exposure right. I'm so used to shooting in manual I never even considered using my cameras built in features to help me out. I haven't done much shooting in super dark conditions like this so I really appreciate the advice. As for the phone...if it's still there when I go back I'll try to shoot it from a lower angle. I tried a few other shots from a low angle and I think I gave up because the ground was frozen and I didn't have enough layers on so my knees kept getting very cold...yes I know it's a pussy excuse but I'm new to all of this so I'm working on toughening up a bit. #4 is a chandelier. It was frustrating to shoot it because the wind was blowing it so this is the clearest shot I got...still a little blur though.
"The Earth is not my home, I'm just passing by." -Tom Waits |
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Garutachi
Location: MA
Gender: Female
| | Re: First time posting.
<Reply # 4 on 12/16/2010 2:57 PM >
| | | | I guess I'm a little confused as to why I've only gotten feedback from one person so far. Are they boring? If so, I really don't mind if you say that they are. I was excited when I saw UER had a critique section but what do you actually need to do to receive critiques? I've been commenting on other people's stuff. Anyone wanna help a noob out? BTW, Thanks to redSky again for your detailed and insightful critique and to rob.i.am for somehow making them all larger (but not telling me how to do it myself).
"The Earth is not my home, I'm just passing by." -Tom Waits |
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Avius
Location: Washington DC / NOVA
Gender: Male
Wow you guys!
| | | Re: First time posting.
<Reply # 5 on 12/16/2010 5:14 PM >
| | | | I think the main reason you're not getting a lot of feedback is because you posted so many shots. People are lazy, and it takes a good 10 minutes to write a worthwhile critique. Posts in this section usually get the most response when they have one, or maybe two shots to consider.
Some stuff that may apply to the set as a whole, though:
-These shots have a lot of noise. This can be because you are compensating for low light conditions with ISO instead of exposure time. The only way I've found to keep low light shots looking crisp is to use a tripod and longer exposures. I've taken some pretty decent shots even with an old point-and-shoot digital camera, just by using a tripod and upping the exposure time.
- With the exception of #5, these are all really flat, due to your lighting being too close to the camera. If you're bringing your own light, whether it's a flash, a flashlight, a lantern, or whatever, you have to off-set it from the camera. Again, having a tripod is ideal. That way you can set up your shot, put it on a timer or remote, and then hold your light at least 4 or 5 feet to the side, or above, or below. Shadows are one of the main depth cues our brains use, and really bring out space a surface detail in dark shots. Use them to your advantage!
- I think these would benefit from some post-processing. Mess around with Brightness/contrast, Levels, Curves, and Color Balance in Photoshop and try to get the photos looking like you remember them. (don't go overboard, though- you don't want them to LOOK processed).
In places forgotten, tread where you will. -=- http://www.flickr.com/photos/avius/ |
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hydrotherapy
  
Clever Girl
Location: Circle of Least Confusion
RPS is inside all of us
| | | Re: First time posting.
<Reply # 6 on 12/16/2010 5:30 PM >
| | | | Posted by Garutachi
I guess I'm a little confused as to why I've only gotten feedback from one person so far. Are they boring? If so, I really don't mind if you say that they are. I was excited when I saw UER had a critique section but what do you actually need to do to receive critiques? I've been commenting on other people's stuff. Anyone wanna help a noob out? BTW, Thanks to redSky again for your detailed and insightful critique and to rob.i.am for somehow making them all larger (but not telling me how to do it myself).
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People aren't commenting because, well, often the critique forum doesn't get a ton of activity.
And yes, your shots are boring, and poorly composed, and that makes it hard to give good feedback. But hey, since you requested a critique and didn't whine when it didn't happen, I'll throw some thoughts out there, as you do genuinely seem to want to improve.
1. No composition. The scene is a cluttered mess, the light differential is distracting, and my eyes are slightly pained by how many intersection lines, between the stairs, fallen shelves, so on that you have. The phone in the front is blasted white, and I really don't care about what I'm looking at. Just a snapshot of a trash laden room. Try to be more particular in what you choose to shoot.
2. This is better with the simplifying, but the extreme crooked upward shooting isn't really serving a purpose. Your main elements of focus are in the extreme left, right, and one straight up cut off at the bottom. Again, no idea what I should be focusing on. Maybe if you'd pulled up, straightened out your shot, and cut the chair out of it entirely, this could be more interesting. Try to use the rule of thirds if starting off. It's a good guide to start training your eye.
3. Straighten out the shot (check your vertical and horizontal lines) and this could have potential. But again, it's so cluttered and trash laden, it's really just a documentary shot. Try working more with natural light and longer exposures, or if you insist on light painting, do just that, paint. Don't just blast your light straight on at the subject or you'll get distracting glare spots like in that top silver drawer.
4. The most interesting shot you have- simple, fairly straight, with an engaging mix of colors and textures. I actually rather like this one. The diffused light is perfect.
5. The extreme light and dark is interesting, but again, poor composition. Some trashed piece of something on a sodden floor, shot from slightly above just doesn't really grab my attention. Nice lighting, though.
6. You cropped the door, are showing some extreme barrel distortion, and again with the brutal light. While this could have potential, you'd have to pull back, capture the entire door, and maybe bracket and blend (take two shots- one set to properly expose for the door, another to expose for the inner hallway, and blend them together in Photoshop or something after the fact.)
Keep working at it. It's the only way to improve.
And don't get too frustrated if you don't get too much feedback until your shots improve, it's rather hard to critique weaker stuff.
Get down, girl, go 'head, get down. |
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Garutachi
Location: MA
Gender: Female
| | Re: First time posting.
<Reply # 8 on 12/17/2010 3:38 AM >
| | | | Thank you Rob, Hydro and Avius. I can't wait to try doing the bracket and blend thing. BTW, what is Barrel distortion?
"The Earth is not my home, I'm just passing by." -Tom Waits |
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PositivePressure
Location: High and low where most don't go
Gender: Male
Set your Tesla coil to broil
| | Re: First time posting.
<Reply # 9 on 12/17/2010 3:47 AM >
| | | | Barrel distortion is the warping of otherwise straight lines which occurs when using a wide angle lens, or sometimes lenses of lesser quality. If you look at the right side of the doorframe in #6, you can clearly see that it is not straight up and down, and is in fact "warped". This is classic barrel distortion.
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Sargeant Politeness
Location: Sun City, KS
Gender: Male
| | Re: First time posting.
<Reply # 10 on 12/18/2010 3:18 AM >
|  | | | I think your subject matter is a bit messy. There are a lot of things going on in each image that leads the eyes all over the place and makes me want to move right on to the next image. Make sure you compose with a focal point.
That is my first thought of these images.
I think you have a good eye however. Each time you get out there with your camera this will improve.
I also like the way that you are experimenting.
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Garutachi
Location: MA
Gender: Female
| | Re: First time posting.
<Reply # 11 on 12/19/2010 4:23 AM >
| | | | Cool. Thank you guys for the info. I really appreciate (and need) all the help I can get. I can totally see what you mean now with the door. I can't believe I didn't notice that! It really does ruin the shot. My lens is indeed on the crappy side and my camera isn't much better. I have a Rebelxti with a efs 18-55mm. Santa might be bringing me a new camera and/or lens for xmas. I think I want to stick with Canon but can you recommend a good lens for UE photography?
"The Earth is not my home, I'm just passing by." -Tom Waits |
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swizzler
Location: Ontario
Gender: Male
| | Re: First time posting.
<Reply # 12 on 12/19/2010 11:04 PM >
| | | | Posted by Garutachi
I think I want to stick with Canon but can you recommend a good lens for UE photography?
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Something ultra wide is ideal for UE since many shots are taken in tight spaces.
That being said, there are a few options. Canon make a great 10-22, it's essentially L glass and is the equivalent to 16-35 on a FF body. There's also the Sigma 10-20, and the Tokina 11-16.
The Tokina is the best of the bunch IMO, but it's a little more limited because of the focal range (it's almost a prime). It's also f/2.8 all the way trough which is handy for DoF shots and low light w/o a tripod.
Another good option is the Canon EF-S 15-85. It used to be a little on the expensive side, but that may have changed by now.
Hope this helps.
Canon EOS 5DMKII | EF 24-105 f/4L | EF 17-40 f/4L | EF 50mm f/1.8 II | Yashica Electro 35 GS |
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Garutachi
Location: MA
Gender: Female
| | Re: First time posting.
<Reply # 13 on 12/20/2010 12:05 AM >
| | | | Posted by swizzler
Something ultra wide is ideal for UE since many shots are taken in tight spaces.
That being said, there are a few options. Canon make a great 10-22, it's essentially L glass and is the equivalent to 16-35 on a FF body. There's also the Sigma 10-20, and the Tokina 11-16.
The Tokina is the best of the bunch IMO, but it's a little more limited because of the focal range (it's almost a prime). It's also f/2.8 all the way trough which is handy for DoF shots and low light w/o a tripod.
Another good option is the Canon EF-S 15-85. It used to be a little on the expensive side, but that may have changed by now.
Hope this helps.
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Cool. I wish Santa would bring me all of those. Thanks for the info. Happy holidays.
"The Earth is not my home, I'm just passing by." -Tom Waits |
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K8 Vonwolfie
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
Location: ct
Gender: Female
people die right there ---->
| | | Re: First time posting.
<Reply # 14 on 4/13/2011 5:18 AM >
| | | | 4,5 and 6 are my favs.
4, the chandelier looks sickly and awesome with the leave behind it
5 is good with the color as well as use of light and shadow
6 i dont mind barrel distortion though i feel this also might just be the angle in which you shot it, good use of color and texture and I also don't mind the fact the whole door is not in the shot.
i dont feel you need to abide by certain dictations that state what is and is not a good shot. its however you feel about it, and is also in the eye of the viewer.
1,2 and 3 i do agree with some of what has been said. mainly i think u did use a flash and i really hate flash. kills a shot to me. and also the clutter, i can't tell what the focus/subject is.
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Garutachi
Location: MA
Gender: Female
| | Re: First time posting.
<Reply # 15 on 4/13/2011 2:18 PM >
| | | | Posted by k8 intense
4,5 and 6 are my favs.
4, the chandelier looks sickly and awesome with the leave behind it
5 is good with the color as well as use of light and shadow
6 i dont mind barrel distortion though i feel this also might just be the angle in which you shot it, good use of color and texture and I also don't mind the fact the whole door is not in the shot.
i dont feel you need to abide by certain dictations that state what is and is not a good shot. its however you feel about it, and is also in the eye of the viewer.
1,2 and 3 i do agree with some of what has been said. mainly i think u did use a flash and i really hate flash. kills a shot to me. and also the clutter, i can't tell what the focus/subject is.
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Thanks K8. This was one of the very first UE shoots I tried after 3 semesters of shooting strictly people (I was working on a project about low income families in my town)in a documentary style. So separating myself from my flash as well as just learning about the best way to go about shooting things that are holding still and have straight lines has been an ongoing process. The barrel distortion, now that I know it's there, drives me nuts. Looking back, that is probably one of my least favorite UE shots that I've ever put here and/or flickr. (In fact I'm pretty sure I removed it from Flickr.)I have to disagree with you a little bit about abiding by the dictations of photography. The reason being is that I've been taught by an old school professor who's been teaching at my school and Mass Art for 35+ years. He shoots mostly with his large format camera and one of my favorite quotes from him is "The greats of photography's past must have been doing something right or they would not have made it in the photography world." So my goal is to learn as much as I can about what they where doing right; to shoot in a classic way but put a little of myself into each of my shots as well. That's just what works for me. But like I said on the phone the other night, there's absolutely nothing wrong with shooting in a free style kind of way. I guess it's a matter of deciding what kind of viewers you'd like to appeal to and what you'd like to convey to them.
I'm sorry I haven't gotten around to critiquing yours on here yet. But I promise, as soon as I get a few minutes, I'll sit down and study them.
"The Earth is not my home, I'm just passing by." -Tom Waits |
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Derail6782
Location: Pittsburgh
Gender: Male
| | Re: First time posting.
<Reply # 16 on 4/13/2011 9:46 PM >
| | | | 2,4 and 5 all have potential if you get closer to your subject. One of the first things I've learned about photography was get close, get close and get closer. Of course having a macro lens or a sharp prime to really make your subjects pop in this case would be ideal. The other shots would benefit from an ultra wide which others have probably already said. (haven't read through everyones critiques) Also it looks like you are using flash for some of these. Lose it and get a tripod. Great work, just keep shooting and keep practicing!
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