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 ahhntzville
 
Location: Boston
 |  | Requesting Ego Destruction
< on 1/30/2010 4:40 AM >
|  | | | Some recent stuff that I'd really appreciate some critical feedback on. Nikon D80, Tokina 12-24 lens except for #8 which necessitated the kit 18-135 from the next room. All at 100 ISO equivalent. My editing software is mortifyingly crude, so there's not much I can do about glare etc. and I don't have blending capabilities. I guess I'm mainly looking for suggestions on the execution... composition, aperture/exposure choices, etc.
I like all of these, but I'm aware of problems with them that I don't know how to fix/prevent. Like 5 needs more pop/contrast, something about the composition on 9 seems off, and 10 has a weird color cast to it that doesn't improve if I warm it up.
I should also mention that this is the first time I've bothered to crop to a more standard ratio (8x10) than the weirdly elongated one that the D80 captures (I'm awfully lazy).
1 - 8 sec @ f/11
2 - 2 sec @ f/8
3 - 8 sec @ f/11
4 - 10 sec @ f/8
I wanna be like Rob Dobi (http://www.youtube...atch?v=b0AGiq9j_Ak)
5 - 6 sec @ f/10
6 - 25 sec @ f/8
7 - 5 sec @ f/10
8 - 2.5 sec @ f/14
9 - 25 sec at f/10
10 - 3 sec @ f/10
11 - 1/100 sec @ f/9, which in retrospect is a retarded large aperture for this one; I must have been lazy and used landscape auto mode on the dial.
12 - 2 sec @ f/10
13 - 1.3 sec @ f/9
14 - 15 sec @ f/8
15 - 1 sec @ f/11, the color in this one sucked
[last edit 1/30/2010 4:44 AM by ahhntzville - edited 1 times]
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yokes
    
Location: Toronto
Gender: Male
I aim to misbehave
| |  |  | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 1 on 1/30/2010 3:05 PM >
| | | | hrm... I don't have anything negative to say about any of these (very rare). Beautiful set.
"Great architecture has only two natural enemies: water and stupid men." - Richard Nickel |
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puravida9539
Location: Dallas Area
Gender: Male
Just give me a flashlight
| | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 2 on 2/1/2010 12:49 AM >
| | | | It really is a good set. I think the composition problem you are feeling in 9 might be because you did not take to picture in the center of the room/hallway. It throws off the symmetry with the roof, which just happens to be bright yellow and noticable. It looks like you did not have a way to center it though, and overall I think it is a good shot. Of course I could be completely wrong. It happens pretty often
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Maglyte
| | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 3 on 2/1/2010 2:06 AM >
| | | | ok good set, with nine the shadows on the stairs are a little blocked, I would add a layer and dodge some in there to bring out some detail in the shadows a very compelling picture
mmmm. mandias....... |
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ahhntzville
Location: Boston
| | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 4 on 2/1/2010 11:58 PM >
| | | | Posted by puravida9539
I think the composition problem you are feeling in 9 might be because you did not take the picture in the center of the room/hallway. It throws off the symmetry with the roof, which just happens to be bright yellow and noticable. It looks like you did not have a way to center it though, and overall I think it is a good shot.
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Thanks, you're right. As I look at the shot, the center of the ceiling appears to only be about one step down the stairs, so if I had been a bit less lazy, I could easily have straightened that line out.
Posted by Maglyte
ok good set, with nine the shadows on the stairs are a little blocked, I would add a layer and dodge some in there to bring out some detail in the shadows a very compelling picture
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I wish I could, but I'm only using Google Picasa for editing and it doesn't have that capability. I won't pay for Photoshop and haven't been able to obtain a working version otherwise.
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puravida9539
Location: Dallas Area
Gender: Male
Just give me a flashlight
| | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 5 on 2/2/2010 1:38 AM >
| | | | paint.net is a free program that is probably more capable than picasa for editing.
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sunshinin
Location: DEEETROIT
Gender: Female
| | | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 6 on 2/2/2010 1:47 AM >
| | | | As far as criticism goes -- I'd try a little bit harder to reduce the brightness around windows, which is difficult, but Lightroom has a great recovery tool to help out with that.
I do love the set, though. Nice work!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunshinin
//<3 u/h8 u/miss u |
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willskith
 
Location: Boston, MA
Gender: Male
| | | | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 7 on 2/2/2010 3:23 PM >
| | | | Sick set! These are all awesome.
2. Maybe down and to the left a tiny bit to put the piano a little more in focus.
3. Would have looked cool if it were shot lower to have those vines as leading lines.
6. Nice detail shot, but the highlights are a little distracting.
7. The only one I don't like. Its technically solid, but the subject is boring. Too empty.
8. This is my favorite of the set. Composition and tones are killer, and the splashes of color are awesome.
9. Might have worked better with the door in the absolute center. Lines are a little off.
10. Awesome! Though its another shot that could have looked even better if it were shot a little lower to have the wires as lines leading in. Also, the sunlight at the top and the blue door on the side being cropped are a little distracting.
14. Door being cut off at the bottom is distracting. I'd say either crop more of it or have the whole thing in frame.
15. Perfect tones and comp, I love it.
grit your teeth in the face of fear. self repression is the true sign of a coward, toss your inhibitions to the wind. |
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desmet
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
| | | | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 8 on 2/2/2010 7:34 PM >
| | | | So obviously I can't let Picasa pass by.  To point out what I think it's doing to your stuff, the sharpness is the first thing. Every one of these appears to be sharp from the camera, but every digital photo needs sharpening. It looks like you're either not sharpening with picasa or else picasa's sharpening just blows. The second thing is that I think it might mess with the white balance on your stuff or something. Some of these seem a bit warm to me. Either way, you might even try the Gimp or something to dump picasa if you can't get photoshop working soon. You'll definitely notice a difference.
1 - This is pretty much perfect. You're staying within the range of good apertures, so thats perfect, but I personally probably would have shot this at f/8 for maximum sharpness. I don't think you needed the extra DOF that f/11 gave you. That's not really important though...matter of preference.
2 - The light bleeding in from the left sucks a bit. Burn it down or use a lens hood. I would probably also do some burning to tone down some of the brightness in this one overall.
3 - The only thing I'd change about this is pan to the left a bit. I find that shots with strong diagonals like this look better and more balanced if the vanishing point is actually in the shot. It feels a bit off kilter here. I would have shot this at f/8 too, but again...not important.
4 - This might be one of my favorite shots you've taken. For what it is it is executed extremely well. Good light.
5 - I might drop the brightness on this and bump the contrast just a tad. It looks good but it's a little washed out.
6 - Perfect, no critique.
7 - Good, no real feedback.
8 - Very nice. Depending on your zoom, i might have shot this with a huge aperture and gone for some limited depth of field.
9 - Dodge the shadows on the lower right for a touch more shadow detail...just a touch...just to bring the stairs out of the murk a bit. Otherwise perfect.
10 - Good, maybe a tad bright.
11 - Fine, I don't think f/9 is a bad choice at all.
12 - Maybe back up and shoot this portrait to get detail at the top. You need that second window less than you need to get a good view of the bitchin wood work. Burn down the highlights a bit.
13 - Very good!
14 - Really good!
15 - Really good! I like the tones in this. Moodier than a lot of your stuff.
Overall I'd say your composition is pretty much on point. Everything is straight and most of these are really well composed. Give shots with a lot of diagonals room to breathe by getting the vanishing point in there, and make sure you're getting complete coverage of interesting details. Otherwise your comp is prefect.
What I would recommend is working on the feeling a bit. You have the technical aspects down. What I would start looking at is maybe bringing the brightness down on some of these, maybe bringing in a bit more contrast. Don't do it in the camera...the shots should be a bit on the bright side from the camera, and your exposures from the camera look great. If you drop the brightness a bit it will give your shots more depth and tonality. Think about getting shadows into the picture, and maybe try composing with the light rather than just the subject as an experiment.
Great set!!!
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bdgr
Location: Chicago Adjacent
Gender: Male
| | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 9 on 2/2/2010 8:10 PM >
| | | | I would but the blacks and clarity sliders in lightroom on these and call it done. Lightroom. For most basic photo editing, lightroom is the shit. fairly easy to obtain a serial to extend your demo copy you download, if you are still evaluating. ...or so I've heard.
photoshop can be similarly extended...fairly easily.
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desmet
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
| | | | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 10 on 2/2/2010 10:23 PM >
| | | | Using something like lightroom or another raw converter is probably going to give you pretty decent results, actually. Thats a good idea if you're not quite ready/able to tackle photoshop.
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- Rin -
Location: MSP ELITE
Gender: Male
| | | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 11 on 2/3/2010 12:41 AM >
| | | | As a whole, there is strong composition among every one of the images, and the colors are startlingly accurate, which is difficult enough as is.
The only real critique I can provide in having said that is subject matter.
Your photos do well by showing the atmosphere and the building itself, but a few push "expected". There in lies the question I suppose. How do you move into original territory regarding urban exploration photography, a subject perhaps all too easy to take advantage of. Exotic places yield exotic photos, but in the end, it is just a place.
I don't know, I guess I just brought this up because I feel like you can help me out here. You've got a wonderful set of skills, and you've probably thought about it enough as I have.
GOD BLESS THE MIDWEST, except for Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. |
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Maglyte
| | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 12 on 2/3/2010 2:44 AM >
| | | | +1 on the color they are perfect on my monitor!!
mmmm. mandias....... |
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bdgr
Location: Chicago Adjacent
Gender: Male
| | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 13 on 2/3/2010 3:03 AM >
| | | | Posted by desmet
Using something like lightroom or another raw converter is probably going to give you pretty decent results, actually. Thats a good idea if you're not quite ready/able to tackle photoshop.
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I've found that anymore, unless I really screw something up there is no reason to bother with photoshop. I just do all my post in lightroom, and send it to my client. When I need photoshop, I really need it. but that's pretty rare.
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Accidental_Protege
Location: Surrey, BC, Canada
Gender: Male
| | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 14 on 2/3/2010 4:02 AM >
| | | | ego destruction eh?
can't say I can be of much help there, since your photos kick so much ass..specially this one: http://i116.photob...lle/BRCRSPS/02.jpg
gj man!
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desmet
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
| | | | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 15 on 2/3/2010 2:25 PM >
| | | | Posted by bdgr
I've found that anymore, unless I really screw something up there is no reason to bother with photoshop. I just do all my post in lightroom, and send it to my client. When I need photoshop, I really need it. but that's pretty rare.
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Yea I would definitely not go that far at all. For commercial work I might, but not for creative. Nonetheless, its an option til he can get going with the 'shop.
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willskith
Location: Boston, MA
Gender: Male
| | | | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 16 on 2/3/2010 2:43 PM >
| | | | Posted by desmet
Yea I would definitely not go that far at all. For commercial work I might, but not for creative. Nonetheless, its an option til he can get going with the 'shop.
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95% of my photos never touch anything other than lightroom. Its a pretty versatile tool.
grit your teeth in the face of fear. self repression is the true sign of a coward, toss your inhibitions to the wind. |
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yokes
Location: Toronto
Gender: Male
I aim to misbehave
| | | | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 17 on 2/3/2010 3:06 PM >
| | | | I only jump into pshop for lens corrections and for rescaling for large prints/final sharpening. Otherwise, it is Lightroom all the way.
"Great architecture has only two natural enemies: water and stupid men." - Richard Nickel |
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ahhntzville
Location: Boston
| | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 18 on 2/4/2010 5:14 AM >
| | | | Thanks VERY much for the thoughtful comments. Appreciated.
Will, interesting thoughts on 3 and 10, I'll keep that in the back of my mind in the future. And regarding 7, yeah you're right, it's a bit boring. That was the only photo I took in that building, since the entry was a pain in the ass and my friend was waiting in the nearby woods. As it turns out, if I'd spent literally 30 more seconds in there, I/we would have been royally fucked.
Posted by desmet
So obviously I can't let Picasa pass by. To point out what I think it's doing to your stuff, the sharpness is the first thing. |
That is officially the final nail in the coffin of my laziness vis a vis getting my fucking computer sorted out and Photoshop working. My main frustration overall with the results of my photographic efforts is lack of sharpness, it drives me fucking nuts. If Picasa is the culprit, I'm more than happy to toss it up in the air like a clay pigeon and obliterate it with an illegal sawed-off shotgun.
| Posted by desmetIt looks like you're either not sharpening with picasa or else picasa's sharpening just blows. |
Both are true in spades.
| Posted by desmetThe second thing is that I think it might mess with the white balance on your stuff or something. Some of these seem a bit warm to me. Either way, you might even try the Gimp or something to dump picasa if you can't get photoshop working soon. You'll definitely notice a difference. |
There is truly no way to possibly even come close to overstating the magnitude of my laziness. I downloaded the Gimp over a year ago, and haven't bothered with it.
| Posted by desmetBurn it down or use a lens hood. |
I lost that a while back, before recently losing my lens cap.
desmet, really appreciate all of the other commentary/suggestions.
Posted by - Rin -
The only real critique I can provide in having said that is subject matter.
Your photos do well by showing the atmosphere and the building itself, but a few push "expected". There in lies the question I suppose. How do you move into original territory regarding urban exploration photography, a subject perhaps all too easy to take advantage of. Exotic places yield exotic photos, but in the end, it is just a place.
[/quote]
Thank you, that's actually something that I thought about a lot while shooting these. This whole set is from asylums in England and Wales that I am unlikely ever to see again, so there was even more urgency than usual as far as getting shots that I'm happy with. I suspect that 3, 10, 11, and 12 are fairly "cliche" shots, a la the Norwich blue bathtub or the Hudson/Taunton toothbrushes. I took other shots that I know are cliche over there, but sometimes the cliche stuff is just cool, I mean the Taunton sun bridge was fucking cool, and there were only so many ways to shoot it.
[last edit 2/4/2010 5:15 AM by ahhntzville - edited 1 times]
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- Rin -
Location: MSP ELITE
Gender: Male
| | | Re: Requesting Ego Destruction
<Reply # 19 on 2/4/2010 6:55 PM >
| | | | Aye, there always comes a time when you need to document rather than perceive.
In knowing this, you've got a solid set of photographs to keep as a reminder of where you've been, and what you've done.
Under time constraints, and knowing that you can't mess around with the same subject from different angles lest you sacrifice more exploring time, I say it again. You've done well.
GOD BLESS THE MIDWEST, except for Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. |
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