My first for critique!

[DH59]

OK, I've decided to bite the bullet and post an image for critique. Black and white is not something I do very often so it would be interesting to see what you good folk think of this one.

I edited this in Lightroom by tweaking the colour sliders in the Greyscale section until I got something I liked the look of. I've also increased the contrast slightly.

The image was taken at about 2.30pm on a very bright day just over a week ago. I was trying out a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS lens that I had hired. Taken at 45mm, 1/80 at f/11, ISO 200.

I want to purchase either this or the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L (which I've also rented a few weeks ago) for portraits, but I was trying to assess its capabilities for landscapes as well, as I've been having certain doubts about my existing arsenal of Sigma lenses.

[Fit]

I'm a total n00bie at this so take my critique for what it's worth

I might have preferred the focus more in the foreground with a receding depth of field (am I saying that right?).

The geometric possibilities caught my eye, I cropped it to play off that for a moment, hope you don't mind:


Certainly a more abstract shot but you get the power of the three large triangles comprised of the sand top-left, the sand striped in shadow, and the sand to the right of the posts.
Perhaps a tweak to the exposure to avoid going to white in the sky and give more detail to the darks?

[Donald]

Diane

Immediate first reaction (opened it, reacted, typed) ......

Crop it and lose the sea and the sky. The posts and the shadows they are creating make a strong image in their own right. I don't think what's at the top adds anything to the story.

You're then left with, I think, a quite powerful, almost abstract, image.

Very good first post. And I'm jealous of you being in the position to choose between one of those two lenses.

EDIT: Just read Chris' post - Great minds think alike!

[Skitalez]

Oh,i'm late...))) Fit is too fast)))) I think, the line of the coast and the sea is very different( also with the main structure...


Also,i'd like the first shot.....so,maybe need to choose another point to push the world? to keep angle 90 between structure and the line of the sand

[carregwen]

Diane

This is a pretty good composition, but I think the quality of the shot could have been improved. The 24-105L is an excellent lens. I have one myself. Do you have a tripod? I think that on a tripod, with ISO100 and an eperture of at least f/16 this would have been much improved. About a third of the way in seems nicely focused, but the back of the shot looks out to me. Also, the sky is burnt out, and at that time of the day you would need a neutral desity grad filter to get detail from the sky.

Compositionally, I would prefer the groyne posts to start in the BR corner and cut across the image more in a diagonal - not too much, just a bit more than they do. But then. of course, the horizon line would look off and some smart-Alec on here would tell you that as well!

24-105L is good for landscape and portrait. If you are by any chance considering ghetting a new camera as well (it's Xmas, treat yourself - I just did) you can often get that lens as part of a package, which works out cheaper. Good idea to rent first.

[Fit]

...the groyne posts...

I just learned a new word

[carregwen]

I just learned a new word

Chris

Well don't stop at just one. I have several thousand more in this PDF that I have been collecting for about 20 years! http://www.mediafire.com/file/1vetsm...ORD%20LIST.pdf

[DH59]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

My thoughts: I had thought of chopping off the sea and I do qute like Chris's and Yegor's versions. I was taken by the shadows of the breakwater and then noticed a small boat out at sea, with the lines of the breakwater leading to it (it's even less noticeable in the colour version!), but I suppose it's not enough of a focal point to justify leaving the sea in.

Rob: I have a tripod, but I used a monopod for this shot, which was resting on a bench that ran along the promenade sea wall. It was easier to carry round town, especially with all the snow and ice around at that time. I focussed a third of the way in, and used what I thought would be a reasonable aperture, but I do have trouble getting front to back sharpness, no matter what I try. I thought it might be my existing lenses, but if I'm having issues with Canon lenses there is maybe no hope for me! I also have an issue with shutter technique, which is why I try to at least use a monopod. And even with IS I still need to use a fairly fast shutter speed, as I always seem to shake when about to press the shutter button.

There was a drop over the wall to the beach where the breakwater started. It was a little rushed and I know I should have used my ND filter, but I think if I'd moved left and turned the camera to the right to achieve your suggestion of a more diagonal composition, I might have had a bit of flare coming in. Even though it's 2.30pm, the sun was getting quite low in the sky (10th December). I deliberately didn't have the posts right in the corner, as we've had judges at my camera club advising against lines going right into corners. But then judges do sometimes have some funny ideas! The sky is burnt out to the right hand side, but overall looks better in the mono version.

As for treating myself - we are both unemployed at the moment, so a new camera is not on the cards. I only bought the 40D last year - four months before we were made redundant (week before Christmas - exactly a year ago). I will have to sell all of my Sigma lenses, and perhaps my old 10D, in order to get money towards either one of the preferred Canon lenses. My husband received a small work pension earlier this year, and he bought me a Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS, which is a brilliant lens, so I wanted to get a lens with a wider range to complement that. I also have the 'nifty fifty' f/1.8.

[Fit]

Chris

Well don't stop at just one. I have several thousand more in this PDF that I have been collecting for about 20 years! http://www.mediafire.com/file/1vetsm...ORD%20LIST.pdf

Cheers!

[Donald]

And even with IS I still need to use a fairly fast shutter speed, as I always seem to shake when about to press the shutter button.

Diane

Lots to read in your reply. But one thing re the above. Why not set the camera up for a 2-second delay on the shutter so that it fires without you actually pressing it at that moment. That can take out a lot of shake.

[jiro]

Hello Diane, I'm a newbie here, too. Your image is nice. Your main subject and the conversion to B&W is a good choice. If you may, I decided to play with your image as I see it in my point of view. We normally view things from left to right, then top to bottom. Knowing this, I thought... What if I flip your image horizontally? Then, I noticed that the transition from light source to the shadow area is not that prominent so I tweaked the contrast a little bit. Lastly, I added a little bit of blurring on the top part to separate the foreground from the horizon. This is what I came up with.



I hope I did not offend you for editing your image. Kindly delete if my intrusion is offensive. Thanks.

[DH59]

Donald - Sorry - sometimes I get a bit 'wordy'! I have tried the timer in the past and I must think to use it more often. I was also taught a technique on a workshop about using the mirror lockup feature. Works in a similar way, I suppose. I do, mostly, try to use a cable release as well, but this was a grabbed shot and I was being lazy about getting stuff out of my backpack.

Jiro - thank you! I am not offended at all. I presume these threads are intended to get different opinions. I quite like your version. I will look at flipping more images in the future.

[carregwen]

My husband received a small work pension earlier this year, and he bought me a Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS

What a nice fellow!

As for treating myself - we are both unemployed at the moment, so a new camera is not on the cards. I only bought the 40D last year -
four months before we were made redundant (week before Christmas - exactly a year ago). I will have to sell all of my Sigma lenses, and perhaps my old 10D, in order to get money towards either one of the preferred Canon lenses. My husband received a small work pension earlier this year, and he bought me a Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS, which is a brilliant lens, so I wanted to get a lens with a wider range to complement that. I also have the 'nifty fifty' f/1.8.

Sorry to hear about your joint employment problems. I haven't worked for 10 years after I took voluntary release. Fortunately, I just about have enough.

As you already have 70-200 covered, I'd suggest the 17-40L. Even on an APS-C camera such as the 40D it will still give you a pretty wide area. It doesn't have quite so good marks as the 24-70L but it's about £600 instead of £900. The nifty-fifty (brilliant aren't they) is good for portraits, and will fill the gap in the middle.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/showcat.php?cat=27

[arith]

Look; this is rockin, it is so beautiful. A comb, it would be rockin harder if the sea was blue and had grain. But listen to your peers, they will lead you to the edge.