Get Your Rocks Off

[Black Pearl]

How about a multi-media post for a change?

Click on this first to get it running then scroll down for the pictures:










So its a fantastic bright, sunny spring day and I had an hour to myself - out with the camera and down to the coast for a play.

Rocks!

[GlenM]

I like the 2nd and 3rd ones the best - great contrasts.

I must have picked the only overcast hour of the day to get my camera out - it certainly wasn't sunny for me today...

Glen

[jiro]

Nice use of foreground element on the 3rd image, Robin. The simplicity of your work on #4 is nice. I like it. Good work, Man!

[Katy Noelle]

These are wonderful! I do like #1 the best. I, also, like the beauty and simplicity of the textures and shapes.

[Black Pearl]

Thanks, *2 and *3 were with my Sigma 10-20mm which is the first time I've used it this year.....for some reason I fell out of the habit of seeing with it in mind.

[ScoutR]

#2 gets my vote. Very nice

Wendy

[Wirefox]

Robin, compositionally No3 works best for me. No4 and No5 should work but they look too flat. Texture but no form The shadow is too light. You are shooting directly above and I think you may need to be lower. In the past I have used off camera flash - dialled right down to give more form to the image. You can get the same effect using a reflector. The shot below is pretty uninspiring and not against rock but you can see the principle of how the shooting position and light gives the pebble form.

[Black Pearl]

Oddly I waited until the sun was diffused to lower the shadow contrast. I've a set of these that I'm going to display together, the only difference when I'm finished will be the small rocks.

[Peter Ryan]

Hi Robin,

Steve makes good points about the latter images. Two and 3 are my preferred images with 3 the absolute favourite. The simplicity, balance and leading line in # 3 works very well for me. It is very Ansel Adamish.

#2 should work and I want to get drawn into the background but find the lighter rock on the bottom right keeps drawing my attention to the foreground. In # 3 you have the texture of the rocks but the size falls off to the sides and the back and indirectly leads you to the mountain. In #2 they are too dominant a feature in their own right and being brighter than the background I keep getting drawn to the rocks.

Overall a good day out I would say.

[MiniChris]

I think I have to side with Steve as well. I wasn't sure what it was about these images that didn't strike me as "great," and it is not that they are poor images, it is more there is a certain flatness to them which needs the attention Steve and Peter have suggested. I have a similar image and now I know why I can't make it "work" for me...wrong angle.

[Black Pearl]

I did process the shot with a bit more punch through the iPhone:

[Gokhan Oruc]

Hi Robin,
I like #2 an #3...did you use any filter or any editing?
Cheers

[Black Pearl]

Hi,

The mono shots were all ran through Nik Silver Efex Pro - love this program and by far the best way I've found to get the tones and style I want.