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Thread: Something Simple ...

  1. #1

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    Something Simple ...

    ... to round-out the end of the "working" week.

    2 Minutes @ F32 @ ISO 100 - Canon 1Ds3 / EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM @ Approx 70mm.

    Not sure if I like it or not - what do you all think?

    Something Simple ...
    Last edited by Colin Southern; 15th January 2010 at 08:05 PM.

  2. #2
    David's Avatar
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    Re: Something Simple ...

    Colin - Composition and exposure time effect very good, but the colour balance doesn't seem quite correct to me. Is it a bit magenta? Perhaps also a half stop too dark?? Not sure.

    Cheers

    David

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    Re: Something Simple ...

    It looks alright to me; but I get exposure 2 minutes. Maybe it is an optical illusion but it appears to be leaning very slightly down on the right. I wished I could take photo's like this. Give me a couple of years.

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    Re: Something Simple ...

    Quote Originally Posted by David View Post
    Colin - Composition and exposure time effect very good, but the colour balance doesn't seem quite correct to me. Is it a bit magenta? Perhaps also a half stop too dark?? Not sure.

    Cheers

    David
    Hi David,

    Thanks for that. I've tried to split the colour balance between the magentas and purples; so I like the "balance" between the two, but the overall colour distribution isn't ideal - but I can't always do much with what's in front of the lens

    I played with the levels (on my home screen, which I suspect that the kids have "adjusted" since I last calibrated and profiled it), so they could be out a bit. In terms of the levels I saw, I walked a tight rope between brightness and saturation (the brighter I made it, the less saturated it becomes).

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    Re: Something Simple ...

    I agree with Arith, it does appear to be sloping slightly down to the right.
    But the picture is just superb in my eyes.

    Keith

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    Re: Something Simple ...

    Quote Originally Posted by arith View Post
    It looks alright to me; but I get exposure 2 minutes. Maybe it is an optical illusion but it appears to be leaning very slightly down on the right. I wished I could take photo's like this. Give me a couple of years.
    Thanks Arith,

    It might have been 2 minutes (I did shoot some that long) - I have a weird bug in Photoshop where shows 30-Seconds but Bridge often shows a different time. I use bulb mode to execute the shot, but it's almost as if Photoshop is reporting what the last manual setting was for; I'll have to investigate further.

    It could be sloping to the right slightly - I didn't level the shot in post (wrong side of midnight at the time!) - I'll check it later.

    UPDATE: Bridge is shoting 118 seconds (ie "2 Minutes", so I'll edit my original post)

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    Re: Something Simple ...

    Not sure if I like it or not - what do you all think?
    As an execution of what you set out to do, it's brilliant. It's not quite my thing as there's too much of an 'artificial' feel to it. I'm sure there will be customers who will go for it in a very big way.

    A good example, for me, of the difference between the technically brilliant and the aesthetic. So, not to my taste, but something I can learn a h^%! of a lot from.

  8. #8

    Re: Something Simple ...

    I have a blank space behind my 1960's sofa......just kidding. Technically brilliant as usual but `I think I may have seen one too many of these type of landscapes. I am certain that it is because I live in the grungy, gritty northwest of England I do not relate to these images so there is no prickly neck syndrome when I look at them. But I am guessing that there will be many people who are fortunate to live in such places for who it will evoke the same reaction as the dark satanic mills and boarded up pubs do in me. Well perhaps not quite the same but you know what I mean

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    Re: Something Simple ...

    Quote Originally Posted by Donald View Post
    As an execution of what you set out to do, it's brilliant. It's not quite my thing as there's too much of an 'artificial' feel to it. I'm sure there will be customers who will go for it in a very big way.

    A good example, for me, of the difference between the technically brilliant and the aesthetic. So, not to my taste, but something I can learn a h^%! of a lot from.
    Thanks Donald,

    I know what you mean. Unfortunately not every shoot produces a winner - it was the best I could coax out of what I had.

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    Re: Something Simple ...

    Quote Originally Posted by Wirefox View Post
    I have a blank space behind my 1960's sofa......just kidding. Technically brilliant as usual but `I think I may have seen one too many of these type of landscapes. I am certain that it is because I live in the grungy, gritty northwest of England I do not relate to these images so there is no prickly neck syndrome when I look at them. But I am guessing that there will be many people who are fortunate to live in such places for who it will evoke the same reaction as the dark satanic mills and boarded up pubs do in me. Well perhaps not quite the same but you know what I mean
    Thanks for that

    To be honest, it's not one of my favourites yet - although I've been wanting to get one of those foreground rock in a shot for a while now. One thing I have learned though is that it's dangerous for me to decide what the market wants - for every 19 who might say that a shot is "too peachy", there'll be one who says "that's just the colour of my curtains"!

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    Re: Something Simple ...

    Are either of these any better? (Tighter Crops)

    Something Simple ...

    Something Simple ...

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    Re: Something Simple ...

    Hi Colin, I like the first tighter crop the best of the bunch. To me, the foreground diagonals lead the eye off into the top right, so it's nice to have a little more space there as opposed to running up against the edge of the frame (as in the second tighter crop). As a whole, the tighter crops seem a bit more dynamic and off-center than the original photo posted at the start of this thread. The "artistic center of mass" just seems to be much more to the left-hand side of the frame in these two...

    Was f/32 for depth of field or to increase the exposure time?

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    Re: Something Simple ...

    The last is my preferred one

  14. #14

    Re: Something Simple ...

    One thing I have learned though is that it's dangerous for me to decide what the market wants - for every 19 who might say that a shot is "too peachy", there'll be one who says "that's just the colour of my curtains"!
    I must say I had forgotten the commercial aspect. I think that is why I would find it very difficult to become professional. Which is unlikely anyhow since I doubt I will every attain your skill with the camera. I want to create images that drives a square block into the round hole of peoples expectation. That essence of "I am not really sure I like that but I have to keep going back and looking at it". I may never attain that but I think I may have fun trying.

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    Re: Something Simple ...

    Quote Originally Posted by McQ View Post
    Hi Colin, I like the first tighter crop the best of the bunch. To me, the foreground diagonals lead the eye off into the top right, so it's nice to have a little more space there as opposed to running up against the edge of the frame (as in the second tighter crop). As a whole, the tighter crops seem a bit more dynamic and off-center than the original photo posted at the start of this thread. The "artistic center of mass" just seems to be much more to the left-hand side of the frame in these two...

    Was f/32 for depth of field or to increase the exposure time?
    Thanks Sean,

    To be honest, I'm oscillating (or should that be "equocating" (sp?)) between all three, although I think that the one you mention resonates a little better with the rule of thirds.

    The F32 was just to increase the exposure, although I also had a Singh-Ray Vari-ND mounted (it wasn't particularly dark at that stage). I was hoping that the sky would pink up a bit as the sun behind me dropped, but not so much as a hint of it on this occasion

    PS: You would not believe how much sensor dust F32 shows up!
    Last edited by Colin Southern; 15th January 2010 at 11:47 PM.

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    Re: Something Simple ...

    Quote Originally Posted by Wirefox View Post
    Which is unlikely anyhow since I doubt I will every attain your skill with the camera. I want to create images that drives a square block into the round hole of peoples expectation.
    Horses for courses ... I can "hold my own" technically, but I've seen many of your shots demonstrating an 'outside the square" type thinking that I'll never be able to do

    It's a bit like the old "you're fat, I'm ugly, but you can diet type of thing" - the technical side can be learned, but I'm not convinced that one can learn "outside the square" type thinking.

  17. #17

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    Re: Something Simple ...

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Humphries View Post
    The last is my preferred one
    Thanks Dave

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