bromsgrove_avfc Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 My final project of a course has just been short-listed for a competition in Practical Photography magazine. Down to the last 18 out of 500 entries! The prize is a Nikon D7000 kit bundle so I'm very excited and nervous! Personally I don't think my shots will win it but I'll be chuffed if I get into print! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 My final project of a course has just been short-listed for a competition in Practical Photography magazine. Down to the last 18 out of 500 entries! The prize is a Nikon D7000 kit bundle so I'm very excited and nervous! Personally I don't think my shots will win it but I'll be chuffed if I get into print! Get in! Which shots have been short listed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterms Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 My last wildlife effort got crucified on here but here is another couple of efforts Ii quite like can't do a huge amount about the tree / leaves in the way , but what could i have done differently to turn this from "Ok" to "wow" It's always worth comparing with really excellent photos, to see what makes them so. Looking at one week's examples in the Grauniad for example, there are some examples of really strong composition, use of depth of field, colour and so on. Thinking about the things which make those shots outstanding, and which of those things could be used in shots like the two animal photos you took, here's my thoughts. The light you have available doesn't seem great - a bit flat. Maybe choosing a different time of day might give some better possibilities. The first one has some potentially interesting textures, which don't come out because the focus doesn't catch them. The texture of the boulder compared to the fur on the head, for example, would be a strong comparison if both were in sharp focus, or those two plus the flower head in the foreground - a shot which was about framing those three points and showing the different textures might be good. Maybe trying some shots with the panda not so central would be worth trying - in the Guardian examples, the stag's head works better where it is than if it were dead centre. On your second one, the background isn't very attention-grabbing in itself, so could it be made more useful by either capturing more of its texture by getting the leaves and twigs in sharper focus, or else blurring the background more? Compare to the Guardian shot of geese crossing the road, where the background is completely featureless, but is helped by the use of shadows, as well as being a useful backdrop to highlight the colours of the goose. The animals aren't doing anything very interesting - maybe that's the point with the first one, who looks a bit forlorn. Maybe drawing back a bit and having him as a smaller figure in the landscape would emphasise that? Or waiting until they do something more captivating? The lion shot on the Guardian works because it fills the frame with sharply caught texture and detail as well as being an interesting pose. Your second one would work better, for me, if it caught more of the fur and whiskers in sharper focus - in that case, filling the frame with the animal would work well, otherwise maybe having it not so central and against a broader background would give a different effect? Most of that only works, of course, if you have the luxury of time, to wait around for the light to be good, for animals to do something, to try different vantage points and angles, which isn't always possible for most people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted September 14, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted September 14, 2011 My last wildlife effort got crucified on here but here is another couple of efforts Ii quite like can't do a huge amount about the tree / leaves in the way , but what could i have done differently to turn this from "Ok" to "wow" It's always worth comparing with really excellent photos, to see what makes them so. Looking at one week's examples in the Grauniad for example, there are some examples of really strong composition, use of depth of field, colour and so on. You are suggesting that Tony should read The Guardian? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterms Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 My last wildlife effort got crucified on here but here is another couple of efforts Ii quite like can't do a huge amount about the tree / leaves in the way , but what could i have done differently to turn this from "Ok" to "wow" It's always worth comparing with really excellent photos, to see what makes them so. Looking at one week's examples in the Grauniad for example, there are some examples of really strong composition, use of depth of field, colour and so on. You are suggesting that Tony should read The Guardian? I was trying to slip it in under the pretext of discussing photography, and your pointing out my tactic is really quite unhelpful. It might have worked otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 :-) I guess for me the problem is I'm on limited time , ultimately I'm travelling about and taking a few snaps along the way and then moaning they are not a work of art afterwards .. the depth of field etc is something I need to look into , I tend to work on full auto and let the camera do everything for me .. though I could probably "shop" them a bit and give it something a bit extra in terms of composition ?? Despite the tip off I fell into the trap .... tbh the stag in the field isn't the sort of photo I'd take , maybe it's a personal style thing but I'd probably have deleted it (same with the sunflowers) , I tend to like my subject to fill the screen , though I then take you point about the surrounding landscape The animals doing something more interesting ... I met a photographer in Tanzania one time who had stunning shots of a leopard dragging a deer carcass up a tree ..only took her 4 weeks in a hideout by the tree to get the shot !! she had some amazing shots though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Looking at the pictures is the best way of "reading" The Graun! Tony, using the auto setting will lead to "decent photos" as it basically gives the best average outcome for the situation that the camera's processor is being fed. You'll very rarely get something that doesn't look anything more than a decent snapshot though, as managing the settings yourself will nearly always lead to a more "artistic" shot. Even shooting on aperture priority will allow a much higher level of control. The camera is a computer, not an artist. Messing around with depth of field, shutter speed and exposure etc is quite rewarding when you get a shot that is really good. With modern cameras and memory cards, if you take 100 shots, and get one good one, then look at what worked and what didn't and just delete the rest. Not that I'm any good at all yet, but I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilchard Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 The quality is crap because it's not from the original as that's on my mac elsewhere, and it was also taken before I had my SLR so it's not as good as it could have been. But this is my favourite photo that I've ever taken...... English Seaside Experience by mishapen, on Flickr I like taking pictures of people. Fat people, mainly. And wierdos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 I really like that. Love people watching but not brave enough to take uninvited photo's of 'characters'. Well, not since that misunderstanding round the nurse's halls of residence anyway. Had a peep on the flickr site too, looks good to me, got a sense you enjoyed it more than you fretted about technicalities. Which is refreshing and not meant as a clumsy back handed compliment . I've got 4 photos on a flickr page so far and I'm hopefully aiming for a similar style eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted September 14, 2011 Moderator Share Posted September 14, 2011 Punk Legend Vic Godard and Subway Sect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted September 14, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted September 14, 2011 The quality is crap because it's not from the original as that's on my mac elsewhere, and it was also taken before I had my SLR so it's not as good as it could have been. But this is my favourite photo that I've ever taken...... English Seaside Experience by mishapen, on Flickr I like taking pictures of people. Fat people, mainly. And wierdos. Reminds me a bit of this one I took a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilchard Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Thats fantastic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Anybody able to recommend a good SLR for between 250-350? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Punk Legend Vic Godard and Subway Sect Nice, is that in the 606 Club, Chelsea Harbour ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Anybody able to recommend a good SLR for between 250-350? If you can stretch to nearer £400 I'd go for one of these: Nikon of course You might be able to find it cheaper body only, in which case I'd be happy to let you have my kit lens for next to nowt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted September 16, 2011 Moderator Share Posted September 16, 2011 Nice, is that in the 606 Club, Chelsea Harbour ? No it's in the Williamson Tunnels in Liverpool, a very bloody odd place but makes for an interesting gig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 Out and about at the most northerly tip of the island today, saw lots of gannets dive bombing, which is always a great sight: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 good stuff, a fair few gulls around here but they just stand around waiting for chips. mine is Lilleshall Abbey, fairly close to Telford, found it by accident last Thursday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 Little bit of HDR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted September 18, 2011 Moderator Share Posted September 18, 2011 I think the HDR lighthouse is a bit OTT tbh Risso, I think you've over cooked it to the point it no longer looks natural, it sort of looks metallic. There's no blue in the sky yet the lighthouse is in bright sunshine, that in itself looks odd but when the red is so intense even more so. I'm also not a fan of that bevelled edge thing but that's just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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