wolfgang.gartner Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 Hello! I make photos for a long time. Maybe someone can look at my photos and tell me what I can make better to get better photos. I want to learn from you!!!! The newest photo is the Big Ben. Thank you for your help!!! Wolfgang www.photo.net/photos/wolfgang.gartner<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phc1 Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 Your pictures look fine to me Wolfgang - what do you want to improve? I would suggest maybe you ask yourself why you're taking pictures, and the answer to that will tell you how you need to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elliott Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 I find the red flare a bit distracting. If you converted the photo to b&w that would help I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garryfairhurst Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 Hi Wolfgang, you have been a member a lot longer than I have and looking at your portfolio you have some great shots. I am struggling with the same thing asking for advice and help with composition. I will offer you the thoughts that I am having when I take my photos now. It seems to me looking at your photos it's landscapes that you seem to be having the most issues with, forgive me if I am wrong it's just what I see looking at your profile. It would appear people offer advice on foreground elements, and lead in lines that draw your attention to the main focal point in an image. So whenever you compose an image ask yourself 'What is the main element in the image I am trying to capture' Your Big Ben image for me does not seem to lead me to Big Ben the main element but seems more of an incidental in the shot. I can see how you have tried to frame it but some of the other elements seem to distract my attention. What was the idea for this shot? What did you see in your mind? This is the part I struggle with, getting what I can see in my mind captured into the camera. All I can say is keep taking photos and you will start to get it. This site really is a great place to help you improve. The other thing people talk about is using filters to help with landscape images. Neutral density graduated filters are really good to help retain sky detail but also allow you to expose the foreground correctly. I have recently purchased the Cokin P series which I am finding really good. Look at some images taken by others on the site, is there an area near to you which offers an opportunity to get an almost identical shot? If so, go there and try to capture a similar composition. Review that and decide if it works. Don't pay attention to light at this point, just get the essential elements arranged. When you are happy, revisit the area again and again at different times of the day and year to capture better light. Morning light, evening light, Autumn/Winter when the sun is low in the sky. I hope this is of some help to you. You already have a great portfolio and I look forward to seeing more of your work. Thanks Garry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfgang.gartner Posted November 13, 2008 Author Share Posted November 13, 2008 THANK you for your help!!! The next time i take a shot, I will think about the photo before I take it and held in mind what it should look like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyinca Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 I edit out some of the the red and reduced some flare and see how it would look.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfgang.gartner Posted November 13, 2008 Author Share Posted November 13, 2008 Thank you, I think it is better. The next time I try to do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G. Dainis Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 The problem for me with this photo is, silhouettes should be recognizable. The skyline is good, as are the people on the walkway. I don't have to think about that. But everything off to the left and right confuses me. I can see street lamps so I assume, after some thought, there is a sidewalk to the left? And how do those trees fit in? The vertical black mass to the right is okay but then I get a bit confused about what those diagonal members are. This, to me, is a very confusing photo. James G. Dainis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_briggs1 Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 Hi Wolfgang - it looks to me like you are trying to frame the shot using the bridge at the top, the dark bit on the right and the walkway on the left. Additionally, the handrail looks like it might have been an attempt to lead the eye into the picture. Unfortunately for the shot, I think there's too much going on and that those elements dominate the picture rather than the subject, i.e. the Houses of Parliament. If you are to take the shot again, may I suggest discarding some of the distractions and concentrating on getting the HoP as the main focal point of the picture? Finally, I don't like the metering. Whilst it was always going to be a tricky one to get right with there being so much contrast between the brightness of the sun and the shade of the bridge etc., the HoP themselves are either overexposed for a silhoette, or under for a normal shot. I would have been tempted to spot meter on the face of Big Ben and be beggar the consequences, or meter on the brightest points to get a perfect silhoette of everything. Finally, after scratching my chin for a few minutes I would have had a crack at HDR and probably nailed it that way!!! Either way, congratulations for taking a photo of a London tourist attraction without getting stopped by the police! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfgang.gartner Posted November 13, 2008 Author Share Posted November 13, 2008 Is this better? I tried something with the computer. Less confusing things and darker?? (And B&W) Just to know it for the next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G. Dainis Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 I would lighten the sky and crop a bit more off the top to bring the walkway closer to the top third (rule of thirds).<div></div> James G. Dainis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_briggs1 Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 If you crop further in (I have but i'm not teccy enough to do what James has done above) and completely take the bridge out, the photo looks much better IMO. I also cropped out the tree on the left and the dark block on the right. That way, the photo was framed by the lampost on the left and the scaffolding / bridge support on the right. I like the B&W too - it gives it a very 1940's London Blitz look. Taking that idea to it's natural conclusion, I tried burning in a moody sky and, again IMO, it made a vast improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip_wilson Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 I suggest that you should crop the image - Big Ben is well framed and the rest of the shot distracts - if you want to keep the people think about a portrait approach. You need a lens hood or at least to be aware of the flare. Possibly taking the shot from closer to the water may add to it (I do not know if this was practical from your location). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonzo1974 Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Hi Wolfgang, I am a novice, but I would like to comment. I agree with others who say there are distracting qualities to this photo. The sun is rough so I completely cropped it out but maintained the framing quality of the bridge and walkway. I also used Gimp to remove some of the haze by playing with the color levels and doing an unsharpen mask. To remove some of the elements I found distracting I cropped agressively. In the end I think it's all a matter of taste, but I would suggest to have your photo be less busy. I visited your "homepage" and enjoyed several of your photos. As I stated I'm a novice and hope to be able to take some photos as good as some of yours some day. Thanks, Jason PS I'll try to attach my edited version, but I'm not really sure how :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonzo1974 Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 A different take. I couldn't get my version from last night to attach so I deleted it and in frustration went a different direction. I hope you don;t mind such a drastic alteration of your work but I wanted to offer another view.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfgang.gartner Posted December 8, 2008 Author Share Posted December 8, 2008 <p>No, I like what you did with the photo. I will try to do the same with my PC. Thank you</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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