Best 4WD Pic/Critique

[Siska]

I thought I would start a thread where we could post a 4WD pic and get critique from all the budding photographers here. Here are my first couple of pix,

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/mab3y/4WD1.jpg

and

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/mab3y/4WD2.jpg

The only things done to these pix PP are cropping and boarders.

[Slunnie]

The top one is striking! Ireally like the angle put on the Disco and the interest in the background.

[Ricey]

I love the first shot. Getting a sense of 'angles' with 4x4's are hard. IMO this works, a very descriptive photo showing the labour of the climb. Nice one!

[Siska]

Thanks guys. I really like that shot too. As far as the rule of 3rds go it's a bit off, but for this particular shot it seems to work.

[Slunnie]

You could still crop it to regain the rule of 3rds.

[Siska]

You could still crop it to regain the rule of 3rds.

I did do that initially, but I like the feel or look of the rock in the foreground. Dunno, what do you guys think?

[slug_burner]

rule of thirds is a guide not a must,

I can't see how you would crop to have the thirds working for you without losing the foreground or the motorbike both which help the photo.

[duncanw]

re the top one,
good colour balance,
are you clipping out on the headlights and the rider ? or is it my monitor ? you might want to have a look at your histogram and bring the white point down a little or is it up...

[BMKal]

That first one is a really top shot Siska. I don't think you need to crop anything out of that - shows just the right level of detail to tell the story.

[300+]

I've tweaked the shadows & highlights to tweak the image a bit - check the shadows under the wheels or the detail on the ground near the bike. To balance those changes I moved the levels a bit as it was now a little dark and used the black and white point settings as a final tweak. I also sharpened it a bit.

But I can't match the composition and the action in the shot! Excellent stuff.

Steve

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/07/131.jpg (http://www.aulro.com/app/showphoto.php/photo/10959)

[Siska]

I've tweaked the shadows & highlights to tweak the image a bit - check the shadows under the wheels or the detail on the ground near the bike. To balance those changes I moved the levels a bit as it was now a little dark and used the black and white point settings as a final tweak. I also sharpened it a bit.

But I can't match the composition and the action in the shot! Excellent stuff.

Steve


Thanks that looks alot better. That's something I need to learn how to do.

[dullbird]

Thanks that looks alot better. That's something I need to learn how to do.


yes me too i have only started learning to tweek in software still dont full understand what i'm doing, but have had some good results and some bad:D

but i have found learning so much easier with adobe's lightroom its a great program set out in an easy to understand way and got some great features that help you in regards to changing stuff around

i would highly recommend it:)

[300+]

Thanks that looks alot better. That's something I need to learn how to do.

I learnt my photoshop skills from a UK mag called digital camera monthly. It is an OK mag, but comes with a really good cover CD with photoshop walkthoughs on editing and includes before and after shots for you try your skills with. I've bought about 10 issues over the last 2 years and it has transformed my photography more than anything else. I think it is $13 an issue, which is cheaper than a decent photoshop book and I've found it more helpful.

I noticed that there were some halos on the edges. I don't if this is from jpeg compression or from when you (slightly over) sharpened it. I used a technique called high pass sharpening as it usually results in fewer halos/weird effects than unsharp mask. Easy to do, duplicate the layer, choose filter, other, highpass. Play with the values with your image I had it around 0.5, on full size images you can sometimes go to 3. The preview will show a weird outline. Click OK and your picture will look like it is just a weird outline. Change the blend mode on the layers pallet to overlay and it will return to normal. Click the layer on and off to see the effect.

The highlights and shadows one was easy as you had it almost there. Be subtle with this, you can really make a picture look strange in you are heavy handed. It is often possible to tweak another's image when they have it almost there, perhaps this is because you can be more clinical. You also had the exposure pretty much spot on. The headlamps and the white side plate on the bike are blown out, but you have preserved the shadow detail well. Another half a stop under-exposed would have likely made it worse by loosing the shadows.

In the levels screen there are 3 doppers. The left one is black. Select it and click on the blackest black area in the photo - I picked inside the drivers side front wheel. Next click the right hand one - white - and I then clicked on the bike side plate. This will often stretch the histogram out so that the you are using all the dynamic range available. Now move the slider in the middle of the levels histogram to create the correct exposure level.

[rmp]

Do you like the shot. If so, it's a good shot. If not, it's a bad shot.

Or if someone else is paying for it, their opinion counts not yours!

;-)