Opinions on this Lake....

[Carterofmars]

Looking for opinions. Thanks in advance...

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6184/6047748412_a283de0806_b.jpg

[goamules]

It looks like it's about to rain. Exactly what do you want an opinion on? Composition, focus, printing, lens, film......?

[photobymike]

"Interesting picture, but does not move me".
I have had a long think on what is a good picture. As a photographer for 40 some odd years, i have been surprised at what people or clients like and dont like. So often the difference between a good picture and a great one is so small, like more sky or more foreground, lighter, darker Ect... The one thing that did make my pictures better, was to quit digital and use film only. I have found for me that using film involved more work, and sweat so i studied what i was taking a picture of. It involved getting a little bit of "subject connection" and fore thought. When i had my Nikon d3 and all the cool lenses i took hundreds if not a thousand pictures at a time, and then studied them on the computer to pick out the best ones. That worked great if i wanted good pictures. But for me and this is my opinion only. Once i went back to film, thats when i started taking great pictures. Now when i do a portrait or any other type of photograph, it takes me sometimes hours to get what i want. Taking a portrait photograph can just take a few minutes for good picture. But takes hours sometimes for great portrait picture. I taught photography in collage when i was much younger. I had a older student who was working on his MFA in photography. All he did was photograph clouds. He used to spend hours just watching the clouds.. i thought he was crazy. Butttttt... i am not so sure now.... Forgive my ramblings but the bottom line for me is;

1 - You have to take pictures because you enjoy it. 2 - Stop worrying what other people think, unless you are shooting for a client... they will most likely trust your judgement anyway. 3 - Print and mount your pictures. With the Zillions of photos online.. they all turn to visual static. But to have a mounted print so you can hold it and show it that makes it unique to the beholder. 4 - And finally take pictures that you care about, friends, family places.... My family pictures are now the most precious possessions to me... i use to practice my portrait technics with my kids years and years ago... Now, those pictures are the most valuable of my possessions now.

Sincerely Michael Green

http://www.mikepic.com

[Carterofmars]

"Interesting picture, but does not move me".
I have had a long think on what is a good picture. As a photographer for 40 some odd years, i have been surprised at what people or clients like and dont like. So often the difference between a good picture and a great one is so small, like more sky or more foreground, lighter, darker Ect... The one thing that did make my pictures better, was to quit digital and use film only. I have found for me that using film involved more work, and sweat so i studied what i was taking a picture of. It involved getting a little bit of "subject connection" and fore thought. When i had my Nikon d3 and all the cool lenses i took hundreds if not a thousand pictures at a time, and then studied them on the computer to pick out the best ones. That worked great if i wanted good pictures. But for me and this is my opinion only. Once i went back to film, thats when i started taking great pictures. Now when i do a portrait or any other type of photograph, it takes me sometimes hours to get what i want. Taking a portrait photograph can just take a few minutes for good picture. But takes hours sometimes for great portrait picture. I taught photography in collage when i was much younger. I had a older student who was working on his MFA in photography. All he did was photograph clouds. He used to spend hours just watching the clouds.. i thought he was crazy. Butttttt... i am not so sure now.... Forgive my ramblings but the bottom line for me is;

1 - You have to take pictures because you enjoy it. 2 - Stop worrying what other people think, unless you are shooting for a client... they will most likely trust your judgement anyway. 3 - Print and mount your pictures. With the Zillions of photos online.. they all turn to visual static. But to have a mounted print so you can hold it and show it that makes it unique to the beholder. 4 - And finally take pictures that you care about, friends, family places.... My family pictures are now the most precious possessions to me... i use to practice my portrait technics with my kids years and years ago... Now, those pictures are the most valuable of my possessions now.

Sincerely Michael Green

http://www.mikepic.com

Thanks Mike. You gave me a little to think about.

I guess I'm trying to provoke a little discussion about image making. I'm just starting out in the format. This was one of the first images I made out doors with the view camera.

Looking for good spirited insights and advice.

[Peter De Smidt]

The clouds are dramatic and interesting, although a large area of them is blown-out white, but there isn't really a focal point (or area of interest) in the rest. The forest is dark with little detail, and the buildings aren't all that interesting visually. You need to simplify the scene and focus attention on an area of interest. There should be nothing in the picture that doesn't support the presentation of the subject.

http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae37/peterdesmidt/sky.jpg

[Alan Gales]

The clouds are dramatic and interesting, although a large area of them is blown-out white, but there isn't really a focal point (or area of interest) in the rest. The forest is dark with little detail, and the buildings aren't all that interesting visually. You need to simplify the scene and focus attention on an area of interest. There should be nothing in the picture that doesn't support the presentation of the subject.

I completely agree. Perhaps if you moved in close and included one or two buildings and the water, trees and sky.

[Roger Cole]

The clouds are dramatic and interesting, although a large area of them is blown-out white, but there isn't really a focal point (or area of interest) in the rest. The forest is dark with little detail, and the buildings aren't all that interesting visually. You need to simplify the scene and focus attention on an area of interest. There should be nothing in the picture that doesn't support the presentation of the subject.


I completely agree. Perhaps if you moved in close and included one or two buildings and the water, trees and sky.

And, printed the foreground lighter, perhaps with more contrast (hard to tell about that from a scan with the foreground this dark, on my not-so-great monitor) you could bring out detail that make a much more interesting photograph. It looks like the white church could be a center of interest, a gleaming building among a dark forest, with a threatening sky above. But the negative might need more exposure as it looks like the forest might be too thin to print the way I'm thinking. You'd then have to burn down the sky (maybe with a lower contrast filter on VC paper) but that part wouldn't be difficult.

[Carterofmars]

I cropped the original photo which included the edge of the lake; thought this slightly improved.

I definitely think I need to get closer to subjects. In the Autumn, I plan to do some close up work. Outside with the fall foliage. I need to explore different approaches to subject matter.

Thanks for the advice thus far. Greatly appreciate. The more the members expouse the better. I'm gleaning little bits here and there and it adds to my knowledge base.

[Roger Cole]

I cropped the original photo which included the edge of the lake; thought this slightly improved.

I definitely think I need to get closer to subjects. In the Autumn, I plan to do some close up work. Outside with the fall foliage. I need to explore different approaches to subject matter.

Thanks for the advice thus far. Greatly appreciate. The more the members expouse the better. I'm gleaning little bits here and there and it adds to my knowledge base.

I just saw the other thread and added some comments there. I hadn't realized this was shot on Provia. My comments were more in line with black and white neg. It would be hard to shoot this range on transparency film and hold good detail in both that sky and that foreground.

[photobymike]

Thanks Mike. You gave me a little to think about.

I guess I'm trying to provoke a little discussion about image making. I'm just starting out in the format. This was one of the first images I made out doors with the view camera.

Looking for good spirited insights and advice.

Your first is always special lol..lol Welcome to the land of infinite creativity. The Land that will start to invade all your thoughts and ideas. A photographer walks around, even without a camera, you will be always looking for that perfect picture. When you get so abscessed with your art, you will carry a camera with you all the time. Oh jeeez i need rehab... just one more sniff of the fixer please...

[Carterofmars]

I removed some of the top...

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6198/6047516681_418af54158_b.jpg

Also see attached for another variation.

[cyrus]

BTW are you using a lens shade?

[Carterofmars]

BTW are you using a lens shade?

No, I'm not.

I need filters and maybe a shade before my trip to Cape May next week. Going to the lighthouse and the beach to photo the sunset with my Graphic and Nikkor 210mm.

[sun of sand]

people are pretty familiar with that lake

Crop it to hill and sky and wait for those competing dark clouds to move out

[Ken Lee]

1) If this is a documentary image to show the lake or that section of real estate, the image has to convey the facts - but if it's a "fine art landscape", then we look for other qualities.

2) Sometimes we want to show it all, to our own detriment. What is the most beautiful portion of the image ? If the answer is anything other than than "Everything in the image is the most beautiful part of the image", then there's probably an opportunity for us to refine things further. :)

3) Is this a scan of a darkroom print, or a negative ? If the former, you could bring out more of the information in the clouds by burning them down. If the latter, then you could extend the dynamic range of your scanner so as not to clip the high values. (Less important if it's a documentary record, more important if it's a fine art piece).

Here's one of Ansel's renditions of clouds. He likes to show it all, but by that we mean all the tones, not necessarily all of the scene. He keeps things a bit abstract. That adds a dash of mystery.

http://www.kenleegallery.com/images/forum/AnselCouds.jpg

[Tim k]

1 - You have to take pictures because you enjoy it. 2 - Stop worrying what other people think, unless you are shooting for a client... they will most likely trust your judgement anyway. 3 - Print and mount your pictures. With the Zillions of photos online.. they all turn to visual static. But to have a mounted print so you can hold it and show it that makes it unique to the beholder. 4 - And finally take pictures that you care about....

http://www.mikepic.com

This is very good advice IMHO.

[Leigh]

Looking for opinions. Thanks in advance...
I find the whole image rather disturbing.

The huge white cloud looks like smoke coming from a large forest fire on the far side of the mountain.

Might be better to wait for more distributed clouds.

Just one man's opinion, worth every cent you paid for it. :D

- Leigh