I'm working on a shot of a local farm. I can't seem to capture the same sense of easy-going comfort that I get when I view it from the road. Below are my first two attempts.
I need feedback! Please give me any criticism you can about this photo. Anything, really. Tell me what you like and don't like about it's composition, the subjects, the lighting, the developing, etc. I thought it would be a good exercise for me to get a picture really right...and since it's close, I can go back often to re-shoot. You can see a color version of the picture here.
See my notes on the first two tries below.
I took this one at about 4:00pm in November. So, the shadows are long, and there isn't much contrast due to the sun. My wife suggested (and I agree) that I get it when the barn isn't so drab and one-colored.More from this shoot can be found here.
This is the next day, about 1pm. More sunlight on everything makes for better shadows etc. But it loses some of the mystique it has in the first. Right?
More from this shoot can be found here. A slightly different angle, which I like, is here.
Any ideas anyone?
6 comments:
Nice farm! I liked the second one better, but I'm wondering what kind of setting you're using to make it b&w. Maybe just a little curves in Photoshop could fix it right up. Also, have you experimented with the angle or composition? I'm trying to figure out what the focus of the piece is, because at first glance, of course the barn, but the road sort of figures in so largely, and it's sort of too centered or something. I don't know. I just thought maybe you could try a wider shot, or maybe a portrait instead or something. But I'm no expert. :) I loved the shadows from the fence though!
So, this is me, and I am noone, so take it for what its worth.
My number one rule about taking landscape pics: Never ever put the horizon anywhere near the middle of the image. I do not know why I feel this way, I heard it in some class one time, and ever since, it has been golden for me.
Speaking of golden, try to use the Golden Mean, also known as the golden ratio. Check this link(its lengthy) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio . This is not just advice for this shot, but every shot.
Another thing that I notice when I look at the pic, it might look a little more grand if the road was not cut off by both the bottom, and the left side of the image frame. Im not sure about this one though, I might like it less after I saw it.
Also, the sky is boring, also maybe a drop washed out. I might recommend some photoshop here. Take a pic from the exact same location, but focus on the sky's exposure. When you have a great exposure of the sky, and a great exposure of the barn, combine them. Maybe even wait for a day with some interesting clouds?
I also notice that you had your shutter set pretty quick(1/200), but your ISO is cranked way up to 800. I might suggest brining down the ISO and slowing down the shudder. This will bring more intense color to your image.
Since you were fully extended to 55mm, a smaller amount of light was being let in than if you were zoomed out a bit, this will also help you bring down your ISO.
As Cami said, if you zoom out a little, you might get a grander sense of the image, make it more of a landscape shot, than a portrait.
If I were there the next time, this is exactly what I would do. Go to about where you were standing, kneel down a little, make sure that either the sky was taking up 1/3ish of the image or 2/3ish of the image. Get a few snaps with the road fully in the bottom edge of the frame, and a few with it on both the left and the bottom edge. Take a few pics with the color of the sky being vibrant. Go home, and play with lightroom, and photoshop.
All that being said, I think the image has serious potential. I only offer suggestions because you ask, not because I think you need it ;}
Like I said, I do not really know anything, so take it for what its worth. Nice work, and I look forward to seeing the final image.
I love the black and white farm, shadows of the fence, offset barn, and hazy trees in background. Very nice. Matt, you have talent.
I like the colour one.
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