truck/lightening

[ttcorsa]

This shot was taken in iraq on my new baby dlasr the nikkon d50 with an exposure of 30 seconds this is only one of a few amazing photos my camera has produced.

This truck is called an osh kosh it is a heavy equipment transporter also known as a HET or tank transporter unfortunatley the load is a rech which moves iso containers and not a challenger 2 main battle tank

how could i have taken this photo better any hints and tips would be great or how could i edit it in photoshop?

[Tiberius]

The foreground is pretty boring, so cropping the ground out for the most part would work well, and maybe even tilting the camera up to get more of that wonderful sky!

[ttcorsa]

Originally Posted by Tiberius

The foreground is pretty boring, so cropping the ground out for the most part would work well, and maybe even tilting the camera up to get more of that wonderful sky!

I will keep this in mind and crop out the background as of the tilting of the camera i will try that next time i take a similar photo but dnt think i will get a similar shot in the weather conditions

[higabyte]

a little off topic, I'm also in Iraq, where are you located? I'm on Camp Fallujah! Also got me a D50 which I bought from the exchange out here. I've bought several accessories for it, ie, 55-200mm lens and I have the SB-600 flash on the way...

i like this picture, was it taken in the past couple days with the storms we've been having? I agree with the above, that the foreground is boring, I'd try cropping it and maybe make it a semi-panoramic.

[ttcorsa]

Originally Posted by higabyte

a little off topic, I'm also in Iraq, where are you located? I'm on Camp Fallujah! Also got me a D50 which I bought from the exchange out here. I've bought several accessories for it, ie, 55-200mm lens and I have the SB-600 flash on the way...

i like this picture, was it taken in the past couple days with the storms we've been having? I agree with the above, that the foreground is boring, I'd try cropping it and maybe make it a semi-panoramic.

Hi mate im in the cob or basrah airport as most people know it are you in northern iraq then? You american iv got the 55-200 at home waiting on me and im looking to purchase either the sb-600 or 800

[higabyte]

It's central iraq. yes, I'm American... I like the 55-200, I got the new one that just came out with VR, is that the one you got? I'm excited about the flash, can't wait for it to get out here...

[wulf]

That is a pretty amazing shot. However, you have lined it up for critique so brace yourself

1. The whole shot looks a little fuzzy. Did the camera move a bit during the exposure or was it not quite in focus? Either way, it could do with being sharper for more impact.

2. Even if it was really on a slight slope, it would probably look better to have the horizon level. That is an easy task with image editing software so, while you are at it, have a think about whether the vehicle would look better with more equal space left and right.

3. Since the sky is so impressive, you could certainly bear moving the horizon from half way up to only a third of the way up ("rule of thirds"). On the other hand, you could go the other way and put it a third of the way from the top if you had a more exposed version of the foreground you could blend in ("HDR").

You may disagree with some or all of that and you may also find some terms you don't know - feel free to ask for clarification. It's all about the learning

Wulf

[ttcorsa]

yeah iv ordered the one with VR looking forward to getting my hands on it i go home in 10 days so i am not getting it sent out i have completed my 7 months in iraq and i am glad it is over

Thanks also for the critique the reason i joined dps was to learn and i will keep all comments in mind next time the truck is not in complete focus as i found it quite hard to focus in the dark what is the best way of focusing in the dark? as it would not auto focus and i had to manual focus and found it quite hard to see

second was the merge i have taken numorus photos some with sharper focus and contrast but i am not sure how to use the hdr merge in photoshop as i have never used it yet

and the rule of thirds i should of known better but on the day i often forget
and the horizon should of been straight also

thanks for giving me pointers i really apreciate them

[wulf]

To merge with elements from another picture, try putting them as two layers in Photoshop. Make the top one translucent so you can move it to line them up. Then make the top one opaque again but add a layer mask and work on that so that you get the elements you want from both.

The HDR merge probably wouldn't work unless both pictures were almost identical bar different exposure (although it might be worth playing with - it could yield some funky effects).

Wulf

[ttcorsa]

thanks once i seen the merging and stuff i went to cs2 and had a search for it got some okish pic out of it but will play later when i have some proper time to do thank you very much for your help it really is helpful