What’s Your Preference?

snapdragon · #1 (**permalink**) 08-25-2007, 11:46 AM

Please take a look at these and tell me if you find the B&W better for minamising the shadows ,as it was a hard shot to get, and the shadows came with it .re taking is not an option, any suggestions would be great . Thanks

jiminyClickit · #2 (**permalink**) 08-25-2007, 12:06 PM

snapdragon,

Mostly your title needs work. If I walk into a photo gallery and see "Photograph" under each shot, I'm going to be less interested.

For the toss of the shoe, waiting was not an option? Shadows can be great in the right places; these are disruptive. Size of photo limits critique.

I just awoke from a too-short nap, if that excuses the lack of positive expression. But if the situation isn't right, why take that photograph? Waiting, moving around, getting cooperation from the subject throwing the horseshoe, are all a photographer's choosing. A photo showing the shoe inches out of the thrower's hand would have more impact than the static post in the dirt.

snapdragon · #3 (**permalink**) 08-25-2007, 12:32 PM

Thanks jimmy ,sorry I forgot to title the shots , it should have been First Toss , as it was my 6 yr olds first horse shoe toss and you can not always wait for the perfect conditions ,if you want a photo of the first toss , I was lucky to catch it at all and was only wanting help with what I had ,to get the best out of it . maybe I posted it in the wrong area .

hpebley3 · #4 (**permalink**) 08-25-2007, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snapdragon

Please take a look at these and tell me if you find the B&W better for minimizing the shadows,

I don't. In the B/W version, things just seem to get muddier and details in the shadows are lost.

Quote:

Originally Posted by snapdragon

any suggestions would be great

For this shot, in post processing, you might try adjusting the brightness levels some. In PSP (and I think others have this, but I'm not sure) there's a "Smart Photo fix" which allows brightness adjustment of shadows and highlights independently of each other. This might help minimize some of the differences. Also, as the "original" is not much bigger than a thumbnail, this looks like it's been cropped. This leads me to wonder what the original looks like and if there might be something that could be done with other parts of the shot which we don't see.

I know it doesn't help for this shot, but in the future, try to be aware of these issues and work around them. E.g. I wonder in this case what would have happened if you'd moved to the left, got down lower and shown the entire length of the toss area with your child in the shot. It seems to me the "first" moments are more about the individual than what they did, so the subject should be the child, their excitement, expression, etc. and not the thing that's flying through the air.

A couple other tricks for next time when shooting outside with a lot of contrast between sunny and shadow areas:
1) Try using the flash. Depending on the situation, that might help brighten the shadow areas and reduce contrast.
2) If your camera allows it, change the metering to only meter for a spot, rather than the entire image, get a reading on the shadow area (typically by holding down the shutter release half-way), recompose your shot and then take it. This will cause either the bright areas to be over exposed (if metering in the shadow) or the shadows to be deeper (if metering in the bright area), but it will help your subject to be better exposed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by snapdragon

I was ... only wanting help with what I had, to get the best out of it. maybe I posted it in the wrong area

Nope this is the correct area. Don't take any offense, sometimes the best thing you can get out of a situation is learning how to improve next time.

Cheers.

snapdragon · #5 (**permalink**) 08-25-2007, 02:27 PM

Thanks for the tips ,I will try lessening the shadows and keep it in color . this shot happened when i was setting up ,I do have others ,with him in them all bad lighting I am afraid but this is the one he wants for in his room ,so trying to make the best out of a bad photo for him .

I am adding the link to the org photo , it was not croped ,but i had played with it ,and

made it worse .http://picasaweb.google.com/rightlef...43519816017682

peeperita · #6 (**permalink**) 08-25-2007, 02:42 PM

i am all about salvaging.......especially when it's a shot that cannot be repeated.....like your son's first toss.....

i hope i haven't overstepped, but i took the liberty of messing around with yours in photoshop.....

i recropped the edge of the grass out and tilted it slightly....hit both the shadows and the highlights with the tool by the same name...then reset the white and the black point in levels....

my best

peeper

snapdragon · #7 (**permalink**) 08-25-2007, 03:28 PM

Thanks Peeper ,that made a big differance , what editing program do you use ? I have photo studio5.5 , not the best but I may be able to follow what you have done , what tool is it that you used ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by peeperita

i am all about salvaging.......especially when it's a shot that cannot be repeated.....like your son's first toss.....

i hope i haven't overstepped, but i took the liberty of messing around with yours in photoshop.....

i recropped the edge of the grass out and tilted it slightly....hit both the shadows and the highlights with the tool by the same name...then reset the white and the black point in levels....

my best

peeper

peeperita · #8 (**permalink**) 08-25-2007, 03:33 PM

i use photoshop cs2...what you see mainly is a tool called shadows and highlights.....i believe it is a consolidation of actions from previous versions....it can lighten shadows and conversely darken highlights independantly from each other.....

levels you most likely have....it is basically a histogram with sliders and sample points for setting the lightest, darkest, and midpoint values....

you can do much of what i have done with only the levels tool....

and thank you, i understand the value of a once in a lifetime shot.....

peeper