Tree Lined Path - Critique Requested Please

[swiftmed]

Hey Folks,

So was out walking the dog today when I came across this path with perfectly pruned trees on either side of it. It's not surprising, it was on the grounds of one of the most expensive College's in England and I managed to take this shot, before they asked me to move on.

Would really love some constructive criticism - I didn't have a lot of time to take the photo, but I quite like the result - question is, what do you guys think?



Canon EOS 500D
Exposure: 1/80
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal Length: 31mm
ISO: 100
Flash: Off

Many thanks

[TBrown00]

I think it's a good shot, but I love ones looking into a "tunnel". I would like to see it with the sides cropped in tighter. I find the tree on the left distracting. Try cropping the sides in tight with the trees along the path. If you get the chance to try it again, I would try taking it in portrait orientation instead of horizontal. This will also help make the path a longer "leading line"

[swiftmed]

Thanks a lot for the feedback. Taking your advice, I have cropped the image and included it below... how does this look...



Also I did manage to get a portrait shot, what do you think of this?

[SwissJon]

The first thing I notice is that the sky is completely blown out and you're getting haze throughout the shot. I think that if you had actually stepped forward so that your camera lens was shaded by the trees, you'd have allieviated some of this problem. Additionally, without an ND grad filter to help with the blown out sky, you should deliberately under expose your shot by a stop and bring the exposure back in post processing. This will help with some of the highlig bleed and interference your seeing.

One thing I've noticed about your shots Swiftmed, you seem a little hesitent to take the shots you can see. You've got a good eye I think, but you appear afraid to step up to the mark and try to capture what you think you want to capture. Instead of stepping forward, lowering the camera and finding the picture that was waiting for you, you've contented yourself with putting the camera quickly to your eye and taking a snapshot, in the hope to turn it into a photograph later in post processing. PP is not about finding the picture, it's about enhancing the picture that's already there.

I think that's a newbie thing with photographers, I used to be the same. You've got to stop thinking about what others think, and think more about what YOU want to capture. What it is that you think you can see and try to take that. There's a lot to learn, but don't be afraid to copy the shapes and contortions you see pro photographers make while they take photos.

Oh.. And you need to learn to critique your own shots first. "What do you guys think" isn't going to teach you to take better photos, we're not there to tell you where to point your lens, so you need to learn to self critique. If you can look at the photo and say "Hmm, I'm not really happy with this aspect of the composition", or "the exposure's wrong" etc. Even if you don't know how to correct it, you'll learn very quickly to fix the problems you see at the time you take your photo, if you know what's wrong, and ask how to fix it, then you'll learn to control your camera better, and your photos will vastly improve. It's you who controls the camera, not us

[swiftmed]

Hi Jon,

Thank you very much for your detailed reply. I do actually believe you are correct on pretty much everything you have said - I do tend to 'see' the picture I 'want' to capture, and do actively look out for potential shots, but right now, thats the only area Im pretty confident about. I am still learning my camera and how all the settings work (or don't work) together.

For example, where you pointed out the blown out sky and maybe stepping forward slightly would alleviate that issue - I would never have thought that would help. If im being completely honest with you Jon, Im such a newbie that I don't really recognise what a pictures 'problems' are yet. I looked at my pictures and thought to myself... "yeah, pretty good". It's only when you pointed out that the sky was blown out and the haze that is there, that I stopped, looked at the photo and said, "yeh, he is actually right" Strange how I didn't notice that without it being pointed out to me?!?!

I guess this comes down to something else you brought up. I need to learn to self-critque my photographs. I have one hell of a lot to learn, and am finding it all to be a pretty steep learning curve. I think that with time, a lot of practice, and taking a minute to stop and look at the shot before hitting the shutter, will all lead to me become a potentially good photographer.

P.S. Could you tell me about the ND Grad Filter you mentioned. What is it, and how will it help my pictures? Can you offer any advice there?

The good thing is, I am enjoying the learning process and the whole photography scene. Thanks again for your advice, kind sir!!

[SwissJon]

Originally Posted by swiftmed

Hi Jon,

Thank you very much for your detailed reply. I do actually believe you are correct on pretty much everything you have said - I do tend to 'see' the picture I 'want' to capture, and do actively look out for potential shots, but right now, thats the only area Im pretty confident about. I am still learning my camera and how all the settings work (or don't work) together.

For example, where you pointed out the blown out sky and maybe stepping forward slightly would alleviate that issue - I would never have thought that would help. If im being completely honest with you Jon, Im such a newbie that I don't really recognise what a pictures 'problems' are yet. I looked at my pictures and thought to myself... "yeah, pretty good". It's only when you pointed out that the sky was blown out and the haze that is there, that I stopped, looked at the photo and said, "yeh, he is actually right" Strange how I didn't notice that without it being pointed out to me?!?!

I guess this comes down to something else you brought up. I need to learn to self-critque my photographs. I have one hell of a lot to learn, and am finding it all to be a pretty steep learning curve. I think that with time, a lot of practice, and taking a minute to stop and look at the shot before hitting the shutter, will all lead to me become a potentially good photographer.

P.S. Could you tell me about the ND Grad Filter you mentioned. What is it, and how will it help my pictures? Can you offer any advice there?

The good thing is, I am enjoying the learning process and the whole photography scene. Thanks again for your advice, kind sir!!

Looks like you've come to the right place then.. I'm right probably because you're making the same mistakes I have made not long ago and sometimes still make. Even the greatest photographers will tell you that they're still learning..

It's true, there's a lot to learn, but just remember this.. It costs nothing once you have the kit, so keep clicking and keep learning. Take a deep breath, examine the viewfinder three times. First examine the subject, is it framed properly, is it in focus, is it exposed correctly. Next examine the foreground and background. Check there's no objects sticking out of someones head or blown skies. Last, check the edges of the view finder, make sure there's no stray sticks or half objects that you didn't spot. The most common mistake I find myself making is to forget about the edges, concentrate on the centre, and completely miss things like half objects and sticks encroaching into the photo.

If the photo doesn't look right, don't just zoom in and out, move your feet and find a different perspective.. There's a reason why photographers look like contortionists, they're looking for the right perspective.

An ND Grad filter is a glass plate that is grey at the top and clear at the bottom. The idea is to allow you to reduce the amount of light entering the camera from the brighter part so that the frame is more evenly lit, and you end up with a better exposed picture. They tend to be used excluseively by landscape photographers.

I'd suggest you begin your learning process here. In this forum. Look through photos people post for critique, try to decide for yourself how you think that the photo could be improved. Read through the comments and suggestions other people have made and maybe when you feel confident, make some comments yourself, you'll be amazed how quickly you learn.

Oh, and take a look here: Digital Photography Tips and Tutorials

Welcome to DPS..

[dvtldav]

Swiftmed, I have only been on this forum for a couple of months but something that has really helped me is to look at a photo someone has posted and then try to critique it in my mind then see what people like SwissJon and others say about the photo and see how close my critique is to theirs. Sometimes I am pretty close other times not so. Now when I go out and shot I try to remember some of the things I have seen in the critiques and apply them to my shots. This has helped me and maybe it will help you too.

Dave

[swiftmed]

You are right Jon, this is the right place I believe. The sheer amount of content on the forum and the blog is huge, a bit overwhelming at first, but I said it before, this place is like a goldmine to newbies like me.

Its good to hear that even the professionals have the mentality that they are still learning, and it's also good to know that thousands of newbies just like me have started off their DSLR Photography 'journey' at forums just like this, and they are the very same people giving me advice in this very thread.

I have been using the tutorials section of the website quite a bit, and also reading a lot of the archives on the blog. What I must stop to remember though, is that it is all well and good to 'read' these articles, but its important to stop reading, and go out and try in the real world what you have just read. I am going to make a determined effort over the next few weeks to do exactly that. Read up on a new tip, go out and try it and evaluate the results.

Lastly, is something I had never even thought about that both Jon and Dave mentioned. Reading the Critique section of the forum. I had steered clear of this area of the forum because I don't see myself qualified to judge other peoples work, but I didn't think to look at these threads, think in my head what might be right or wrong about the picture, and then read what the pros have said regarding that same picture.

That is a brilliant idea, and again, something I am going to try and do a lot over the next few weeks. I know I keep saying thanks a lot, but I have some learning and physical disabilities so sometimes I require something to be fully explained to me before I fully realise the advice being given to me. I don't have many hobbies, but I have absolutely loved my first month with my DSLR, while the learning process is steep, it has been thoroughly enjoyable.

So thank you.

[TBrown00]

I like the crop better since it has gotten rid of the distracting elements on the sides. As Jon said, the sky is still blown out though.
With the portrait shot I would have tried tilting the camera down more to line up the tops of the trees on the sides of the path with the top of the frame. Tilting down would make the path into a longer "leading line" to draw us in. I probably also would have walked closer to see what that perspective would look like. Like Jon said - move around to find the perspective that suits the shot you're looking for. If you have a zoom lens, think of the focal length you want to use to create the perspective you're looking for and then use "sneaker zoom" (move your feet) to compose the shot. When you zoom instead of moving your feet, you change the perspective your lens sees. As you become more experienced, you'll see how the perspective changes as you change focal lengths. The focal length you choose is important in composing and showing us what you want us to see.

[swiftmed]

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback. I like the way you are not only critiquing the picture, but also telling me how I should try it next time (moving closer, tilt the camera down and play with the perspective via the focal length. It's hands-on advice like this which will help me I think.

It's all well and good reading all the articles out there on this and that, but when you are out in the real world, 'real' feedback like this is invaluable. I am heading back out to where this picture was taken sometime this week, so I will go back there and try again, putting into action the advice given to me on this thread. So thank you.