Friends rave, but I don't like it...

[AlphaBjerke]

I always find it interesting to when non-photographers flip over one of my photos that I don't think is very good. This is one of those photos. The problem is, I don't know what it is exactly that is wrong with it. I plan on editing it again tonight if I have a chance.

It has some incredible elements, but to me it falls flat and I am wondering if you critics agree with me and if you have any idea how to make it better.

Here are my questions:

Is there a problem with the sky on the left where it is darker than the rest of the photo? I used a polarizing filter and the sun was approximately at a right angle to the shot.

Are the colors attractive? It seems like there is something wrong with them to me. All the other photos in the set of five have better color to me for some reason. (See flickr first five below in signature.)

That is it. I feel that the composition is great, but the sky on one end and the overall color really are nagging at me. Also, any suggestion for processing will be appreciated. I am going to turn it into five exposures and see what it looks like HDR style.



EXIF
200 ISO
17mm
f8
500 SS

[Weebonilass]

I'm new here, so take this with a grain of salt, but it "feels" a little off balance to me... if that makes any sense. Perhaps a little crop off to the right of the tractor.. so the eye doesn't stop and then continue on into the picture, but flow from the tractor into the rest of the picture?

The colours weren't really that noticeable to me.

[BryanC]

I started reading your post and then skipped ahead to the photo so I wouldn't be influenced at first look. What stood out right away for me ended up being what you mentioned first. I was drawn to the darker sky on the left side, in a distracting kind of way. There also seems to be some noise in that darker area.

I do like the composition and the colors look fine to me. In your opinion, are the greens in the photo accurate with the scene in person? I really like the reflection in the water, also. I think it makes the image.

[marcfrye]

I have no issues with the shot as is. That being said, an improvement may be to get more of a side view of the tractor. It's kind of a dark blob. An angled side view may be more attractive and interesting.

[AlphaBjerke]

Originally Posted by marcfrye

I have no issues with the shot as is. That being said, an improvement may be to get more of a side view of the tractor. It's kind of a dark blob. An angled side view may be more attractive and interesting.

Well put; I felt something like that too. The tractor is not nearly as interesting to me as it was in other pictures I took that day. I like this one much better, but it doesn't have the water:



Thanks for that observation!

[AlphaBjerke]

Originally Posted by BryanC

I started reading your post and then skipped ahead to the photo so I wouldn't be influenced at first look. What stood out right away for me ended up being what you mentioned first. I was drawn to the darker sky on the left side, in a distracting kind of way. There also seems to be some noise in that darker area.

I do like the composition and the colors look fine to me. In your opinion, are the greens in the photo accurate with the scene in person? I really like the reflection in the water, also. I think it makes the image.

Bryan, yeah, that dark area really bothers me. I don't know what I am doing wrong: when I use a polarizing filter, I can see as I turn it that it makes some elements pop real well and obviously I needed it here for the reflection on the puddle, but it seems like there is always an uneveness in the color of the sky. That bugs the heck out of me. Do you know what I am doing wrong to get these areas of where the sky is of uneven color? It seems a bit in this picture that it is lighter over at the side were the sun is.

Oh, I also looked at it large and see that noise. That really disappoints me since it was taken at 200 ISO.

Thanks for the advice!

[BryanC]

Originally Posted by AlphaBjerke

Bryan, yeah, that dark area really bothers me. I don't know what I am doing wrong: when I use a polarizing filter, I can see as I turn it that it makes some elements pop real well and obviously I needed it here for the reflection on the puddle, but it seems like there is always an uneveness in the color of the sky. That bugs the heck out of me. Do you know what I am doing wrong to get these areas of where the sky is of uneven color? It seems a bit in this picture that it is lighter over at the side were the sun is.

Oh, I also looked at it large and see that noise. That really disappoints me since it was taken at 200 ISO.

Thanks for the advice!

I have to be honest and say that I'm not sure about the filter issue. Hopefully, someone with that knowledge will pop in for you. I failed to mention in my first post that I saw the noise in the larger version, also. I'm not sure why that is, either. Between your ISO setting and the your shutter speed, I wouldn't think it would be there. Did this possibly happen in PP sharpening?

The second shot of the tractor is pretty cool, by the way!

Added: I use an A200 also, so I know the noise shouldn't be there because of the camera with those settings.

[AlphaBjerke]

Originally Posted by BryanC

I have to be honest and say that I'm not sure about the filter issue. Hopefully, someone with that knowledge will pop in for you. I failed to mention in my first post that I saw the noise in the larger version, also. I'm not sure why that is, either. Between your ISO setting and the your shutter speed, I wouldn't think it would be there. Did this possibly happen in PP sharpening?

The second shot of the tractor is pretty cool, by the way!

Added: I use an A200 also, so I know the noise shouldn't be there because of the camera with those settings.

You know, Bryan, it must be due to the sharpening I did in PP. The combination of the dark blue and the sharpening must have been too much. I should have masked off the sky for the sharpening. Yeah, I wish the noise control was better in the A200, but I wasn't worried about it at 200 ISO!

Thanks, again!

[Sterling]

The issue with the polarizing filter is that you are using it on too wide of a lens. As you already realize, it has the most effect when aimed perpendicular to the sun where it produces the deep blue sky. As you aim it around closer to being inline with the sun, the sky isn't darkened so much. When you use such a wide angle lens, the view captures tthe darkened zone and the lighter zone in the same frame. This is why you're getting the patchy sky color. Used on something like a 35+mm lens you won't see that problem.

[AlphaBjerke]

Originally Posted by Sterling

The issue with the polarizing filter is that you are using it on too wide of a lens. As you already realize, it has the most effect when aimed perpendicular to the sun where it produces the deep blue sky. As you aim it around closer to being inline with the sun, the sky isn't darkened so much. When you use such a wide angle lens, the view captures tthe darkened zone and the lighter zone in the same frame. This is why you're getting the patchy sky color. Used on something like a 35+mm lens you won't see that problem.

Thanks, Sterling. I figured as much. It just seems like the shots that I need it for are always on the wide side. Oh well.