Picture upload, opinions please

[rickp1]

Well guys and gals, as promised I finally finished PP some pictures I took with my fiancé during our last trip to the Grand Canyon and Vegas. If you've read some of my past posts it's pretty clear I'm no pro, just a guy that has recently discovered the enjoyment of photography.

I uploaded some images to Flickr in hopes of getting some feedback. Please don't hold back, I have thick skin and if you think they suck, don't be shy.
All the images had some sort of PP (mainly lighting and contrast), so let me know if I'm over doing some aspect of that process as well.

All pictures were taken with a Canon 50D and a 17-55mm f2.8 lens. The lens had a Singh Ray polarizing filter on it. On some pictures I also used a Singh Ray ND filter. Everything was a learning experience, from the picture taking to the gear.
I tried to use the 1/3 rule and also tried some framing techniques.
Here is the link. Enjoy.
Flickr: rickp01's Photostream

[chan90]

They all are great. I like the goat (?) one! But, the fountain is absolutely magnificent!! Well done.

[rickp1]

Thanks Chan90, I appreciate the feedback. The fountain pictue is one of my favorites and believe it or not I didn't do any PP on it.

The goat is interesting. It was just hanging out on the ledge of the canyon right behind our hotel. We acctually missed the herd of them that were near that spot early in the morning.

It was a bit tough taking the pictures and editing them. The sky and the air were very hazzy that day, even with a polarizing filter it was frustrating. It would love to hear from some of people with experience on how to deal with that.

R.

[Ariana Murphy]

Hello, Rick,

I really enjoyed viewing your photostream of the Grand Canyon. Gorgeous shots! I hope to go there some day.

I just finished a photography course, and one of the things my professor mentioned was in cases where the shadows are very dark, tweaking them a bit (lightening the shadows) to bring out a little detail can sometimes improve them. Also, I noticed a couple where the horizon is not quite straight - a problem I struggle with too, even with a tripod that includes a bubble level!

I am a newbie at photography, been at it for a year or so, but an enthusiastic amateur. So feel free to ignore my comments! I'm going to watch this thread, and hopefully I can learn something too.

Keep up the great work, Rick!

Cheers!

- Ariana

[equilution]

Welcome to DPS, Rick! You should post these in the critique section..but put the pics in the post instead of a link, as most members won't take the time to follow a link. The long-timers spend a lot of time posting comments on other people's shots, so don't want to be led astray, and will tend to pass yours by.

While the Grand Canyon is a magnificent setting to get some stunning photographs, unfortunately, it's one of those subjects that has been so over-photographed, that there's little you can do to make your pictures stand out from the other 50 billion pictures that have been taken since 200 Million BC. One thing I try to do is figure out a way that no one else (or at least very few) has ever tried to capture the subject. That usually requires Herculean effort on your part...but that's what sets a snapshot apart from a gallery piece! Either get up before God does and find a good place to camp until the sun comes up over the Canyon, or plan on staying out late to get the sunset. You wouldn't believe the change in color from 4pm to 7pm over the canyon. It's like night and day...literally!

Again, welcome to DPS. You'll find a lot of amazing photographers, with great advice and tips. I've learned more here in 9 months than any class can teach in 4 years.

Happy shooting!

Jim

[wal]

I did a quick view of your photostream and it's good. The tones and colors..nice. of course a bit of colors on the sky at sunset/ sunrise would be good.. but one can ask only too much.... anyway, good job.. BTW.. ever tried converting it in bnw..?

[rickp1]

Hey guys,
thanks for the feedback.
The reason I posted the link was because i thought it was the preferred manner for posting. It's good to know now though. I'll see if i can re-post.

Again thanks for taking the time to reply, much appreciated.

R.

[OsmosisStudios]

Technically, theyre very good. not perfect, but close. I think your filter combination may be to flame.

Compositionally, though, I got bored. Theyre almost all the same thing: horizon placed at 1/3 top line, canyon filling the bottom, flat blue sky on top. Vary things, use different perspectives, etc.

One thing the canyon is great for is a great panorama. Stitching images together would have been a wonderful alternative and would have given you something more unique to play with.

[rickp1]

Hey OsmosisStudios,
You know I have to agree with you on them looking the same. I picked up on that when I was going through them. I have a fewf stitched up images but I'm not happy with the result. As for the fitler, all I used was a polarized filter and a 2 stop ND Singh filter.
I did notice how the polarizing filter and the wide lens casused some dark and uneven sky areas. Not something to really worry about, but a good learning point.

Since i was getting the same image from most locations I tried to focus on some techniques like framing or havinng something in the foreground leadind you to the background etc.. A lot of lessons learned on this trip.

Thank you for the feedback.
R.

[navcom]

Good job Rick! Not bad, especially considering you are pretty new to this photography thing! It's nice to see you are thinking about your composition, not just centering the image and snapping away. I also like the two images that aren't canyon-associated...the woman and the statue. Great job!

It looks like you are off to a great start. Keep experimenting! You have a good base going.