Pumpkin guts

[amy_bb]

This is my very first posting on DPS and one of my first attempts at a macro shot.
There was no PP done on this shot and my question is, does it need pp? If so, what would you suggest? I use PS Elements 6.0 and am a complete novice. Any suggestions would be appreciated!



EXIF
Camera Sony DSLR-A330
Exposure 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 55 mm
ISO Speed 400
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire

[Laurenbiz]

Interesting concept. I'd definitely suggest some PP, as this seems too bland SOOC.

Perhaps a high-contrast, or a Lomo edit, may make this kind of fun and unique. Or, simply just a curves adjustment would help the colors pop.

[amy_bb]

Originally Posted by Laurenbiz

Interesting concept. I'd definitely suggest some PP, as this seems to bland SOOC.

Perhaps a high-contrast, or a Lomo edit, may make this kind of fun and unique. Or, simply just a curves adjustment would help the colors pop.

Thanks very much, Lauren. As a true novice, I had to look up each of the terms you used in your critique (including SOOC----should have been able to figure THAT one out!). I will now do some PP in PSE to see if I can get the colors to pop. This will be a great excuse to sit down with PSE and lose my fear of PP!

[Stryker]

Laurenbiz is right, it looks a little bland. Here is something to get you started:

From DPS

A simple curves adjustment, contrast + saturation boost and a little USM sharpening . Of course, I used Photoshop for this, but Elements should have something very similar.

Let me know if editing your images in not OK with you and I will take it down. Oh, and welcome to DPS!

[amy_bb]

Originally Posted by Stryker

Laurenbiz is right, it looks a little bland. Here is something to get you started:



A simple curves adjustment, contrast + saturation boost and a little USM sharpening . Of course, I used Photoshop for this, but Elements should have something very similar.

Let me know if editing your images in not OK with you and I will take it down. Oh, and welcome to DPS!

Thanks, Stryker. It is fine w/me to edit my images and I really appreciate it. I am just a hobby photographer and anything I post here is fair game for critique/editing/suggestions.Not sure what I've ever do w/an upclose shot of pumpkin guts anyway :-).

[Stryker]

It is not about what you will do with this particular shot, Amy, it is about what you learn in the process that you can apply to other shots which you would really like to show off. Since you are just starting out, I feel learning from end results is faster as you have a reference image.

[Photologyst]

Hi Amy:

This pix is a great idea. However, I thought the photo looked a little bland—rather like pumpkin or the seeds without seasonings.

Therefore, I adjusted these a bit in Lightroom: White balance, exposure, vibrance, saturation, contrast, curves. I also added a vignette to focus the eye on the focal point, cropped and sharpened slightly.



Next time, you might want to shoot from several angles and try different exposures.

[amy_bb]

I like both edited versions as each gives a slightly different feel. It is a good photo for me to play with (from an editing perspective) because there are a lot of different approaches to take and there are no people in the shot to try and "fix".

I actually do have shots from different angles, Photolygist and you can see them on my Flikr set Fall Pics 2010 (if you just can't get enough pumpkin guts). From a composition standpoint, I really like photo 185 the best but the shaprness was not as crisp as I would have liked.

I look forward to learning more each time I shoot and edit.

I just purchased a used, older Minolta lens for my sony (50mm, f/1.7). Will this be a good lens for macro shoots or just portraits?

Thx everyone for your help.