Monthly Critique – What’s Your Opinion
This month’s critique comes with a twist. The photo is from Gary Arndt who is currently two years into an around the world trip. Around the world may be misleading, he’s roaming around, let’s just say. I featured Gary’s blog in the recent post 8 Daily Photo Blogs That Provide Inspiration here on DPS as he produces wonderful images from his travels on a daily basis.
Here’s the twist, not only is Gary looking for input on the photo I selected for this month’s critique, but he would laos like input on editing photos while on the road. Right now Gary is not under what some of us would consider ideal photo editing circumstances; often staying in hostels, spotting internet connectivity, varied light sources and a small travel laptop that hasn’t been color calibrated, uhhhhhhh…..ever. He treats most of the images he posts as first drafts, doing simple edits just to get the pictures online, until he returns home and can use his desktop machine to edit.
With that in mind, a few of the DPS writers take a crack at critiquing Gary’s photo (above), taken in the Wadi Rum Valley in Jordan. Click on the photo for larger sizes.
Helen Bradley
This photo is a challenge. There is so much going on in it from the beautifully shaped and strong colors of the tents in the foreground through to the people sitting on the side of what can only be presumed to be a road in the middle ground and the spectacular rock formations in the background. There are three or more photos in this single image, each of which I would like to see featured in detail. But the photographer is tantalizingly holding back from showing me what I want to see. Perhaps that’s the true strength of the photograph – it holds so much promise that you almost ache to know more about its subject.
As to tips to help Gary as he edits his images on the road, I believe that a laptop monitor is not the best tool to use when doing detailed editing. I recommend Lightroom because any edits you make to a photograph are not committed to it so they can be tweaked and undone. On the road, focus on picking the shots that you want to keep (P for pick, X for Reject). Delete the rejects and then rate the picks to identify the best of the bunch. Perform only preliminary edits such as Exposure, Recovery, Fill Light and Blacks and crop images if they really need it. Leave other edits till you have access to a good quality, calibrated monitor. One of the benefits of this mini workflow is that you can quickly prepare a slideshow of your best images and enjoy the fruits of your labor as you travel.
What a magic shot! The only way it could be improved is to make a separate version Photoshop using the Spherize filter to simulate a more fishy fisheye lens view! But magic!
Gary I’m envious of your journey, but I know its got to be an incredible challenge to keep photographing remotely as you’re doing. To your photo…
No disrespect intended this is a nice snapshot. It details the scene well enough, but it lacks punch and not because of a lack of post-processing. The scene is full of subject material calling out to be the center of its own photo. It is human nature to want to capture an entire scene into a single photo, but it often never translates. Photographs even with the widest lens seldom translate an open scene quite the same way as when you see it with your own eyes. As it relates to travel I would hope you include a photo like this in a set leading your viewer through different components of this scene. Photos with the people as the subject, the view out the tent door, detail of the sand and landscape, etc. All of these together would paint a larger scene more effectively than one super wide photo. In addition your personal style and perspective would shine through such a set of images better than what would come across in a single photo like this. That being said this photo is what it is and it suffices, but I don’t feel trying to point out technical improvements or minor compositional changes will make this that much better.
As for travel workflow its tough to give solid advice with out knowing what equipment and software you’re using. In the best of all worlds you’d have a program with you like Lightroom that lets you keyword and catalog your images. Post-processing could also be done and if photosets have similar lighting you’d be able to quickly carry over post-processing settings from one image to the next speeding up the process. One thing I’d hope you’re also doing is backing up your work in the event of theft or catastrophic computer failure. Mailing CD or DVD backups to your home from where ever you are might be a smart thing to do.
Best of luck with your travels and photography!
I like all the activity in this scene a lot. I’m a fan of vast spaces and that’s one thing I really like about this shot, its wide angle. The wide angle also makes the people small and seemingly lost in the scene, further adding to the expanse of the area (I’m left imagining the whole area to the side and behind the camera is equally as open). The shadows also interest me and give away the time of day, making me imagine the scene is starting to cool as people gather around the table for ????
The flare on the left side bugs me as well as the rocks on the right. Framed a little to the left would have been better in my eyes, but it’s entirely possible this wasn’t feasible. I do like the tents in the foreground and the hills in the distance. All in all, the photograph really makes me want to be there!!
I can’t offer much help on the photo editing on the road other than what you’re doing. I’ve edited enough on my travel laptop to know that it’s just not going to cut it when it comes to color accuracy. I typically use Picasa on the road as it’s easy to upload to various locations and has the simple cropping and color correction I require to get the story out when on the road. I would though highly suggest being ruthless with deletes while on the road, it will make things easier when doing final edits. You’re going to have one massive editing job when you do make it home, Gary!!
What’s your opinion of Gary’s photo? Share it in the comments section below, especially if you have any tips for editing on the road he and others might find useful.
50 Responses to “Monthly Critique – What’s Your Opinion” - Add Yours
June 7th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
I love the early morning feel of the photo.
From the light, we can see that’s the sun is rising and it creates a breath catching scenery.
I agree with Jim Goldstein’s envy from visiting all these amazing places.
However.. The photo, except being well taken, is bit lacking in interest. For me, those little dots (people) are the interest, to see them in this environment, or maybe some kind of interaction between the people and these great looking tents.
Sometimes, interest might come not only from a ‘real life situation’ captured. Sometime it can be just a different type of exposure or WB. For example – http://www.ilanbresler.com/2008/07/spots.html.
All said above, is just my personal opinion, and if any of it insults the creator, I ask for forgiveness.
June 7th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
I hadn’t known Gary’s images were considered first drafts. That explains my first belief that many of his shots look amateurish, as if they were captured by a hurried shutterbug with a point-and-shoot. I’d like to see his processed, final work if someone can post a link.
The above image has a lot of potential. The blown-out highlights in the left sky area are a major distraction. The shadow on the tent in the foreground should be part of the image, not cropped out. Getting lower and closer would have produced several stellar images of this amazing scene. Get as close as you can, then move closer.
Perhaps a polarizing filter to make that sky “pop” would also have been a good idea? Greater DOF would have made the people stand out a little more.
My two cents, no insults intended.
June 7th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
I don’t think, there’s anything special about this shot. The location might be interesting but the photo is not. It would have illustrated the vastness of the desert much more if he just picked out a single person with the mountains in the far far distance. With all the tents dominating the frame, you hardly pay attention to the people, you could even edit them out, wouldn’t make a difference. The location has a surreal touch to it which is just detroyed by all the “human stuff” scattered around. This makes it just some random spot somewhere in the world instead of something extraordinary which it could have been if the photographer had chosen a different spot to shoot from and another subject instead of the tents.
June 8th, 2009 at 12:31 am
No doubt it is a great shot. The time choosen to capture the shot makes the story of light & shadow & as well as a mind blowing detail in the sand in the foreground. In the back ground left corner has a flare of white light which in my opinion is little eye catching. But then also as whole the picture has a cool effect. Nice shot.
June 8th, 2009 at 1:05 am
I find it fascinating that the expert’s opinions can disagree so much and yet I agree with all of them. That’s offered me an excellent opportunity to examine this photo at a deeper level than I normally would. Thank you all.
What I see is an excellent record of a place. As a story telling vehicle this image is strong. I’d be happy to have taken it. The sense of place, the harshness of the landscape, the distances, the lifestyle, they’re all eloquently captured here. This is good journalism.
As a piece of art, the photo does have some problems. There are some strong elements. The line of tents and the long shadows are both compelling, as is the distant mesa. The small people convey a sense of distance. The door into the cliff offers up a mystery. Yet where does the eye settle? Mine doesn’t. As Helen mentioned, there are several photos here. I think they compete.
As Peter mentioned, the flare is distracting and the distant mountains on the right unbalance the image. Those issues could be be fixed in post processing. Something as simple as cropping strengthens the composition, which brings me back to the main problem, the lack of a main focus of interest.
June 8th, 2009 at 3:36 am
I think he should have taken the photo a little bit earlier. It would have given the mountains more detail and also would have shorten the shadows. A good picture though.
June 8th, 2009 at 4:15 am
I like all of the elements in the photo, but they are not displayed in a way that tells a story to the person viewing it. I think there is no visual progression in this image. One needs to work hard to find all of the details.
The mountains in the background are breathtakingly beautiful, and would fill a frame wonderfully on their own. They work well as a background, and work okay here, but I think the clutter in the foreground reduces their effectiveness.
The tents seem to me to be captured at a wrong angle. I don’t want to look down on the tents, but would rather be at the same level as they are. The shadows from the sunlight don’t help the tents much from this angle. There are very nice lines in the tents that could help guide the viewer where to look next.
The human figures are something that I think would work best out front in the image, rather than occupying a distant corner. The first time I looked at the image, I didn’t even notice them.
I can understand that you didn’t likely have an opportunity to stage the photo, but that seems to be its biggest (sic) downfall. Telling a visual story along the lines of “here are the people, here are the tents they live in, and here is the greater world they occupy” would make this a more powerful image. You need to have a foreground, a middleground and a background, and something at each place that sparkles. One’s eye jumps haphazardly from place to place when looking at this image, and it is easier on the viewer if you guide that pattern, rather than making the viewer have to figure out where to look next.
Nevertheless, you have captured a compelling place! We all now want to go there!!!
June 8th, 2009 at 5:15 am
Personally, I think you try to do too much in most of your photos. Think more simplistically and more about composition when taking the initial photo. There would be a LOT less to do in a photo program that way. Sometimes when you are trying to capture something moving or a transitional subject matter, you might find multiple photos or more of a need for a photo program, but most of your photos I perused were not of that nature. Composition. Think composition.
June 8th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
I would like to see if he shot a view positioning his camera at the far end of the long tent, set lower to the ground showing to the background of the final tent. With the shadows and the three tents being of shapes not equal, a depth of field with a contrast in shape, angles and shadows cast from the sun might be interesting.
June 10th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
My first impression of this photo is that I love it. After reading the other critiques, I can envision some of their suggestions and how it might improve the photo. One suggestion I thought was very helpful was to use this image as a lead in to detail shots.
That being said, photography, like all mediums of art, is subjective, and so are the critiques we receive. With the exception of basic technique, everything is up to the interpretation of the artist, and even the “rules” of basic technique can be reinterpreted with great effect.
I LOVE the tents in this shot, I love the intense, deep, dark brown with the striking white strips. They inspire me to design a dress, and I am not a fashion designer at all, but you have captured them in such a way that they inspire other forms of art for me. Also, I really appreciate the angle you have captured these from, including much more of the scene around to give us a broad perspective of the situation in one shot. I love the shadows that give details – also up for interpretation as some have assumed it is nearing evening and others have assumed the day is just beginning. I had to look at this photo about 5 times before I even noticed the people, because the tents, the shadows, the rocky outcroppings framing the top, capture my attention and give a really solid shot to rest my eyes on.
I like that you included the rocks on the right side of the frame, especially since there is a doorway where it meets the tents – is it carved out inside? Was it carved out by hand? What is being stored in there or are people staying there? All these questions are brought up, making me more intrigued about this people group, this region, this lifestyle, such a wonderful reaction to have to a photograph.
Excellent job, thank you so much for sharing this with us!
June 10th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Also, I wanted to add that I love the way you angled and framed the shot to include all the tents. It makes me wonder what each one is for, what this camp is doing, how long they are staying, etc., things that would have been missed if you had just done tight detail shots. And I like the overall angle of the photo, how the position/perspective you shot from seems to elongate the camp, emphasizing the hot and arid climate, that the distance between each tent and from one end of the camp to the other might take effort to cross as the people are tired and hot. Again, great shot.
June 11th, 2009 at 9:50 am
Image has potential, but at the moment is just a snapshot that needs some work. Cool location, good shadows, colour etc; you need to work it and make the come image alive.
-Horizon not straight
-Image is washed out(from shooting into sun) fix with overlay mask and masking perhaps. check levels, make sure you have a blackpoint. perhaps high radius usm amount~10 radius max.
-empty space top right, too much sky. makes picture lack a focal point (personally id crop the sky lower to make a panorama shape, this would draw the veiwer to the tents/buildings and their shadows more)
June 12th, 2009 at 1:22 am
This picture has been taken from above and the shapes of the tents also work with these angles for me the picture doesnt stand out as spectacular but does look like it could be proudly put against a wall. The picture is slightly crooked and doesnt have a main focus point.
June 12th, 2009 at 1:39 am
I’ve come out of lurkdom to offer this comment: The pic interested me so much that I took the liberty of cropping it, and adding contrast. Is there some way of uploading my edited photo just to see what the photographer thinks of it?
Thanks
Bobbie
June 12th, 2009 at 1:45 am
I like this shot a lot – there are a lot of layers to this picture. My suggestion for a scene like this is to move the camera location so none of the subjects (positive spaces) merge into each other. If you had stepped a bit to the right the tent and the door could have been separated, same might have worked for the other 3 tents, so the eye could have visually moved around the different objects in the picture.
I do not mind that the eyes does not settle on one object. The tents – to me – create a repeating pattern and if they were separated from each other it would be easy for the eye to circle around them. Great play of light and shadows and beautiful tones. I am itching to see the photo after post processing.
The glare in the left corner is distracting but that can be post processed when you have the proper equipment and software available. Editing on the go is difficult – I think you are doing the best you can.
Thank you for sharing, really enjoyed it
Beatrix
June 12th, 2009 at 2:28 am
Hi Gary,
I do have some critique about this photo, however it would be said out of turn. This photo is part of a collection from your around the world tour. In a few years time when you reflect on your travels, you’ll see this photo and be able to talk about the mountains, the people, the tents, the shadows and the desert landscape in this location. For those reasons, I think it’s a great shot!
For photo editing on the road, download IrfanView (irfanview.com). it’s a simple, easy, and basic graphic program that actually has a lot of useful features. Just remember not to overwrite your original photos!
All the best in your further adventures.
Aneez
PS – here’s a great photo trick you can try…
http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/shopping/51291/focal-pointers
June 12th, 2009 at 2:48 am
Hmmm.. to be frank i see more faults than merits..
1. no purticular subject.. everythin seems distractin. even the shadows.
2. overexposed in the left upper part is distractin..
3. looks like a pic he took froma camel or somethin.. heee..
4. basically its just a click..
June 12th, 2009 at 2:59 am
The image begs for some sort of riveting subject. The eye moves all over the place but what is the real center of interest?
I am sure other comments have stressed this And it is hard to critique when you don’t know the circumstances, however…… This is a place of interest and what is really going on beside people gathering by the tents? Who are they?
This is a perfect time to get in close and stress the vastness by framing the figures from inside a tent (see John Ford, The Searchers) Or shoot from down low and get those figures dwarfed by the looming rocks.
Tell a story because that is the aim ….right?
June 12th, 2009 at 3:07 am
Its a good photo, I like the feel of the morning, but the tents throw the perspective of the picture off.
June 12th, 2009 at 3:13 am
Thank you for this picture. I returned from Jordan less than a week ago, and from the bus only got hints of the desert and tents and people you have herein captured so beautifully. Thank you for giving me a closer look!
-Marie
June 12th, 2009 at 3:37 am
Gary, this photo is amazing, yet in my opinion there is just too much going on. my eye cant stay in one spot when attempting to focus on a scene. the red sand is beautiful and the black shelter contrasts it wonderfully. yet the blue sky and the people in the background and the distant take away from what I think that you were wanting. Although it gives the picture some life or signs of culture that one may want to see. What i want to see is more detail on nonspecific things sich as the adobe shelter or the pattern of the footprints in the sand cracks in the rocks or even more involved in what the people are doing. i want to feel like im actually there, not secluded looking at the picture through a computer screen.
But still, I send you props on this photograph.
June 12th, 2009 at 4:25 am
Nice photograph, like a few of the real pros I found it a bit busy and would like to have seen it cropped to the left leaving only the mud hut on the right. If possible take out some of the background rock formations.
Good luck on the trip.
Best,
Ed
June 12th, 2009 at 5:15 am
I think it is great. I see it as a story. It is the story of a magical space where people live in incredible, expansive beauty told in one sentence. It has single message about that environment as a place.
It has extra impact for me from my vantage point in Minnesota, the land of lakes, forests and abundant farms.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:17 am
I would have preferred the shot taken at a somewhat lower angle the better to show off the tents in relation to the distant rocks (?), hills (?), mountains (?) in the background, and use it as an opening pic for a series of vignettes showcasing the 360 of the location.
The wadi channels the water during the rainy season. Is that where the tents are pitched? A shot including a well would relieve the viewer’s parched throat, too. Otherwise, if the tribe schleps the water, a shot with same would tell a telling story, no?
The Bedouin are a colourful, very photogenic and hospitable people; I would have liked the series to include the peripatetic natives in their element.
Love the colours! It made me hungry for the remaining (very few) chocolates in the pantry.
Best wishes for safe, memorable and enjoyable journey, A.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:28 am
I feel that this is a fantastic shot. Yeah, it could be photo-shopped into a whole other place, day, and time of day…But I don’t believe in that. I think if photogs want to live up to Ansel Adams and HCB, etc…then taking a shot and that being the shot with very little photo editing done is the way to go. Great Shot.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:43 am
hi its nice photograph but there r few things which r desturbing my eyes those r white lines which r going in many directions then white sky on left top corner and i wish if you have taken photo of those foot prints around tents they will give amazing textuers and direction
June 12th, 2009 at 6:57 am
Take the shot again12 hours +/- on. The shadows would play better going the other way, in my opinion.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:40 am
Very nice composition. Great light the long shadows make the picture. I feel that the sky could go away mostly there is nothing of real unterst there, The mountains would serve as a resting place befor wandering the rest of the photo.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:54 am
While my own photography tends towards close detail shots, I love the wide scaled used in this photo. The stark desert and cloudless sky emphasize a feeling of being alone in a very large world. While others have taken issue with the lack of focus on a subject matter, I find that the lack of focus is the most interesting aspect of the photo. The tents in the foreground tell a story of being able to make a life even in this barren landscape; however, the minimalist style of living is evident in how the tents blend in with the landscape and how small of an effect the people have on the picture (reflective on their impact on their environment). Overall I found this to be a very moving shot.
I can understand your desire to see your photo’s finished; I usually can barely wait to get everything home after a few hours of shooting to get to a finished picture that I’m proud of, I can’t imagine waiting a few years. However, patience is a good thing in your situation. Assuming, that you can’t make any upgrade to your laptop, you aren’t going to be happy with the result until you can get home and really dig into the editing process.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:55 am
The pic is ok but the front part is too busy with the boats or whatever they are. They are far too distracting -
remove them.! The sky could be darkened or a few clouds put in . to make it more interesting.
Apart from that its ok but thats a bit much isnt it.
June 12th, 2009 at 8:47 am
There is a lot wrong with this picture. As said before,The horizon is slanted to the left and the colors are dull and washed out. In addition, there is no prominent subject matter. (The tents? The people? what?) Composition leaves a lot to desire. Blown highlights and harsh shadows that do not add anything to the picture. This is a great subject in a great environment and this is the best he could come up with?
June 12th, 2009 at 9:11 am
I could not agree more with what Jim said above. There are so many wonderful thing in the photo I don’t know where to look.
Spot on critique Jim.
Enjoy the rest of your trip Gary!
June 12th, 2009 at 11:52 am
This may not be the most artistic shot but from what I take as the intended purpose of documenting his travels and presenting his view of the world I think it does the job well. It is a little busy but compared to a street shot from a major city it captures the casual, relaxed atmosphere.
At first glance my eye was drawn from the tents to the glare, across the rocks in the background and then back down to the tents. I didn’t like the glare at first but after a few looks I think it fits here in helping to tell the story.
Some have suggested removing the people but I think without them it would seem deserted and wouldn’t tell the same story.
I like that some have assumed this was morning while others appear to think it is late afternoon. Either way the people seem to be relaxing before starting or after finishing their day
I agree with some other comments that this should be a lead in to some more detailed shots of the individual subjects but I think this would make a good cover shot.
Summary – Keep it as is and hopefully you took some other shots to add to the story.
June 12th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I would have tried to take the shot with the sun behind me. I cant tell what time of day it was when this shot was taken, late afternoon or early in the day. At sunrise or sunset may produce some nice colors also. Maybe even take the shot without people in it.
June 12th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
I found this to be beautiful photograph. I was struck by the stillness of color and most unconcerned about the blown highlight, but intrigued by the amazing geometrical progression: tents, road, gentle slope of the dune between the tents and the road, the array of the people facing the sun, the distant mountains, and the rock in the right foreground that helps move the eye along the angle’s path. Rather than look for story, I thought immediately of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s “l’instant decisif: how ‘everything is summed up in the supreme moment when form briefly takes on its essential meaning.’”
June 12th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
The shadows need to be brought up. If you have D-lighting (as in a Nikon pro or semi-pro camera, try using this feature and converting to JPEG to see how it looks. Save it if you like it, or throw it away if it does not work. The idea here is to recover some of the shadow detail and not make the shadows so extreme compared to the balance of the photo. You may also consider bracketing on future shots, (use a tripod), and then do HDR post-processing later, not now.
The composition is interesting, but it does not have “grab”. I am a bit of an impressionist, and I want an image which changes the state of the viewer in powerful ways. (To get an idea of my biases, I am a Mahler and Rumi junkie, so forms which hit me with power are high on my list.)
Save the detailed post-processing until later. Aim at getting the emotional hit, and do it with the best craft you can bring to bear during composition. When it comes to craft, It is similar to when I was in recording engineering school. Get it down, get it clean. To that is added the artistic element, “It must affect you as the viewer/photographer.”
I like the shot. Hold it and worry about how to fully realise it later. I try to maintain a childlike state of openness when it comes to photography. I don’t know what is going to cross my path so I need to be in a state which is sensitive to what I encounter. Try and reset to that state that a child has in seeing things as new.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
a very intresting and story based picture.the color and composition is right
June 12th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
About the picture:-
I like the location a lot, I think the shot as taken is a little too busy and there are (for me at least) too many disruptive elements in the shot (the right hand smaller tent, mens rest room [?] and pale colored tent) that take me away from the fantastic panorama. The [possibly blown] highlight at the top left is distracting as well and i’m not sure whether a UV filter was used but it looks like not – I’d probably have gone for less haze in the distance by using one. Similarly a graduated neutral density filter would have allowed the exposure to be a little more balanced and bring the colors out (so would shooting earlier as others have noted) – this assumes you are using an SLR which can take filters of course :-). The horizon line is off as well, hard to spot on the road though I know! For me I would probably have tried to take the shot from way over on the left so that the three larger tents dominate the right side of the image and lead into the valley and the more distant view – carrying your eye into the image, this would also let you make more of the people since they would be closer and also nicely side lit – and of course you would lose the flare at the top left of the image. Sorry that sounds overly critical but it is meant to be constructive! I have spent years trying to get this stuff right and still don’t always manage ;-)
Editing on the road:-
Hopefully this is more useful. I shoot on the road a lot and suffer the same hotel woes and editing challenges.
First off, plenty of memory cards – they are cheap enough these days that I carry plenty and never delete anything on the road. This gives you one form of backup and it’s one you won’t accidentally save over editing late at night…
second, backup to the laptop every day and ideally to a separate portable hard drive as well – you cannot have enough backups. Memory sticks are good as well (and a little more waterproof than disks and laptops if the worst happens)
Shoot in Raw if you can – for all the usual reasons but if you are traveling the chances are you won’t get a second chance at capturing these images, so let the camera take away as much data as possible – you’ll be able to fix white balance et al later and stand a better chance of recovering highlights and clipped areas than with a jpeg alone
Bracket exposures, for the same reason as above, if you only have one shot at an image – maximize your chances of getting something worth editing
Calibrate that laptop screen – it really is pretty pointless editing at all if you don’t know what you are looking at is even close.
Never delete an image that is even slightly reasonable – you don’t have a good enough screen on (most) laptops to be able to tell for sure, delete later when you have access to a decent calibrated screen.
If you are going to upload images as placeholders, export jpegs at the minimum resolution you can live with – since they are placeholders it doesn’t matter at this point – you can replace them with better ones after editing when a better internet connection is available. smaller images are more likely to make it on a poor connection ;-)
if you are posting always remember to change the image color space to sRGB if you shoot in a wider gammut like Adobe1998 i always seem to forget this when I am on the road ;-)
keywording, keyword the images as you go – it’ll be a nightmare after 2 years to keyword everything later
keep a diary for special shoots, images, I tend to do this the old way while I am out and then write it up on the computer when I get back. Knowing what was happening when a shot was taken and some things that you cannot tell from the visuals alone has always made images come more alive for me.
Personally I prefer Capture One for editing images, partly because of the raw processing advantages but also because I don’t have to worry about catalogues becoming corrupt (this has happened to me in Lightroom) or taking too long to open (I notice this in Ligthroom when I am using a low spec laptop). For me on the road I find managing images using folders on the laptop is faster and more flexible. I Catalogue properly when I get home. Another advantage with Capture One is that the edits are saved non destructively in the same folder as the raw image – so backups and things all work nicely and getting things onto your main computer later is straightforward.
I hope this is useful to someone
Regards
Andrew
June 12th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
First off, I’m once again impressed with the constructive and professional nature of the comments here on DPS. It seems everyone was able to express what they liked and didn’t like and what can be improved in a very non-attacking manner and I’m thankful to be a part of such a community.
Second, I chose this picture to help others learn, so it would bring about the discussion it has. To Gary’s credit, he has a lot of other great shots in this set that do what a lot of you request: close in tell a story on the tents, table, hills, etc… I thought it’d be a shame to not include at least one of his other shots which I feel doesn’t have a lot to critique. This following shot Gary used to make a desktop image which, well after May is over, he turned into a desktop calendar.
Again, I thank all here for the great comments and Gary for being open to helping others learn from his photography.
June 13th, 2009 at 12:22 am
overall an excellent picture. Detail and suggestion of texture puts you right in the middle of the dessert.. I want to brush the sand out of my toes just by looking at it. Overall compostions is excellent, the tents lead you into the picture and just as you get to the edge the mountain ridges bring you right around back to the tents…it keeps you in the photo. Its hard to control, but the flare in the sky also bothers me a little and I also see many things competing to be the center of attention, if only ONE of those people had on a brighter shirt.. that would solve it. Reminds me of a Nat Geo pic, that is more of a photojournalistic motif. Try over exposing a little and/or reducing saturation a little more for a more natural sand color. But as is it pops.
As far as travel, I can only state the obvious (which sometimes is overlooked). Travel with a (now very small) USB powered external hard drive, I would say about a terabyte in size. When you do get online, send your pics via internet to a home base with more of a bulk file system and edit edit edit, to reduce “snaps” and save some at the home desk for stock.
Nice picture… good luck… I will be checking in once in while.. and watch for your photos
June 13th, 2009 at 12:29 am
I like this shot, but as has been said I think there are several shots in this, and the flare on the left is distracting. I have looked at the others you have posted to SmugMug and it is a very exciting series. Because of your limitations at the moment I would be reluctant to discard anything I was looking at on an un-calibrated laptop monitor, I would wait until you have the luxury of your proper set up. Editing on the fly is difficult at the best of times and your pictures have so much potential I would wait. I do envy your trip and am looking forward to many more posts to smugmug to follow your journey. Thanks for sharing. Andy.
June 13th, 2009 at 2:58 am
I think this is a nice snap shot as well but in can be catapulted into greatness by making it two photographs. One woul be of the sky and the mountains careful crop as closely to the mountains as possible. The other would be the tents. To tweak in photoshop i would polarize the sky to make it blue or go completely foggy. I would use curves on the tents if you decide to make it two picks to bring out the colors, textures and tones. I think your journey and your assignment is aspiring. All the best!
June 13th, 2009 at 3:09 am
the combination of deep shade and detail in the light keeps you trying to figure it out
June 13th, 2009 at 4:03 am
I’m not a fundi on photography, but this shot is so unsetteling to the eye. Too many things “not” happening. Maybe 4 different shots would have been better? Wish I could be there
June 14th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
This photo could be called “bland” or “plain” because of the browns and tans that dominate the picture. I found it hard to determine and focus on one subject. However it is very middle eastern and can be used to depict the lives of the tent-dwellers.
June 15th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Uh, do I detect a little of the green eyed monster in some of these critiques? Bland? Plain? “no purticular subject”? This whole image is ripe with interest. Good composition. How lucky to have the subjects past the tents also. And all this without fancy ediiting software.
In the famous quote: “You’re doin’ a heck of a job Brownie”
Keep it up
June 16th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Sandy Sue hit it I think. I wish I was there to take this picture. The green eyed monster rears its ugly head(s). I would like to follow your travels.. and see what you come up with when and where… possible?? Rock on and keep shootin’
June 16th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
If I were a tourist, this is the kind of Bedou encampment I’d want to be in to watch the sun go down over the wadi. As such, this image would play extremely well in a travel brochure. It certainly hooked me at first glance.
June 19th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
I love the photo.
I would have cropped most of the hill out of the right side.
I feel you left it because it shows the home being built into the hillside, but that’s another photo. The valley is the tents and hills running to top right to bottom left. The house built into the hillside it running top left to bottom right. It’s jarring visually.
As to editing on the road.
I Keep my ‘discards’. I see different things once I get home.
I toss what is blurred horribly, and create a separate file for the best photos. It means going through a huge amount of photographs, but I actually enjoy that so it’s not an hardship for me. I also have time for it.
June 21st, 2009 at 8:39 am
bottom line…it’s boring. if it was me, i wouldn’t take this picture with this angle. the only time i will take this subject all at once, is if i have a bird’s eyeview…probably at night.
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