5D Photo sent to "Trash"

[kprince]

Just an example of a shot that was sent to the trash. Not quite sure what it was I didn't like about it, but it was something.
Was going to use it for the Stock Shot portfolio but decided not to. Interested in was the dvx'ers think about it. Muchas Gracias Mi Amigo

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f371/Makena7773/sunsetwatch.jpg

[MarcusX]

I like the colors, it looks almost like a composition of two different times of a day.

Can you tell me what lenses you are using?

[oneinfiniteloop]

A good photo, but I can understand how something in it rubs you kind of funny...not in a bad way though...

But, again, reaffirming my desired move to Maui!

[alpha54]

Its an amazing picture, but I know what you mean... Something about it doesn't seem quite right, but I can't pinpoint what it is...

[MattinSTL]

Clone out the skateboard, the boat, some of the lower branches and a couple of the long, whispy ones... consider removing the two stones, or shrubs or whatever... and I think you're good.

That will leave you with somewhat of a minimalist photo... but a good one. Four kids contemplating whatever it is that the image is attached to.

Also it would have been nice if they were more classically dressed... oh and clone out the sunglasses on the third kid. Looking directly into a sunset w/o sunglasses has more emotion tied to it.

That's my list of tweeks. (how the hell do you spell "tweeks" anyway?)

[Luis Caffesse]

Just having some fun - this is pretty rough obviously- just wanted to see if I could get rid of the other kids.
Damn that cloning tool is finicky. I need to get a handle on this stuff one of these days.

http://www.pitchproductions.com/pics/sun.jpg

[kprince]

Just having some fun - this is pretty rough obviously- just wanted to see if I could get rid of the other kids.
Damn that cloning tool is finicky. I need to get a handle on this stuff one of these days.

http://www.pitchproductions.com/pics/sun.jpg

Yup, much better with one person, thanks for saving me the hassle of meticulous cloning.
Oh and to the other dvx'er, it's a Tamron 28-75 F2.8.

[kai]

nice stuff kprince... Do you do much photoshop in post? Do you meter in camera or handheld? Your exposures seem dead on.

[Digigenic]

I think he's using Photoshop's HDR processing, and possibly a super secret custom curve...;) :cool:
It'd be interesting to see some B/W stuff too.

[Policar]

I LOVE the colors. All your stuff is amazing. I saw a show of this guy who does deep focus large format with similar color work and it just blew my mind so this is really a great style.

This particular shot isn't as good as the others, though. The eye is attracted to the yellow, which is at the edge of the frame, so it has this oddly unsettling lack of balance to the composition, which doesn't mesh with the serene mood.

It's a shame because it's beautiful otherwise. Oh well, still very impressive.

[kprince]

I LOVE the colors. All your stuff is amazing. I saw a show of this guy who does deep focus large format with similar color work and it just blew my mind so this is really a great style.

This particular shot isn't as good as the others, though. The eye is attracted to the yellow, which is at the edge of the frame, so it has this oddly unsettling lack of balance to the composition, which doesn't mesh with the serene mood.

It's a shame because it's beautiful otherwise. Oh well, still very impressive.

Holy crap! you nailed it. That's exactly what was subconciously bothering me now that I look at it. Thanks for putting my mind at ease.

Reply to other user: I use photoshop to it's fullest capabilities, it's my digital darkroom. I do have a couple of tricks up my sleve as well and would love to share them if you have any specific questions, as the whole process would just take too long to explain.
I can say that each photo goes through about 6-10 hours of "massaging" until I'm happy. I will usually go through the whole photo at 400% zoom and remove any pixels that irratate me as well. hope this helps.

[Luis Caffesse]

I played around a bit toning down that yellow with the sponge tool - also adding a slight ND gradient to the left edge (blending with 'soft light') - it helped tone it down a little. It's pretty rough though, and I didn't really finish it - so no point in posting it.

But you're in one of those weird catch 22's - Policar's right that the yellow draws your eye...but once you tone it down to the point that your eye doesn't get pulled to it then it's sucked quite a bit of life out of the picture.

either way, really nice shot.
Seriously.
:)

At this point we're just talking about taking it from a 90 to a 100.

[Daniel Skubal]

http://home.insightbb.com/%7Edj200423/happyplace_copy.jpg

[kprince]

http://home.insightbb.com/%7Edj200423/happyplace_copy.jpg
I like it! Maybe this is what it looks like when the DVX dreams....
Good job on the photo editing.

[Jay Rodriguez]

Very cool pic and nice job luis and kprince

[daustin627]

Crop it down, use it as a banner.

[kai]

Reply to other user: I use photoshop to it's fullest capabilities, it's my digital darkroom. I do have a couple of tricks up my sleve as well and would love to share them if you have any specific questions, as the whole process would just take too long to explain.
I can say that each photo goes through about 6-10 hours of "massaging" until I'm happy. I will usually go through the whole photo at 400% zoom and remove any pixels that irratate me as well. hope this helps.

Man i'd love to hear more about your techniques. Specifically the exposure/color issues. Do you dodge/burn alot, etc? Is there perhaps a before/after shot you could post showing how effective your techniques are? Great work!

[Daniel Skubal]

This photo really is amazing. Do you have any more you could show us?

[kprince]

This photo really is amazing. Do you have any more you could show us?
I have a bunch of threads here with pics, click kprince then "view all threads started by"

[kprince]

Man i'd love to hear more about your techniques. Specifically the exposure/color issues. Do you dodge/burn alot, etc? Is there perhaps a before/after shot you could post showing how effective your techniques are? Great work!

Yes. I will later today. It's 9am on Maui right now. gotta meet with this photo matter. He's from Scotland and calls himself the Mad Matter, he's supposed to be the best.
Will be back laterz.

[Rick Meyer]

Man i'd love to hear more about your techniques. Specifically the exposure/color issues. Do you dodge/burn alot, etc? Is there perhaps a before/after shot you could post showing how effective your techniques are? Great work!

I am in complete agreement. KPrince, your photos are outstanding and your CC and photoshop skills are top notch. I would love to sit in on a thread or two, if you'd be willing to share some tricks o' the trade...

[Daniel Skubal]

I am in complete agreement. KPrince, your photos are outstanding and your CC and photoshop skills are top notch. I would love to sit in on a thread or two, if you'd be willing to share some tricks o' the trade...

I'll also chime in and say I'd love to learn your basic techniques, and workflows. I'm sure each photo is different on the way you do it, but the two or three photos I have seen of yours have been so vivid and crisp, so maybe you could explain how you push the color curves without overdoing it. You've got a great eye man. Great work!! :)

[Rick Meyer]

How do you get banned from ONE post?

[TC]

Maybe it was because he put the shadow facing towards the light source.

...we have no tolerance for foul-ups here. :grin:

(I'm guessing it was someone who was banned before, and tried to come back. There's been quite a few lately, so I cannot comment on who it may have been.)

[kprince]

Who got banned? and from what?

[Larry Rutledge]

(I'm guessing it was someone who was banned before, and tried to come back. There's been quite a few lately, so I cannot comment on who it may have been.) Oh come on...you can tell us...we won't tell anyone! I promise!






Quick! Everyone! TC is gonna squeal and tell who was banned....just remember, it's a secret, so don't tell anyone! :evil:

[Dyan]

kprince,

Any update on the photoshop techniques/sample workflows you use? :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

I just got back from London and when I saw where this thread was going, I started drooling in anticipation. I too second the before/after shots if its possible, as I'm sure there are dramatic differences.

Again, keep up the amazing work and thanks for the tip on the Scott Kelby book, its opening my eyes to the world of photoshop. :thumbup:

[kprince]

Sorry, been really busy juggling 10 different things at once. I am building my website at the moment so I really haven't even been able to take any photo's for about a week. I'm like a heroin addict I swear. I'm starting to get trigger finger, I NEED TO SHOOT SOMETHING.
I will post info on my techniques soon. I can tell you that book is about 80% of what I do.
YOU MUST BE PRETTY FLUENT WITH PHOTOSHOP.
I think the other 20% is keeping your standards as high as possible and NEVER being satisfied, always want to make it better then act on that feeling.
EDIT EDIT EDIT !! Ansel Adams (World Famos Landscape Photographer) said "If you have 12 good shots a year, your doing good" I translate that into 12 AMAZING shots a year.
Honestly out of all the photo's I've posted on this forum there are only three that I really like, where I think "I'd put that on my wall".

One bad habit I've noticed a lot of digital shooters have is shooting the same scene or subject from 100 different angles within a 20ft radius. FORGET IT if this isn't one of the fastest ways to muddle your talent, I don't know what is. Take a moment to feel the scene/subject before JUMPING to fire off the shutter like a world class fashion photographer. Trust me if you find the CALM within yourself, the perfect angle will reveal itself.

FOR LANDSCAPES: If your shooting in your town/city go back to the location 6 times with one angle in mind. Clouds and light are in constant flux. The shot might be really good today, but breathtaking and award winning tomorrow.

If your scene isn't amazing, make it amazing. eg: The shot entitled "Lush" My friend Nick and I spent 30 min grooming the scene of little sticks, weird angled branches and anything else that was pulling focus in the scene. Literally get in there and feel the shot out.
This is really the only way the Photoshop techniques will come to fruition. Cause once you start spending 10-15 hours in photoshop you be glad you are working on a shot you really love.

More later, I must be skidaddling.

[Taylor Moore]

FOR LANDSCAPES: If your shooting in your town/city go back to the location 6 times with one angle in mind. Clouds and light are in constant flux. The shot might be really good today, but breathtaking and award winning tomorrow.

This is so true, having done a HD project for our local tourism board, I went to the same locations 4-5 times and it made the difference in the shots...client loved it!!!

waiting for the magic light....

[Matt Grunau]

Awsome pic. I wish I had an eye like that.

Any insights on the PS workflow would rock monkey arse.

Do you think you might not like it bacuase the main colors are are Complimentary colors and they dont seem like they would flow into one another? Maybe that seperates the piece?


Just having some fun - this is pretty rough obviously- just wanted to see if I could get rid of the other kids.
Damn that cloning tool is finicky. I need to get a handle on this stuff one of these days.




I have found that using the healing brush after cloning can be one hell of a combo. Use the clone tool and slam stuff into place, and then use the healing brush to make it look like it belongs there.

[dvx 35mm kid]

I don't know, i'm not a big fan of this pic to be honest, it's too "photoshopped" at this point i think. But i guess i'm old fashioned, i still don't like digital photography. But other than the photoshop stuff, i like it.

[g0ldenb0y55]

Kprince,

Love your work! Been reading through this thread and I can't wait for more insight on how you photoshop!