G'day level, Australia, Dinorwig Slate Quarries, Wales

[ERU]

I've been playing about with some new ideas. I often travel about the Dinorwig Slate Quarries. I'm looking to continue getting shots from there. These were taken on a D40 with standard 18-55mm lens. I used a landscape focused f-stop of F9 to try to capture all the detail throughout the whole shot. I then used Lightroom 3 and played about until I liked them on my monitor. My TFT monitor is un-calibrated so they may appear wrongly coloured to you? I'd be keen to know if they are!


How can I improve the following folks? What do you like/dislike thus far?

<click photos for large sizes>

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1133/5136061456_3c00aaf38c_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eru69er/5136061456/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1426/5135644405_8eddec1759_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eru69er/5135644405/sizes/l/)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1119/5136061074_b916ec97aa_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eru69er/5136061074/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

[dinorock]

hi steve, i like the 2nd shot. also looks better bigger so upload the medium size. 1 and 3 look a bit washed out and 1 in particular dos,nt give any message/info on what it,s about. unlike #2 which tells a story. hth mike. :thumbs:

[ERU]

Thanks for the comments 'dinorock'. Hmmm they don't appear too washed out on my monitor. Maybe I could increase the contrast or something? The idea behind pic1 was to bring out the rust and compare it to the hills. I guess it didn't really work out too well .. mainly as the rust didn't come out as well as hoped. i also didn't have a tripod at the time and had to rely on 'making' one from the available rocks/slate. My view points were a bit limited.

PS: I love your Flickr site. You got some awesome colours going on there!
PPS: Sizes enlarged now too.

[dinorock]

can you do a levels adjust on no 2 to give it some "punch" i think then it would be an excellent pic :thumbs: had a little play in lightroom +1/3 exposure +34 contrast and +29 vibrance

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5136220194_bdc3e64604_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinorock/5136220194/)
5136062312_be018d60e2_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinorock/5136220194/) by Mike Rockey (http://www.flickr.com/people/dinorock/), on Flickr

[ERU]

can you do a levels adjust on no 2 to give it some "punch" i think then it would be an excellent pic :thumbs:

I would but have no idea what that is. I'm aware its a technique in Photoshop but can't see how to do something equivalent in Lightroom?
EDIT: Just figured out a way of doing it :P any better?

[dinorock]

just did a quick edit above in lightroom.........edit.. thats much better if slightly dark at the edges

[ERU]

I think i'm getting a different view here, although your edit does look good too.

[dinorock]

yeah different monitors and all that some where between your 1st and second edit would be good :thumbs::lol:

[starkersclark]

Hi Steve,

I agree with Mike, I think the colours look a little washed out and for me I think the first one is spoilt slightly with the positioning of the wheel, it might look better if you were a little further back or blurred the background out more.

The 3rd is my favourite and could work really well using a little HDR maybe?

:thumbs:

[DuncanDisorderly]

Steve,
Have a look at http://www.outbackprint.com/printinginsights/pi049/essay.html
It's the best test image I know of and the article gives clear indication of what to look for - it works well on both screen and prints.

I love Dinorwic - was up there recently and grabbed this one
http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncansimey/5025334561/in/set-72157624387589022/
The lower levels were slightly spoilt during the filming of Clash of the Titan with new fencing and trees planted and paths laid around the flooded house.
But the upper levels are still great.

It's different things for different people, but I'm kinda with the earlier comment about needing more story.
For example in the stone cutting shed there is real evidence of the hard and dangerous conditions such as the thick compacted dust and unprotected moving parts.
Getting things like these worked into the image help build the image into something that evokes reactions beyond the straight image.
It's not easy! Just near one of the winding drums (not sure it's the one in your shot) is the original pay office - with counter and special curved queueing area (next to the winding house); must have been countless people waiting there over several generations - I've not yet managed a shot that conveys the story I want to tell; but I'm going to keep at it...

Having said all the above - I quite like your first one!
It's a simple strong graphical composition with no clear scale and little idea about what it is; for me, that puzzle is why it works!