A Blacksmith

[gibbo]

What is wrong with this shot. How could it be improved C&C please.
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/1182/BlitsBSmith.jpg

[ppp]

Good sense of movement, may have been better to try and catch it as he hits the metal and get some sparks off it

[CT]

Technically, it has a very strong orange cast which is no doubt due to the flourescent lighting and a wrong wb setting. Having said that, the very warm cast does convey the feeling of heat within the forge, so it's a matter of personal choice.

It's a little soft and a little noisy, but that's to be expected with such a low light shot, but any sharpening will obviously make the noise more noticeable. The slight blur on the hammer is good and conveys movement.

You could argue a case for cropping tighter on the left to concentrate attention on the main subject, but then again, the tools hanging there are the tools of the man's trade and are very valid to the shot.

I don't see a great deal 'wrong' at all but a quick edit addressing the points above which you may or may not prefer... :)

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/530/BlitsBSmith-2.jpg


Edit.

Sorry, tungsten lighting - not flourescent. :cuckoo:

(Flourescent lighting tends to produce more of a greenish cast)

[gibbo]

Hi PPP No sparks just a dull thud as he hit the iron. Thanx for the comments

Hi CT there was no real lighting in the place just a bulb (60w lamp) and some natural from where I was stood. I did have the ASA up to 1600 to try catch something. Your final edit was what I was after what did you do to get the final picture I tried and the top was the best I got. thanx for the comments

[CT]

Just set the colour balance to around 6500K (sunlight) and you wont be far away. Increase the gamma till you can just see a little more shadow detail in the front of his trousers and it should be OK. Sharpen to taste and serve slightly chilled. :D

[gibbo]

Just set the colour balance to around 6500K (sunlight) and you wont be far away. Increase the gamma till you can just see a little more shadow detail in the front of his trousers and it should be OK. Sharpen to taste and serve slightly chilled. :D

:) ok thanx for that is that using photoshop

and served slightly chilled (in a tall glass) sound good to me :thumbs:

[CT]

I use Paint Shop Pro, but I'm sure you'll be able to do it in Photoshop.

[Hacker]

That is a lovely timeless photo whcih deserves a bit of mono treatment......:D

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f273/HackerUK/BlitsBSmith-2.jpg

[gibbo]

:thumbs: hello Hacker nice touch. :) I quite like the B&W photo nice one. :thumbs:
Every time I try B&W they usually look flat :bang:. Thanx

[Boon]

i am so glad colin did this, great picture worthy of the B/W treatment, and done very well too..

[Reelpix]

Mono is defo the way to go on this shot.

[gibbo]

Hello Boon & Reelpixthanx for the comments. :thumbs:
Im going to have to keep plugging away at Black n White as
they tend to look a bit flat. :bang: