Critique Sentiment aside.....

Derek.Laurence

Derek.Laurence

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Name
Derek
Edit My Images
Yes
I came across a load of pictures that I took a few years ago not too long after I got my first "proper" digital camera.

Man.... I loved that camera..... (Fujifilm Finepix S3000)

However...now with a better knowledge of photography Ive looked at them from a different perspective.

These pictures hold a lot of sentiment for me...from a very different chapter in my life, and now that i view them with more of a critical eye it somewhat ruins them for me.

What I cant decide is if at the time my sentiment/memories ran away with me into thinking that they were in anyway approaching good( not professional, just amateur good) or if I should set aside the personal critique and just enjoy them for what they were?

Please have a look. Please remember they were from my photography infancy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/99918133@N05/sets/72157637374687823/


tay sunset by dereklaurence, on Flickr


DSC00482 by dereklaurence, on Flickr


DSCF0864 by dereklaurence, on Flickr


DSCF0916 by dereklaurence, on Flickr


DSC00410 by dereklaurence, on Flickr


DSCF0616 by dereklaurence, on Flickr
 
I do like the tones of color in the first, I feel it would benefit if the island on the left was not there. The second shot is a very well composed image. The third shot is OK but contains llittle focal point to me. The fourth shot, needs the horizon straightening. The fifth shot, has a lot of empty space in the sky.And the last shot has the most potential in my view, just needed to be shot to include the whole of the lions head.
 
Don't toss them. Sentiment is important. I've got several I just can't get rid of even if done in my immature stage. They have emotional value and sometimes I go back and look to see what I should have done and how much better I've gotten (now I'm better than infant but not quite matured, will always be just a better amateur.)

The first three I like and would be something I would have shot. Love the light and colors in them.
 
Thanks for the comments guys.

I knew their downfalls Steve and if i had the wisdom :wacky: i had now back then yes I would have altered them as you said. Restrospect is a great thing :)

I had a quick play with the first one as tbh I never thought of losing the land to the left. Do you think this is an improvement or should it be left as is?



tay sunsetedit by dereklaurence, on Flickr
 
Derek.Laurence said:
Thanks for the comments guys.

I knew their downfalls Steve and if i had the wisdom :wacky: i had now back then yes I would have altered them as you said. Restrospect is a great thing :)
I had a quick play with the first one as tbh I never thought of losing the land to the left. Do you think this is an improvement or should it be left as is?
Click to expand...

(weighing in where I wasn't invited...sorry) The re-processed shot is very competent but lacks life, I think. Everything is nicely arranged but it's a bit static.
This might not work but you could try cropping the left side right through the highest point of the tree on the island. It should add interest & drama, and by cropping it make it look a bit less incomplete; it'll suggest a price of land beyond rather than an unresolved island.
 
everyones invited juggler....come one come all!

thanks for describing the PP as very competent! I`m flattered as I would describe my skills in that area as beginner/amateur.

Is this the crop you mean? Do you think it makes that much of a difference to the original?

(btw it is the shoreline, not an island)
 
I prefer it.. it gives the ship - and the eye - somewhere to go and looks less unfinished than the original. How do you feel about it?
The other thing I might try is a quick tweak with the levels control to get some of the blacks, especially the bridge, properly black but without modifying the rest of the image too much, so tweak the midpoint too.

And now I'm looking hard at it, maybe you should rotate it so the bridge is properly horizontal?
 
Ive rotated the bridge; it wasnt a wonky horizon, just the way the bridge ran from my viewpoint.

Ive left the blacks as is. I changed them but it just looked odd with the orangy hue of the rest of the image.

I like it...I always did but like i said previously I wasnt sure if the sentiment of the time was getting in the road.

Thanks for all of your input Simon ( and everyone else)


tay sunset by dereklaurence, on Flickr
 
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