Critique Some Critique Please

Andysnap

Andysnap

Messages
16,290
Name
Andy Grant
Edit My Images
Yes
I think that this shot is probably one of only 2 that I have so far taken on large format that I am happy with. I would like to get this one printed out but first I thought I would see if you folks would give it a good going over regarding composition, exposure etc.

Near Porthcothan3 by Andy, on Flickr

Thanks

Andy
 
I don't have the best eye for colour balance some times, but it looks good to me (y) Colours, exposure and composition look great :) Get it printed big Andy!
 
Carl Hall said:
I don't have the best eye for colour balance some times, but it looks good to me (y) Colours, exposure and composition look great :) Get it printed big Andy!
Click to expand...

Cheers mate. Just wish the sky had been a little bit more colourful but you can't have everything. :)
 
Colourful skies are overrated! Sometimes they suit the scene, but for this image I think the soft white clouds with golden light on them is much more appealing.
 
I would personally try some more shots. The conditions were very average and flat that evening; little light is shining through, etc. Composition-wise I'd want more drama, and some lead in to the centre of the image. I can't stop noticing the background is very out of focus.
 
Brian G said:
That's strange.
The thing I immediately noticed was the FOREGROUND was very out of focus.
Click to expand...

And deliberately so :D. I am at a loss as to how it appears that the background is oof, I've zoomed right in and there are field walls on the headland that are still pretty sharp and I've used a loupe on the negative and everything apart from the very near foreground is spot on.
 
First of all, I am having trouble getting my head around what was gained by using large format for this shot.

As a shot it is OK but somewhat pedestrian, even had the light been superb and the conditions and capture perfect it would have only been marginally better.
The light on the water shows promise of better things, and there was probably more "Twinkle" (a technical term) in it, that caught your eye.
The rocks definitely lack definition between the tones, though again there is the hint of the weak sun skimming the surface.
Focus is definitely a problem. Large format is not affected in the same way by diffraction as smaller formats. and definition will not be significantly reduced even with apertures as small as F45
Smaller apertures combined wit lens tilt would be the way to go to vastly improve the focus in this shot, with everything from the closest foreground to the distant islands in sharp focus.
The Foreground focus might have been deliberate but as such and in these situations it rarely if ever works. In this case it truly does not.
I am sure the background is in focus, though the lack of visual detail reproduced at this size might make it appear that it is not.

There might have been a stronger composition to be had, but not I suggest from this viewpoint.

I think you need to ask yourself "would. I have expected this to be a winner had I taken it in any other format"
Large format can bring its own unique qualities to an image... but only when all other considerations are well met by any other format.

For the first 18 years of my professional life 5X4 or 5x7 were my formats of choice. It became the way I saw things. Thereafter medium format largely supplanted them... I almost never used small format professionally.
My choices were always dictated by the special added value of the particular format. In the case of large format it was the added and exceptional tonal values and the provision of unlimited movements, and the minimal magnification necessary for even giant enlargements.

Large Format can add a fine Polish to an otherwise excellent image.... it adds nothing at all otherwise.
 
Last edited:
Terrywoodenpic said:
First of all, I am having trouble getting my head around what was gained by using large format for this shot.

As a shot it is OK but somewhat pedestrian, even had the light been superb and the conditions and capture perfect it would have only been marginally better.
The light on the water shows promise of better things, and there was probably more "Twinkle" (a technical term) in it, that caught your eye.
The rocks definitely lack definition between the tones, though again there is the hint of the weak sun skimming the surface.
Focus is definitely a problem. Large format is not affected in the same way by diffusion as smaller formats. and definition will not be significantly reduced even with apertures as small as F45
Smaller apertures combined wit lens tilt would be the way to go to vastly improve the focus in this shot, with everything from the closest foreground to the distant islands in sharp focus.
The Foreground focus might have been deliberate but as such and in these situations it rarely if ever works. In this case it truly does not.
I am sure the background is in focus, though the lack of visual detail reproduced at this size might make it appear that it is not.

There might have been a stronger composition to be had, but not I suggest from this viewpoint.

I think you need to ask yourself "would. I have expected this to be a winner had I taken it in any other format"
Large format can bring its own unique qualities to an image... but only when all other considerations are well met by any other format.

For the first 18 years of my professional life 5X4 or 5x7 were my formats of choice. It became the way I saw things. Thereafter medium format largely supplanted them... I almost never used small format professionally.
My choices were always dictated by the special added value of the particular format. In the case of large format it was the added and exceptional tonal values and the provision of unlimited movements, and the minimal magnification necessary for even giant enlargements.

Large Format can add a fine Polish to an otherwise excellent image.... it adds nothing at all otherwise.
Click to expand...

Terry, thank you for taking the time to respond in such detail, very helpful and insightful.

Firstly though i want to address your first point, the reason i shot this on large format is that it was the only camera I had with me and as we all know this is always the best camera to use.:)
Secondly, I think I can only agree with your critique. Having now printed out a few copies of this with tweaks to colour, cropping etc I am realising that although it is still a shot I like, it really isnt as good as I had hoped and thought.
Your thoughts on focus are interesting and not something I had realised. It is becoming increasingly obvious that I need to spend more time reading up on using a large format camera to better effect.

Thanks
Andy.
 
I do like that shot, Andy. Some tough love there from Terry, though! And he's a pro and I'm definitely not, so treat our various comments accordingly!

These days I've only got a laptop screen to view, and I find a 1024-high portrait image very difficult to take in. It's a pain scrolling up and down. Luckily if I click through I can see it all on flickr.

EDIT: I meant to say here that on the TP version there seem to be some sharpening artefacts round the middle distance rocks. I don't see them so badly in flickr large though. /EDIT

This shot has a lot of different elements, and I'm not sure they connect all that well. The out of focus thrift in the foreground I don't mind at all; it is dark and obviously there as a framing element. The star of the show is that wonderful roiling mass of water in the middle foreground. However, my eye is getting drawn away to the rather muddy sky, where it stays for a while trying to figure out what's going on up there. I don't think that sky really works, but I think there's an even better image in here somewhere. I think I can see a crop that loses some or all of the sky (in which case the headland to the right becomes more valuable as a downwards leading line), but you may see another. But IMHO if you can get that boiling water to become the eye's focus again and again as the picture is inspected, you'll be on a real winner!
 
Last edited:
ChrisR said:
I do like that shot, Andy. Some tough love there from Terry, though! And he's a pro and I'm definitely not, so treat our various comments accordingly!

These days I've only got a laptop screen to view, and I find a 1024-high portrait image very difficult to take in. It's a pain scrolling up and down. Luckily if I click through I can see it all on flickr.

EDIT: I meant to say here that on the TP version there seem to be some sharpening artefacts round the middle distance rocks. I don't see them so badly in flickr large though. /EDIT

This shot has a lot of different elements, and I'm not sure they connect all that well. The out of focus thrift in the foreground I don't mind at all; it is dark and obviously there as a framing element. The star of the show is that wonderful roiling mass of water in the middle foreground. However, my eye is getting drawn away to the rather muddy sky, where it stays for a while trying to figure out what's going on up there. I don't think that sky really works, but I think there's an even better image in here somewhere. I think I can see a crop that loses some or all of the sky (in which case the headland to the right becomes more valuable as a downwards leading line), but you may see another. But IMHO if you can get that boiling water to become the eye's focus again and again as the picture is inspected, you'll be on a real winner!
Click to expand...


Mmm, some things to consider there Chris. I shall try some cropping and I suspect you may be right, a quick scrolling crop does bring the eye onto the lovely water more.

Cheers

Andy
 
Hi Andy over here for the first time and agree a lot with Chris and just to add subjective nit picking:- for me the shot is not balanced in that the left side doesn't work with the right. Which just leaves what we all think many times taking a shot "if only" :- so for me if only there was a foreground jutting rock (even a small one) on the left side to balance the right side, and if only the landmass in the background wasn't there and if only there was a setting sun.
 
Last edited:
I've had a quick mess about and re-cropped it and taken out some of the sky. It's still got the zig zag of rocks I think you were aiming for. There's always a million ways to mess about with photos these days :) No idea whether it's what you were after at all. I do think the amount of sky and the amount of grass need to balance somehow.


cropped.jpg
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top