The Wife at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Chris Murphy

Chris Murphy

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Chris
Edit My Images
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So we went to YSP today to take some pictures, another opportunity for me to play around with Manual mode and get to grips with the camera, below is jus two pics that i took, i have played with them on Lightroom just for the sake of learning about that also, i have posted the originals as shot with the shopped versions below, let me know your thoughts, criticism is welcome :)






Thanks.
 
Just realised the pics i've posted as originals are not the exact ones but you get the idea.
 
The selective colour does nothing for the photos.

1 is too dark way too dark, your wife as pretty as she is is lost in there and her eyes look shut. Could have used some form of flash there or something.
 
She does have her eyes closed on the 1st one as I uploaded the wrong pic. I like the 2nd one. I agree with you on the fourth one, it was just an idea I had that doesn't really work but I was playing with Lightroom more than anything.

I struggled with the light a bit on the first pic as the light metre was spot on but I was getting the shadow from the top in every shot. Any tips on how to avoid this in future?

Thanks for your comments, I appreciate the feedback.
 
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Selective colour. Just no!!!

The third would have been better with your wife facing the camera. It's a great scene - shame not to make the most of it!
 
Nuzik said:
The selective colour does nothing for the photos.

1 is too dark way too dark, your wife as pretty as she is is lost in there and her eyes look shut. Could have used some form of flash there or something.
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Not wishing to divert the threat, but how do you do the selective colour??

I use CS2 but not worked it out yet!!

Mj
 
Sir SR said:
Selective colour. Just no!!!
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I don't mean this in a funny way but is this a standard thing in photography or your opinion? She's not facing the camera as I was taking shots of her walking away naturally. Like I say I've only just started a couple of weeks ago so I'm still learning loads about how to take the best pictures and how to adapt them in Lightroom if at all.

Thanks.
 
Chris Murphy said:
I don't mean this in a funny way but is this a standard thing in photography or your opinion? She's not facing the camera as I was taking shots of her walking away naturally. Like I say I've only just started a couple of weeks ago so I'm still learning loads about how to take the best pictures and how to adapt them in Lightroom if at all.

Thanks.
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Sorry. I should have been more constructive.

Processing should add to the picture not detract. What did you want to add by using selective colouring? I generally dislike it but saw a picture recently which was ok using selective colouring.

It is a natural picture of the wife walking away, but it's a lovely backdrop and I guess I personally would have like to see the face more.

Keep taking lots of shots and put them up here for feedback. Like you I started afresh and got better thanks to taking lots of pics and getting feedback

Shaheed
 
That makes sense, I wasn't really trying to add anything to the pictures I'm just choosing a picture I like and playing with it because that's how I'm learning what I can and can't do with Lightroom. When I did them I quite liked them so I posted them. I accept the 4th pic is pretty crap. It doesn't work at all but I still quite like the 2nd one. Saying that I agree that the standard picture looked better.
 
Hi Chris
I'm no expert but I think you have some great potential here.
Your lady is very photogenic, so you should have a willing model to work with.
In No1 she is a little lost in the size of the frame, maybe taking the image from the front, closer and using the vertical pillars on the wall to offer a frame may have given a different approach. Alternatively, an upright format from shoes to head may have been another to have in the portfolio. Don't be afraid to take lots of images, that way you can be self critical and see what works for you.
I do like the concept of No3, maybe if she was looking back over her shoulder to camera, it's a classic (often over-used) pose, but a good 'in the bag' pose. In order to make it work, your wife would need to be nearer the camera. I always try to take at least 2 images of each pose, that way you can overcome the stance or closed eye syndrome.
Have a look at some poses and techniques on this forum, they often act as great inspiration.
Keep going, these are decent starting points!
 
Thanks reheat, I really appreciate the advice and everyone's comments. I'm kicking myself now that I didn't think to take some of the shots you've just outlines whilst I was there. A closer shot of her looking back would of been a lot better. We will be going back there at some point and I'll have another go. It was difficult in a way because the sun was reflecting on my LCD display so I couldn't tell if the pictures were any good or not until I put them on my computer and found a lot of them to be too dark or too light. I deleted about 40 images when I got home.

I'll upload some different shots when I get home if I get time. See if I can't redeem myself ha ha.
 
Mark Johnson said:
Not wishing to divert the threat, but how do you do the selective colour??

I use CS2 but not worked it out yet!!

Mj
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I've not figured out how to do it properly yet Mark so what i do is use the brush tool in Lightroom, make the pic B&W then use the brush to select the area you want in colour and choose the colour from the palette, its not ideal as you can see the soil is off colour and her top is too pale also.

Is there a way of doing it properly in LR guys?

Thanks.
 
Chris Murphy said:
I've not figured out how to do it properly yet Mark so what i do is use the brush tool in Lightroom, make the pic B&W then use the brush to select the area you want in colour and choose the colour from the palette, its not ideal as you can see the soil is off colour and her top is too pale also.

Is there a way of doing it properly in LR guys?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Well that's not how it's done, but to be honest, I appreciate it sounds like a cliche, but leave the selective colour out.

As Shaheed said, processing is a part of the artistic process, it's not something you add 'just to see what it looks like'.

Selective colour can work (rarely IMHO), it's a substitute for lighting and composition to draw attention to something in an image. But done without any thought, it just draws attention to the wrong thing (as above).

Re my comments above, making a picture of your girlfriend should mean that your girlfriend is the point of interest, have a look at some videos regarding composition. Look for 'rule of thirds' and leading lines. Then think about contrast and light, if you place someone in a busy background, they'll 'disappear' into it. We use selective focus, or look for or create a pool of light to draw attention to the subject.

You've got an eye for the image (or you've copied without knowledge), in the first you've created a frame within the image (it's not a good fit, but the idea is right), the second uses the path as leading lines. Those ideas used better (as advised above by Paul) will make decent images, just remember what's important.
 
Ok first things first I think I'll back off Lightroom and concentrate more on the actual shots, I've learnt a lot just from this thread and know where I'll be focusing my attention on the next shoot. A friend at work was telling me about the thirds rule a bit ago but if forgotten about it. I think I need to spend more time setting the shot up.

I go off with the camera and snap a couple of hundred shots in a couple of hours then can't pick any favourites, in future less photos and better quality, more thought is going to work out much better.

Thanks Phil hopefully I'll have some much better ones to upload shortly.
 
Next time tell the wife to make more effort, her toe nails don't match her finger nails different colours :)

Only joking keep plugging away, every days a learning day.
 
I've found this thread very interesting, I did a similar thing, playing with colour saturation etc, and also got very mixed comments on it. It does seem to be considered a bit of a dated technique by a lot of people ( I still consider myself a noob btw!).

First I'd say well done to Chris for having a go and posting photos for comments, it really is the best way to learn, I've had a lot of good advice through doing that.

As for the whole selective colour/colour saturation thing, I understand people's objections to it, personally I like it.
Finally, this thread is a great example of how being brave and posting gets good constructive feedback, when TP works like this, its a great thing! :clap:
 
I agree, I'd much rather have someone say my pictures are shockingly bad and then tell me why than have people being polite and saying there good if there not. Plus it's helping me to criticise my own images as I'm taking them and pick up on things I'd of never thought about before.
 
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