Critique Three from Glencoe

SFTPhotography

SFTPhotography

Ranger Smith
Suspended / Banned
Messages
20,926
Name
Steve
Edit My Images
Yes
I had someone in last Monday for a half day workshop in the morning. I didn't manage to get many images of my own taken for the obvious reason was I was teaching someone and showing them the sites.

They wanted to go the "spot" where the silver birch sits by the falls with the view to the Buachaille but the flow in the River was so bad I suggested some falls a bit further up stream. The weather wasn't brilliant but the flow in the river was stronger. This in turn was ideal for teaching about exposure length and the effect it has on moving water.

I grabbed this one as a demonstration shot.

_DSC3799 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

The final shot of her workshop was the take home one. Lovely reflections at Loch Achtocitan. When nature brings these great ripple free reflections it is just wonderful. It is a gift from up high.

_DSC3828 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

I stuck around for the afternoon and nabbed this. Seemed rude not to as I was in the area.

_DSC3850 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr
 
For me, they're spots you've hit before, and hit a lot better, so they're quite underwhelming by your standards.
I know they were on a workshop, so you couldn't choose the conditions like you usually would, but I wouldn't have put them into my portfolio if it looked like yours does.
 
If you had the soft dappled lighting and clouds of the third one with the sharp reflection of the second one you'd have been on for a winner I think! I think I prefer the third image personally
 
JakeT1992 said:
For me, they're spots you've hit before, and hit a lot better, so they're quite underwhelming by your standards.
I know they were on a workshop, so you couldn't choose the conditions like you usually would, but I wouldn't have put them into my portfolio if it looked like yours does.
Click to expand...

A fair comment. I'm quite happy with the 3rd for the lighting. The 1st I've done a lot better in February this year. There's some good falls up from the obvious one.

The conditions that I love have been quite scarce this month. October was a vintage month this year.
 
NeilA1975 said:
Liking 2 and 3 Steve, 1 feels a little tight at the bottom perhaps with that leading rock on the LHS.
Click to expand...

Thanks, shots like 2 and 3 are really what I want to do all the time. Workshoppers like waterfalls and long exposures, she particularly asked for them when we were discussing booking etc so it was important I took her somewhere like this. Its a good location for workshopping, lots of close up foreground so ideal for working on depth of field, focussing technique and with the flowing water really good to show the difference in how shutter speeds effect the water shot. Workshoppers also feel they've learned somethng more technical with a scene like this. Shots like 2 and 3 in a technical sense are far easier to take.

There is a way to frame the entire of that long rock in, I have one where it is and it just doesn't work as well. For me I think the shot is within this image taking off a 3rd of the bottom and going with a 4x5 aspect. This shot is a million times better once the snow is on the buachaille and with some more interesting light, or colourful clouds at dawn its just more exciting than this.
 
SFTPhotography said:
I had someone in last Monday for a half day workshop in the morning. I didn't manage to get many images of my own taken for the obvious reason was I was teaching someone and showing them the sites.

They wanted to go the "spot" where the silver birch sits by the falls with the view to the Buachaille but the flow in the River was so bad I suggested some falls a bit further up stream. The weather wasn't brilliant but the flow in the river was stronger. This in turn was ideal for teaching about exposure length and the effect it has on moving water.

I grabbed this one as a demonstration shot.

_DSC3799 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

The final shot of her workshop was the take home one. Lovely reflections at Loch Achtocitan. When nature brings these great ripple free reflections it is just wonderful. It is a gift from up high.

_DSC3828 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

I stuck around for the afternoon and nabbed this. Seemed rude not to as I was in the area.

_DSC3850 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr
Click to expand...
 
Past by the area a couple of times last week, not a bit of blue skye to be seen.Going up again for the new year, so maybe.
anoch.jpg
 
Pick said:
Past by the area a couple of times last week, not a bit of blue skye to be seen.Going up again for the new year, so maybe.
View attachment 90131
Click to expand...

It needs reflections that view. Given the closeness to the sea (1mi) and the exposed nature of the place getting a perfect reflection isn't easy.

It's great when it happens. I like light and good weather. Dull/dark/dank/overcast/wet days I hate and this month has been very disappointing. October was stellar though.

Good luck when you're back
 
chris2jz said:
Brilliant.

I'll need to go copy those as well, it's all I do apparently.
Click to expand...

Go now. There's snow :)

I had a great day out yesterday and morning today up there and guess what. Memory card failed. Lost images from the Top of Chrulaiste, loch Ba and sunrise at the buachaille. All gone. Luckily I have another body but didn't use it so much so got very few. 296AB76F-D2CD-4A20-A30C-8BA0E286852C.jpg19F94D94-B908-4912-A05C-44878EC58C96.jpg

All I have is these back of camera shots :(
 
Obviously No2 is the Money shot! This was a good example to your pupil the difference and importance of getting the light. Comparing shot 2 and 3. Be rude not to take a few shots while your there;)
 
69Bonni said:
Obviously No2 is the Money shot! This was a good example to your pupil the difference and importance of getting the light. Comparing shot 2 and 3. Be rude not to take a few shots while your there;)
Click to expand...

What can I say. I also used the spot to teach another technique, ghosting. Its a busy road and nothing like a 2 or 3 sec exposure to ghost out moving traffic. You need to take a few though as white/silver cars and any bus/truck will leave a ghost mark but both these have no evidence of any traffic. There are two laybys in the shot, I advise the workshopper to look out for stuff like that and to avoid shooting when somethings parked in it. Ok you can photoshop it out, but then you have to do it for the reflection and it's avoidable by getting it right in camera. Blurred cars and their reflection can be a right pain to clone out, better just to use a technique that gets round the whole issue.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top