Photo critiqueHere is where you can display your images and seek the comment, advice and, maybe, constructive critique of your work. Only post your images here if you are happy for frank feedback. If in doubt, use the beginners board instead. Only post your comments here if you feel you can make a constructive and polite contribution in response to what is, for some, a leap of faith in exposing their work to your critical comment.
I've been playing with Lightroom. This is my first attempt at conversion to B&W. How dose it look to you? Have I over done the contrast? Dose the content etc. work in this image. Your comments please on this one.
I've been playing with Lightroom. This is my first attempt at conversion to B&W. How dose it look to you? Have I over done the contrast? Dose the content etc. work in this image. Your comments please on this one.
At first glance - really nice, but two things I noticed on closer examination: the highlights look bleached towards the front of the boat and there us aliasing (jagged edges) in what should be smooth linear detail, especially visible in the two boats further away, which suggests over-sharpening.
But I like the composition, the subject and the black and white tonality - aside from the observations above.
Ron, I would agree with Ian, this is a good conversion, in so far as you have a very clean image with good black & whites. The composition is good too. However the same two things struck me about the slightly blown highlights on the boat and the fact that it appeared slightly oversharpened. TBH I wouldn't worry too much about the highlights, it looks like it was very contrasty light anyway, I would however ease off on the sharpening.
This Lightroom seems to be a great program, I had an earlier Beta version, but decided to leave it till it was released fully
Yes I agree with Ian. I also get the feeling that too much contrast and sharpenning has been applied but of course I could be wrong. I feel also that the 'skyless' sky has not done you any favours here; if ever a few clouds were needed it is here and now.
Composition wise I think that thingy sticking up behind the main boat is a bit of a distraction.
I'm also wondering, Lumix, if this shot is a good candidate for conversion to B/W as there could be a good array of colours that might be more interesting against that big sky.
I've been playing with Lightroom. This is my first attempt at conversion to B&W. How dose it look to you? Have I over done the contrast? Dose the content etc. work in this image. Your comments please on this one.
Superb composition first and formost.
It is slightly oversharpened, and slightly too contrasty for my liking, but only by a small amount.
Unusually for me, I like the featureless sky, I think it allows the eye to concentrate more on the subject matter. A nice image!
I've been playing with Lightroom. This is my first attempt at conversion to B&W. How dose it look to you? Have I over done the contrast? Dose the content etc. work in this image. Your comments please on this one.
Hi Ron,
My opinion about your photo has as follows:
For me the blown highlights is not a problem, simply because under extreme and direct sunlight what someone could see with his/her own eyes could be what is shown in the photo (slightly blown and blinded highlights).
I think what makes the highlights not to look so good is the over sharpening that has been applied, especially in the 2 far distant boats. If the image was softer, the highlights would look more suitable and more natural.
Blown highlights in a photo is not always a bad thing. It is a bad thing if it comes from camera's wrong metering and it is a very good thing when the camera captures them exactly as they appear blown.
I also think that you should include a little more ground, just because I see a line on the ground that is slightly cut towards the bottom of the picture and cut slightly a little sky which is anyway enough in the photo.
Your photo also has very good artistic potential as is and it would keep that in B&W or color version. Personally I would like both.
Yes I agree with Ian. I also get the feeling that too much contrast and sharpenning has been applied but of course I could be wrong. I feel also that the 'skyless' sky has not done you any favours here; if ever a few clouds were needed it is here and now.
Composition wise I think that thingy sticking up behind the main boat is a bit of a distraction.
I'm also wondering, Lumix, if this shot is a good candidate for conversion to B/W as there could be a good array of colours that might be more interesting against that big sky.
I like the sky - it's very clean and big; it suggests a lovely cloudless day. That's not to say that a sky with great cloud structure isn't valid - they both are.
I also think that you should include a little more ground, just because I see a line on the ground that is slightly cut towards the bottom of the picture and cut slightly a little sky which is anyway enough in the photo.
If I understand you correctly George, you are saying more on the bottom less on the top. Wouldn't this put the horizon in the middle, therefore splitting the image into 2 equal halves
If I understand you correctly George, you are saying more on the bottom less on the top. Wouldn't this put the horizon in the middle, therefore splitting the image into 2 equal halves
This is what I'm saying Stephen, but very slightly just for that cut line in the bottom to appear all, if possible, but only up to the point that doesn't split the image in half, because putting the horizon in the middle of course could probably spoil the photo.
Just a very slight (say for example 0.5 - 1.0 cm of ground addition) if possible.
I'm not fan of 2 equal halves either
Thanks everyone for the rapid response. I nearly pulled this image out when I see it in thread. It did not quite look so sharpened in Lightroom. I have tried to take on board all comments so here is a re-work. Also moved the image up slightly in frame to see if the composition suffered. Hope I've got it about right this time. Lightroom takes a bit of navigating but I will stick with it and see what it's capable of when I know how to use it.
Thanks everyone for the rapid response. I nearly pulled this image out when I see it in thread. It did not quite look so sharpened in Lightroom. I have tried to take on board all comments so here is a re-work. Also moved the image up slightly in frame to see if the composition suffered. Hope I've got it about right this time. Lightroom takes a bit of navigating but I will stick with it and see what it's capable of when I know how to use it.
Ron,
I like the second attempt. For me including slightly more ground and cutting the sky a little (if you compare both versions next to each other on an image editor) the photo looks more that was taken from down to up, which I personally like.
The sharpness is OK (standard neutral) in the 2nd version (maybe a tic up, would still be OK while adding some more detail to the little stones in the ground - but that is totally personal preference and taste of each individual), but I liked more the vibrancy of the blown whites in the 1st version. Anyway, personal opinion.
I like the second attempt. For me including slightly more ground and cutting the sky a little (if you compare both versions next to each other on an image editor) the photo looks more that was taken from down to up, which I personally like.
The sharpness is OK (standard neutral) in the 2nd version (maybe a tic up, would still be OK while adding some more detail to the little stones in the ground - but that is totally personal preference and taste of each individual), but I liked more the vibrancy of the blown whites in the 1st version. Anyway, personal opinion.
Regards
George
All very valid points George. I find it easier to analise someone else's work than my own. Strange thing is that at full screen size the first looks just about right, but once re-sized for web it looked over sharpened. Originally I ended up with this version in colour. Not sure now if I prefer the B&W or the Colour.
Thanks everyone for the rapid response. I nearly pulled this image out when I see it in thread. It did not quite look so sharpened in Lightroom. I have tried to take on board all comments so here is a re-work. Also moved the image up slightly in frame to see if the composition suffered. Hope I've got it about right this time. Lightroom takes a bit of navigating but I will stick with it and see what it's capable of when I know how to use it.
Hmmm... I feel some of the crispness of the original is lost in the revised version, even though the over-sharpening aliasing has been fixed. The aliasing may have been brought out by the added contrast.
I don't personally see much impact in the slight change in the cropping.
All very valid points George. I find it easier to analise someone else's work than my own. Strange thing is that at full screen size the first looks just about right, but once re-sized for web it looked over sharpened. Originally I ended up with this version in colour. Not sure now if I prefer the B&W or the Colour.
Ron, a little tip regarding sharpening. If you sharpen a full size image the sharpening levels are for the full image, if you then resize, it probably will not look right. Different levels of sharpening would normally be applied to a web size image. Therefore its best to always sharpen the image after resizing, so you can use the levels of sharpening applicable to that size. Just a rule of thumb you understand
Ron, a little tip regarding sharpening. If you sharpen a full size image the sharpening levels are for the full image, if you then resize, it probably will not look right. Different levels of sharpening would normally be applied to a web size image. Therefore its best to always sharpen the image after resizing, so you can use the levels of sharpening applicable to that size. Just a rule of thumb you understand
Quite right Stephen. You would think that I should have learnt that by now, but I still keep making mistakes. Think I need to slow down a bit and look closer at what I'm doing. Then again at my age there is soooo much to do and not enough time left to do it. You will find that when you get older the days get shorter. Us oldens need our sleep.
there is soooo much to do and not enough time left to do it. You will find that when you get older the days get shorter. 
Us oldens need our sleep.
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