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Miguel Delinquento

Jul-23-2009, 02:55 AM

I'm not a big fan of shooting landscapes and nature in July during midday with all the glare and contrast. But recently I saw some cool LA street shots and the realization hit that in the city lighting is not a dealbreaker.

So, during a lunch hour I meandered around the Seattle touristy waterfront and these are two of my favorites. Your constructive feedback is welcome. Thanks.

Break

http://brookselenko.smugmug.com/photos/598390455_cHQpZ-L.jpg

Opening

http://brookselenko.smugmug.com/photos/598404144_adBZN-M.jpg

M

LivingLarge

Jul-23-2009, 03:20 AM

I like #1 better, even though my eye wants to jump from the stairs to the skywalk/bridge and leave the pic. I am assuming that the man was the focus?:dunno

Wil Davis

Jul-23-2009, 03:32 AM

Interesting subjects, but I think I'd have framed the B&W pic slightly different. I love the straight lines, the angles and the curves of the steps. There are two main subjects (or are there?); that's the point - the sitter is too near the edge of the picture, and so my eye is drawn back to the bridge/framework thingy; perhaps that is the main subject? I'm confused; I look from one to the other and can't decide. I think it works without the sitter, using just the bridge as the main subject, and I think it would also work if the sitter was in a slightly different place in the frame; although I'm assuming that the picture was found rather than posed so you had no control over where he was sitting…

The other one: to be honest, I found this one much less interesting; OK there's stuff going on, but I'm not sure exactly what the picture was supposed to convey apart from being a picture of a courtyard.

Thanks for sharing -
- Wil

NeilL

Jul-23-2009, 01:07 PM

Would really appreciate gear/shooting info.

I like the first very, very much. The exposure is perfect, and the smoothness and texture and tones of the b&w are really very beautiful. The sky works very well with the architecture, and the figure is perfectly placed. B&w is a fine choice here because it completes the statement of cool aloofness in the architecture and the figure. I admire how you have kept the top tier of the amphitheater horizontal, which is a critical point in this image.

The second is a miss, I think. I really do love however the very beautiful interlacing of objects and shadows, which is complemented by the delicacy of the overall treatment. You vignetted to emphasise those very things, but the image should really have been framed inside the vignette. Even so, I think you would have had to then get it from a higher angle. The striding man on the left and those seated bodies far right are killers.

Best.

Neil

Miguel Delinquento

Jul-23-2009, 01:20 PM

Thanks everyone so far for your comments. And everyone else please feel free to contrbute as well.

Neill, I'm glad you completely caught my intention on the first one.
On the second, I like the guy coming into the frame, maybe he'll take that table? I could crop out the folks on the far right easy enough.

Photo info:
Both images shot with Pentax K20D with Pentax DA 21mm Ltd lens

No. 1:f 6.7 @ 1/1000 ISO 400

No. 2: f 8 @1/350 + polarizer ISO 400

M

NeilL

Jul-23-2009, 02:30 PM

Mr. Quiet

Jul-26-2009, 05:42 AM

The first one IMOP is the best, so I will say something about the second one first.

IMHOP( IMhumbleOP ), it lacks a subject matter. I get the idea of a deserted square then a busy one, but still. I probably think that way because I like close-up or macro shots.

Break is awesome! I cannot say anything very technical about this picture, as you well know, but I can say that you have caught the feeling and moment at its peak. I think that you could maybe improve it by making it a tighter crop on both sides, a tad more on the left then the right.