The difference a year makes

[dkoyanagi]

I finally managed to get out and do some shooting this past weekend (first time in months). I went out and redid some shots I took a year ago. That was when I first got my camera. Here are the shots from last last year:

http://dkoyanagi.smugmug.com/photos/7863413-S.jpg

http://dkoyanagi.smugmug.com/photos/7863415-S.jpg

http://dkoyanagi.smugmug.com/photos/7863411-S.jpg

Since then I have...

1. ...had a year's worth of practice and experience. It's true what they say. There's no substitute for experience.

2. ...upgraded to a laptop with with a big wide LCD screen to edit all my photos. Now I can see all the details that used to be too dark to see on my old CRT.

3. ...upgraded from Paint Shop Pro 8 to Photoshop CS2. There's no comparison between the two. The difference is like night and day.

4. ...started shooting in raw. I use a Sony 828, and anyone who's used Sony's raw conversion program will know that it's slightly less pleasant than shaving yourself with a cheese grater. However, with CS2's skookum raw handling I can shoot raw more often.

Anyway, you might notice a difference. Here are the photos from this past weekend.


http://dkoyanagi.smugmug.com/photos/35045838-M.jpg

http://dkoyanagi.smugmug.com/photos/34870568-M.jpg

http://dkoyanagi.smugmug.com/photos/34870575-M.jpg

http://dkoyanagi.smugmug.com/photos/34870581-M.jpg

[tmlphoto]

Dan,
Your composition is certainly much stronger in your recent work. The lighting is also much improved. Very strong work. :clap

[digismile]

Much more powerful! It's much easier to feel the connection Emily Carr had her entire life with these majestic symbols. Your new photos "speak" :thumb

Brad

[lynnesite]

Love 2 & 4, composition, lighting, tones, perspective. You've learned to SEE as well as mastered the mechanical skills, congrats.

[mereimage]

It really ramps up the learning curve along with forums like this......


Mereimage

[devbobo]

Dan,

This shot is totally amazing !!! http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/eek7.gif

http://dkoyanagi.smugmug.com/photos/34870581-M.jpg

I love it http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/icon10.gifhttp://dgrin.com/images/smilies/icon10.gif

David

[Richard]

That last shot is outstanding. :clap:clap :clap Can't wait to see what you come up with a year from now.

Cheers.

[dkoyanagi]

Thanks everybody. I took these recent photos for the latest STF challenge (http://www.pbase.com/stfchallenge/challenge_100_main). I wasn't expecting my photos to be too different from what I took last year. Only after I put them up on my smugmug site next to my old photos did I realize how different they looked. Nobody was more surprised than me.

Can't wait to see what you come up with a year from now. Great idea, Richard. I think I'll turn this into an annual project. It would be a good way to track my progress.

Thanks

[TristanP]

Shot #2 really grabs me for some reason. You've done some great work there.