I've donned my asbestos suit...

[ChuckM]

My first pics with by 350D. I'm new to SLR. Please rip away. It's only "1's" and "0's".

All are uncropped and no post was done. Suggestions on composition and any post tweaks would also be appreciated.

http://chuckm.smugmug.com/photos/77159315-M-1.jpg
[MOD EDIT: Only one image per week for a whuppin'. Check the rules, a sticky thread at the top of this forum.]
[DUMB NEWBIE EDIT: My apologies. I guess I like pain.]

[Artur C.]

Hi Chuck,

The photo is creative and well exposed, and technically well executed, but it's time for the leather whip to come out.

When I look at this photo, 2 things compete for my attention. On the one hand it's a prop closeup, yet the reflection on it is a subject on it's own, and it's tough to decide what exactly you are trying to show. As a viewer I can already picture an old airstrip because of the nature of the prop, yet the reflection shows a modern type airstrip that isn't very interesting to look at. The other airplane "J3 Cub?" is competing with the yellow closeup that's already there. It's creative, but it's distracting at the same time.:scratch

-Art

[ChuckM]

Thanks for the feedback. Well I feel good about the "technical" comments. This was one I happend upon while wandering around the airport.

You're right, it is a cub. (they both are actually)

It may have looked better with more of the wooden prop and a "hint" of the reflection.

As I've browsed Dgrin more... I realized this probably wasn't whipping post worthy and should have been in the more "general" photo sections.

I guess I don't really know what story I was trying to tell. I'll have to work on that...

[ivar]

Congrats on your new 350d! And let me start by saying i love cubs! I have flown them quite a bit too.


The picture.... I like the idea, it's kind of a 'classic' in my mind. The top-right looks a little over-exposed to me, or atleast without alot of texture. The little cub in the middle, is too much in the middle for my feeling. I think i would crop a bit of the bottom and left side, to get it a little 'higher' in the photo. That will get rid of a bit of the light area on the top-right too.

I don't really get the modern feel Arthur was talking about, but i don't get an 'old' feeling either. Were you going for either one of them? Also, kind of distracting is the bright blue thing on the ground, in the reflection on the spinner.

I think getting a shot such as this, is very difficult to do, because of the focus. It is near impossible to get something on the spinner in focus usually.

[ReWrite]

However, I think it would be better without the out-of-focus yellow part and bolt behind the prop. I think that a shot with only the reflective part and the wood grain of the prop might be more effective. Essentially, you'd get the fish eye view with the wood grain frame. Also, watch your highlights, you've blown out the clouds in the top right completely. If you shoot raw or with a tripod you can try getting more dynamic range by combining exposures in photoshop using layers and masks.

You might also want to think about what exactly it was you were trying to convey, as I'm not sure the novelty of the shot is enough to grab the viewer's attention for very long.