Need a Whip ... please.

[HarlanBear]

Haven't been here for some time, so thought I'd submit.

This was taken at a winery in Napa, California. Original shot was duplicated in PSCS3, applied Gaussian Blur to the top copy, Mode changed to Overlay and reduced Opacity. Interested in what others think of the shot and the technique.

Whip it at me.

http://mburkey.smugmug.com/photos/133313706-M-1.jpg

[1220]

Although I couldnt possibly do what you did here, I cant say Im in love with it.

It does have this dreamy pre-claritan appearence which isnt so bad, just not my cup of tea really.

But I'm not terribly fond of the lighting here. It kinda looks half cheery and half old worldly.... Maybe im nuts, but Id prefer a more gothic look here, I think the elements would work well there.

Anyway... I was just in the mood to :whip someone and you happened to be in the way. :D

[HarlanBear]

Anyway... I was just in the mood to :whip someone and you happened to be in the way. :D

Story of my life. And thank you for the critique.

[quark]

I like the shot but I can't quite work around the gaussian. I also think you need to trim out the trees in the lower right corner. This photo has an old italy feel but the palm tree is ruining it for me.

Try black and white?

[Jaraviss]

for me...i'm not sure about the image format (proportions)..or the cropping.
the right side of the building's vertical line is almost dead center.

i'm sure this isn't a deal breaker for most and the "rule of 3rds" isn't a go/no go decision maker on images...but for me...this time...it just cuts the image in half...
probably cause the left is almost all building adn the right is almost all sky.

i do like the "soft" feel to the image.
i'm not experienced enough to talk about the exposure tho...is it a little overexposed? i can't tell.

those are my comments.

1. try some cropping to get inline with the rule of thirds
2. try to darken or desaturate? (dont know which)

repost and lets see what you got?

thanks for sharing!

-G

[Shelleyk]

This definately needs a boost in either levels or curves (if you use Photoshop)
Cant do much about crop but you can try cropping off un front of the window on the left of the photo, and then from the top...crop down to where the eave of the house meets the edge of the brick.

If youre goal is to get a dreamier effect..add a bit more of a guassian blur and maybe add a small black vignette.

hope this helps!

[thegridrunner]

I like the feel of the photography, a little dreamy. I would like to see a few more pictures of the scene, maybe a with a wide angle and perhaps a few different vantage points. I think the picture works though but few composition comparisons would be helpful. Keep it up.:):

[HarlanBear]

1. try some cropping to get inline with the rule of thirds
2. try to darken or desaturate? (dont know which)

The current crop works for me, though I do understand your "rule of thirds" idea. I also want to keep the darker tones on the far left. And I'm also not sure about the need to darken or desaturate. Is it too bright or saturated? The exposure is correct, in that there are no blown highlights, but that doesn't mean it works well. Will have to check that out.

Thanks for taking the time and for your critique. Good food for thought.

[HarlanBear]

This definately needs a boost in either levels or curves (if you use Photoshop)

Shelleyk, Why does it need a boost in levels or curves? Does it appear too dark to you? Or maybe there's another reason I'm not understanding.


If youre goal is to get a dreamier effect..add a bit more of a guassian blur and maybe add a small black vignette.

This is really an idea I will explore. Especially the black vignetteing. I usually try to stay away from that (speaking of "rules"), but have seen some very nice use of it recently, and that may add a nice touch to this image.

Thanks for the ideas.

[Shelleyk]

Shelleyk, Why does it need a boost in levels or curves? Does it appear too dark to you? Or maybe there's another reason I'm not understanding.




This is really an idea I will explore. Especially the black vignetteing. I usually try to stay away from that (speaking of "rules"), but have seen some very nice use of it recently, and that may add a nice touch to this image.

Thanks for the ideas.

Now this could be my monitor but I believe I have it calibrated correctly...the photos looks lightly flat to me. By boosting or adding a little but more shadow with either levels or curves it will help pop the building out a little more for a more 3D effect...but on the other hand if your intent was a dreamy look then there would be no need for this :)

[HarlanBear]

Now this could be my monitor but I believe I have it calibrated correctly...the photos looks lightly flat to me. By boosting or adding a little but more shadow with either levels or curves it will help pop the building out a little more for a more 3D effect...but on the other hand if your intent was a dreamy look then there would be no need for this :)

Thanks for the clarification, Shelleyk.
I did try some curves adjustments for contrast, etc., but didn't really like the results. The dreamy look is an intent, but certainly doesn't hurt to look at options.

Thanks again for your input.:D

[loi]

i like it; kind of wish it was a bit more clear :D