This was shot this morningand was actually a very badly overexposed shot. This is what I was able to salvag out of the original but I wanted to get some feedback from you all on weather or not I went to far in post processing. I think the blown out sky on the left of the frame actually creates a surreal effect. But im not sure what this means for my photography technically. I know people harp sometimes on making sure every aspect of the image is properly exposed, but sometimes I feel like the rules are made to be broken and I love the effect I was able to create with this shot. Want to hear any thoughts you have on this, good, bad, everything. Thanks for taking a look

Originally Posted by miketaylor01 This was shot this morningand was actually a very badly overexposed shot. This is what I was able to salvag out of the original but I wanted to get some feedback from you all on weather or not I went to far in post processing. I think the blown out sky on the left of the frame actually creates a surreal effect. But im not sure what this means for my photography technically. I know people harp sometimes on making sure every aspect of the image is properly exposed, but sometimes I feel like the rules are made to be broken and I love the effect I was able to create with this shot. Want to hear any thoughts you have on this, good, bad, everything. Thanks for taking a look

Mike, I like that shot very much. Whatever you did in post was not over done. I think that is the trick in your situation.

On the foreground, could it get a little sharper, or is it part of the post. The sky looks quite natural to me from skys I have seen when the light source is to the side.

Others can tell you more. I am not a purist...........not all the time and not in all things. I am kind of lazy, though. I do have a certain pride in using the full frame of a shot, that is left over from a blk and white seminar. Adding "pop" and other things, well, in that area I am not a purist at all.

Saving a photo in the manner you did, well, I like it. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. And you can take pride in that and pride in something else another time.

Cheers, ginger

Originally Posted by miketaylor01 This was shot this morningand was actually a very badly overexposed shot. This is what I was able to salvag out of the original but I wanted to get some feedback from you all on weather or not I went to far in post processing. I think the blown out sky on the left of the frame actually creates a surreal effect. But im not sure what this means for my photography technically. I know people harp sometimes on making sure every aspect of the image is properly exposed, but sometimes I feel like the rules are made to be broken and I love the effect I was able to create with this shot. Want to hear any thoughts you have on this, good, bad, everything. Thanks for taking a look

Mike,
You did a great save here. The light looks good. I notice a few spots and speckles in the sky on the right. That happens sometimes when you use curves or play with the light. A few may be dirt on the lens. Maybe they can be blurred out somehow.

I am also bothered by the bright white specks in the foreground. They could be cloned out. And, I would like to see the chopper a little to the left for a more off center composition. Maybe a crop on left and top?

Possibly some levels or curves on the ground only could increase the contrast, but it's not too bad. It has a misty feeling.

Good job.

Originally Posted by snapapple Mike, You did a great save here. The light looks good. I notice a few spots and speckles in the sky on the right. That happens sometimes when you use curves or play with the light. A few may be dirt on the lens. Maybe they can be blurred out somehow. I am also bothered by the bright white specks in the foreground. They could be cloned out. And, I would like to see the chopper a little to the left for a more off center composition. Maybe a crop on left and top? Possibly some levels or curves on the ground only could increase the contrast, but it's not too bad. It has a misty feeling. Good job.

I agree with a left/top crop. maybe about 20% of the frame.

I like the sky and the muted colors. Very nice image.

Originally Posted by tmlphoto I agree with a left/top crop. maybe about 20% of the frame. I like the sky and the muted colors. Very nice image.

I agree with what Thomas has said - move the chopper to the left upper third position or so and lose the left upper quadrant of open featureless sky - This will concentrate the viewer's attention on the foreground and the architecural details. The flat lighting and mono color scheme works well here. Nice image.

Originally Posted by miketaylor01 This was shot this morningand was actually a very badly overexposed shot. This is what I was able to salvag out of the original but I wanted to get some feedback from you all on weather or not I went to far in post processing. I think the blown out sky on the left of the frame actually creates a surreal effect. But im not sure what this means for my photography technically. I know people harp sometimes on making sure every aspect of the image is properly exposed, but sometimes I feel like the rules are made to be broken and I love the effect I was able to create with this shot. Want to hear any thoughts you have on this, good, bad, everything. Thanks for taking a look

The rule I almost always break is cropping too tight. In this case I "MAY" have cut the sky, but I think it would be a mistake.

Originally Posted by miketaylor01 This was shot this morningand was actually a very badly overexposed shot. This is what I was able to salvag out of the original but I wanted to get some feedback from you all on weather or not I went to far in post processing. I think the blown out sky on the left of the frame actually creates a surreal effect. But im not sure what this means for my photography technically. I know people harp sometimes on making sure every aspect of the image is properly exposed, but sometimes I feel like the rules are made to be broken and I love the effect I was able to create with this shot.

My biggest comment would be to un-center the chopper and next time try a slower shutter. I'd like to see a little blur in the chopper blades. I know this is hard from when I did choppers and planes once before. I was really surprised at just how slowly those things turn, and shutter speeds that you think would have a full rotation of a blade almost look stationary!

I wouldn't worry too much about all the processing. I'm not a big fan of processing images too much anyway so I'm not that concerned if not every scrap of your image is properly exposed or not. That doesn't bother me. I think the sky is lovely the way it is.

How bout this? I like the composition alot more but the only thing that I dont like is how much I had to crop the image to get this to where it is now. I This may be going farther that I like to go with breaking my cropping rule lol. What do you think?


Also in reference to your suggestiong to try slower shutter speeds I was actually all set up to give this a try with this aircraft after it took off but of course the best laid plans are always spoiled because the two aircraft flew off in the opposite direction from what I was prepared to shoot at. Also the onlyway I would be able to get the fuselage of the aircraft sharp with catching the motion of the blades with a slower shutter speed would be to track the aircrat in flight. Which I just said I was going to attempt to to. Oh well there will always be other day. Here are two more that I got this morning of these two aircraft. I used alot of negative fill light, which is a feature that I have only seen available on Sigma Photo Pro but i know I dont know everything, So this might not be to everyones taste. The original images were pretty boring to me thats why I decided to mess with NFL.

Originally Posted by miketaylor01 How bout this? I like the composition alot more but the only thing that I dont like is how much I had to crop the image to get this to where it is now. I This may be going farther that I like to go with breaking my cropping rule lol. What do you think?

I think moving the chopper so that now it's more in the "rule of thirds" has made all the difference. I really like the shot now.. has a very good feel to it. Congrats on the post processing and cropping
Lynn