[schoffie]

May 8, 2009 at 1:20 pm

I’m sorry, I meant #3 as the beautiful image, not #2 … and to be honest I’m not really convinced about the postprocessing, long exposure does not alter the contrast, only, in this case, the depth of field. Maybe you should see the difference between the RAW shot and the final JPG, I think the contrast loo is because the too strong curve, especially in the higher-middle part (high tones). Maybe if you flatten the curve a little in the light part the total picture will look a little darker but less contrasty and more natural (with still strong colours)

[schoffie]

May 8, 2009 at 1:15 pm

thanks for the compliments!

The last image is a night shot about 1hr after sunset…

[schoffie]

May 8, 2009 at 7:20 am

a little update then…

[schoffie]

May 8, 2009 at 7:15 am

#2 is beautiful, the real blue bell forest as I’m still looking for but haven’t found yet… but I don’t like the post processing to be honest, too hard contrast and too strong colours, that’s a pity

[schoffie]

May 8, 2009 at 7:11 am

for me definitely #2. In #1 the rock is more the subject of the picture while in #2 it’s function is the lead-in foreground of the landscape. That’s the reason I end up in #2 at the island while in #1 the island is just an extra element… both pictures are for me the difference between detail-in-landscape (#1) and landscape-with-foreground (#2). It’s a pity of the beautiful rocks under the surface but removal of them improves the composition for me

[schoffie]

May 6, 2009 at 8:50 pm

thnX 2 all for the replies… really appreciate that!

problem with Dutch pictures is that we don’t have the impressive nature you have. So pictures from Ireland look easily impressive while we have to work very hard in Holland to create such as impressive pictures from a totally flat country without any rocks or real wilderness…

Exposure is controlled by polariser & 0.9ND-grad Lee filter…

[schoffie]

May 6, 2009 at 8:00 pm

a pity you only stay in Amsterdam… the rest of Holland is much nicer…

[schoffie]

May 6, 2009 at 7:45 pm

There are some very good camera shops (same name here ;)) but not in Amsterdam…
why’s your question?

[schoffie]

May 6, 2009 at 6:39 pm

very good picture! love the b&w, like it’s night…

look careful at the resize procedure because I see a bright line in the black part of the lamp following the shape of the lamp now..

[schoffie]

May 6, 2009 at 6:37 pm

beautiful color here in the water, the yellow atmosphere is quite unnatural and therefore thrilling here. A little more space at the left would improve the balance imo, as well as a lower camera position. I always try to shoot animals at eye level, in that way you’ll be more part of their world instead of looking down from our human point of view. But really love the light!

[schoffie]

May 6, 2009 at 6:33 pm

where’s the coloured version? like that one much more!!

[schoffie]

May 6, 2009 at 6:32 pm

it is quite dark and therefore unfortunately misses the right atmosphere, I’m afraid. I think, I would have placed the lower border of the frame a bit more up (let’s day just under the houses) so there would be more sky and clouds visible.

[schoffie]

May 6, 2009 at 6:30 pm

#1 has a beautiful color and atmosphere but I think the total balance and composition will improve much when you decentralise the sun, e.g. more in the right top. We love to look out of the dark towards the light (not only at the end of our life we like that ;)), so if you have the sun more in the top corner, the enormous space on the left would create a lot of tense in the total composition.

#2: really impressive clouds and light. Silhouettes are always difficult to place in a picture because you mostly cut off very abrupt the elements. And if you don’t, you might end up with a very large and disturbing black plane (is that the right word?). However, in this picture you definitely need the foreground to give a foundation and scale to the clouds. So, I think you made the right choice…

[schoffie]

May 6, 2009 at 6:12 pm

I like the poses and the lighting! But the optic angle of the chosen lens seems too wide for me, you can see you’re near her and you can see already a little perspective change. Further, as you have the right lighting now, challenge your creativity towards the composition. The chosen frame of the pictures is very narrow so she is looking out of the pictures now. More space to the left, perhaps even with a second empty rack on the left, will not only create a better balance in the composition but you also will emphasise more the emptiness of the racks…

To avoid the perspective change you might use a larger focal length here as well (if it fits of course in the room!), the total frame will look more flat so you can create more tension between the strong and straight shapes of the racks and the bodyshapes…

Hope I could be of any assistance here for I’m only a Dutch nature photographer 8)