A break in the weather..

[Geoff]

Bel and I got out for a walk (in between the rain periods) on Tuesday and I took the camera along. Here's the results. Comments welcomed as always:

















All taken with the 17-55DX 2.8 lens.

[MHD]

Some nice stuff there Geoff!

My pick is number 2, I like the contrasty look and the tracks...

Sorry... last one does nothing for me... Too plain, and the sky is blown... Perhaps if the fence was straight (a compositional thing...)

[TonyH]

Hi Geoff,

nice composition with your shots, however, way too oversaturated on my monitor.


Regards

Tony

[stubbsy]

Geoff

An odd comment coming from me, but these tend to be a little too saturated - especially #2 and #8

#2 I'd suggest a graduated ND effect to lighten the top & darken the bottom. Otherwise the image is good, just too much contrast between top and bottom

#5 - I really like, but the blown highlights at the top distract me, I'd crop a little more at the top (but note I obsess about blown highlights )

#6 - excellent

#7 - my favourite. A set up I suspect, but it works really well and the colour tonings enhance the image.

[Glen]

Mate you should have stuck Bel in the last, the perfect backdrop for a portrait

[wendellt]

7 the flower is just gorgeous, well spotted and skillfully taken

it must be fun living in the north shore seems like you have access to lots and lots of beaches i think i identified one as Palm Beach where they shoot home and away

[Geoff]

Thanks for your comments guys.
I suspected people may have thought some of them were over saturated, but I have been experimenting a little (maybe too much) with enhancing saturation etc as I have liked the outcomes (most of the time).

Stubbsy - A ND filter is a high priority on the 'to buy next' list
#7 was a setup but only to turn the flower over as it was facing down.

I'm not sure if the blown highlight truely distracts from this, will try a crop and see how it turns out.

MHD - Thanx mate - the last one was me trying to be a bit 'arty farty' hehe.

TonyH - Hmmm well - I think some (not all) are perhaps a little over saturated yes

[Geoff]

7 the flower is just gorgeous, well spotted and skillfully taken

it must be fun living in the north shore seems like you have access to lots and lots of beaches i think i identified one as Palm Beach where they shoot home and away

Not too far off Wendell - this was Curl Curl Beach (mainly the south end).

[Geoff]

Mate you should have stuck Bel in the last, the perfect backdrop for a portrait

Hmmm..Bel in a photo, by choice??

[Alpha_7]

Hi Geoff,

It's good to get outside even for brief moments between all this gloomy weather.

#1 Doesn't really work for me, I think it could of been better composed (the fence doesn't do much for me) and the bush in the centre is kind of annoying. (in my opinion)

#2 Very contrasty not sure so much negative space works for me, but I like it more then #1

#3 Again doesn't do too much with me..

#4 For me this one is a big improvement but not quiet nailling it,

#5 I really like 5 with the sunbeams streaming down from the clouds, almost like a movie with God talking to someone on the beach

#6 Don't really like dogs so I'm probably biased but this one doesn't do anything for me..(he's too still)

#7 My deadset favourite in this series, love the simplicity and DOF used

#8 Bright colours, but again this one fails to excite me..

Geoff, I'm sorry to be sounding so negative, it was definitely not my intention, but I sure you respect the honest

[stubbsy]

Geoff

I don't own a graduated ND. I do it in photoshop using (you guessed it) the Nik Color Efex filters. I'm sure a gradient fill filter in PS would do the same thing I'm just too lazy to learn.

Here's an example of what I mean. This one had very strong shadow on the left and was very bright on the right. I used the grdauted ND left to right to lighten the left and darken the right. Now there is only a hint of shadow on the left.

[Geoff]

Hi Geoff,

Geoff, I'm sorry to be sounding so negative, it was definitely not my intention, but I sure you respect the honest

Craig - I do appreciate the honesty and if it helps improve my photography then it's all good

[Geoff]

Stubbsy - Now we have a mortgage I think the software filter will be slightly more economical for us - I will look into it .

[Alpha_7]

Hi Geoff,

Geoff, I'm sorry to be sounding so negative, it was definitely not my intention, but I sure you respect the honest

Craig - I do appreciate the honesty and if it helps improve my photography then it's all good

It actually took me longer then expected to C&C these, I was a little amazed at how many comments appeared between the original post and my own as I clicked reply straight way.

So was the flower a plant ? (hehehe) Looks in to good a condition to have "washed up"

[Geoff]

Hi Geoff,

Geoff, I'm sorry to be sounding so negative, it was definitely not my intention, but I sure you respect the honest

Craig - I do appreciate the honesty and if it helps improve my photography then it's all good

It actually took me longer then expected to C&C these, I was a little amazed at how many comments appeared between the original post and my own as I clicked reply straight way.

So was the flower a plant ? (hehehe) Looks in to good a condition to have "washed up"

The flower was not a plant - I suspect it may have fallen out of someone's hair or someone had picked it from a plant (not too far away) and dropped it (accidently)!?

[Alpha_7]

All the better that it was a right place right time photo and not contrived, not that it actually affects the quality of the photo, it's still gorgeous!!

[flipfrog]

nice images Geoff

great to see some sunshine and life in the images...we are in the middle of one month str8 of solid rain!