First Shot :) please CC

[db350z]

Hi guys'

Just bought a 400D not long. I took this shot and Edit with Auto and Curve Auto as well.

I'm not sure what kind of Critique i'll get, but i suppose in term of the Tree being the main focus. I'm having a doubt whether i should edit this into B&W shot since it's just Dark tree images with a Sunlight shine from the rear end.

This picture was taken when i'm walking around and turn around to look for something and the sun just hit that spot of the hill with the tree on it. Therefore i think it'll be a good shot.

So far i think it's a Very nice and Calming picture but somehow there is a way to improve this image in the future. Such as doing B&W shot and also do more wide shot to make a border around it.

Please give me some CC



Thanks
Yun

[coklat]

nice, i wont convert it into bw. Alittle bit more space around the tree and remove the last one on the left will b nice. my 2cents.

[nigel84]

if i were u, i would had tried to clone away the sun on the bottom... Haha, that didn't work for me... My first glance the tree attracted me, however within the next half sec, my eyes shifted towards the gleam of light. Now comparing the two subjects, the sun and the tree, i find the sun more interesting as it would make me wondering how u managed to catch the sun so low and such... However i muz say u caught a good sky, showing the dramatic clouds in a very nice pattern and like what coklat said, should had cropped away the tree on the left. Gd attempt though!

[microcosm]

I would (1) shift the lens upwards and have more sky rather than blacken ground. (2) run back another 10 metres and get a wider shot and give the right side of the tree a little more space.

That said, I like the overall picture, just the problem with the composition. But that comes with time. Keep on shooting.

[yehosaphat]

Sun does not work for if it is in B&W. Color might be nicer with the sun in. If it is color, you ciykd have used a grad ND to further accentuate the clouds. Tree too dominating in your composition.

[SnapSnap]

I like the idea for this photo. However, I would leave a little more space above the tree and clone away the little bit of foliage on the left hand side. Lowering the gamma and adjusting the level may also help give the photo a boost. I have attempted to do some pp to the photo... Let me know if you want me to remove it.

[db350z]

wow Thanks a lot guys.

I'm sure will take a lot of notes from you guys

Will take more shots and post more

cheers
Yun

[microcosm]

Originally Posted by db350z wow Thanks a lot guys. I'm sure will take a lot of notes from you guys Will take more shots and post more cheers Yun

The only way to get better...

Keep on shooting and posting them here.

Remember, shooting more only improves your composition and your familiarity of your equipment. The other half of digital photography is manipulation of the image after you have shot it... therefore master Photoshop at the same time. This is another devil in itself. Monitor calibration, etc is all a part of being able to process your image better.

[Chris Lim]

here's my take at it. Let me know it u dun like it and i will remove. thanks.



Conversion to black and white.
3 layers of contrast tuning after cropping away whats below the horizon.
1 layer gaussian blur+tinting.

and some other stuff i cannot remember what. lol

[db350z]

wow thanks Chris.

The Black and white turned out better than i'm expected. but i think the sun glare is no good for black and white huh.

The tree and the Sky is good for black and white but not the sun.

I like all the ideas that turnes out

[Chris Lim]

Originally Posted by db350z wow thanks Chris. The Black and white turned out better than i'm expected. but i think the sun glare is no good for black and white huh. The tree and the Sky is good for black and white but not the sun. I like all the ideas that turnes out

hmmm i think the flare from the sun can work out well if you portioned ur framing in such a way that a balance is struck between the two. Right now the sun and the tree are fighting for attention. Bowever by comparison, since the tree is bigger, it'll naturally steal the limelight and rennder the sun as more redundant. But cropping further and placing the now determined main focus to a more 1/3 of the framing, you may want to further enhance the tree.

[zac08]

Chris has gotten the crop which I figured would be better for your shot as the ridgeline would help draw attention towards the tree. But the B&W process may have darkened the tree a bit more than what would have worked better.

Here's my take of your shot in a sepia tone, (do let me know if you mind, and I'll remove it)

[db350z]

wow i think i like all of it. I like the Sephia because it make the cloud very unusual tone, which made it becoming an interesting picture thanks alot for doing it guys

But the Black and White that Chris did give more mellow kinda feeling

[Patryk]

Probably one of the reasons members like to do their PP renditions for your shot is because of its potential. From my own perspective, the framing could be improved, because by placing the tree almost to the far right, it's a neither here or there kinda thing..

Then you have that glow of the sun just peeking out of horizon below, which adds abit of dynamics to the composition.

In your original, having that bright yellow/orange spot of sun but yet have the demure, grey looking sky didn't really go hand-in-hand in my opinion. So what I thought could be done is compliment the setting sun by having the clouds match the colour. This probably gives more emphasis on the sun by making it engaged with the other elements of the shot.

What I've done below is not what you would say well done, but just a general view of what I think could be another direction you could go with through your post processing.

[db350z]

I think it looks great the combination of the Brown cloud and Blue sky at the back looks very interesting.

But also looks like we are in Global Warming time lol.