Dusk, at the padi field

[ch3nyong]

Taken using Canon PowerShot A40, it was once in a life time, no more second chance anyway..

Things I wanna know from you:

- what feel do you get from the photo at your first sight?

- am I getting the right framing? or do you see something better?

- it was captured using auto mode by Canon PowerShot A40. if this is to be captured using dslr, what setting should I be using?

Any other critiques are welcome!

Thanks!

[jonkk]

i think the most important thing you did was not letting that moment slip away.
there's nothing significant to focus on as a subject for this photo, but taken as a 'scenery' shot, i like the way you composed it with more weight placed on the sky. the gradations of the orange-blue of the sky at dusk are very beautifully captured on film. it's the kind of photo that realy makes you wonder what it'd be like to actually be standing there taking in the moment itself.
it looks fine the way it is. i toyed with the idea of shooting with part of the foreground cropped, but the nature of the foreground makes it hard to because the lines look nice the way they are. (:

[espion]

conveys quietness, rest and calmness. Nicely seen but not entirely well executed and thus a nice picture opportunity missed and seemingly, from what you said, forever.

Compositionally the things going for it are the gradations and colours in the sky, the foregrd emphatically balanced by the moon(?). Also the clump of 3 coconut trees and their reflections on the left is pleasingly balanced by the more massive, but less distinctive clumps on the right.

The things not going for it are the cluttered horizon - which I think are some buildings with their lights on - which cuts into the tree silhouettes spoiling their clarity, and also I think some hand shake - prob low shutter speed, like 1/10 or something - which makes the moon(?) indistinct.

The horizon can be overcome in some ways, such as taking a lower perspective, eg squat instead of stand, or move left/right so that the buildings themselves become distinct and adds another silhouetted element to the trees and bushes.

The hand shake ... well if this is a unplanned shot, then either you take multiple shots - or find some support etc.

[ch3nyong]

Originally Posted by jonkk by the way, where exactly is this? thanks (:

Thanks jonkk for your thoughts, I tried moving the frame around and this is the best I can find. You would be amazed that this padi field is actually a small piece appearing in the middle of a city it's at Melaka, Malaysia, taken when I was still an undergraduate 2 years back. So, this photo means a lot more to me than to others, hehe..

Originally Posted by espion conveys quietness, rest and calmness. Nicely seen but not entirely well executed and thus a nice picture opportunity missed and seemingly, from what you said, forever. Compositionally the things going for it are the gradations and colours in the sky, the foregrd emphatically balanced by the moon(?). Also the clump of 3 coconut trees and their reflections on the left is pleasingly balanced by the more massive, but less distinctive clumps on the right. The things not going for it are the cluttered horizon - which I think are some buildings with their lights on - which cuts into the tree silhouettes spoiling their clarity, and also I think some hand shake - prob low shutter speed, like 1/10 or something - which makes the moon(?) indistinct. The horizon can be overcome in some ways, such as taking a lower perspective, eg squat instead of stand, or move left/right so that the buildings themselves become distinct and adds another silhouetted element to the trees and bushes. The hand shake ... well if this is a unplanned shot, then either you take multiple shots - or find some support etc.

Espion, appreciate much on what you've seen but not myself! Yes, I probably missed that chance, forever Frankly speaking, I did not think that much (as in, MUCH) when I took this photo. As I replied jonkk, this padi field was situated in the middle of a city, and it actually has lots more buildings on each sides. I couldnt recall much as it was taken two years back, but I could have done better!

Anyway, I believe practice makes perfect and better precious screens will be captured in future! Thanks for your opinions..

FYI, I'm still using Canon PowerShot A40 and considering of upgrading to 350D/400D anytime soon will learn more from you guys here! Cheers!

[Rashkae]

1. First thought: nice colors.

2. Second thought: The light in the bottom-left is really distracting.


If you were to shoot this in a DSLR, you can use full auto too.

[aq12345]

First thought: Nice!
Second Thought: Too soft. Lacks sharpness

[ch3nyong]

Thanks for wonderful first thoughts =D

I just realised that the photo colour is a bit dark, when viewing it from others' monitor. It's defenitely not a good idea to edit the photo using my laptop LCD anymore =| Anyway, sharpness.. hmm... this photo has probably gone through too many jpeg compressions that it deteriorates the quality so much (on top of the lousy night shot) =P

Thanks for viewing!

[night86mare]

Originally Posted by ch3nyong Things I wanna know from you: - what feel do you get from the photo at your first sight? - am I getting the right framing? or do you see something better? - it was captured using auto mode by Canon PowerShot A40. if this is to be captured using dslr, what setting should I be using? Any other critiques are welcome! Thanks!

First thought : definitely a scene worth taking. =) Serenity comes to mind, stillness next. And then all the other things come to notice, as others have mentioned - softness (which is forgiveable, but note, even with a DSLR you'd need a tripod for sure. And the foreground is excessively cluttered - this might be a personal preference to keep things simple; I find it hard to find order in many details so I usually just improvise and simplify and emphasize something I think would stand out.

For this scene, can't say for sure what there is to focus on since I was not there, but from your photo, I'm thinking the three palm trees and their reflections, along with the sky, along with a low angle to emphasize their silhouettes against the sky. Maybe moving in a little closer too, so long as their tops are against the night sky. Oh, and I would throw the moon out, either by PS or by framing - it somehow doesn't do anything for the picture, mainly because it has been reduced to a white speck in the sky, which serves to distract more than anything else.

For DSLR, you'd probably want a small aperture to capture as much detail as possible - it is more often than not, preferable for landscapes, can't really think of a time when I had used a large aperture for landscapes other than to reduce hotspots in IR. Something in the region of F/11 to F/13 should be sufficient.

Good luck on getting your DSLR soon! I think you'd find it a lot more fun than your P&S if you do have the passion for photography - there's so much more you can do!

Originally Posted by ch3nyong I just realised that the photo colour is a bit dark, when viewing it from others' monitor. It's defenitely not a good idea to edit the photo using my laptop LCD anymore =| Anyway, sharpness.. hmm... this photo has probably gone through too many jpeg compressions that it deteriorates the quality so much (on top of the lousy night shot) =P

It's not really that dark, hehe. I think it's just right, any brighter and the mood captured here might essentially be spoilt. =)

[tribal.snake]

love the softness and colors at hindsight
but after a while, the top 1/3 of the pic dun really work. just too empty and u can't convey the emptiness feeling with a padi field in bottom half. how abt a panorama look?