The Helix, In Focus

[shutterwarrior]

1. In what area is critique to be sought?
Composition, technique/method.

2. What one hopes to achieve with the piece of work?
To draw the viewer's eyes to the Helix amidst the other elements on the photo.

3. Under what circumstance is the picture taken?
Night, long exposure, with a tripod. And tons of distraction (okay lah, fellow shooters on the, at the moment, most photographed spot in SG) by my side.

4. What the critique seeker personally thinks of the picture?
It needs some refinement which, through the advices of the experts here, I hope to improve on for my next shoots.

 

[issac]

well done bro i like the feel ^^

 

[hartzdevil]

Hey Bro, i like the blur effect.:thumbsup:

 

[ArcticFox]

I think it's too tight, zoom out a bit more. I find the emphasis on the structure awkward. However, the blur effect works well for me.

 

[gamebit]

looks fake, but i like it

 

[jeffzhen]

wow I really like it, I'm just wondering how'd u get the blur effect, was it a post processing, or actual lens blur?

 

[rgborj]

Excellent shot! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[gnayed]

Is it photo-shopped?

 

[pokiemon]

nice. good job in hdr.

 

[scubagolfer]

This pic looks like using layer ... water under bridge, one section TS forgot to blur off ... keke

 

[zackery88]

may i know how long was your shutter and what aperture you are using?

 

[ovaltinemilo]

:thumbsup: overall nice, but blur is not very well done for some parts if you scrutinize it... looks fake, but still nice...

 

[shutterwarrior]

I think it's too tight, zoom out a bit more. I find the emphasis on the structure awkward. However, the blur effect works well for me.

Thanks for the comment. This was as wide as I can get (I was using a 17-50/2.8 lens). It was my aim, in fact, to bring emphasis to the structure which is why I did a pseudo tilt-shift + gaussian-blurred backdrop post-processing.

looks fake, but i like it

Thanks for the comment; the effect was done on purpose. =)

wow I really like it, I'm just wondering how'd u get the blur effect, was it a post processing, or actual lens blur?

Thanks for appreciating my work. I had two layers, the bottom layer was gaussian-blurred. I then applied a layer mask to the upper layer and left just the Helix Bridge.

Is it photo-shopped?

No, it was not. It was GIMPed. =)

nice. good job in hdr.

Nope, this one is a non-HDR photo. I did slight curves adjustments plus the other steps I've mentioned above. I appreciate your comment, thanks.

This pic looks like using layer ... water under bridge, one section TS forgot to blur off ... keke

Yes, I did miss that spot out. I was too tired after the shoot. I was in a rush to post some shots and I wasn't really too focused on the workflow. Thanks for pointing that out; I've already fixed this on my copy (which I have archived). =)

may i know how long was your shutter and what aperture you are using?

If you've been on the bridge, it is quite tough to get a good shot as it shakes and vibrates when groups of people walk by. I shot this at 1/2 sec, f/3.5 to reduce any ghosting artifacts and the out-of-focus resulting from the vibrations/shakes.

 

[shaoken]

Nice blur effect..

 

[yinsheng]

HDR? nice touch. i'm trying to learn too.

 

[LeGozt]

i think applying lens blur instead of gaussian would work better. is that available in gimp?

 

[aspenx]

Pseudo tilt shift effects tend to not work well if you don't shoot from a higher vantage point.

 

[pinholecam]

Nice vantage point. Looks like you were leaning out the bridge (I've never been there yet soo don't know how its done)

Good exposure on the bridge and blur in the bkgnd to isolate the bridge as the subject.

Nice job!:thumbsup:

 

[night86mare]

this looks photoshopped.

once again, i present to you the gimmick syndrome. this happens when someone finds something new, and then fits pictures into the gimmick, instead of the other way round. tools are at the photographer's disposal to employ, not for you to be controlled by them. does this image really warrant the tilt/shift effect? where is the composition, effects aside? what do you intend to show?

 

[shutterwarrior]

i think applying lens blur instead of gaussian would work better. is that available in gimp?

I reckon there is no lens blur in Gimp (I could be wrong though); the closest effect would be a soft focus effect. Thanks for the comment.

Pseudo tilt shift effects tend to not work well if you don't shoot from a higher vantage point.

Agree, which makes this shot, imho, a tad going against the norms as far as "good" tilt-shifts are concerned. I couldn't find a higher spot to shoot with the whole expanse of the bridge covered so I had to "improvise." I appreciate your comments; I'll keep your advise in mind for future tilt-shift projects.

Nice vantage point. Looks like you were leaning out the bridge (I've never been there yet soo don't know how its done)

Good exposure on the bridge and blur in the bkgnd to isolate the bridge as the subject.

Nice job!:thumbsup:

Thanks for the compliment. I was at the edge of the first view deck and had to compose a quick shot as the bridge is prone to "shakes" every now and then.

this looks photoshopped.

Yes, it was post-processed albeit in Gimp.

once again, i present to you the gimmick syndrome. this happens when someone finds something new, and then fits pictures into the gimmick, instead of the other way round. tools are at the photographer's disposal to employ, not for you to be controlled by them.

I'm stumped, nonetheless, I'd try to keep these words in mind in future works. ("Beware of the gimmick syndrome. Do not let the tools control you.") =)

does this image really warrant the tilt/shift effect? where is the composition, effects aside? what do you intend to show?

It was my intention to use the pseudo-tilt shift effect, warranted or not. If this were a commissioned shoot, I may not be at a liberty to tinker with whatever effects I fancy. So please bear with me in my use of artistic freedom, however infinitesimal my artistic insticts may be. =)

The aim of this photo was to show the structure of the bridge, its intricate design in conjunction with the use of leading lines and diminishing perspectives.

Thank you for taking your time to offer constructive critiques of my work.