Flag - CC please

[sobhana]

Do you think the photo would have benefited from some clouds or something else in the photo? Do you think it would have been better if I didn't shoot at sch a high ss?

Thanks in advance.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm230/sobhanaphotography/1.jpg

[coffee]

With this kind of subject and movement, a high shutter is a must to stop the action if that's what you are trying to do. You exposure looks great, so I would say the ss was good. It's a very crisp shot with good saturation.

I might have composed it so that you have more room right of the post. It looks a little unbalanced to me. Clouds would be good to perhaps, but I think I like this shot the way you took it. I love the colors of the flag on that color blue. It really pops. You have some serious vignetting going on there. Maybe a nice fading black oval frame? With this shot, you can correct or change all of these things in PS pertty easily. You could even extend the shot by adding space to the right of the post if you so choose.

Congrats on this shot. Very striking.

[LensBaby]

I like it without the clouds, because the flag stands out. That is just my opinion though. I love the deep colors/saturation. I think the SS was good. It froze the flag and is in focus. Nice job. I do think maybe a little more of the photo on the right would help even it out a little, but hey the way it is now is a great negative space photo.

[sobhana]

My advisor said that it was boring, and that my ss was too fast meaning it doesn't show movement..what? How can it not..there's creases in the flag and I wanted a crisp photo instead of a blur effect. I also wanted all of the attention on the flag and I was worried that having clouds would detract. I agree that there should be more space to the right and I know better now for next time. Also, I don't believe I put any vignette on it. I just used a circular polarizing filter and bumped the saturation a little.

Thank you so, so much for your cc's. It's hard to listen to someone tell you that your work is "boring" and then also break down subject v. composition like you have no clue what either is.

Photography is subjective..right? Thanks again. :)

[owenmorris]

Very nice with great colour and at end of day if you like it thats's all that counts...

[Dadecountyanthony]

Very nice and well focused. I like this image beacuse of it's deep colors and no clouds to distract in such a close framed shot. The flag stands out alone as it is.
One thing I would of done would be to Photo shop the bird on the pole but thats just my oppinion.

[sobhana]

Very nice and well focused. I like this image beacuse of it's deep colors and no clouds to distract in such a close framed shot. The flag stands out alone as it is.
One thing I would of done would be to Photo shop the bird on the pole but thats just my oppinion.

Thank you for your cc. I was torn on leaving the bird or not..I hadn't even seen it until I was editing.

[LensBaby]

OK as far as a flag goes, I like it to be caught in action like you have it. If it was a car, sure panning ...make the motion active and not frozen. I personally like it myself.

[laura]

I think it looks great, the colours are fantastic.

The 'problem' with photography or any form of art is that what one person loves another person hates. We can never please everyone.

[jerryph]

I find flags very popular, if a little overdone... lol.

Yours is nice but:

- it has some unused negative space on the left (actually big enough to be distracting, if you can believe that)

- it is cropped too close on the right. If you were to put this picture into a frame, your pole would be cut out either partially or completely and look weird.

[skeuos]

My advisor said that it was boring, and that my ss was too fast meaning it doesn't show movement..what? How can it not..there's creases in the flag and I wanted a crisp photo instead of a blur effect. I also wanted all of the attention on the flag and I was worried that having clouds would detract. I agree that there should be more space to the right and I know better now for next time. Also, I don't believe I put any vignette on it. I just used a circular polarizing filter and bumped the saturation a little.


Some people like a little motion blur to show movement. Personally, I think the ripples in the flag are enough for this one. The circle polarizer can give a vignette, especially with a wider lens. I think that helps this shot - keeps the eyes away from the corners.

The exposure is great (detail in the whites), and I might have cloned the bird as well. I might also have a look at a L/R flip. Nice shot!

[sobhana]

okay, i followed some suggestions.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm230/sobhanaphotography/1edit.jpg

[laura]

Wow, what a difference a few tweaks can make.

[coffee]

Very striking and vivid. Not that this matters cause you can hardly tell, but what technique did you use to remove the bird? Where the bird use to be is actually a little darker than the surrounding background.

[bwpics]

I have to agree with your adviser on this one. I see the intent on what I believe you were trying to capture, however my eye does not want to move around the page. This affect translates to a lack of movement. Perhaps by balancing out the negative space with the positive (showing more to the right of the pole for example) would accomplish this motion.

In addition, the blank slate of sky behind the flag causes my eye back onto the flag. I want to move my focus behind the flag, but there is nothing in the photo to capture that affect. A cloud, a bird, a mountain, a different shade of blue in the sky maybe would have added to depth that I want to see in this photo.

Because the flag takes up 50% of the space, again the eye is stuck. I try to remember the thirds rule as a basic idea when I am photographing a single subject. The subject (or thing) should not take up more than a third of the page.

I am a true beginner so perhaps I have no idea what I am talking about. This is my first attempt at blogging about photography so please tell me if I am stepping over some line.

Overall, I think the photo was a great exercise. I look forward to seeing more photos from you.

[bwpics]

I just checked the picture and you changed it up on me. HAHA.
The new one is better. Did you shrink the image a bit and add more shades to the sky behind it?

[coffee]

My advisor said that it was boring, and that my ss was too fast meaning it doesn't show movement..what? How can it not..there's creases in the flag and I wanted a crisp photo instead of a blur effect. I also wanted all of the attention on the flag and I was worried that having clouds would detract. I agree that there should be more space to the right and I know better now for next time. Also, I don't believe I put any vignette on it. I just used a circular polarizing filter and bumped the saturation a little.

Thank you so, so much for your cc's. It's hard to listen to someone tell you that your work is "boring" and then also break down subject v. composition like you have no clue what either is.

Photography is subjective..right? Thanks again. :)

What was the theme of the assignment?

[sobhana]

Very striking and vivid. Not that this matters cause you can hardly tell, but what technique did you use to remove the bird? Where the bird use to be is actually a little darker than the surrounding background.

oh, that..that would be my feeble attempt at cloning. It's the first time I've ever tried. My impatience with it is why I've always avoided it.

[sobhana]

I have to agree with your adviser on this one. I see the intent on what I believe you were trying to capture, however my eye does not want to move around the page. This affect translates to a lack of movement. Perhaps by balancing out the negative space with the positive (showing more to the right of the pole for example) would accomplish this motion.

In addition, the blank slate of sky behind the flag causes my eye back onto the flag. I want to move my focus behind the flag, but there is nothing in the photo to capture that affect. A cloud, a bird, a mountain, a different shade of blue in the sky maybe would have added to depth that I want to see in this photo.

Because the flag takes up 50% of the space, again the eye is stuck. I try to remember the thirds rule as a basic idea when I am photographing a single subject. The subject (or thing) should not take up more than a third of the page.

I am a true beginner so perhaps I have no idea what I am talking about. This is my first attempt at blogging about photography so please tell me if I am stepping over some line.

Overall, I think the photo was a great exercise. I look forward to seeing more photos from you.

No, No..no lines crossed. My intent was that I wanted the flag to be the only thing that you looked it but I now realize there was a lot negative space.

Thanks!

[sobhana]

oh, that..that would be my feeble attempt at cloning. It's the first time I've ever tried. My impatience with it is why I've always avoided it.


I just checked the picture and you changed it up on me. HAHA.
The new one is better. Did you shrink the image a bit and add more shades to the sky behind it?


I took the bird out, reduced the size so it was more forum friendly and added a light vignette. I didn't adjust saturation or contrast or anything.

Thanks so much for helping me out everyone. I can take cc but being told I'm boring well, it sort of sucked.

Oh, and also..you may notice I have no clue how to multiquote. in all my years of forum-ing, I've never seen it like this!

[coffee]

oh, that..that would be my feeble attempt at cloning. It's the first time I've ever tried. My impatience with it is why I've always avoided it.

Oh I see. I'm wondering if the "healing Brush Tool" might make a difference. You use the tool exactly like the clone tool, but it blends the working area with the surrounding area.

[sobhana]

Oh I see. I'm wondering if the "healing Brush Tool" might make a difference. You use the tool exactly like the clone tool, but it blends the working area with the surrounding area.

Thank you Joseph, I'll give that a try and see how it works out.

My husband gave me CS3 and it just sits there taking up space. :\