Your photos (144)


Hints and tips
by Philip Grosset



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with comments from Philip Grosset




"I have found your website to be really interesting and helpful. Do you have your own book of tips? I've attached 3 photos, I'm not sure if the quality is clear enough as i think the scanner hasn't done me any favours. If you feel that the picture clarity is too poor please do not use. I use a nikon F50 with a Tamron 28-200 lens. Normally I use Kodak Gold 100 in Summer. I don't use any filters. Anyway, Picture 1, the boat in the harbour was taken on a recent Easter holiday in Spain. I liked the colour of the sea, the backdrop and I felt the boat contrasted nicely as a dark shape against the light almost pastel background. These also gave me three points of interest in the picture. I tried to put the boat off centre to help this.
Picture 2 was taken from the aeroplane on the way to Spain. I liked the view of rolling mountains, each with a different shade of gray. Picture quality was obviously affected as it was through the plane window.
Picture 3 was taken last year in the mountains near where I live in Germany. We great some great snow shots there but this one I liked as the snow had settled deep on the sign, the sun gave good light and I tried to fill the frame with the sign and very little else for impact. I would appreciate any comments on how I could have improved the shots." (Ian Betts)
Boat cropped
Boat
I'm assuming your scanner is responsible for the loss of picture quality. I too like the coloring in your photo on the left, and I agree that the boat is best off-centre. The boat looks a bit lost in the distance, though, so on the right I've tried coming in closer, and I've also thrown the background more out of focus so that the boat itself stands out more clearly.
It's always difficult to photograph out of plane windows. Some prominent foreground interest (part of the plane?) might have helped explain it.
Clouds
Sign cropped
Sign
I like your photo on the left, but you could fill the frame even more with the sign if you came in closer still, as on the right. Altogether, a very appealing picture, although I'm left wondering if it might have looked even more attractive with an impressive scenic background. But I suppose you can't start digging up signposts just to improve the view behind them....
I don't have my own book of tips, but some are summarised on my Brief Summary page, and I've also recommended some books that could be useful.

Reply from Ian Betts: "Thanks for your comments about my photos. I've found your comments on mine and others very helpful to improve my technique."




"hello! I was trying to catch the sunrise reflected on the snow around my house. Pictures taken with an old digital SONY camera (640*480) thanks and regards." (Aart van Erven, Amsterdam)
Sunset with trees
Sunset
You've certainly got some arresting photos here. I prefer the one on the right to that on the left because of the silhoutted trees in the foreground that provide such effective contrast and framing.
Snow railings amended
Snow railings
Your photo on the left would benefit from some bright sunshine, as I've tried to suggest in my version on the right. I've moved in just a fraction closer too, so as to concentrate attention on the sparkle of the snow on the spikes.
Sunset cropped
Sunset
Your photo on the left is very colorful, but I'm not so sure about the trees stretching away on the right of the picture. Ideally it might have been effective to have them stretching out towards the sunset in the background, instead of away from it. But as I can't do this, I've tried (on the right) concentrating more on the sunset.
Sunset changed Here I've made another experiment. This time I've reversed the picture so as to lead our eyes (that read left to right) past the tree on the left and into the sunset. I think this is the one I prefer, although I still like your original version!

Reply from Aart van Erven: "Thank you very much for the suggestions!! I admit, after your manipulations, they look much better...Thanks again."




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