another "Please Critique/Advise my photo(s)" Thread

[Gangster Octopus]

This link points to two photos I took on a particularly foggy day by the Golden Gate. The only phone I had with me was my wife's cell phone. The third is an attempt to make something out of at least one of them.

Photos

The first photo probably should have had more traffic in it to add some context. I have had a hard time making a useful photo out of it. The second is the basis of the next two. I think I improved the composition a lot. I also tried to tweak the levels and sharpness, but I am not sure there is much I can do with the colors and grain. I tried to see how it looked in B&W but I don't like it, not enough contrast or interest throughout.

Any thoughts, suggestions. Feel free to upload them and see what you can come up with.

[Apocalypso]

It says "This album has been deleted or marked private by its owner."

[Maastricht]

Me too. " Album unavailable".

Do you have a pic in the Dopers Picture Gallery? :: checks:: No, not yet, apparently.

[Gangster Octopus]

OK, hopefully this will be better

Photos

[John Mace]

Originally Posted by Gangster Octopus

OK, hopefully this will be better

Photos

Fixed.

[Tim R. Mortiss]

You might try posterizing them, in either color or B&W. The bold graphic shapes would be interesting in that format.

[Gangster Octopus]

Originally Posted by John Mace

Fixed.

Geez, its amazing I can even figure out how to turn on a computer.

[don't ask]

I like the final cropped shot quite a bit. Strikes me like the opening shot of a movie scene. I am waiting for the camera to pan down the cables. Evocative and quite memorable, I'm sure I'd be able to call it to mind months from now.

[zombywoof]

A quick edit

[6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast]

Your last photo is amazing, Gangster Octopus - and zombywoof's edit makes it outstanding.

Good work, you two!

[panache45]

Originally Posted by 6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast

Your last photo is amazing, Gangster Octopus - and zombywoof's edit makes it outstanding.

. . . except for the over-sharpening.

[6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast]

I dunno panache45 - I like it like that..

[zombywoof]

Originally Posted by panache45

. . . except for the over-sharpening.

Didn't apply any sharpening adjustment myself, though cropping and a levels adjustment do bring out the halos present in the original - there's only so much to work with in an underexposed cell phone .jpg.

[Gangster Octopus]

I actually applied an Unsharp Mask in hopes of bringing out the orange color of the bridge more, I should post the picture without that layer. Like zombywoof said, there is only so much you can do when the detail isn't in the original.

[Mighty_Girl]

I like much better after the edit. For some reason I am expecting something really bad is hiding in the fog. There is a sense of forewarning in it.

[Gangster Octopus]

Originally Posted by Mighty_Girl

I like much better after the edit. For some reason I am expecting something really bad is hiding in the fog. There is a sense of forewarning in it.

Do you mean the third one in my link or zombywolf's link?

[tavalla]

When composing shots, watch out for little distractions: the top of the streetlight at the bottom in the first photo is a good example. Those are really strong graphic shapes that demand the eye's attention, and distracting from them clutters things up.

The second one feels off-balance, to the right: there's a dividing line down the centre, top to bottom, and all the visual 'weight' is on the right-hand side of the divide. Because there's so little of the traffic at bottom left, that feels a little like a distraction as well.

Third one's definitely a strong shot, compositionally speaking. The line leading into the image is awesomely strong, giving it a sense of tension and movement; there's a nice contrast between the reddish colour of the main line and the grey of the fog. I do think you've gone a little far on the sharpening but the composition is just about spot-on, imho.

[C K Dexter Haven]

What tavalla said.

[Gangster Octopus]

Originally Posted by tavalla

When composing shots, watch out for little distractions: the top of the streetlight at the bottom in the first photo is a good example. Those are really strong graphic shapes that demand the eye's attention, and distracting from them clutters things up.

The second one feels off-balance, to the right: there's a dividing line down the centre, top to bottom, and all the visual 'weight' is on the right-hand side of the divide. Because there's so little of the traffic at bottom left, that feels a little like a distraction as well.

Third one's definitely a strong shot, compositionally speaking. The line leading into the image is awesomely strong, giving it a sense of tension and movement; there's a nice contrast between the reddish colour of the main line and the grey of the fog. I do think you've gone a little far on the sharpening but the composition is just about spot-on, imho.

Thanks for the input. I agree with everything you said, those were my thoughts exactly about the first two. The third one is just the second one cropped to remove all that negative space and a little other tweaking to try and bring out some more interest in the photo, it looked too flat, IMO. I did consciously try to make the bridge line disappear into the fog at the southeast "rule-of-thirds" intersection.

[Mighty_Girl]

Originally Posted by Gangster Octopus

Do you mean the third one in my link or zombywolf's link?

zombywolf's edit improves it, but the elements that makes it a strong image are there.

Like I said, there is (for me at least) a strong sense of tension, forewarning. It's like a scene from a scary science fiction movie.