Portland Bridges: Would like some input on this picture. Comments and critiques very welcome. Current plans to go to "jury" in mid January. Pleas advise. Thanks...

chaser48 Loc: Texas

Would like some input on this picture. Comments and critiques very welcome. Current plans to go to "jury" in mid January. Pleas advise. Thanks

Bmac Loc: Long Island, NY

Great use of lines and repeating shapes in the composition making the image one of interest. Exposure, clarity and sharpness all look good to me. Best of luck with it. 8-)

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

I really like the composition. I don't see anything around the edges that is objectionable. In a perfect world, I would prefer not to see the yellow sign on the bridge; but I don't know if that can be removed without messing things up. Good luck in the competition.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

ebrunner wrote:

I really like the composition. I don't see anything around the edges that is objectionable. In a perfect world, I would prefer not to see the yellow sign on the bridge; but I don't know if that can be removed without messing things up. Good luck in the competition.

You might think about cropping so that the sign gets cropped off.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Wonderfully done!

I don't see anything you could have done better here. Composition is excellent. Good contrast and nice, very natural color. Focus is perfect, no detectible camera shake and virtually no noise in the image. I can't even find anywhere you could potentially crop to achieve a better composition; it's great as it is.

Heirloom Tomato Loc: Oregon

I like the composition of this very much, but I find the large shadows on the side of the bridge and under the bridge to be too dark. Have you considered lightening the shadows? I suggest trying 15 to 20 percent lightening of shadows and see how it looks.

chaser48 Loc: Texas

Heirloom Tomato wrote:

I like the composition of this very much, but I find the large shadows on the side of the bridge and under the bridge to be too dark. Have you considered lightening the shadows? I suggest trying 15 to 20 percent lightening of shadows and see how it looks.

I have three more exposures of this picture....2 of them have a lighter shadow. May submit this week. I kinda have to get this right ......Thanks again to everyone.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

chaser48 wrote:

Would like some input on this picture. Comments and critiques very welcome. Current plans to go to "jury" in mid January. Pleas advise. Thanks

The composition is pleasing, especially the angle which lets you follow that nice rise-and-fall in the bridge. It has great design elements and rhythm: The repeating arch motif leads you to the rectangular building motifs on the right side. the sky is nice but not overwhelming so it doesn't steal any thunder from the pattern. I am in agreement with HT about the dark areas under the bridge, especially the first section - that keeps pulling my eyes away from the arches. I don't care for the yellow sign but I would sure hate to think I had to clone something like that out of all that delicate metalwork.

Nice photo, and good luck in that jurying.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

minniev wrote:

The composition is pleasing, especially the angle ... (show quote)

I agree with all you are saying, but there is an easy way around that sign. Crop it out. I don't think you would miss that little section of the bridge.

flyguy Loc: Las Cruces, New Mexico

Heirloom Tomato wrote:

I like the composition of this very much, but I find the large shadows on the side of the bridge and under the bridge to be too dark. Have you considered lightening the shadows? I suggest trying 15 to 20 percent lightening of shadows and see how it looks.

This, too, was my first impression and what I would have said about the image.

chaser48 Loc: Texas

Country's Mama wrote:

I agree with all you are saying, but there is an easy way around that sign. Crop it out. I don't think you would miss that little section of the bridge.

Will try this one..........might miss the little "splash" of color from the sign but we'll see. Wondering if cropping that first section out is detrimental to the "dynamic" of the bridge itself??? The musings of an old photographer :mrgreen: :lol: :lol: :lol: Comments always welcome and thanks in advance.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

This is more my cup of tea, I like the redo, especially the crop.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

chaser48 wrote:

Will try this one..........might miss the little "splash" of color from the sign but we'll see. Wondering if cropping that first section out is detrimental to the "dynamic" of the bridge itself??? The musings of an old photographer :mrgreen: :lol: :lol: :lol: Comments always welcome and thanks in advance.

I prefer the first one, only because the sky in this second version is distracting to me, with some unnatural blue undersides to the clouds. The focal point, the beautiful arching sections of the bridge, are now sharing top billing with a fiercely blue sky and the shadows underneath the bridge. The composition has not lost any of its beauty with the crop of the yellow sign, still very nice.

Heirloom Tomato Loc: Oregon

chaser48 wrote:

Will try this one..........might miss the little "splash" of color from the sign but we'll see. Wondering if cropping that first section out is detrimental to the "dynamic" of the bridge itself??? The musings of an old photographer :mrgreen: :lol: :lol: :lol: Comments always welcome and thanks in advance.

What happened to the sky? It got so bright. I prefer the natural looking sky in the first photo.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I got good results with the shadows by using Levels. I also selected everything below the line of the lowest green parts of the bridge (including the river), increased saturation and contrast - which helped both the bridge pillars and the reflections on the river.

(Will post if you want).