BeaverNewby Loc: Memphis, Tn

Hi UHH'ers
My entry for the WPC 1541 Beer* can be found Here:

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/photo_contest.jsp?pcnum=191

I would like a critique?

All suggestion are apprieciated? Thank you!

A nice cold brew to celebrate changing the water pump on my car. No leaks, No leftover nuts and bolts, Just a busted knuckle or two. With the money I saved I can afford a new lens. A Premium Imported Polish light beer, yummy!!

(Download)

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

While the brand isn't familiar the scene certainly is. I know exactly what is going on here without the description.
I think you are crowding your wrenches in the lower right hand side. While they are not the subject they do create a leading line. I would like them not to be touching the edge of the frame. Your bottle may have indeed been tilted but I think I would straighten it. Other than that I think you have done well. The colorful label and bottle make it stand out from the car parts and tools. I also like that you have selected a nice cold bottle with condensation.

davefales Loc: Virginia

Align bottle to vertical (slight right lean.) Tone down the white of the label (distracting from the rest of the story.)

Nice composition.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

BeaverNewby - This is a good idea. I like the colors of the bottle against the gray of the tools and car. But, the focus is soft on the front of the bottle. Also, the out of focus blur is not as pleasing as maybe it could be. I see Country Mama provided some thoughts on composition while I prepared a technical analysis. Attached is a zoom into the details that were obvious to my eye on a large monitor before even downloading the image.

Use the numbers to discuss specific aspects.

1 vs 2 - the sharpest focus needs to emphasize either the drop at the top of the bottle or the brand of the beer. Alas, these are soft while the sides of the bottle seem in sharper focus.

3 - the technical details show options for next time.

Ideas:

A. Use a tripod and / or a single focus point and / or manual focus to hit the center of the bottle, preferably the top of the 'W' where I've placed a '2' label. Or, try the 1856 date or the condensation drop. I'd do them all and see which worked the best in the results. Although I didn't try any shots for this competition, it did catch my attention to enter. I would have expected to have 30 to 80 images from such a product shoot when I then starting to edit for a final entry.

B. Use a longer focal length. This addresses the out of focus blur. You've used the widest aperture this lens provides near its minimum focal length. Moving your tripod further back and zooming in should give more of a blur to the out of focus aspects.

C. Your lens is not as sharp wide open so experiment with aperture settings from the max wide at 200mm to 300mm of f5.6 by stepping down to say f/8 while maintaining a focus specifically on a dew drop or the label. See the comment earlier about a large number of images where different settings are used to achieve the best combination.

D. When working with a tripod, turn your VR off. Assuring a stable camera and lens, use whatever ISO and shutter that assures no movement in the image such as 1/100 to 1/200.

E. If doing this all handheld, increase your ISO to achieve 1/(focal length). So, at 300mm, use an ISO that lets you shoot 1/320 shutter speed. This uses the VR to assist at what is nearly 1/(focal length) when the crop aspect of the camera is included.

If you look at the winning entry, that entry is a much different composition but notice how the out of focus melts away. That's an aspect of the lens and the angle of view. But, the artfulness is what I'm suggesting you try to create as well with the suggestions above. You might need to change the angle some too shooting from a slightly higher angle. Maybe the crown on the label around the neck should be the focus point? The potential in this composition is there.

soft focus

(Download)

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

A agree with the foregoing suggestions. One more, take the cap off. Try to get the picture with a whisp of gas coming out of the bottle.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

I agree. That would be perfect.
Not an easy assignment though. Catching the gas that is. :-D

BeaverNewby Loc: Memphis, Tn

Hi Country's Mama:
Its nice to hear from you again.
About the brand: ZYWIEC Brewery, which had survived the World War II and the difficult post-war period, became one of Europe’s most modern beer-producing facilities in the 1990s.

ZYWIEC – Poland’s best pilsner-type brew, with a 5.6 % alcohol content and 12.5 % Balling scale extract content, brewed for generations under the watchful eyes of master brewers, has won numerous awards and has been held up as a glowing example world-wide. Bearing the original label which depicts a couple of Polish folk dancers, it is the most famous brand and the official trademark of the entire Brewery. There is no other beer in Poland brewed under the same label for half a century.

ZYWIEC was the first Polish brand to be awarded the Brand To Watch title at British edition of Superbrands. ZYWIEC was also two times awarded at the Polish edition of Superbrands event and is a Gold Medal winner at the 2007 World Beer Championships, the oldest international beer competition in America.

I am not sure I understand the Leading Line comment, but it looked pleasing to my eyes. I have to keep my eyes open for the future, Thanks for the look and comments.
Another thing to look for in future challenges.

BeaverNewby Loc: Memphis, Tn

Thanks davefales:
I agree with you. It amazing what you see when some one else points it out to you. I missed how much detail was lost from it being to bright when I went back to look at the label. I will have to shoot it again, and post the revision.

Thanks for the helpful critique.

BeaverNewby Loc: Memphis, Tn

Hi CHG_CANON
Thanks for your comments. If you have seen any of my other entries I have not tried to purposely blur the foreground and background before.

I will be playing a lot more with that in the future. I took about 60 versions playing with the lighting and exposure. I originally used my 18-55mm at F3.5 and 55mm. Finally I used my 55-300mm at F4.5 and 75mm.

I lost a lot of detail that was on the label which is clearly visible looking back at the original label on the bottle.

The images captured were too much alike, to see much difference even zoomed in live view when shooting the shots on my D3300.

I will try a revision later this week, time permitting, to see how it all works out.

Lots of food for thought, I was beginning to think I couldn't get the blur that others were achieving without having a much faster lens F1.2-1.8.

Thanks for the time and effort that you put into that critique! I am looking forward to taking some better images.

BeaverNewby Loc: Memphis, Tn

Hi mcveed
I think that's above my pay grade! :-) The beer is a borrowed prop from my daughter and her husband whose is from Poland. I am not sure but I think they would not be happy If I opened it just for a picture.

Thanks for the look and critique! Maybe one day I will deserve the moniker "Great Photographer."

Nightski

Nice cold beer, with the sweat on the bottle. Great setting for it. I won't comment on technical issues as CHG Canon has already been quite thorough in that area. The one criticism I would have about composition is that it would be more of a slice of life if the tools and engine were greasy and dirty .. maybe a grease rag thrown it. But that's my view of it .. it may not have been yours.

BeaverNewby Loc: Memphis, Tn

Hey Nightski
I can be pretty anal about my engine or on a lot of details with my stuff. You may have already guessed that! :)