Friends: Critique please. I was out walking my dogs and I loaded my 150-500 thinking that I might see some birds ... I saw these two coming flying over the hill and when I pointed my...

Nightski

Critique please. I was out walking my dogs and I loaded my 150-500 thinking that I might see some birds ... I saw these two coming flying over the hill and when I pointed my big old lens at them .. they smiled. LOL Pretty good natured kids.
ISO 1600
F/7.1
1/1600 second exposure

skateboarders

(Download)

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I like how the telephoto lens has compressed the gradient of the road to make it look like a steep ramp. I would have cropped in a bit closer to give the boys more prominence.

The boys seem to have a fair bit of contrast while the background looks softer. If that was deliberate it was probably a good move. A contrasty background would probably be too much of a distraction because the skateboarders are completely immersed in it.

Nightski

Thank you, RG. Yes .. I wish the background was more blurred. It is very busy. I didn't have much time to think about changing my settings .. I barely got zoomed out in time.

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

Nightski wrote:

Thank you, RG. Yes .. I wish the background was more blurred. It is very busy. I didn't have much time to think about changing my settings .. I barely got zoomed out in time.

Settings? Who needs settings? You can do what ever you wish to do with that background in Photoshop. Its street photography. Grab it run and sort it in PP.
So crop it at the bottom enhance figures just a tad and blur the background with very heavy application of noise software.
Good capture thats needs to be pushed that extra bit with Photoshop to make it super.

Nightski

Billyspad wrote:

Settings? Who needs settings? You can do what ever you wish to do with that background in Photoshop. Its street photography. Grab it run and sort it in PP.
So crop it at the bottom enhance figures just a tad and blur the background with very heavy application of noise software.
Good capture thats needs to be pushed that extra bit with Photoshop to make it super.

Hey Bils ... just wanted to catch you while you're on. I'm logging out again because I was just about out the door at work. How do I select that background in photoshop without it turning into an all night pp project? :-( Please be specific. :-) I'm a little dense. LOL

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Nightski wrote:

Critique please. I was out walking my dogs and I loaded my 150-500 thinking that I might see some birds ... I saw these two coming flying over the hill and when I pointed my big old lens at them .. they smiled. LOL Pretty good natured kids.
ISO 1600
F/7.1
1/1600 second exposure

Looks like a good "sunny f/16" based exposure for that overcast day.
The tree directly behind one of the guys is what it is and where it is and you had no control over that to get the shot.
The image has a good left-to-right light-to-dark balance. I'd not crop it
I really like its spontaneity and the tele-perspective.
I'd boost the contrast a bit. Stick a fork in it...and call it done.

Dave

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

Nightski wrote:

Hey Bils ... just wanted to catch you while you're on. I'm logging out again because I was just about out the door at work. How do I select that background in photoshop without it turning into an all night pp project? :-( Please be specific. :-) I'm a little dense. LOL

Boost contrast of the photo to enhance guys. I use levels for that.
Then on another layer of the original go to your noise reduction software and heavily reduce noise to point it blurs the background.
Place that layer on top of boosted guy layer and with a layer mask brush the guys through with a soft brush. 15 minutes at your PC will do it
.

Nightski

How do I create the new layer? Do I duplicate the layer, make a layer mask and make an adjustment layer?

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Nightski wrote:

Critique please. I was out walking my dogs and I loaded my 150-500 thinking that I might see some birds ... I saw these two coming flying over the hill and when I pointed my big old lens at them .. they smiled. LOL Pretty good natured kids.
ISO 1600
F/7.1
1/1600 second exposure

Sandra, I like the photo exactly as it is ... except for one thing.
Mono processing is very good, the bokeh is very good, it doesn't need to be less or more, the eye contact with the subjects is great, the interest is great.
You have framed the image perfectly for the road ....... my one problem is that the road isn't the subject. Yes it would have been nice if the boys had spaced themselves properly on the road for your composition ... but they didn't.
The boys are your subject, not the road.
I would crop the image from the right so that both boys were an equal distance from their respective side of the photo.
Symmetry works for this one, and that will also place both boys on an approximate thirds line.
A very good image Sandra, well done.

Nightski

lighthouse wrote:

Sandra, I like the photo exactly as it is ... exce... (show quote)

Thank you, lighthouse. I will try that.