Rolenz Loc: Tripping around Oz

Thanks Chuck_893, am on a disability pension. So what comes in has to be more than what goes out. Appreciate you replying to my request for advice. Thinking I have some serious homework to do on the editing side of my photography. Thank you also for your version of the image. Am intrigued with the variations possible. I tend to be single minded in my view of how it should look. Learning to open my eyes and see.

Rolenz Loc: Tripping around Oz

Nightski, Thank you for your honesty in your reply. I have just upgraded camera and this lens. Attempting to improve ability and adaptability with my equipment. Was initially happy with the image, also aware there was room for improvement, unsure how to achieve that. Thanks to this forum I know have advice to process and decide which direction I move in.
There was a bunch of nuts and green leaves. They were untidy to present as an image, background did not work with the position either. Choosing this image, was a mixture of colours and position, attempting to pull them together, was the option I aimed for, stretching my abilities, striving to improve.
I will take your advice about using varying apertures, only took the one shot here, have since been taking several, changing angles etc, that has been surprising as well. Am grateful for your time.

Rolenz Loc: Tripping around Oz

Thanks Bill, at the time those leaves held more appeal as they were, where they were. Have learnt a lot from taking that shot, and posting it here.

Rolenz Loc: Tripping around Oz

Bob, thanks for your time and effort you have applied to this image. At the moment I feel I am in the deep end of the pool and drowning not waving. I am lost as to what the filters are you mention. Are they in a specific editing program or external stand alone items. I had posted an image in the general topic area, was advised "dodging" would help the image. Okay so now I am at the point where with a 'little' more understanding I have some hope of achieving desired result, before the century ends. Too stubborn to stop trying.

Rolenz Loc: Tripping around Oz

Thank you Country's Mama, I appreciate your response. This image came about through a combination of new camera/lens. Also trying a new approach to getting an image range like this. There were nuts bunched with green leaves, but I could not get their position to work with the background, to achieve what I was after. I chuckled when you said about he golden hour, because the mosquito population would have left my camera and bones, as it was one shot had me heading for cover.
Thanks to what I have learnt from posting this image here I have plenty to work on, with equipment and computer skills. In future, with more attention to the advice I have received I hope my images will be worth viewing.

JC56 Loc: Lake St.Louis mo.

no.

smcaleer Loc: Dearborn Heights, Michigan

LOL Sorry, Nightski, this just made me giggle.

MIKE GALLAGHER Loc: New Zealand

Taking a photo is one thing. Making a picture can be another.
Without editing you have to get your shots considering composition first, the light you have to work with and accordingly your camera settings. It looks to me as though you got all those right.
If you're not satisfied by your result you either re-shoot or edit it (re-shooting might not be an option for this one) and you usually don't have to do a complicated edit either. As Shakey says money doesn't have to hold you back there. Gimp's FREE and you simply don't have to know everything about it. Decide what you'd like to do and come here and ask.

If I wanted the wood to stand out more I'd resort to my first, and favourite, trick. Change the exposure on the foreground and the background separately. It's as if you shot twice with different exposure settings.
1 - Select the foreground. This might be the fiddly bit. 2 - Image > Adjustments > Exposure. Slide the exposure control a bit. Up or down. Maybe more than just a bit! 3 - Change selection from foreground to background. Select > Inverse. Take a close look at the ‘marching ants’ to see that they now surround a different area. 4 - Image > Adjustment > Exposure. Slide the opposite way. You’ll see the difference happening. When you’re happy hit CTRL and D (for ‘Deselect’) together on your keyboard. Done!
I know the outlines need work. That;s the result of rough selecting. but you get the idea.

Hey – nice photo to start with!
Mike.

Original


Increased contrast with Exposure

Sheila Loc: Arizona or New York

If you could find a position with the leaves closer to the nut I think the composition would be improved. You have two separate subjects that should be related to each other but the color pulls one way and the texture in the nuts another.

Rolenz Loc: Tripping around Oz

Mike Thank you for your reply. Have loaded GIMP, and am at the beginning of that curve.Am also learning that is the next step I need to take with my photography. At first, thought I would not need to go that far. As I have learnt/ improved I have appreciated the need for this step. People like yourself have helped me to make these changes, seems inadequate to just say Thanks. I am in awe of Shakeys ability to put together the tutorials that he does, also grateful. I have been reading some of them, he has helped me to see the process. The scary part for me is pulling that all together. With time and practice, I am sure I will do so. It would be an honour to be able to pass some help on, in the manner I have received.
I am from the Thames area NI, originally how about yourself, which area are you based?

Rolenz Loc: Tripping around Oz

Thank you Shelia, I can see that now, afterwards looking at the image, though happy with the overall effect it was jarring me that something needed improvement. Several ways of doing so have been suggested. One of the reasons I didn't stay to get more shots was the hordes of mosquito's, they were coming in by the waves. However from posting here I have received advice on how to improve and now intend going out and practising more. So glad that I have posted here, it would have taken longer to improve. Thanks to people like yourself that should happen sooner. Time and clicks will tell.

Sheila Loc: Arizona or New York

Don't know about your mosquitos but I use some moist towels that come in a foil package. The paper towels have insect repellant and with this method application is easier and you don't have the worry of destroying your camera finish.

Rolenz Loc: Tripping around Oz

See what you learn here. Never thought of putting a couple of those packs in my camera bag. Have a large rubbish bag in case of being caught in a rain shower, and some insects shower from trees in the summer here. Common sense isn' that common any more. Thanks Shelia.

MIKE GALLAGHER Loc: New Zealand

Rolenz wrote: "which area are you based?"

End of a penisula on Taurang harbour between there and Katikati. Glad to help.
Mike.

Rolenz Loc: Tripping around Oz

Well between us, I think we lived in the two best parts of New Zealand. Appreciate your help, will try your favourite trick. Thanks Roy.