Is this OK or nothing special?

[barreti]

I've hovered around this forum for a while since getting my 300D, reading the advice and articles about taking good pictures which to be honest I am finding more difficult than I imagined it would be.
So my sincere admiration to all of you who post pictures up for the monthly competition etc.

I took this picture in Spain recently, remembering the quarter rules and trying to make you look into the picture rather than at it, and I absolutely love it but the Mrs can't see why.
One other comment I got was "what is it a picture of exactly, if its of the tractor its rubbish and if its of the landscape the tractor's in the way"

So, will you tell me if I'm doing ok or barking up the wrong tree and if so why.
Oh, it often has a bearing on my pictures that I am colour blind. So I tend not to mess around with hue and saturation because you wouldn't believe what a pigs ear I can make of a decent photo.
Which means that apart from downsizing this picture it is straight out of the camera. (and yes, I know the sensor needs cleaning!)

Thanks and keep posting those pics.
IanB

[Kinky]

I love your pic.

There's so much happening all on different levels. I suppose you could call it a composition, made up of contrasting layers from top to bottom.

You have the blue sky, then the interestly shaped and coloured mountains, then the foot of the mountians and the lake, then the fields, followed by the ploghed field, then the farmer.

I think it's brilliant

I can't comment on a technical level, being a photographic numpty.

K

[poah]

for me it only really lacks some sharpness and some post processing to sort the colour cast. if you were to be anal about it you have two pictures in one, the farmland with the tractor and the mountains with the lake. taken in landscape orientatin though. to sort the sharpness use a smaller aperture, not sure abotu the colour cast though

[mr noble]

Great composition. I really like it.

It does seem very soft for a shot taken at 55mm and f5.6 1/500th. Are you sure your lens is functioning properly? I would send my lens in for a tune up if it was as soft as that at 55mm. What lens is it?



Also, how come your picture is coming up full width in my browser? It should get resized to 750 px wide, no?

Greg

[barreti]

mmm, I wondered about that softness. The lens was my Canon 55-200 USM 1:4.5-5.6
I'm hoping it was just a bit of shake because it was taken without anything to steady the camera - well it would be out in the fields in Spain.

I don't know about the resizing, I haven't done anything special. sorry.

[_dobbo_]

I like the picture as well - needs a little bit of sharpening, and a bit more contrast I think.

[barreti]

I had a look mr noble and it seems it must have been me.
Although the composition isn't right on this picture - tractor is in middle and half a tree on the left - it is considerably sharper.

So really, it looks like I want the composition of the first picture with the sharpness of the second. Typical!

I've also got a couple of closer pictures of the tractor, but the composition doesn't seem to work as well without the changing lines of the distand fields, the lake and the hills.

So, shakey hands apart, it looks like I'm in the right direction then?

[Kinky]

Well, as a photographic numpty, I'd be delighted if I took that photo.

I've only ever taken 2 photos in the past year that has really excited me, and got me going - but not on a par with this one. And certainly not ever up to the standards of Mr. Carter, Bob, et al.

Actually, I might post them up.

K

Edited by Kinky on Monday 25th September 13:20

[barreti]

I know what you mean Kinky. It's a bit daunting on this forum sometimes when you see the quality of picture quite a few people post.

Post them up anyway and let people make constructive criticism so you can learn. They seem to be a very helpfull bunch on here and nice with it.
You never know, you might find you aren't really as bad as you think.

[poah]

the tractor is a bit chav though lol

[SuperlightR]

I think its great !

Well done.

[doodah]

it just needs a little pp - i did this on my lappy so it might be a little off, but you should get the idea...

[barreti]

My god what a difference doodah. Thankyou.
I've got Photoshop so can you tell me what changes you made so I can have a go for myself.