Re: Carter's latest project
Discussion
Thanks for all the comments re this... I.m working on a format that works for me and doesn't seem to pi55 many off.
Just in case you missed... I'm taking pics of every resident of the local village up here in the Highlands at work or play (84 souls) to make a book, available only to them (no profit involved, just a social document of life here in this part of this century).
So... I'm full colour, but sharpening the subject (and associated stuff that matters) and desaturating a little and bluring the background to pull the person out of the frame.
Edit to add... I'm not trying to be photo-realistic!
Some examples so far (sorry - not 750, so the top 2 will weird out a bit - click on them)
Comments? Is that amount of blur too much on the last one?
Steve
Just in case you missed... I'm taking pics of every resident of the local village up here in the Highlands at work or play (84 souls) to make a book, available only to them (no profit involved, just a social document of life here in this part of this century).
So... I'm full colour, but sharpening the subject (and associated stuff that matters) and desaturating a little and bluring the background to pull the person out of the frame.
Edit to add... I'm not trying to be photo-realistic!
Some examples so far (sorry - not 750, so the top 2 will weird out a bit - click on them)
Comments? Is that amount of blur too much on the last one?
Steve
Edited by GetCarter on Monday 7th April 16:49
Steve you do like a bit of fake blur dont you. That last one is shocking....the fake blur is not good...you did not blur around his feet.... bin them and buy a cheap 50mm 1.8 prime and take it again it will look loads better.
Or just keep the without the blur they are good photos without messing with them.
Ian
Or just keep the without the blur they are good photos without messing with them.
Ian
too much blur, it looks false 01101001 said:
Steve you do like a bit of fake blur dont you. That last one is shocking....the fake blur is not good...you did not blur around his feet.... bin them and buy a cheap 50mm 1.8 prime and take it again it will look loads better.
Or just keep the without the blur they are good photos without messing with them.
Ian
Don't sugar coat it mate! Or just keep the without the blur they are good photos without messing with them.
Ian
..ta for the comments though... It's photographers that are the problem you know... punters love 'em. But we look at different things methinks.
(and I have a very nice 1.4 50mm prime thanks)
Edited by GetCarter on Monday 7th April 16:57
I'm no expert at all - just saying what I see and for me I agree with Mrs Fish, just a wee bitty too blurry (just the last one though). I like the slight background blurriness which just serves to contrast/sharpen the main focus in all the others.
Are you hoping to take mostly portraits of everyone or to incorporate them at work/occupations? (shearing, lambing, peat-cutting, etc)
Are you hoping to take mostly portraits of everyone or to incorporate them at work/occupations? (shearing, lambing, peat-cutting, etc)
whirligig said:
I'm no expert at all - just saying what I see and for me I agree with Mrs Fish, just a wee bitty too blurry (just the last one though). I like the slight background blurriness which just serves to contrast/sharpen the main focus in all the others.
Are you hoping to take mostly portraits of everyone or to incorporate them at work/occupations? (shearing, lambing, peat-cutting, etc)
It'll mostly be people at work (fishing boats etc)... I'm just messing with these to get a consistant style. I really don't want to do colour straight out of the camera (I do that in my landsacapes), and I'm crap at B&W, so am looking for a way I can keep interested in the project, but tell a bit of a story.Are you hoping to take mostly portraits of everyone or to incorporate them at work/occupations? (shearing, lambing, peat-cutting, etc)
GetCarter said:
Ta.
By the way... Im TRYING to make them unnatural - the one that works best for me is the kid/TV. It's what I'm after. Not a photo realistic representaion, but a comment.
Steve, the old chap at the bar and the guy walking towards you look great to me. If the idea is to draw attention to the person then post box red overpowers the guy in front of it and the kid/TV doesn't work for me - my eye is drawn to the bright colours of the TV and not the kid watching it. I think it's a great idea though, depending on the shot/subject/environment By the way... Im TRYING to make them unnatural - the one that works best for me is the kid/TV. It's what I'm after. Not a photo realistic representaion, but a comment.
Yep... I'm trying to include the things that matter to the person in the shot... so the cuttlery, the booze, the tv, the post box, the post van, the glass etc. These are all kept at full saturation and sharpened... the rest of the scene is blurred. It's a bit bloody arty, but hey, it's April.
BTW... Hi Longers!
BTW... Hi Longers!
Edited by GetCarter on Monday 7th April 16:46
GetCarter said:
I'm taking pics of every resident of the local village up here in the Highlands at work or play (84 souls)
Steve, does the 84 include you? Who's gonna take YOUR pic? I'll happily pay my own travel expenses to come up and take it in return for a weeks B&B plus unlimited use of the Aston 
1) The desaturation looks fine.
2) Your selecting technique needs improving (image 1 )
3) The last one wouldn't look nealy as bad if you're done the area between the Postie's legs and the area between the tyres as well.
4) What on earth is going on in the second to last shot? The grey "shark fin" thing and the big blob of red on the right look totally false.
5) I find myself wanting to see the young lads face (football/telly shot) and the same for the girl doing the cutlery
6) The portrait of the blond girl is great, but the one of the bloke with a fag and a pint I really like.
Martin.
2) Your selecting technique needs improving (image 1 )
3) The last one wouldn't look nealy as bad if you're done the area between the Postie's legs and the area between the tyres as well.
4) What on earth is going on in the second to last shot? The grey "shark fin" thing and the big blob of red on the right look totally false.
5) I find myself wanting to see the young lads face (football/telly shot) and the same for the girl doing the cutlery
6) The portrait of the blond girl is great, but the one of the bloke with a fag and a pint I really like.
Martin.
Jenx said:
, but the one of the bloke with a fag and a pint I really like.
Martin.
Was the picture taken just before he smacked you in the mouth Martin.
I like most of them as they are telling some sort of story, apart from the blond girl and the bloke who is worried about the shark behind his head.
And a little less blur, or more gradual blur maybe..
D
The strongest image out of them all, for me, is the lady with the cutlery. Cropped a little tighter, and a reduction in the blown out area of her clothes and this shot would be a real winner IMO.
A secret to good portraits is to often have clean backgrounds with little fuss to draw the eye away, and I think this photo is more successful at this than the others.
Good luck Steve!
p.s. you may find this interesting: http://www.jmcolberg.com/weblog/2008/02/what_makes...
A secret to good portraits is to often have clean backgrounds with little fuss to draw the eye away, and I think this photo is more successful at this than the others.
Good luck Steve!
p.s. you may find this interesting: http://www.jmcolberg.com/weblog/2008/02/what_makes...
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