Photos Boomstick Culture

So this was our annual trip to the central coast of California. America was raised on guns. So this is my tribute to the American gun touting society.

But I'm not sure which image to submit for POTM. I would submit them both, but there is a Japanese festival (Obon) here in LA running from today to the 24th of the month that I intend to grab one submission from.

The desaturated color was chosen to feel more like a western photog. And I don't mean to steal the cultural inference of the modern windmill in the back. Honestly. There are a lot of tiny details in both pictures that can be easily overlooked. I'll let you figure them out as I don't want to direct your gaze.

Any C&C are more than welcomed because I'd like to make a choice between the two.

 

Pic #1, definitely. Nice dynamic composition.

 

Lovely shots!

I think #1 could be even better if you clone out the guy in the background.

 

Awesome photos. And cute girl.

Well done

 

Yea, I thought so too but then it would be Chop OTM.

 

I really like #1 (pity about the guy in the background).

Don't know why (having never seen a real gun) but the shotguns in the rack on #2 look too plasticy almost like childrens toys...

 

Rephrasing your comment slightly brings up one of the many criticisms against children's toys: They look too much like real guns, and by desensitizing kids to the real thing, they serve to bolster the gun culture we have. But that's for another time and another thread.

I really like #1. As Nexxo commented, the composition is dynamic. There is a sense of action about to take place that helps form an image of the Wild West. The background scenery further paints the picture for us. Contrary to others, I like the guy in the background. He brings the Wild West image into our modern time. He's just working away back there, laying down cables and seemingly doesn't even care that this hardened chick is about to blow some 'savage Indian' back to the reservation.

I think the processing works, but the pathway and foreground rocks may be just a tad over-bright. I wouldn't mind seeing just a tad more tone there. My only other real complaint about the image is the tree in the background on the right-hand side. The processing makes the tree stand out too much, and it almost creates the impression that she's aiming for it.

Thematically, this is a great image.

-monkey

 

Here is an HDR created from the original RAW. I don't know too much on hdr techniques, so I just let PS do the work. I tried to tone down the green tree.



And thanks for the comments guys!

 

not sure about the tree in the HDR shot, there seems to be a halo surrounding it. and (as shocking as it sounds) it does tend to draw the eye away from the girl with the gun. I still prefer the initial shot.

 

Cops can't discern between real guns and toy guns (air soft, pellet, bb) because they all look so real. That's why all toy guns MUST have an orange tip at the end of the barrel if they aren't already some bright wacky color or clear.

 

Wow! what gorgeous shots, akpoly.

I love them both, but I think the first one fits the theme better.

Like supermonkey, I think that the foreground is a bit lacking on the shot, though. I do like the desaturation and I love the overall feel, but there's some tweaking to do on it. Definitely ditch the halo. I'd do SOMETHING to that tree int he background, probably lighten it with a screen layer or something.

 

Nice shots!
I think the 1st one is the best. Her stance is what makes it so dynamic. But why isn't her finger on the trigger?
Contrary to monkey I actually think the tree works well and adds to the composition.
I only think that the PP is maybe a tad too much. The HDR didn't help in my taste . 1st ed. is definitely best. May I ask to see what the original RAW->JPG looks like? The colors make me wonder what's happened in PP or not.

 

I would also go for the first shot. It's got energy, that "action" moment when she's shooting + her pose, colors and framing are superb if you ask me... I was totally blown away with this shot, seriously, it distills style. By the way, how did you do that HDR shot in PS? Cos everytime I try to do some myself they just end up with that weird look as if the lighting just went crazy, and I just can't do a good HDR...

 

The halo might have been a result of the HDR, i'll check it out again in a little bit.

That is one of the detail in the photo. The chamber also isn't cocked anymore. And there is a yellow shell right in her shadow that just landed (if you look its still pointing up at an angle). I actually tried to snap it when she shot so the shell was ejected in midair, but I missed the shot by a split second and that was her last shell. So that explains those 3 little things.

The original


"Punch" preset in Lightroom, which basically increases contrast


"Aged Photo" preset in Lightroom


Then the exposure was adjusted with an end result of the first picture. No other PP done.

pun not intended i hope

I don't know what is considered good HDR, but in PS3, there is an automated HDR action. I just chose the 3 different exposed images from the RAW and let it do the work. Like I said, I don't know any real HDR technique. I don't really shoot for HDR, so never felt the need to learn.

 

Okie dokie, so screen layer over tree.

And foreground got a color burn layer. The color burn ends where grass and rock meet.

Is that the sort of direction?

 

I'm with Monkey. Cracking shot, really like it, and even with the dude in the bg. Tree looks a bit funny in third pic, but I think only because we know about its history so now becoming more and more obvious with each change, even to try and make it more subtle.

 

Personally like the last shot best by a lot. The little changes help tremendously.

 

LOL, not at all, funny that I didn't even realize that's what happens when english isn't my firs language, lol...

That's exactly what I do, I usually take -2, 0, +2 exposures of a same shot but it always ends up looking lit in a very weird way... I guess I'm not taking the right shots for a HDR mix!!

As a final note, I like the last screen/burn layers you added to the shot, it was perfectly fine before if you ask me, but now that the tree is somewhat "softer", doesn't pop out as much, you can focus on the shooter, I think the shot wins a lot like this!!

 

Remember that you will need to adjust the picture afterwards. the automated thingy in PS only make a 32-bit image. You need to convert it down to 16- or 8-bit to make it look good.

 

Yup. Whatever you did was very subtle but it made a pretty significant improvement.