Photos First Submission - Landscape

Got a 400D in October and a new 10-20mm lens a few weeks ago and this week has been the first time I've had enough time to go out and take some photos.

A new photographer so constructive comments would be great

#1 Traffic Island


#2 Tree in the New Forest, I like this one for some reason


#3 Dark, but it looks better than the more exposed one


#4 Reflections on an overly large puddle


#5 Line of fog


#6 Fog and reflections

 

Looks like your playing with your M mode, keep doing that. Also there is a thing called "the rule of thirds". It basically means to get something interesting in every virtual third of the picture, and with a 10mm lens that should be no problem. Try to avoid large blackness full of nothing (pics 6, 2) A textured ground is great, if you can actually see it. Squat down to a different level, just changing your perspective changes its interpretation. If you plan on doing more nature shots, get some filters. A good starter is a simple UV filter that'll just protect the sensor if you get a little wild and grab the sun on occasion. A polarizing is another great one to remove glare from shiny objects, like in pic 4,6 (although sometimes the glare is wanted for effect).

Dont let the camera dictate a proper exposer, it will always end up being a bit darker then you like (most cams have an aggressive auto exposer). This is especially important in the M mode, if anything its a guide.

Your on a good start, once you get some more of the basic stuff down, you can upgrade to color filters, gradual filters, ND filters. These basically get the ground and sky to see eye to eye ( a way of doing a HDR photo).

Check out my gallery johndead.deviantart.com for more.

 

Everything that could be said has been by outlaw...
Watch shooting into the sun or any other bright lights, you will end up with some nasty flare as seen in images 1, 2 and 4. If the light source is out of frame and you have your lens hood on and are still getting it, try using your hand (out of frame) to block it out.

 

outlawaol, cheers for the info, it's definitely useful info there and I'll be sure to make use of it. Same with you vers about the lens hood

Any advice on making the land bright and colourful without washing out the sky, and vice versa?

 

ND Grad.

 

Loving the last one

 

#3 is my favourite, although #5 is also very good (it'd look better with the birds cloned out - they make it look like you've got some crap on the lens/sensor to me!)

#3 borders on looking hdr-like.

 

Also not really about the photographs them selves but more post processing; use less compression, as in a lot less (try to keep about 90% quality)

 

Number 4 for POTM entry for sure!

 

I really like #6, contrary to popular opinion on lots of negative space being a bad thing, it's something I personally like.

From what I see you are on to a good start, however, #1 doesn't work for me I would have liked the shot to have been darker just highlighting the light trails.

 

Only like #6, others do nothing at all for me.

 

Hi, I really liked number 3 so I decided to put it into photoshop. I've never really done anything with photoshop and don't really know what I'm doing but I'll share what I did. I tried to make it look a bit more like a vibrant sunset, hope you don't mind.

 

Try that again with menu: Image->Adjustments->Photo filter-> Any of the 3 warming filters. The results may not be so magenta tinted as what you have there.

 

There's my second attempt at it, perhaps slightly too purple in the left of the sky, and it doesn't have the same really deep blue that it had before.

 

aaarrrrrrggggghhhhh, my eyes.

Mommy make the JPG artifacts go away!!

Seriously, it's just getting worse. Maybe your screen is out of wack, but it's looking like 1980's video more then anything. The size of the files makes meaningful editing impossible. If you want to try and warm it up, ask WillyWonka for the original sized JPG. From there you have something to work with.

 

No, I just didn't notice them but I see them now. Oh well I am learning what to look out for. Sorry for ruining your nice photo Mr Wonka :S

 

WillyWonka of SAS fame?

Cyp.

 

Yup totally, it does get quick blocky. Anyway here is about 2 minutes worth of work in PS. Yeah it's pants, but I've never edited a photo before like this. Brightness on the left is waay too much.

 

Again, at 72dpi and this resolution, you are going to get artifacting in the sky. Especially near the tree. But this is how, in 5 minutes, I would have lifted it.

 

If you want the full res version of pic #3 it's here: clicky. - You'll find that there are two dots on the top left that you will need to edit out. I've since cleaned the filter!

Perhaps I should shoot in RAW more?