Comments on: Looking for inspiration

By: Tyler B

Tyler B — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 23:48:44 +0000

This is a very true article. I do find my self looking and waiting for the best image. But now I know you can’t wait for the image, you have to take a lot to make the image. I am very critical about my images and I hope I can do better, which I keep finding out new techniques. I am still learning though.

By: Derald Freeman

Derald Freeman — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 03:40:52 +0000

Are you being too critical? You said “This photo is blown out in the centre and the bottom is too dark.” I am sure you expected something different when you snapped it.

For me, the dark area at the bottom brings the focus for my eye up to the light. Everything comes to a focus point.

I love the photo. It is something I would enlarge and frame for the wall in my den. It has composition, focus, depth, and I love it.

By: Andre Goulet

Andre Goulet — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:52:17 +0000

I too feel your pain… it’s like when you are painting your house and standing 1 foot from the wall, you notice all the imperfections, yet when someone else walks in, they see the room and how wonderful it looks. Photos are like that too. You are too close to them sometimes and can’t see the forest for the trees. Sometimes you just need to let photos be, let others enjoy them and let yourself be moved by them.

By: Rick Rouse

Rick Rouse — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:18:18 +0000

I feel the same way. Everyone wants to capture the perfect image, but there is beauty in the also-rans as well. Nice job on this pic and the narrative.

By: Søren

Søren — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:36:27 +0000

I just recently stumpled across one of your photos.. Then your flickr, twitter and your blog (gotta’ love cross-linking).

It’s a relief reading your posts. The down-to-earth honesty is just plain relaxing and it’s nice to know that others are going through the same set of thought-patterns. Thanks for the heads up though. It’s a good thing catching theese things before it’s too late.

Oh and the sunset picture is far from non-posting material. But that already seems to be the general thought on the matter ;]

By: Michael James

Michael James — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:21:29 +0000

All the tweaking in the world (in photoshop) can’t fix the fact the dynamic range of the scene exceeded the capability of the sensor. Don’t sweat it.

Next time use AEB and either import each exposure into PS and mask in parts of the image. Or use Enblend or Enfuse to exposure blend them or create a HDR and tonemap it.

Many ways to get around the issue you bumped into.

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:19:13 +0000

Definitely should not have posted the sunset picture!! big mistake… jk

By: Philip

Philip — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:30:15 +0000

@Philip: I see my post is missing the links, so I'll reattempt Wedding Photo and The Best Camera

By: Philip

Philip — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:28:09 +0000

I do like the sunset shot, without your mention of technical issues they would not have occurred to me. It made me think of this shot I took at my cousin’s wedding . I was inside and stepped outside and my camera settings were such that the highlights were totally blown out. I figured it was a great photo that I screwed up, but I came back to it a couple of days later and ran it through Nik Silver Efx. Technically it’s far from perfect, but I like it just like the sunset photo. I think the mistake made me more creative in this case. Pull out your iPhone and shoot with that for some fun? Technically it can’t produce the results of the 5D, but you can get some fun pictures just the same

By: bookbabie

bookbabie — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:54:06 +0000

I’ve been feeling the same way lately. I submit to Getty and iStock and rarely shoot for myself anymore, it’s all work and no play:( I need to take pictures for me more often and have fun with my photography!