DA Photo Contest Forum / Photography / Critique / Please help me improve this / Latest Posts

RE: Please help me improve this

NiKiMoTo — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 09:24:40 GMT

I agree with Zeke about the 1/3 thing.

The sky seems a bit noisy but difficult to say on such a small version.

I agree with Richard's #3...there is a slightly annoying halo effect in between the dark and light.

Still, overall something to be very proud of.
I'd probably give it one of my 2% of 9's that I give, historically. ;)

RE: Please help me improve this

HappySnaps — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:13:01 GMT

Wish that I could be of more help, but alas, your shot is just not in my area of expertise. The only thing that I wish was different in the image is the direction from which the shot was taken. Nothing you can change with this image, I know! But, I would imagine being at a different angle to the statue, so that you could make a distinction between the arm and the body... to me, it would make it more WOW to see that arm stuck up there with the pride in which it should.

I know... I'm of no help! sorry.

RE: Please help me improve this

levyj413 — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 14:47:31 GMT

Oooo. All good advice.

The good news is that all of your thoughts resonate with some things I already wondered about. Good news, that is, from the standpoint of my development as a photographer. I'm starting to see things now.

I know it's awfully long. I did that for effect. But I can understand how I might have overdone it.

As for the colors being overcooked, I understand and agree. This was my first attempt at a gradient map. I'll tone it down some. The original color is quite "muddy" and gray.

Richard, I appreciate your saying it's hard to capture the colors in the water, but I can't take any credit. :) The original happened to have that.

Wright, I agree it's something of a cliche. That's why I went with the silhouette - that seems somewhat less common than the closeups that show much detail.

So again, thanks!

Anybody else? :)

RE: Please help me improve this

wemor — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 14:09:46 GMT

Why I would/did not vote this image a 10...

5) Post Processing seems a bit overcooked. Not a problem also not a 10

4) No Pow/Wow/Bang/Boom - I could not remember if I had voted for this image yet.

3) Many times "Sunsets" are considered a cliche' topic. Not a problem but again not a 10

2) Statue of Liberty could be considered a cliche' subject. It is photographed thousands of times daily. With its constant image exposure, it would really take a humdinger to get a 10 there.

1) 10's for me are EXTREMELY RARE! I have voted higher than 8 less than 1.5% of the time in my last 6000+ votes (82-9's & 9-10's)

It is a good capture - IMO it is rated fairly in the mid 7's and is not a "10" Good Luck with the image, WE:cool:

RE: Please help me improve this

Zeke Smith — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 13:18:41 GMT

I really like this. I think the statue is a little too far to the right though. I would have preferred to see it somewhere near the 1/3. Great colors, great silhouette.

Please help me improve this

levyj413 — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 10:27:58 GMT

Okay, first, thanks for the daily award today on this:
[img]http://www.dailyawards.com/contest_storage/47047.jpg[/img]
:)

Second, though, if you wouldn't vote this a 10, please tell me why. Not "whine whine it's obviously a 10" but "This image stuns me and others I've shown it to, but DA voters so far don't think it's worthy of the highest votes, so I wonder why?"

I'm regularly surprised by what does and doesn't do well here and elsewhere, so that's not an enormous surprise.

But I'm considering this for a contest on another site, so any advice would be much appreciated! :)

Thanks!

Edited by Zeke to show image.