C & C on Photos of Castle

coL

Would really welcome some C & C on the photos below. Have left them in their original state and not done any post processing so any comments on how I could improve them in that respect would be good too.

[URL="[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/70505020@N04/8077709480/][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8194/8077709480_cafc25af26_b.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/70505020@N04/8077709480/]DSC_0604[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/70505020@N04/]CDOSAUH[/url], on Flickr"][/url]

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[URL="[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/70505020@N04/8077704754/][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8048/8077704754_b8a1c1fe47_b.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/70505020@N04/8077704754/]DSC_0611[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/70505020@N04/]CDOSAUH[/url], on Flickr"][/url]

[URL="[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/70505020@N04/8077703012/][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8190/8077703012_fba03237aa_b.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/70505020@N04/8077703012/]DSC_0631[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/70505020@N04/]CDOSAUH[/url], on Flickr"][/url]

[URL="[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/70505020@N04/8077701042/][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8183/8077701042_3a8b941e36_b.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/70505020@N04/8077701042/]DSC_0634[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/70505020@N04/]CDOSAUH[/url], on Flickr"][/url]

[URL="[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/70505020@N04/8077707839/][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8044/8077707839_39720481d3_b.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/70505020@N04/8077707839/]DSC_0601[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/70505020@N04/]CDOSAUH[/url], on Flickr"][/url]

kelly1

Hello CoL, for me the subject isn't terribly interesting. The time of day doesn't help either (light too harsh). Sorry.

pullandbang

Difficult to get the exposure right between the bright sky and the dark foreground and you came closest in the second shot. Nice exposure on the rocks and grass but you lost the sky completely on the right which is where your cropping tool comes in. Cut the right side of the picture out completely which does two things - it loses that blown sky and puts your subject on the right hand third.

The last shot is probably the worse of the bunch even though the exposure is good. However it's a picture of a wall and it gives no indication of being three dimensional - unlike the angled shots of the castle.

One tip - if your sky is going to be blown, leave it out. Point your camera downwards to exclude the bright sky.

dinneenp

Is that the reamins of a castle on just before Kilcolgan?

bullpost

I would try different perspectives - everything is too centred.

ciarang85

Great photos, Haven't been to Minard castle in years!

AnCatDubh

The landscapes with a little distance to subject work best imho - #2 and #3.

I don't know the castle itself but it looks like a not terribly beautiful architectural in design (or perhaps just one of those places that are difficult to photograph) and hence the ones a little more from the distance imho work better.

In #2 the stones are some what distracting (to use that cliched phrase) or perhaps better put, they would be better not in there or given less prominence.

I wonder if you were to get closer to the castle itself, would there be interesting angles perhaps walls shot upwards and against the sky.

Another suggestion is to try move things off center. Center placement of the subject becomes monotonous and boring when you get a series of photos. A wide landscape with the castle off center may have yielded a better, or at least more interesting image. That applied to #2 and lose some of the stones in the foreground and imho it gets you a very usable image.

(usual disclaimer with c&c - take from it what you can it and junk the rest. it's all only opinion )

hope that helps.

nucker

I think they are ok, but learning how to edit is also very important

Also, try getting the subject off centre, learn about the rule of thirds and the golden median, things may or may not get interesting, but at least you are getting the subject off centre

davmigil

I personally love castles. It's often very hard to take an interesting picture of them though! Having said that, I think the 2nd picture has the most potential. The exposure is handled quite nicely in the 1st one.

Back to the 2nd picture: composition is nice, like the foreground interest and the placement of the castle. Exposure lets it down though. Need to see more detail in the castle. Your best bet would be to take two or more exposure of the exact same scene (so tripod essential if not already so) and use a photo editor to blend in the different exposures so you end up with a nice sky and a well exposed castle and foreground. If you shot raw you might be able to extract two shots - one exposed for the sky and one for the castle from the one file and blend them together.

Early morning or late afternoon 'golden hour' light can add interest to a castle shot, a dramatic sky always helps too. I think they always need something else to help the shot (be it a sky or autumn colours etc.)

Diesel

My own tuppence;
To edit what I think is the best - #2
(funny how some of us differ in that... take that as lesson 1 - we all differ in opinion. That's not criticism, it just is,)

Anyhow -
Crop the top section off - reduce the image to a panorama style. Leave just a section of sky above the castle to let it 'breathe' - try sliding this page down to see the effect.
The Forground stones work - really work !
Whatever editing package you use, try bring back detail in sky, not a lot - just enough. (Lightroom - use a graduated filter and recovery slider)
Increase the vibrancy and colour (add yellow) a touch - leave saturation alone
Increase blackpoint setting.

And if you can go back in time;
Shoot images in RAW. Much more latitude in post processing.
Also - as above - Golden hour light.

rgds
Diesel

nucker

coL, would it be possible I can show you an edit of photo #2?

coL

Thanks for all the comments. they are very helpful and will defo help me improve. One problem I have is checking the quality of the photo on the small screen, it isn't until I get home and put it on the laptop that I see exactly how good/bad the photos are. Anyone have a solution for this?

Will try a few of the suggestions for editing but I am not great at adjusting colours or working with filters yet.

If anyone wants to have a go at doing an edit as an example please feel free would be very interested to see the outcome.

Diesel

Here's a 1 minute edit;

For review of image in camera - experience !
to be safe at beginning, review histogram and keep curves within screen.
AND shoot RAW.

Keep practising !!
rgds
J..

nucker

Here is my edit, though I will edit it further

AnCatDubh

coL wrote: »

One problem I have is checking the quality of the photo on the small screen, it isn't until I get home and put it on the laptop that I see exactly how good/bad the photos are. Anyone have a solution for this?

Ok, two basic things which you can do and they won't cost you a cent;

a)

One of the most useful tools which is available to you is the histogram tool - google tutorials on camera histogram and you'll come up with tons of links. Cambridge in colour has a useful one (as well as many others). With the histogram you'll be able to spot overexposed, underexposed, properly exposed, high/low contrast, blown highlights or shadows, all by just paying attention to what your camera can already tell you. Then adjust your camera settings accordingly depending on whether you need to let more light into your camera, take light out of the camera, etc....

and b)

The other most important tool will be your eye(s). Check out a scene. Learn the rule of thirds (yes, there will be a chorus of learn how to break the rule of thirds but lets worry about learning it before learning how to break it). Once you understand it (and its very simple), you should be able to look at a scene and have a fair go at framing the scene within your minds eye in terms of what would look well in a final composition. Transfers this through the viewfinder and it should immediately start to improve your composition. It's all about where you position objects within the landscape within the viewfinder. Yes, then once you've improved your composition you can start to think about how you might break the rule of thirds to yield interesting, dramatic, and sometimes quirky shots.

Give these two a try. Pretty sure you'll notice a big improvement without going near post processing.

nucker

This is my last edit on the castle

coL

Thanks for the comments, tips and examples.

Will do my best to learn how to read histograms (haven't done it till now cause it scares me)

Mike Litoris

Just to add to the great advise above. Try going back to the same scene before the sun sets or just after it rises. And bring a tripod if you have one.

Oh and dont get disheartened when your shots look mediocre. Keep reading and listen to all the advise. Before you know it the simple rules become second nature. Oh and be patient!