Why isn't this a great pic?

[KEVINS]

**I processed this photo on my laptop so the colors may be really off. If they look really terrible on your computer then that could be why and I will upload a new pic later when I get to see what it looks like on my home monitor.

But assuming the processing doesn't look really blown out:
Something is missing in this pic to really make it a great photo but I can't figure it out. I've been processing it all morning and it has come a long ways but it still looks average. It looks better if cropped as a wider image but it still doesn't seem to make me feel that it's a great pic.

I'm not sure if it's the clarity, color saturation, bad composition, bad processing or .
Maybe the grass is too blown out and needs more shadows to add some detailing?

I was shooting into the sun in the evening and maybe this washed out some details and that's what's missing. I actually had to replace the sky b/c it was white. Maybe it's just a average picture and it will never become a great pic but I have taken several pics of this building from different angles and nothing seems to work for me.
Camera is a G10
Shot in RAW
Shot on tripod
ISO 80
Remote shutter release button

Can someone pin point what they think needs to be changed to make this better?


tia
Kevin

[korman]

Kevin,

how do want the picture to look, what is important to you in that image?

Just as an example I attached three small versions from muted colours to garish. All of this only by mistreating the colour curve and saturation.


Korman

[KEVINS]

I like your middle one. The first is too dull in color with the hilights, the last doesn't have enough shadowing in the trees and it seems to lose detail. I personally like a tad more saturation in viewing pics. I'd like to try to create depth in the trees and stone of the buidling.

My personal preference is seeing a tad bit of oversaturation in the high lights on the very tips of the tree branches. I feel that if the shadows are dark (but not black) this can give a good feel for depth and I use the burn tool to help with this. Controlling the midtones is critical and I still struggle with this sometimes.

I did go back and select the grass in the foreground and added some black to the grass and that made a big difference. I think maybe the foreground was overpowering the midtones and thus some details of the building and the trees..

Here's a copy of what the raw image looked like:

ks

[Benji]

Lets see how well I can remember my photography classes from the 1980s! A good photograph will have the following:

Impact. When you look at a photograph it should immediately grab your attention and hold it there.

Composition. Is it pleasing?

Camera angle. Is the camera angle the best for what is in the image?

Camera controls. Good use of DOF? Focus? Exposure correct?

Using the above why don't you critique your image?

Benji

[KEVINS]

YUUCK.. I just got home and after viewing that pic on my home computer it TOTALLY SUCKS..
Thanks for the help so far but I'll have to re-do it and I'll repost it.

aarrgg..
ks

[KatMitchell]

Kevin,

Honestly, it is the composition that is causing the problem... I suggest a re-shoot. Problem is you said you have re-shot and re-shot the image and are still not happy... Well that is the impression I get looking at it too.

This location does not appear to be easy to work with compositional wise. I can only be so sure as I am not seeing the whole surrounding area, but this is my take.

The barn is small and dark and not that interesting. Even if you could get that stone on it to really pop and look pretty, then what? If you could, then that would effectively work as your point of interest and guide the viewer's eye to it, but the problem here is that there is nowhere for the viewer's eyes to go after that. We get trapped between the barn and the trees and there is no pleasing exit for the eyes to follow. Add to that a sloped ground and a partial piece of fence and there is nothing to complete the flow of the composition.

This may be why you keep thinking to yourself that it is just not nailing it for you... Now if you were able to shoot it at a different angle and give us more sky for the eyes to exit out of the frame after looking at the cabin, or a trailing fence that flows out into the distance, then that might work. Here you have that cabin and the ground dividing the composition exactly in half and the foreground dominating with cut off trees framing it... Often sky and trees serve as exit points, but that does not work with cut off trees.. There is not exit, the viewer gets trapped in the frame...

I hope I made some kind of sense..

~ Kat

[KEVINS]

Originally Posted by KatMitchell

Kevin,

Honestly, it is the composition that is causing the problem... I suggest a re-shoot. Problem is you said you have re-shot and re-shot the image and are still not happy... Well that is the impression I get looking at it too.

This location does not appear to be easy to work with compositional wise. I can only be so sure as I am not seeing the whole surrounding area, but this is my take.

The barn is small and dark and not that interesting. Even if you could get that stone on it to really pop and look pretty, then what? If you could, then that would effectively work as your point of interest and guide the viewer's eye to it, but the problem here is that there is nowhere for the viewer's eyes to go after that. We get trapped between the barn and the trees and there is no pleasing exit for the eyes to follow. Add to that a sloped ground and a partial piece of fence and there is nothing to complete the flow of the composition.

This may be why you keep thinking to yourself that it is just not nailing it for you... Now if you were able to shoot it at a different angle and give us more sky for the eyes to exit out of the frame after looking at the cabin, or a trailing fence that flows out into the distance, then that might work. Here you have that cabin and the ground dividing the composition exactly in half and the foreground dominating with cut off trees framing it... Often sky and trees serve as exit points, but that does not work with cut off trees.. There is not exit, the viewer gets trapped in the frame...

I hope I made some kind of sense..

~ Kat

Ya know, I think your 100% right. I my mind I kept thinking that the individual pieces should add up to a nice comp (old/textured building, wooden fence, colorful leaves) but it still looks flat with no depth/distance. This unfortunately is probably the best angle I have photo'd it b/c over the hill on the right is a golf course, straight ahead behind the trees is a road/park, etc..

Thanks a ton for the "eye"!

Here's my latest PP'ing attempt which looks a lot better but still flat as you suggested.

[KatMitchell]

The New PS -- > looks a lot better with the stone detail and less front ground...

Nice colors too...

~ Kat

P.S. : A little blurring from the sky layering looks soft around the trees.... ya might want to touch that up..

[KEVINS]

LOL, yea, I saw the blurring afterwards and I decided that the pic didn't have the feel I wanted so I just stopped. I'm sure I didn't do a proper selection when replacing the sky. I'm still learning how to replace the sky w/o getting a halo around the leaves, etc but this was one of my better attempts and with more fussing I can correct it. The first pic which looks terrible was a better attempt at replacing the sky.

Thanks again!
KS

[KatMitchell]

Been there done that !

Getting the sky masked in is hard when your trying to mask it in between the tree leaves and branches.. Kuddos for the effort...

Kat

[NoEquipment]

OK Here goes my free critique (remember you get what you pay for) I won't comment on the PP as I'm terrible at it myself. For me the interesting part of the image is the contrast in texture between the irregular stone and the very regular tin roof. Try one with the image cropped and more focus on the barn itself. The texture contrast is really beginning to show in the last shot.

[Migsheep]

Originally Posted by NoEquipment

OK Here goes my free critique (remember you get what you pay for) I won't comment on the PP as I'm terrible at it myself. For me the interesting part of the image is the contrast in texture between the irregular stone and the very regular tin roof. Try one with the image cropped and more focus on the barn itself. The texture contrast is really beginning to show in the last shot.

It's a pretty shot but there is no story. Perhaps if some animals were in the picture or people? Composition is everything.
Mig

[Songman45]

Well here comes another free bit of advice and worth every penny. Of the problems this picture has dynamic range is one of the greater. Now, you could shoot this and process it HDR that would be one solution. But easier still would be to shoot this bugger at another time of day. I'm seeing shadows falling toward the camera, meaning you are shooting into the sunlight. If not directly into the sun then into a very bright sky and background. The shadow areas, the dark foliage and the dark side of the building just cannot be exposed to the same degree as the bright sky. If your camera clock is correct this was shot at thirty seconds before noon, arguably the worst time of day to shoot. Given its mid day and the shadows are coming at you, then I'd suggest that you shoot this early in the morning when the sun coming up over your shoulders would be lighting the visible side of the building. The colors in the morning might orchestrate better with the greys of the stone and weathered fencing. You might also take a different angle of view, moving somewhat camera left. This would cause the distance between the fence and the building to close and maybe putting them nearer would make that ensemble you're looking for. Too, you might consider lowering your point-of-view and keeping the camera level so you aren't looking down on the scene from 5 feet or so above the ground.

There ya go.

Steve

[Cloud]

The saturation is too high, you are clipping all the color detail. I will dispell the myth for you right now that photoshop will make this photo any better. If you want a great photo, you got to shoot a great scene. The scene is boring compositionally, the elements don't come together to make a very strong image. less than stellar lighting coupled with non interesting foliage and depth wont make for the most pleasing image. Spend less time trying to "finesse" this photo and go back there early morning or late afternoon and get a much better s hot.

[Gna]

Imo the dark parts (trees and stable) need about 1,5 F-stop more light, and the saturation is over the top and requires about 30% less. Like so (B4 & after):