Drift Wood

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Joseph Bautsch

New member
This is a HDR shot I took in Homer Alaska on the beach. I shot it for the depth of field. The end of the branch is only about 18 inches in front of the lens. It was shot with the Tokina AT-X AF 11-16mm f/2.8.

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EXIF Data: D90, Tokina AT-X Pro AF 11-16mm f/2.8, ISO 400, Focal Length 16mm, f/22, Shutter Speed 1/125, Adobe RGB, Focus Distance 9.2 ft., 3 Shot HDR Photomatix.
 
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JoeLewisPhotography

Senior Member
I too like the perspective BUT....and here it comes.... To many folks on here sugar coat a critique so if it seems harsh, Im sorry, I just want to be honest. we learn from mistakes and critique, not being polite. The image does nothing for me. It falls a REALLY flat for an HDR. It looks like a cell phone picture to me. The whole image is soft, and the background is blown out. If this was bracketed, it would appear that the softenss (almost blurry) look is because the camera moved in between shots. I dont know. at f/22 everything should be in focus. you had a quick shutter speed for that low of an aperature, yet it seems over exposed. Perhaps too much post sharpening.... I can't quite pin point what is wrong. I think the only possible save for this, is black and white and bump up the contrast a bit.
 
ohkphoto

ohkphoto

Snow White
This shot is so different from what you usually post, Joseph, I want to applaud and encourage you for "stretching". The background seems a little overexposed to me. This is one of those photos that you should maybe push the limits on the HDR processing --up the gamma and lower the smoothing and get something "over the top". I know that's not your style, but you might as well experiment and this photo is just begging for it :)
 
Browncoat

Browncoat

Senior Member
I'm somewhere between Joe and Helene on this one, Mr. Bautsch...

I agree that this photo is somewhat outside of your normal box, and that in and of itself deserves some recognition. However, taking the photo on its own merits, this isn't your best work. The background is overexposed while the foreground is under. I think I can appreciate what you were trying to accomplish with this shot, but the perspective is skewed a bit too much. I long to see the beachline, water, and those beautiful mountains in the background...but there is a big honking log in my way.

This doesn't have much of an HDR flavor to it, and I know that's your style, as you trend towards the photorealistic. However, something is just "off" here. As with Joe, I can't quite put my finger on it, but too much sharpening is the likely culprit. I think if you pushed the Photomatix power slider more to the right, you would have some better results.
 
J

Joseph Bautsch

New member
Gee guys I didn't shoot this for competition or a contest. As I said in my post "I shot it for the depth of field" and only that. I often take experimental shots to practice and work out procedures for various camera and lens functions. This one was to look at the hyperfocal depth of field of the Tokina 11-16mm lens. I don't know what you are seeing on your monitor but mine shows the shot to be in focus from just under two feet all the way out to infinity which was the only purpose of the shot.
 
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Dave Hamilton

Senior Member
Would it have made a big difference if it had been shot in landscape rather than portrait? I keep turning my head on this one.

I love the picture just the way it is, especially the background!
 
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Joseph Bautsch

New member
Dave I don't know if a horizontal would have worked. I was trying to get as much of that vertical branch in the shot as I could for the DOF and a vertical worked best.
 
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Will V|Photography

Senior Member
Personally I think it could be an interesting photography BUT it looks a little over-processed for me. Also, I have a pet peeve about crooked horizons. That being said, it sounds like a great idea (theoretically) and has definite potential.

Joseph Bautsch said:
Gee guys I didn't shoot this for competition or a contest. As I said in my post "I shot it for the depth of field" and only that. I often take experimental shots to practice and work out procedures for various camera and lens functions. This one was to look at the hyperfocal depth of field of the Tokina 11-16mm lens. I don't know what you are seeing on your monitor but mine shows the shot to be in focus from just under two feet all the way out to infinity which was the only purpose of the shot.
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You should never feel the need to defend your work. If it looks good to you then that is all that matters. That being said, you asked for critique, so don't get upset when someone says something you don't like. Take it at face value and use the critique to fix your errors in future shoots. ;) I look forward to seeing more of your work.
 
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JoeLewisPhotography

Senior Member
umm maybe it is me, but wasn't this posted in the CRITIQUE section? Therefore it got critiqued!

as for it being in focus...it may be, but it is so over processed/sharpened that it looks blurry to me. I think standing a few feet back, leaving that end of the branch in the whole frame instead of running out of the upper right corner, would have made a huge difference in this pic.
 
bluenoser

bluenoser

Banned
JoeLewisPhoto said:
umm maybe it is me, but wasn't this posted in the CRITIQUE section? Therefore it got critiqued! .
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Absolutely correct Joe. There was nothing said that was inappropriate in anyone's posts regarding the posted photo. As is often the case, someone asks for a "critique" but what they really want is an "atta boy" "great shot"!

Joseph, you indicated that it was an HDR image shot for DoF - so you got comments on the image as a whole, as an HDR and DoF - yet when the comments were not 100% positive, you protest that you really just wanted comments related to the "DoF" aspect and start with the "Gee folks.... I didn't shoot this for a competition, yada, yada, yada. " Sorry Joseph but I call BS.

You really shouldn't post images in the Photo Critique area if you aren't willing to accept comments on the full range of an images characteristics. You didn't get abuse or unfairly harsh comments - everything was as expected for a photo critique thread. Just because people didn't focus 100% on your preferred "DoF" aspect doesn't mean you should break out the qualifiers like "it wasn't shot for a contest". Honesty is a gift - it doesn't happen as often as it should. Discouraging it is not a wise idea. Otherwise, why post it in the Photo Critique sub-forum when there are other "glamour" sub-forums that would have given the desired ego stroking.

PS. I am not saying this in a mean-spirited way. (hard to tell with the internet) - just saying what I feel in a non-sugar coated way (which many misinterpret as being "mean")
 
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ohkphoto

ohkphoto

Snow White
I am not saying this in a mean-spirited way. (hard to tell with the internet) - just saying what I feel in a non-sugar coated way (which many misinterpret as being "mean")
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Well-worded post, James.
 
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