Sharing Comments and Criticism..

[TheBigE]

I agree, not much to work with there. Maybe for extreme cases like this upload of a raw file to a place like dropbox would be helpful.

My contribution.. Have at it.

I think you made the right choice on the crop. Fills the frame and provide some leading lines outside the frame. I would like to see some more "orange" in the photo, I get the feeling this is at night and a touch of orange gives that "evening" glow feeling. Not sure how much it could support, but a touch more Orange Saturation....otherwise well done.

 

[dmaxphil]

I think you made the right choice on the crop. Fills the frame and provide some leading lines outside the frame. I would like to see some more "orange" in the photo, I get the feeling this is at night and a touch of orange gives that "evening" glow feeling. Not sure how much it could support, but a touch more Orange Saturation....otherwise well done.

I think you have a great point here. One of my preferences has always been for a desaturated type of look. So I often lose sight of the natural colors present in the original photo. That shot was taken early morning at sunrise. So many possibilities exist in post that it's often tough to find the proper direction to follow.

Also I just had cataract surgery in one eye yesterday, and it's incredible the colors, dynamic range and contrast I now see. My photos certainly look different to me now than I realized.

Some alternatives.

 

[havoc315]

I think you have a great point here. One of my preferences has always been for a desaturated type of look. So I often lose sight of the natural colors present in the original photo. That shot was taken early morning at sunrise. So many possibilities exist in post that it's often tough to find the proper direction to follow.

Also I just had cataract surgery in one eye yesterday, and it's incredible the colors, dynamic range and contrast I now see. My photos certainly look different to me now than I realized.

Some alternatives.

I can't even say which I prefer.... each presents a different mood. Though I initially suggested more detail in the sky, I'm now leaning in the opposite direction (shows how subjective it can be) . The detailed sky is taking attention away from the buildings, which should be the star here. I might actually re-compose the crop slightly, with more beach and less sky in the shot. The top sky is the most foreboding -- looking like a Pacific tsunami about to strike. While the second looks more like a sunrise on an overcast day (the likely closer to reality).

 

[havoc315]

I agree, not much to work with there. Maybe for extreme cases like this upload of a raw file to a place like dropbox would be helpful.

My contribution.. Have at it.

My crop... there are a few other things I'd do differently, but this is just my proposed crop of the original:
i-tXBQ3Fb-X2 by Adam Brown, on Flickr

 

[fractal]

Is it me or is the horizon slanted in all the re-dos?

As far as your original Poly bungalows @dmaxphil , I thinks it's cropped well and love the lines it creates. Maybe a bit more color for my tastes but that's up to you. The only thing I see that I would try to correct/change is some artifacts/halos on the roof line of the bungalows. Very easy to miss ( which I do often ).

 

[fractal]

OR - those could be spikes to keep the birds off. Lol!

 

[dmaxphil]

I'm normally pretty picky about the halos/fringing on on rooftops/limbs/trees, but missed these. These were bracketed shots that I merged within LR. I did the same using Nik HDR Efx and Nik produced better results. However, there is something on those roofs. Looks like a coil of wire or something.

Oh, I think the horizon is pretty level based on original. The slope of the beach makes it look a bit wacky.

 

[havoc315]

By Plane, by Water, Misty Fjords by Adam Brown, on Flickr

 

[AyraBelle]

By Plane, by Water, Misty Fjords by Adam Brown, on Flickr

Purely from a color standpoint, red will draw your eye first so the first thing I saw was the plane wing. Not too much you can do about that, though, if you want to see the cool effect the clouds have at the top right there. I do love all the lines in the water, though.
I'm still a super novice, so I can't comment to more than that. I just know that red is a color that will draw your eye immediately - especially when juxtaposed against all of the cooler colors in the rest of the photo.

 

[dmaxphil]

By Plane, by Water, Misty Fjords by Adam Brown, on Flickr

I like it. Beautiful area. The plane wing looks intentional, but I could see someone thinking its a bit snapshot-ish. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I mean, you were in a cool red plane when you got the shot!

 

[havoc315]

I like it. Beautiful area. The plane wing looks intentional, but I could see someone thinking its a bit snapshot-ish. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I mean, you were in a cool red plane when you got the shot!

lol, exactly.... It's obviously subjective opinion. But I wanted the wing in the shot, to give it perspective and a personalized look. Tells the store of how the photo was taken, also gives context of the distance from above. In my wide angle landscapes, I like to have something in the foreground, it creates a near/far balance. I agree the eye is drawn to the wing... which then points your eye towards the forested cliffs... and drawing you into the whole image.

Considering the clouds, I didn't get a lot of great pics up there, but this was one of the better ones. There is some glare from the window, but it's not too obtrusive.

 

[fractal]

I like the wing and I like the shot. I would perhaps straighten it a bit.

 

[havoc315]

So I need feedback on this one, mostly on the processing. I'm trying out a new "look" in lightroom for couple portraits... Need to decide whether to discard the new look, just use the new look, or give the clients the new look alongside my more normal look.
Here is the new look:

untitled-228-Edit.jpg by Adam Brown, on Flickr

untitled-228.jpg by Adam Brown, on Flickr

 

[dmaxphil]

Would like more details on what setting you are playing with. I would not give them both. Decide the look you are going for. Pic 1 has a skin softness and color that is less harsh/more attractive to my eye.

 

[havoc315]

Would like more details on what setting you are playing with. I would not give them both. Decide the look you are going for. Pic 1 has a skin softness and color that is less harsh/more attractive to my eye.

It's a pre-set system... basically a skin desaturation, matte finish, lesser contrast boost, etc.

 

[dmaxphil]

Which preset do you normally use? Top or bottom?

 

[fractal]

I like the bottom one.

 

[havoc315]

1 vote for top, 1 for bottom..... gee thanks guys! lol
The bottom is my default. It's the SLR-lounge preset system, and it's just their "signature color"
The top uses a few of their different presets to create the look (which I then saved as a preset)

I also just now went into photoshop and trying to erase the tree growing out of her head. Woops.

 

[Chernabog1940]

So I need feedback on this one, mostly on the processing. I'm trying out a new "look" in lightroom for couple portraits... Need to decide whether to discard the new look, just use the new look, or give the clients the new look alongside my more normal look.
Here is the new look:

untitled-2

28-Edit.jpg by Adam Brown, on Flickr

untitled-228.jpg by Adam Brown, on Flickr

For what it's worth, I think the bottom one looks better also.

 

[TheBigE]

By Plane, by Water, Misty Fjords by Adam Brown, on Flickr

I like the wing and the image, I think it adds to the story. Frankly I would like to see more of the wing and if he plane was in a bit steeper of a bank. But then you have to take what is offered. Post Processing - hard for me to tell, but a bit more sharpening on rocks and hillside maybe needed.