...I'm playing catchup today with one LONG post...

Nice capture Em. Y'all sure do have nice banked turns over there in NC.

Dan, you nailed the exposure perfectly though on your Mini photo. That's a very beautiful setting too. The photo is very easy to adjust in photochomp as nothing is overexposed and has plenty of shadow detail. Someone is paying attention to the camera's histogram.

Here's what it looks like remixed:


Watch out for those distracting poles.
Also you may want to close the driver's door next time and put the seat back. Almost looks like someone had a bit too much to drink and fell down the hill.

FWIW, my remix just uses techniques I'm reading about in Scott Kelby's latest book 7 point system for PS CS3. Your photo looks like it belongs in a Mini advert (assuming the door was closed)


Kurt, don't you mean "Pointing your camera eastward takes advantage of the sun's last light." for this photo with a well lit Swifty?

Thanks for the shooting direction tips, oh Sunset Master.



[QUOTE=Massive_Lemon;1839168]
+1, that's exactly what I was thinking. Nice composition Motor!


MINIxB, I like the first sunset photo, very nice colors.
Did you know that your camera automatically writes the date (and time and lots of other info) inside the image file for each picture you take? You don't have to have the camera clutter your photos up with a date printed on the photo. Just thought I'd ask.

 

speednut: I spaced out in the direction, meant pointing east (edit done).:impatient

Another tip, wait for the right amount of clouds too.


Soccer practice tonight, obligatory MINI and sunset shot. Lots of clutter.


Thought about trying another subject (for once). Better with parked cars.


It was okay.

 

with the fear that I may create a monster here...

I really like your skate photography.

 

Have no fear, I was just goofing off.

Some time ago I saw this on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/weighsaton/59980439/
I just searched 'skateboard sunset' and found a ton of shots.

 

Just some interesting reading: http://www.atoptics.co.uk/

 

Today's sunrise was quick. Didn't use the tripod, and Swifty hasn't been washed for awhile, can you tell?

Speednut: I clicked a few times to edit this one.







Without car:

 

Kurt you seem to have the techincal side down pat, but if I may offer a little C&C wihtout throwing my own work up on the chopping block, I find I'm prefering the images that provide more active space.

Also, some non visual thinking to ocnsider while composing: which is the subject of the photos the MINI or the sunset, and how do they interact, is one a background for the other, do they compliment each other, is one providing scale and referance for a vast sunset? Is there a story being told in your veiwfinder? How can you tell it?

 

The portrait shots are getting boring.
The story is I have a boring life. If I capitalized on the scenery by driving alot more, that would help. Otherwise, I don't know what you are talking about. ;^)

 

Kurt, the first photo in your last set is very nice. A remix is in your inbox.

The clouds in the last photo look interesting. The bush "Napa truck hat" on Swifty's roof however is distracting though (also ignoring the power lines). Maybe only my twisted mind can see it, but I can see the silhouette of a Mini traveling the opposite way in the clouds with its front tire touching the right side of the "bush hat". Maybe with a Mini-Fini trailer in tow?

IMHO, Swifty is always the primary subject in Kurt's photos with a killer sunset as the backdrop. I think the first photo in this recent set works well since the camera is down low (but not in the dirt), the horizon/mountain range doesn't cut Swifty's belt-line, and as MotorOn states there is more active space for Swifty to roam around in. Personally, I think Swifty would look better placed further over to the right and including more of the side view.

"Telling a story" is pretty tricky if you want to say more than AZ has killer sunsets. I'm not sure I'd know what direction to suggest? MotorOn, what suggestions can you think of?

If Kurt is looking for an expanded challenge, maybe try to capture the lines and patterns of a sunset such that they interact with Swifty somehow (thinking more of in a B&W context frame of mind). Of course I don't mind just seeing some more killer sunsets.

 

speednut clicked a few more times than I did:

Looks much better!

I am appreciating having more room around the car, good point. I am close hoping the flash will light up the car more, thus the crowded composition.

That tree has always bothered me, but I do have a chainsaw. And I kinda see the MINI in the clouds.

Yea Motor On, I need suggestions. Shall I learn how to use the timer so I can get my ugly mug in the shots? Might be a good idea anyway to eliminate all camera movement.

Thanks speednut!

 

Hey Kurt, congrats on the 2008 Calendar win!

 

Aw shucks... thanks.

 

I was inspriredand went somewhere to take a photo, but I think you also carried along the spirit of the original inspiration, this photo works, not simply because the sunset looks good, but because you went beyond pointing at the sky and shooting, here is a kid on a skate board out past the sun dropping below the horizon doing what he loves until every last ounce of light is gone. In that moment that will never re occur just so, and is gone forever, you captured that boys spirit sole and character, even his friend had given up and taken a seat but he carries on.

Yes a wider aperature and higher shutter speed slightly lower angle and you'd have frozen him crisply with sky all around him to stil imply the motion and perhaps make the fact his buddys grabbed a seat a little more visible, but you created an image that speaks.


This seems to say "this MINI goes places"


"Welcome to where I live, and I drive the MINI" (so agressively I need a harness on the streets)

Where as this seems to say "I got out of my car pointed the camera this way and it happened to be sunset."



I noticed and I do the same thing and before switching to digital I did it a whole lot more and really am trying to get back to it for over a year now because I think my composition has suffered from not doing, but I look at photos, not just pass through to see what pops up in the regular threads but really look at them, do I like this? Why? Is it techinaclly sound (yes fine what were the conditions, if no why what needs to be changed how did making it techinically difficent make it a more emotive and better image? How was it composed? How does that composition speak to me? Is is complex or simple what does the arrangement do to change things?

By doing this with the photography that is out there and paying special attention to the ones you like and really looking at one photo byit self for a few minutes you can train your eye to look for these tings in the veiw finder, and thats when it starts to change the images, I can fill upa memory card in a hurry, but when I do it in such away that everything about every image is deliberate I may walk away with a bunch of good images but when I start to make those great ones is where the reward comes for me, when I can look at my photos and not only like what I see but I can anaylze it and see why I like it and know that I took it.

It's one thing to know the rules another to see them and entirely different to use them to help creae what it is oyu are looking after.

I tired tomake it as constructive as possible, maybe I've spent a little too much time anaylzing and looking at photos and lost a little bit of touch with the veiwfinder. But I think you're at the level where it's more about the thought process and less about the techincal worries.

 

Thanks for the clarification. There is alot to think about when considering taking good pictures. It's more challenging when the lighting conditions change so fast (vs. a studio setting). My first thought is avoiding the clutter, like which way do I shoot. Second is parking to take advantage of the setting. I start to lose it when the technical aspect gets involved, like getting close so the flash works.

It's been interesting to surf Flickr. It's easy to see how each of us is unique in the type of pictures we take. What trips my trigger wouldn't someone else.

The harness ~ since I got the darn thing, it needed breaking in (so stiff), and I thought if I got in a wreck and didn't have it and got hurt, I'de be pissed. And some of the streets are so rough it keeps me planted.

 

Hey Kurt we had one fo those sun things today.....

 

I was going to raz you with a PM, but your box is full.

Where's da MINI? ;^)

There was a sunset tonight, but I was too busy, and it didn't cover the sky overhead like yours.

 

yeah just saw thatand cleaned. (PM box)

MINI was hiding in the garage, I've got a phenomena not found in AZ, road salt that has to be dealt with before the she can go in front of the cameras.

I was so happy to see somethingother than pure grey

 

Started off like something was going to happen, but fizzeled. This was after I dropped my daughter off at the bus stop.
This was about it.

motoron: I don't always get a decent shot.

 

On my way to an old favorite spot. Between errands, client didn't mind waiting. The story is for motoron.

I almost deleted this, but look how the clouds look like flames!

First shot after parking, used the car as a tripod. *lesson: always bring the tripod even though it rattles so much in the car*

1.

Can't see how dirty Swifty is.

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Spectacular sunset for sure. Just wish I had a cheap way to light the car.


One more with no MINI in it.

 

 

+1 Kurt, it didn't look like that down in the valley!!! Beautiful.

 

This little tabletop tripod has saved my butt too many times. It's small enough it can go into the boot inside the tire jack bag or somewhere it won't rattle. I've set it on a rock, fence post, garbage can, against a marble column in the Sistine Chapel, etc. I like it so much, I own two (I'm frequently missplacing things... ).



Kurt, that has to be the best example of Fire in the Sky that I've ever seen. Simply Amazing!

Regarding lighting up the car... IMHO turn off the flash and continue to play in manual mode with the camera on a tripod. Get two correct exposures, one for the sunset and another for the car. Then merge the images together. I need to find or write up instructions on how to do this in GIMP since you're photochomp deprived and you need an industrial strength photo editor now. It's not too difficult to do once you have practiced it a few times. Net cost to do this $0.00, some stray electron movements in your memory card, and a little bit of time in the digital darkroom perfecting your masterpiece.

Thanks for sharing these with us Kurt!

 

Tonight I was between cooking steak on the wood fire and going to a regional road committee meeting and hearing them moan about half the effort being spent on government red-tape. Anyway, some quick shots:


Different settings on the camera. Did some lightening of the car.



The less junk I have to move around the better. I had one of those little tripods with the wire-like legs. (where is that?)

 

Sunset just off the Beach in CT in Oct.

 

Hey Kurt does your camera do auto bracketing?

Hope you don't mind I took the top twoof your last post and some quick and diry photochomingcame up with this....