A gate to advice and critique

[RichardHarding]

Beginner photographer, looking for some advice/critique with the above image, i feel as though the DoF or something else isn't quite right with this image but can't pick out what this is having an untrained eye. I feel there could have been more in focus.

 

[Box Brownie]

With such bland sky that draws the eye the whole "feels wrong" and uninteresting.

However, if you crop it down to almost a square format......removing almost all the sky to a little above the stone pillar at the left-hand side. That concentrates the eye on the gate and what lays beyond it, perhaps creating a sense of mystery???

Plus, sorting out in the editing the low contrast and underexposed gate and surrounding scene.

HTH

 

[KIPAX]

It's dull as dishwater and need popping! unfortunatly you have NO on edit pics or I could show you.. Do you ahve any editing software such as photoshop ?

 

[RichardHarding]

With such bland sky that draws the eye the whole "feels wrong" and uninteresting.

However, if you crop it down to almost a square format......removing almost all the sky to a little above the stone pillar at the left-hand side. That concentrates the eye on the gate and what lays beyond it, perhaps creating a sense of mystery???

Plus, sorting out in the editing the low contrast and underexposed gate and surrounding scene.

HTH

I'll have another attempt at this in lightroom, used a matte preset which i think has caused it to look underexposed and low contrast. Will give the cropping suggestion a go too as thats what i would have liked to of created was that sense of mystery! Thanks!

It's dull as dishwater and need popping! unfortunatly you have NO on edit pics or I could show you.. Do you ahve any editing software such as photoshop ?

Hi thanks for your reply, i have photoshop and lightroom, will have to look into my settings to get that amended.

 

[RichardHarding]

Just had a quick play with some of your suggestions, thoughts? I can see even more now that the gate isn't in focus properly and the dull lighting i was faced with that evening hasn't really helped. May have to go back out on another hike. I'll get the edit on set in my account.

 

[Box Brownie]

The crop I think works. Post Processing can be a very personal thing and IMO too many folk use the tools like an artists pallete i.e. the tools are there so I will use them

However, for me the picture either has potential or not but should not need too much processing to 'bring it out...' Though my quick PP is on the original you posted with its PP'ing here I have made DRL adjustments > boosted contrast with Local Contrast Enhancement USM > Smart Sharpened to effect. This has kept some of the moodiness but still with the washed out sky!

If you care to post the original unedited file, as the sky seems to have more in it than your first edited image suggests I/others (as you have now allowed editing) can offer their insights.



Also had a look at the one above, editing mainly to reduce the brightness of the midtones (I surmise in PS layers and area editing would help ~ but PS and I do not talk to well In LR I might have looked at using the gradient filter to work on the sky???)

 

[RichardHarding]

The crop I think works. Post Processing can be a very personal thing and IMO too many folk use the tools like an artists pallete i.e. the tools are there so I will use them

However, for me the picture either has potential or not but should not need too much processing to 'bring it out...' Though my quick PP is on the original you posted with its PP'ing here I have made DRL adjustments > boosted contrast with Local Contrast Enhancement USM > Smart Sharpened to effect. This has kept some of the moodiness but still with the washed out sky!

If you care to post the original unedited file, as the sky seems to have more in it than your first edited image suggests I/others (as you have now allowed editing) can offer their insights.



Also had a look at the one above, editing mainly to reduce the brightness of the midtones (I surmise in PS layers and area editing would help ~ but PS and I do not talk to well In LR I might have looked at using the gradient filter to work on the sky???)

Oh wow those are nice edits, really appreciate your time spent helping with these. I'm going to do some research into using Lightroom as i have no idea what i am doing! Please see original below... the sky wasn't great, I was losing light with it being late and was a really overcast evening