In the woods...

[Snoogie]

Before I start posting photos here I want to introsuce myself to you:

I am Sebastian Brandt, also known as Snoogie, I am 18 years old and I have been photographing since march 2002.

Now, that are some pics from my last series called "In the woods..."

#1 (http://snoogie.alive-again.de/gallery/mpa_in_the_woods/pictures/1018478438.jpg)
#2 (http://snoogie.alive-again.de/gallery/mpa_in_the_woods/pictures/1018478524.jpg)
#3 (http://snoogie.alive-again.de/gallery/mpa_in_the_woods/pictures/1018478449.jpg)
#4 (http://snoogie.alive-again.de/gallery/mpa_in_the_woods/pictures/1018478533.jpg)

I hope you like the pics,
C&C welcome

Snoogie

[Steeldolphin]

Welcome aboard Snoogie. :) Good to see some GF peeps here.

I actually am quite impressed with these shots. I really like the first one. It has such a a stark simplicity. The only thing distracting is the little twig in the upper right corner, but that is a very small nitpick.

Excellent work. Did you black and white these in Photoshop, or was this done with B+W setting on your digicam, or did you use film?

Cheers.

[Snoogie]

Thanks for your reply Steeldolphin,
I took them in color with my digicam and desaturated them in Photoshop because I was unsure if I would like the color or the black and white ones better.
Of course I liked the b&w ones better, as in most of my photos.
After I desaturated them I did some level adjustments, because they lacked of contrast and all were too "grey".

CU
Snoogie

PS.

I wished I could afford a SLR digicam
=]

[Steeldolphin]

I wished I could afford a SLR digicam
=]


Me too. :)

[photok]

Your lack of contrast is a result of your method of metering and the fact that the images aren't printed. Contrast manipulation at the printing stage is, at least for me, the reason film photography is so attractive.

Your camera is taking a meter reading of the light reflecting from your subject matter. ALL meters expose at zone 5, 18% grey...yuk. So if you're taking a landscape, for example, your meter reads an exposure at 18% grey and your image comes out flat because there is no tonal difference between anything in the image (except of course the sky and the ground)

Tips:
Try composing mentally in B&W (it's kind of like breathing through
your eyelids)
Spot meter or meter from a grey card
Shoot when the sun is low.
Use filters - dig out your color wheel from art class. filters lighten
the colors along the same line and darken colors
opposite IE: red filters darken green objects; yellow
filters darken blue objects
Switch to film and learn to print:D

[Steeldolphin]

Switch to film and learn to print

We are dinasaurs Greg. :)

Anyways some excellent pointers there (*chris takes notes*). I guess if you dont have a film camera Photoshop is as good a dark room as any. :)

Although I try to take as good of an exposure as possible, I still get back pics that aren't quite what I envisioned - hell thats how it goes. You can bet dollars to doughnuts that the Fine Art prints of Ansel Adams weren't straight prints...they were lovingly crafted in the darkroom. :)

[salvo]

Hey those are very good. I agree with SD, I really like the first one as well. The wood sticking out the smooth water with its reflections makes for a sort of symmetry that is pleasing.

[Snoogie]

Originally posted by photok
Switch to film and learn to print:D


Thanks for the tips first, I think you helped me a lot.
I would really like to switch to analog photography, I have a 29 years old Minolta SLR here (which needs to be fixed atm) but the main reason why I dont do analog photography is a lack of money.
I can't afford to let my images be printed, it is too expensive for me. I am just a pupil and dont have much money.

Maybe you want to habe a look at all shots I have done.
This is a special eddition, (only for this place =] ) I only resized them and did NO adjustments.
The link is here (http://www.snoogie.alive-again.de/photos/wald/normal/)

Maybe you can have a look and comment those again

Thanks
Snoogie

[Steeldolphin]

looks like you have a good eye for composition, the unaltered versions still look good though as fair as straight shots are concerned. The technical side will come with practice and application. :)

Its too bad you aren't using an SLR or digital SLR (if only money grew on trees right?) because then I would suggest the use of a polarizing filter on a couple of those shots as they would have reduced some of the small glare points.

Again, Snoogie, good work, and I hope to see more from ya. :)

[Snoogie]

Thank you for your comments, I am very glad that you like the photos (makes me proud) and I prommise you: More will follow

The next thing I plan to get is a tripod
:)


Snoogie

[photok]

I aggree with SD...compostionally you're doing great, and that's most important. The technical stuff comes with practice.

A thread I started regarding CCD latitude comes into play here I think. http://www.steeldolphin.com/sdcforum/showthread.php?threadid=32

Part of trick for me is knowing what I have to work with when composing my image. Knowing the limitations of your medium really help in visualizing the end result.

You have the advantage of bracketing at no cost. Pick your sujbect then bracket... say 5-stops over and under in 1/2 stop increments, then look at your results (don't forget to record your exposure, apature etc) This way you'll be able to see what your camera sees. For me to do this would cost about $20-$30, for you it takes up disk space.;)

[Starscream]

There is just something about a photographers eye that just astounds me. I would have never in a million years ever thought to take pics at those objects in the positions you took them in. Excellent orginality, I am very impressed.