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Sequence Photos' Constructive Criticism Needed

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JuliusJ
Posts: 3778 - Karma: 2,106
Trying to actually use my camera more this summer as I'd like to actually be able to somewhat be decent before I upgrade cameras and looking for some constructive feedback on pretty much anything, whether that is angles, better use of camera and its features, and especially photoshop tips or advice. I'm shooting with a Canon Rebel EOS D300. These are two sequence photos I've taken and stitched together in the past day.

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Jun 13 2012 3:44AM
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grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
rock climbing is bad ass, especially when you're free climbing like it looked like he was (my climbing knowledge is about 0).  Dont think I trust my self to do that or at least anything higher than 10 feet ha
Jun 13 2012 11:38AM
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TijmenDal
Posts: 4849 - Karma: 1,295
Nice shots! Well done!

Let's help you out here, although you're doing fine already.
First of all, you're shooting with a 300D, the D300 is a Nikon camera. (Possibly you could be shooting with a D30, but I doubt that.)
The first compisition is quite poor. Shooting from the side (the back even a little) makes for a poor feel of what it was like. Try shooting from about a 45 degree angle from the side. That way you can see your character from the front as well as get a feel of depth.
The main thing about the second picture is that there isn't a frame included of the climber where he's nearer to the ground. It looks like he started 20 feet in the air, which is quite unlikely. I like the second pic better because of the composition.

As far as photoshopping goes: you did well. Because it was an overcast day on both pics, there's no harsh shadows you have to photoshop in; that's normally a thing many people forget. Make sure that when it's sunny out and there's hard-cast shadows all over the places you include those. It gives a really nice feel of depth to the picture! There's really not much else to it else than not messing it up by overlapping your sequence wrong.

Just go out there, shoot, have fun and do it a ton.
Jun 13 2012 12:16PM
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canterbury
Posts: 2382 - Karma: 55
The photos look good, but you need to keep working on putting them together in photoshop. It's fairly noticeable in the rockclimbing one if you look for a min you can see some mistakes. How are you combining the photos? I would suggest using the patch tool to smooth over some of the spots where one photo border meets the next. Also, you might want to try using more of the background behind the person in each "person" layer (instead of cutting out all of the background from around him and trying to blur/dodge the edges of the layer, as it seems to have created a little too much blur and shadow around each person, especially in the rockclimbing photo).
Jun 13 2012 12:17PM
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canterbury
Posts: 2382 - Karma: 55
I know what you're saying, and it would be nice for an extra frame in there, but technically speaking that would be much harder to do since unless the climber went straight up to the first bolt, the ropes wouldn't match up. Actually now that I look at the photo again there are a few instances where that is the case (and you shopped the rope angle). I'm impressed, it may not be a perfect job but it's decent.
Jun 13 2012 12:26PM
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JuliusJ
Posts: 3778 - Karma: 2,106
Thanks for actually giving some advice, maybe I need to spend more time in M&A instead of SG and NSG, I'll try to address all of you.

mattslines- He is lead climbing, meaning he's roped in the entire way, just climbing up to each bolt and clipping in from there. He could fall and take a nasty whipper, but he isn't just free soloing

Tijmen Dal- Thanks, I should know that about my own camera haha. Definitely could have found a better angle, but was a last minute shot and beggers cant be choosers. With a little preparation I think I'll find better angles in the future.

Canterbury-I know the rock climbing one does have its mistakes, I layered the images to basically how they lay out on top of each other and erased the the area on each image where the climber doesn't show. Probably not the most efficient way, but the only way I know how to make sequence photos that match up. Definitely will use the patch tool, can you use that between multiple layers or I'm assuming they have to be merged or a single layer.

Both of you addressed the lack of a frame of the climber low, I just missed the shot haha. The rope was pretty difficult to figure out. Its photoshopped in some areas, not because trying to enhance the photo, but just to make the photo work. It would have always been going a different direction as he's lead climbing so i just took out a few parts and made it one continuous rope. Appreciate the input!
Jun 13 2012 12:56PM
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canterbury
Posts: 2382 - Karma: 55
layers need to be merged first
Jun 13 2012 1:28PM
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s.erickson
Posts: 504 - Karma: 992
oh dang my friend amy posted that second pic of facebook I think she's in it on the bottom, you know her?
Jun 13 2012 3:54PM
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JuliusJ
Posts: 3778 - Karma: 2,106
haha yeah i tagged her in it, you go to msu with her? amy's the shit!
Jun 13 2012 4:28PM
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s.erickson
Posts: 504 - Karma: 992
yeah I do, ha that's rad
Jun 13 2012 5:34PM
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wellthisisold
Posts: 840 - Karma: 974
Was that at smith rocks? I feel like Ive jumped that cliff before...
Jun 14 2012 10:01AM
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