san diego skyline self portrait

[flowremix]

Hello hello!

I'm hoping to improve this picture. Something feels wrong with it, like the composition or the white balance, or something else. Care to help me? I shot it on a tripod for 8 secs at f/8 with ISO 200. I could of been steadier in the picture because to me, i'm not perfectly still.

C+C.

[ravenmore]

I like the idea. I think you should play with it more. you are on the right track. Maybe if you were sharper - difficult to do at that exposure time though.

[Greg McCary]

To me it is almost as if you PSed yourself into the shot or at best lassoed yourself and done some levels adjustments? The composition is fine but it is almost as if you are out of place some how. Maybe becaused you moved to much?
Greg

[flowremix]

To me it is almost as if you PSed yourself into the shot or at best lassoed yourself and done some levels adjustments? The composition is fine but it is almost as if you are out of place some how. Maybe becaused you moved to much?
Greg

No photoshop, all post processing was done in lightroom. I just boosted the exposure a bit and messed with curves. It was kinda cold, so i was shivering if i was kept still. hahaa.

[Jaedon]

If you can reshoot use a shorter exposure time. * seconds has the foreground looking like daylight almost. And with a shorter timer on it you wont have to hold as still for as long. I would try something like a 3 - 4 second timer with a flash at the end to bring the detail of you into the frame and not lose the exposure on the background.

I really like the concept and I think you are definitely on the correct track.

[westwoodprinters]

Definitely a interesting idea. Like ravenmore and Greg said, you're a bit too blurry and makes you feel out of place. You might have to do a shorter exposure of yourself and merge the images in PS. Not too sure if the white balance is wrong, but it gives it a very nice effect. I probably wouldn't change much of that.

I love San Diego's skyline. It always makes beautiful panoramas. Below is a link to a panorama of the San Diego skyline from the Gigapixel project. Take a look to see if it might help you with the white balance issues, etc. Just amazing...

http://www.gigapxl.org/gallery-SanDiegoNight.htm

[Mr Yuck]

Reshoot with a larger aperture and faster shutter speed to reduce some of that blur.

Also the ground is a bit distracting, I do like the rocks but the sidewalk might be better left out of frame.

Very cool shot, my critiques are just suggestions, I like the shot as is too.

Something that might be fun is to use a flash and long exposure and move out of frame after the flash fires, you'll be translucent, but sharp.

[afdlips]

try a flash if you arent standing too far away from the camera. that away you can keep the exposure longer and get less muddiness in the lights. i like shooting at night with f22 or f18 for the starlight effect, which i feel makes the picture... everyone seems to be saying otherwise, but if you are gonna mess around with shooting it again, why not bracket?

[afdlips]

oh, and the sidewalk is a bit distracting. it takes away from the scene.

[GB1]

Hey, you photographed my condo (kidding).

Not sure what you can do about the movement other than use a faster SS like everyone suggested. Could also sit on a chair -- would eliminate a lot of the blur. I like how you filled the foreground using yourself as the subject, but you could also try an inanimate object and see how that looks (what...?).

-gb

[MarcusK]

To be honest it does feel like a composite...that being said however, here are my suggestions:

1- turn completely towards the skyline, it doesn't feel like you are looking the same way the camera is, and feels wrong...

2- Position the camera at a different angle in order to get rid of the sidewalk....

3- You might consider dodging the foreground later on....(just a weird suggestion here)

4- Another reason why this feel as a composite is the difference in color tone between the foreground and the rest of the image (skyline+water+sky) v/s (rocks+sidewalk+you)

5- Seeing all of you in the image would be better with respect to the title.... Maybe standing on the sidewalk rather that on the right and looking rightways would be a better option for you!

Great idea though....a series?? if so, looking forward to the rest!

Marc