Photo Critique Forum

Please post no more than five images a day and respond to as many images as you post. Critics, please be constructive, specific, and nice! Moderated by gahspidy and mtbbrian.
Featured Photo
Photo by hminx

Photo by hminx
Featured Photo Archive >>
By posting on the Photo Critique forum you agree to post only your own photos, be respectful, and give back as much as you receive. This is a moderated forum and anything abusive or off-topic will be removed.
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 30

Thread: Cinderella

  1. #1
    Senior Member readingr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Basingstoke UK
    Posts
    4,564

    Cinderella

    My mother made this using a Goose egg for the carriage.

    Critiques about the photo please
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Cinderella-img_0600-cropped-640.jpg  
    "I hope we will never see the day when photo shops sell little schema grills to clamp onto our viewfinders; and the Golden Rule will never be found etched on our ground glass." from The mind's eye by Henri Cartier-Bresson

    My Web Site: www.readingr.com

    DSLR
    Canon 5D; EF100-400 F4.5-5.6L IS USM; EF24-70 F2.8L USM 50mm F1.8 II; EF 100 F2.8 Macro
    Digital
    Canon Powershot Pro 1; Canon Ixus 100


  2. #2
    Grumpy Old Man Overbeyond's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Ireland (Now in London)
    Posts
    2,372

    Re: Cinderella

    Quote Originally Posted by readingr
    My mother made this using a Goose egg for the carriage.

    Critiques about the photo please
    The top of the egg/carriage could do with a little more light, ant the rest a little more sharpness. Overall though it does great justice to your Mum's creation.
    Cannot leave though without complimenting your Mum on what is an unbelievable bit of work (without breaking the egg?)
    Tom
    http://www.overbeyond.com


    I have a total lack of respect for anything connected with society, except that which makes the roads safer, the beer stronger, the food cheaper, and the old men and old women warmer in the winter and happier in the summer. Brendan Behan

  3. #3
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Iceland
    Posts
    40

    Re: Cinderella

    Great subject my compliments to your mom. But I would have emphasized more on the princess in the egg, at least better lightning.

  4. #4
    Senior Member readingr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Basingstoke UK
    Posts
    4,564

    Re: Cinderella

    Agree with your comments about the lighting. The location is on a dressing table - highly polished as you can see with an overhang.

    I tried putting white card to the side to reflect more light - could not use flash as it created a washed out any detail on the horses face. So this is tungsten house lights on longish exposure 1/15th at F8 on tripod.

    How do you light this sort of subject - looking for advice for a re-shoot.
    "I hope we will never see the day when photo shops sell little schema grills to clamp onto our viewfinders; and the Golden Rule will never be found etched on our ground glass." from The mind's eye by Henri Cartier-Bresson

    My Web Site: www.readingr.com

    DSLR
    Canon 5D; EF100-400 F4.5-5.6L IS USM; EF24-70 F2.8L USM 50mm F1.8 II; EF 100 F2.8 Macro
    Digital
    Canon Powershot Pro 1; Canon Ixus 100


  5. #5
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Iceland
    Posts
    40

    Re: Cinderella

    My first thought would be more lights! There must be some lamps or something close by that you can move around. Maybe the white card wasn't enough, try alumnioum folie (or however that is written). Would love to see the re-shot.

  6. #6
    Panarus biarmicus Moderator (Sports) SmartWombat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    11,750

    Re: Cinderella

    You'll need to use more than one light, I suspect.
    Or bounce flash off the ceiling (unless you have a diffuser?) to avoid the highlights.
    If you have reflectors (foldaway pocket reflectors will be my next purchase after a decent tripod) then use them !
    At a pinch I've used the dull side of baking foil for a diffuse neutral reflector.

    Can you zoom in more and spot meter to check the light is consistent across the whole subject?
    PAul

    Scroll down to the Sports Forum and post your sports pictures !

  7. #7
    CB Photography CB Photo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    South Carolina, USA
    Posts
    276

    Re: Cinderella

    I like the shot and WOW, nice work to create such a excellent piece of art!

  8. #8
    learning member
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Secunda ,Mpumalanga , South-Africa
    Posts
    297

    Re: Cinderella

    Hello Roger

    This is really beautifull !!
    I can not be of much help with the lightning , but i want to make a suggestion when you do the reshoot .
    Try to take as many photos as you can from as many different angles as well . This piece of art need to be photographed ;)

    Regards
    james

  9. #9
    Senior Member readingr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Basingstoke UK
    Posts
    4,564

    Re: Cinderella

    Thanks to all who have replied.

    I did try to use an A4 sheet of white paper to get more light but couldn't get enough. I kept Cinderella in place because I liked the reflection in the wood and so I was planning on trying again tonight but the boss has me decorating at the moment so it may take a few days to get back to the re-shoot.

    I have investigated the cost of reflectors so I will try and get a couple before the reshoot otherwise I will give the dull side of foil a go as suggested by smart wormbat. I will also try the different angles as suggested by James.

    Thanks to all who have praised my mothers work. I will pass the comments on to her. She has made quite a few more of these, e.g. a christmas craker out of goose eggs, an egg hangin in the form of a swing. When I get a chance I will display a few more if people are interested.
    "I hope we will never see the day when photo shops sell little schema grills to clamp onto our viewfinders; and the Golden Rule will never be found etched on our ground glass." from The mind's eye by Henri Cartier-Bresson

    My Web Site: www.readingr.com

    DSLR
    Canon 5D; EF100-400 F4.5-5.6L IS USM; EF24-70 F2.8L USM 50mm F1.8 II; EF 100 F2.8 Macro
    Digital
    Canon Powershot Pro 1; Canon Ixus 100


  10. #10
    Member CarbonTerry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    St Louis, MO, USA
    Posts
    157

    Re: Cinderella

    Good start. It looks as if your light is too uneven from L2R. The top of the carriage is dark as is Cinderella. By naming the pic that I assume you want her to be an important element. The R/Back edge is getting lost into the B/G

  11. #11
    Member CarbonTerry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    St Louis, MO, USA
    Posts
    157

    Re: Cinderella

    let me try to get this loaded
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Cinderella-lighting-diagram.jpg  

  12. #12
    Senior Member readingr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Basingstoke UK
    Posts
    4,564

    Re: Cinderella

    Carbon Terry

    Thanks for the information - I guess I'm going to be buying more than one filter. The diagram was extremely usefull to see how professionals do things. Is it okay to use standard household table lamps with the white balance set to tungsten?

    I will try this techinque as soon as I can which I hope will be in the next few days, as soon as I finish the decorating.
    "I hope we will never see the day when photo shops sell little schema grills to clamp onto our viewfinders; and the Golden Rule will never be found etched on our ground glass." from The mind's eye by Henri Cartier-Bresson

    My Web Site: www.readingr.com

    DSLR
    Canon 5D; EF100-400 F4.5-5.6L IS USM; EF24-70 F2.8L USM 50mm F1.8 II; EF 100 F2.8 Macro
    Digital
    Canon Powershot Pro 1; Canon Ixus 100


  13. #13
    Member CarbonTerry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    St Louis, MO, USA
    Posts
    157

    Re: Cinderella

    That should work ok. Buy a 30x40 piece of poster board that is black on one side and white on the other. That will make a great relector and subtractor of light.
    Mirror tiles work great as reflectors. (put an "X" on the back with duct tape. If you break one it won't scatter all over the place.) Also, you can cut them into small pieces and you have custom shape reflectors.I ised 32 oz cans of fruit juice to hold up the mirrors. If the mirrors start "skidding" on the table top because of the angle you will need to set them, put a piece of double stick tape or make a loop of tape and attach to the bottom edge. That will hold them in place. That's what I used in my studio for years. A can of dulling spray will help make the mirror not as reflective if it is too "hot". Hair spray may work in a pinch.
    I would suggest that you try to make your own "soft box" if you want to continue on this course or purchase a commercial one. I am going to make my own and use 4 flourescent "curly" bulbs as light souces to eliminate the heat problem.

  14. #14
    Senior Member readingr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Basingstoke UK
    Posts
    4,564

    Re: Cinderella

    Thanks for the advice - now to try it out, I can't wait
    "I hope we will never see the day when photo shops sell little schema grills to clamp onto our viewfinders; and the Golden Rule will never be found etched on our ground glass." from The mind's eye by Henri Cartier-Bresson

    My Web Site: www.readingr.com

    DSLR
    Canon 5D; EF100-400 F4.5-5.6L IS USM; EF24-70 F2.8L USM 50mm F1.8 II; EF 100 F2.8 Macro
    Digital
    Canon Powershot Pro 1; Canon Ixus 100


  15. #15
    mod squad gahspidy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    N.Y. U.S.A.
    Posts
    8,368

    Re: Cinderella

    Great piece of work by mom, and very good first attempt at shooting it. You have already received some good advice on this, but i would only add that I hope you keep the table reflection and the dark bg as it is. It brings out a sort of magical mood to the subject. Look forward to the reshoots.
    please do not edit and repost my photos


    gary


  16. #16
    sharpen your image JK_Photo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Manitoba,Canada
    Posts
    304

    Re: Cinderella

    Hi Carbon Terry,
    Just to clarify your point in the diagram regarding depth-of-field for any beginners reading this thread.

    Depth-of-field is determined by 3 variable factors: camera-to-subject distance, lens focal length and f/stop.
    I only point this out because it is so fundamental to succesful photography, yet due to the infinite combinations quite hard to grasp for most beginners.
    I won't comment on the lighting in the original shot here as I think it's been covered well enough.
    Cheers.
    Jon

    "shoot wide, shoot close"

  17. #17
    Senior Member readingr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Basingstoke UK
    Posts
    4,564

    Re: Cinderella

    Gary,

    Thanks for the comments, its the table reflections that grabbed my eye when I walked passed it one night and it got the urge to take photos of it.

    JK - good point about DOF my only problem is deciding what DOF looks good in the photo which is why I take a loads of photos at different settings (Thank you for Digital Photography). So far 28 photos have been taken of Cinderella and all with the lighting problem - Hopefully with the advice on from this group I will get a much better photo in the next session.

    It may even happen tonight if I get the time
    "I hope we will never see the day when photo shops sell little schema grills to clamp onto our viewfinders; and the Golden Rule will never be found etched on our ground glass." from The mind's eye by Henri Cartier-Bresson

    My Web Site: www.readingr.com

    DSLR
    Canon 5D; EF100-400 F4.5-5.6L IS USM; EF24-70 F2.8L USM 50mm F1.8 II; EF 100 F2.8 Macro
    Digital
    Canon Powershot Pro 1; Canon Ixus 100


  18. #18
    sharpen your image JK_Photo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Manitoba,Canada
    Posts
    304

    Re: Cinderella

    Quote Originally Posted by readingr
    Gary,

    Thanks for the comments, its the table reflections that grabbed my eye when I walked passed it one night and it got the urge to take photos of it.

    JK - good point about DOF my only problem is deciding what DOF looks good in the photo which is why I take a loads of photos at different settings (Thank you for Digital Photography). So far 28 photos have been taken of Cinderella and all with the lighting problem - Hopefully with the advice on from this group I will get a much better photo in the next session.

    It may even happen tonight if I get the time
    I'm curious as to what lens you are using. Is it a macro?
    Because of the angle, and if you are close up using a macro, your DOF will need to be quite great - f11-22 or thereabouts.
    Jon

    "shoot wide, shoot close"

  19. #19
    Member CarbonTerry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    St Louis, MO, USA
    Posts
    157

    Re: Cinderella

    JK
    Lens to subject distance and focal length determine image size. Image size and f/stop determine DOF. DOF will be the same with a 24mm lens or a 200mm lens if the image is the same size and the same f/stop are being used.
    Field of view will be different of course.

  20. #20
    sharpen your image JK_Photo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Manitoba,Canada
    Posts
    304

    Re: Cinderella

    I stand corrected, however DOF is not governed by image size and f/stop. It is determined by the combination of f/stop, focal length and camera-to-subject distance.
    The image size is merely a result of your choice of focal length and camera to subject distance.
    Semantics
    Cheers.
    Jon

    "shoot wide, shoot close"

  21. #21
    Member CarbonTerry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    St Louis, MO, USA
    Posts
    157

    Re: Cinderella

    Sure, I just find it easier to remember 2 factors rather than 3 and that is the way I was taught.
    The result is the same however one chooses to go about it.

  22. #22
    sharpen your image JK_Photo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Manitoba,Canada
    Posts
    304

    Re: Cinderella

    Quote Originally Posted by CarbonTerry
    Sure, I just find it easier to remember 2 factors rather than 3 and that is the way I was taught.
    The result is the same however one chooses to go about it.
    that's true. As long as the end result is what you were striving for then all is well.
    Jon

    "shoot wide, shoot close"

  23. #23
    Senior Member readingr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Basingstoke UK
    Posts
    4,564

    Re: Cinderella

    Sorry for the delay work got in the way. Had a document to review last night ready for this morning.

    The Camera:

    Canon PowerShot Pro 1.
    From memory Lens was not macro but zoomed in at about 70-100mm at about F8 speed of about 1/15th for this shot. I will double check all this when I get home tonight. Don't you love digital in recording all this stuff for you.

    Tonight is decorating night so no chance to retake again - Ba Humbug!
    "I hope we will never see the day when photo shops sell little schema grills to clamp onto our viewfinders; and the Golden Rule will never be found etched on our ground glass." from The mind's eye by Henri Cartier-Bresson

    My Web Site: www.readingr.com

    DSLR
    Canon 5D; EF100-400 F4.5-5.6L IS USM; EF24-70 F2.8L USM 50mm F1.8 II; EF 100 F2.8 Macro
    Digital
    Canon Powershot Pro 1; Canon Ixus 100


  24. #24
    Senior Member readingr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Basingstoke UK
    Posts
    4,564

    Re: Cinderella

    Finally got round to trying what has been discussed - not sure if I got it right but here goes.

    Used Foil as q reflector with two light sources, one bounced off the ceiling and the other diffused onto the subject. I haven't had time to go and buy proper reflectors yet.

    Please comment and correct the errors.

    First photo
    Tv (Shutter Speed) 15
    Av (Aperture Value) 8.0
    Light Metering
    Center Weighted Avg.
    ISO Speed 50
    Lens 7.2 - 50.8mm
    Focal Length 13.6mm

    Second
    Tv (Shutter Speed) 6
    Av (Aperture Value) 8.0
    Light Metering
    Center Weighted Avg.
    ISO Speed 50
    Lens 7.2 - 50.8mm
    Focal Length 20.9mm
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Cinderella-crw_0626-colour-crop-640.jpg   Cinderella-crw_0646-crop-colour-640.jpg  
    "I hope we will never see the day when photo shops sell little schema grills to clamp onto our viewfinders; and the Golden Rule will never be found etched on our ground glass." from The mind's eye by Henri Cartier-Bresson

    My Web Site: www.readingr.com

    DSLR
    Canon 5D; EF100-400 F4.5-5.6L IS USM; EF24-70 F2.8L USM 50mm F1.8 II; EF 100 F2.8 Macro
    Digital
    Canon Powershot Pro 1; Canon Ixus 100


  25. #25
    Learning more with every "click" mjs1973's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Mineral Point, WI, USA
    Posts
    7,561

    Re: Cinderella

    Looks like you got around to reshooting your moms handywork. Your lighting looks much better!!! Looks like a few very small spots that are a little blown out but I don't find them distracting. Lighting is really fun to play around with when you have the time and space to do it. Very nice work.
    Mike

    My website
    Twitter
    Blog


    "I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters' paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view."
    Aldo Leopold

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •