Roadside Attractions:Buffalo Bill Cody

[CLKunst]

So this is the first of a series I worked on while I was traveling out west. I would like to get a variety of opinions as I'll be attempting to turn these into something. In short be brutal. All suggestions cheerfully explored.:thumbsup:

So I give you. . . .

Buffalo Bill Cody ~ Ranger of the RV Park

[zrfraser]

I don't like how the horizon is going downhill, and I wish you could gotten a more extreme angle on Bill. I was thinking a wide lens from closer to the bottom and little more from behind. I know you can't reshoot this, but that was my impression. Other than that I like the shot.

Z

[CLKunst]

The horizon bothered me too, although as I remember it was rather a steep incline back up to the highway, which this is just off of. I have adjusted the horizon and cropped accordingly. I have also attached an alternative viewpoint for comparison.

[livin4lax09]

the thing that bothers me most is the very tight crop on the left. if you're going to leave room, make sure you leave enough. if you're going to run the subject right to the edge, do so. Just don't run it barely to the edge or run only part of it to the edge. Just my take though. great colors and sharp nonetheless.

[GB1]

CL - I think I like it better where you can't see the bottom of the shot. That way, it makes the fellow seem taller (and keeps you guessing). Might also have been different if you could have also shot it at sunrise or sunset, with the warmer colors.
GB

[CLKunst]

Thanks L4L09. I appreciate your input. Could you be more specific about which image you feel is cropped too tightly. My original posted image was cropped in camera to omit distractions surrounding the statue. The second crop was done as follow through to show a straightened hillside horizon line and had to be cropped accordingly just for demonstration purposes. Thanks!

Thanks GB I always like seeing what you think. I prefer the second one but I also like the context of the first. I agree that another time of day would have been interesting too. That's the thing about roadside attractions, you find them when you find them and usually can never stop long enough for the light to change (street light or sunlight ) unless of course you break down next to one. I've never been so lucky though.

[livin4lax09]

oh sorry, i meant the first shot. i like the second crop more, but still feel like you could go a bit farther in.

[readingr]

CL

Okay I count the first photo as the bottom one (sloping hill), 2 is the one with Bill close to edge, 3 legess bill.

Now that we both know what I'm talking about the only one I believe works is 2. However you could clone out the supports behind his back to make it look even better. Also crop the sign on the right hand side out, very bothersome.

1 is a snap shot and too many distractions

3. perhaps a tad more saturation of Bill could help or even a B&W conversion would improve this photo.

My humble opinion.

Roger

[Chrislowshow]

just try and clone out that sign on the left of the first one or crop it out or something lol, its protruding from the treeline and messing up the horizon

[CLKunst]

Thank you all for the suggestions. Roger ~ I've had a whack at a B/W conversion which I'm pretty happy with. I have also cloned/painted out the distractions mentioned in the color version. Anything else?

[Chrislowshow]

naw its great, it looks better color though. Normaly i go with b\w but in this case its better color.

[gahspidy]

I think your on to a great series of works with the road side attractions. Of the ones you have posted here, I like the Front view and sky rather than the side view of its entire body. I think I would have liked the entire body shot if you had stepped or zoomed out so that the crop of the subject was not so tight. It would give us more of a feel for where it was standing and possibly that relation would have made the character even larger than by trying to fill the frame with it. The image of it from the front looking up at him works well because it appears tremendous and with just sky behind him feels like it's way up. The B&W is the one I prefer, but the color is not bad either. I look forward to more from this great series. I think you will be doing alot of traveling for this works.

[Greg McCary]

I like the both as well. Great angle and composition. I think I would try and darken his chin some though. Lasso it in PS and tone it down just a tad. IMO.
Greg

[Ronnoco]

I would suggest the correct barrel distortion function or the straightening function in PS or PaintShop Pro to further "straighten" Buffalo Bill and reduce the need for cropping.

Ronnoco

[CLKunst]

Thank you all for your further comments! I found an alternate image of Bill which I have converted to B/W and straightened. (Ronnoco was right, legless Bill was a little tipsy.) I only went as low as his knees however because of the distractions in the distance and on the horizon line. So, one more time, what do you think?

P.S. Gary~ I have been doing a lot of traveling, in fact I drove around the country for the entire month of August and have some more to do yet before this project is finished. I am happy with it's beginnings and wonder at where it will yet lead me. Thank you for the encouragement!

[Greg McCary]

Much Much better. He looks tall and important

[CLKunst]

Thanks Greg! Glad you see an improvement!