Run Down Yards

I quite like these as a set. Do they work for you? What doesn't work for you?

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They seem a little flat to me. On the second one, I would say work the scene just a little more, maybe get a little closer and trying different angles.

I was fairly limited in my angles, that was as close as I could get.

Thanks for the comment

Danic -

I think that they could have potential. The main issue I see here is basically what Canuck has mentioned, that they are somewhat flat. Overcast skies are partly to blame here, but I think this subject calls for a more creative angle. I would try to eliminate the distractions (trees) in the background. The fence in the lower left absolutely has to go. They also seem very soft to me, both in focus and DOF, but I think this can somewhat be corrected with some PP sharpening.

Another issue is lack of a specific focus area (subject). On the bottom one everything is the same height and they all merge into one. On the first shot, I think the ramp is the subject. I would have gotten up close with as wide an angle lens as I could find and from very lose shot upward to capture their expanse. Perhaps like what you would see just before a steer or bronco approached the end and leaped over your head.

Another potential angle on this would be to capture the feeling of what was, if they indeed are deserted or abandoned (as it so appears). This might require you to really get back and take the entire area in.

G

Danic I agree it looks a little flat. I think you should also crop just a little off of the right and bottom of the first one. I really like # 1 though. I have an edit of it if you would like to see it?

Danic,

You have already gotten some good suggestions and comments.

I'll reinforce the issue of singling out a subject. The question that presents itself to me is "What is the subject"? What attracted you visually to these settings?

There are several possible photos with the leading lines of the corral gates to produce a flow through a photograph, there's the unkempt overhanging trees and strewn limbs, etc.

I feel that a stronger set of photographs would be possible by emphasizing any one of these, or other, elements.

Finally, the photos technically have an imbalance of midtones to the bright and dark area. The lack 'pop' or crispness as the dynamic range is not fully translated to the JPG versisons you have posted.

B/W almost always at least need a clear visual definition of the black point, even if it is in a limited or specific region of the photograph.

They also still seem to be soft and not focused well. Try a higher f-stop as an experiment, even up to the extreme of your lens, to see if that helps. Those tree limbs would be far more effective if they were better defined.

Danic, I like the composition of the first shot alot. The second one suffers from the top appearing to be cut off and the out of focus rail at the bottom is not adding. Raising the camera up for that one would have improved.
Both as already mentioned are suffering from a flat lighting. Nothing is standing out, there is no dimension here.
Shooting tese in a better lighting condition where there are tones and shadows seen would help alot, especially with b&w.

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions! The fence in the second photo is a boundry fence and I can't cross it, for fear of trespassing. I do have a wider angle lens that I could have used, so I see a potential re-visit in the forseeable future :)

Greg, feel free to post your edit. I'm always keen to see what others have done :)

I'll have a look at the contrast in it again, and possibly re-scan the negative and see what I can come up with.

Cheers!

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