Shot with Polarizer today...WOW!

[mattbikeboy]

I went on a late afternoon ride with the guys today. I had been intending to shoot with my polarizer and thought I forgot it until I got home and was downloading the shots. Wow, the captures are so much for vivid. I may start shooting with it more often.

What do y'all think?

mbb

[polarbeardiggers]

yes nice detail on the rocks above and the sky is blue and not washed out, i tend to shot everything in the daytime with my polarizer,gives more color detail.

[MarcusK]

Very nice indeed!!

For whatever reason the foreground foliage gives me the feeling that the flash fired up..... oh well!

But this is one good shot....

i think if the clouds weren't blown out a bit.... it would have been huge winner.....

It already is in a way though isn't it?

Marc

[mattbikeboy]

Very nice indeed!!

For whatever reason the foreground foliage gives me the feeling that the flash fired up..... oh well!

But this is one good shot....

i think if the clouds weren't blown out a bit.... it would have been huge winner.....

It already is in a way though isn't it?

Marc

It was pretty dark in the shade with the sun dipping behind the mountains -- so the flash fired. I actually wanted it to -- I didn't think I could get the detail on the moving riders without it.

I need to work on the clouds blowing out though. They were very light and whispy. I don't think I've ever gotten clouds right --yet!

mbb

[GB1]

I think you'll find that 75% of your daytime shots look better with the polarizer
G

[MB1]

I think this would be better if you cropped from the bottom to just about the rear wheel and from the left to about the top of the largest boulder. This would remove some of the flash effects and the blown out white clouds. Since this is a photograph of someone riding up a steep trail cropping will focus the viewer on the main subject with still enough background and sky to give the required sense of place.

Yes a polorizer can be nice but a photographer still has to concentrate on the essence of an image and not just the effects.

[mattbikeboy]

I see what you're saying. I think I still like the original image. The plants add a little interest (even if illuminated) to the bottom left of the shot.

mbb

[MB1]

The crop looks good to me. It makes the rider a larger part of the image and removes some distractions.

[MarcusK]

I would say the crop works better since:

1- Clearer subject matter

2- New composition elaborates more on steep trail, as well as the effort being put into it!

3- Adding a little interest, means a little distraction from the main point of interest, which in your case is the biker, considering the original image!

Marc