Thunder Storm

[Don Schaeffer]

These photos were shot from the #45 Bus and edited with Paint Shop Pro.

[GB1]

Don - To me, they are pretty much snapshots. The first one is spoiled by the telephone (or power) lines. The second is blurry and not a keeper.

G

[Anbesol]

Don, the first one has some potential - though the exposure wasn't hit quite right - next time in this situation try compensating roughly -0.7 to -1.5 (half or third stop adjustments for what you use), spot meter off of a bright part of the sky and push the dark tones down without crushing them. Then bring the tones back with a shadow reduction enhancement and you'll have a well exposed sky and ground. The last option I can think of is to simply silhouette this one - skies are often good enough of a subject and the silhouette is just there to give it a solid foundation. You could do something with what you've got in this manner, widen the tonal range of the sky and crop off about the bottom inch of the shot (right at the bottom of the bridge). I don't know without seeing a full res image what kind of high tones you captured in the sky of your shot and how much of its blown - but that may still work.

And the bus is not the best place to be shooting from.. ;)

[gahspidy]

Don, there is good sky as mentioned already in that 1st one. The fg looks ok on the left 2/3 of the image and then all of a sudden it goes dark with an abrupt vertical line. Is that something you did? If it did not go out dark like that there would be a fg to go with the great sky.
the other shot is a cool street scene, but blurry as pointed out by GB.

[Don Schaeffer]

Thanks for the detailed suggestions. In the first photo I wanted to keep the texture in the water so I had to try to dodge the water as I darkened the sky. I didn't notice the sharp cut in the watyer until now. I chose a square selector when I dodged. I'll try to redo this one. I think it's worth it. As Anbesol notes, I snap these photos from a moving bus which accounts for the blur. I try to compensate in PS sometimes but I guess it wasn't enough (lol).

[danic]

Hey Don,

I really like the forst shot, it has a very gritty feel to it. I like how the sun is trying to burst through the clouds in the central part of the photo.

I like the horizontal lines in the second photo. The blur detracts, but still, the lines strike me.

I really like your style of photography.

Daniel

[Yoyo Szeto]

Hi Don,
I like your story-telling photos.
yoyo

[Don Schaeffer]

Thanks dan and yoyo.

[starriderrick]

Hi Don,
The first one has tons of potential.Great clouds.I see a sky that is full of detail,and that sky is a sleeping giant.Clone out the power lines, follow the great suggestions.
The second shot has excellent composition,a solid urban theme.I like the extra punch from the motion blur.I always look for that. :O)
Good work here.
Both these captures got me thinking.Thanks...


Rick

[Don Schaeffer]

Thanks Rick. I am going to fix up the first one--it's endless.