Morning Light over Thurso

[jacktar]

Just trying out the new camera.

[S&LHEN]

Gorgeous photos x

[nicnak]

what kind of camera do you have? wonderful pics.

[jacktar]

Hi nicnak, the camera is a Pentax K-m. I,m just trying to find out how it all works. Took the pics last week.

[nevergiveup]

Wonderful photographs, its great for us Thursonians south of the border to see our beloved home!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder!

[Kenn]

Fabulous colours, thanks for sharing.

[jacktar]

Sun rise over Murkle





To finish a sunset from the other end of the county

[Boozeburglar]

Jacktar, these pics could be much improved, easily.

Read up and try to follow some of the good advice you will get from other photography sites; no one here seems interested in pointing you in the right direction.

This part of Caithness.org seems to be a bit of a mutual back slapping club.

[Kenn]

Objection..what does it matter if the photos have not been edited..there are those that do and those that don't ..the main fact is that folk enjoy their photography and are happy to post their efforts.

[jacktar]

Hi, no problem with advice. Haven't tried editing photos' but will, thanks

[Mystical Potato Head]

Great shots,love the colours.
Sometimes when you give out advice/critique or a general opinion you get people who hardly ever post in the photography forum jumping in and stirring things up by having a go at your comments.
So if i said that i thought the 5th photo was a bit overexposed then i would get called a perfectionist or something along those lines.2nd and 3rd are excellent.Love the last one.Probably too vibrant for some but i love COLOUR.

As for editing or photoshopping, get a reasonably new version of photoshop elements(7or8), £55-60-ish, or even better get the full PhotoshopCS which unfortunately is mega expensive.There are loads of video tutorials on youtube,its much easier to learn by watching something being shown to you than it is to read about it.There are loads of tuturials from basic(how to alter, contrast,colours,brighness etc)to advanced.
Dont run before you can walk,mess about with the software as much as you can to get familiar with.It isnt easy at first but the more you put into it,the more you will get out of it.
Its all to easy to give up because its difficult,perservere with it because its very enjoyable to be able to mess around and do whatever you wish with a photo.I know there are those who dont like it(of that i am more than aware) and you dont have to "alter" images to the extent that i do but its good to be able to have the choice.I do it for 2 reasons...1..i happen to like it,and 2..after months of learing, I CAN.

[Boozeburglar]

I would start by learning about your camera, and the fundamentals of taking photographs.

Think about what you want your images to look like, and then learn how to get close to your own ideal using the camera itself. This avoids working in software, but go ahead and learn about that at the same time as it is a lot of fun and can help with working out what you like and how to get it. (A lot of the filters and effects in the software are doing things you can achieve when taking the picture once you know how.)

Ignore any criticism you don't find helpful, and the best advice I cannot leave without underlining, join a dedicated photography forum.

There are loads out there, and you will learn a lot more much faster than you will on here!



P.S. Download a trial version of Photoshop from the Adobe site!

[North Light]

jacktar,

Some good comments from mph and Boozeburglar.
For me the first three are interesting, are they taken at different exposure settings, or just different stages through the sunrise? I love the colours in the first one, also like the third, the middle one is a bit too dark, a general comment on all three. they need cropping, there is too much of the water in them, the main interest is the shapes of the town and the sky, crop perhaps two thirds of the water out.
The next three, the first, well caught, not easy to get the exposure right under these conditions, the second the sun has burnt out completely and I would just discard the image. Again are these exposures taken at different settings, if so you are doing the right thing under these conditions (its called bracketing).
I love the sky in the final image, well caught, but I would crop the bottom section to just above the car roof, again the main subject is the sky, the immediate foreground is distracting.

Overall a pretty good start with a new camera.

Boozeburglar,
Like mph I am cautious about just leaping in and criticising other peoples photography unless I know them,and what standard their photography is at, or the criticism has been asked for.

[jacktar]

Thanks Northen Light for your interesting comments and advice. All taken onboard. Will try a few of them and see how it works out. thanks again.

[Boozeburglar]

Boozeburglar,
Like mph I am cautious about just leaping in and criticising other peoples photography unless I know them,and what standard their photography is at, or the criticism has been asked for.

Well it appears to be the norm here that if photographs are submitted then they are critiqued.

I only suggested they could be improved.

I was actually meaning at point of capture.

My advice for the op is to use a dedicated site to explore technique further, as this is a very small part of a small messageboard, and not really a photography forum focussed (sorry!) on technique.

I think the op is thick skinned enough.

[North Light]

Boozeburglar,
I agree that they can be improved, also that they can be improved "In Camera", in fact I think that a lot of photographers don't spend enough time on their technique, irrespective of what post processing one is going to do the best quality image will be produced by getting the basics right in the camera, focusing, exposure etc.

I would recommend this site on basic technique:-
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm

This site has some excellent articles and Tutorials
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/
There is also a Forum, but I have no experience of it.

Finally local Camera Clubs can also be a good source of information, experience and help.

[ClachanHope]

Good advice from MPH, BB and NL there. I particularly agree with the comment of not to critisize someones work unless it has been asked for or you know the person and their experience.
I know most people use photoshop and lots of editing techniques, I myself don't use many of these, so I'm sure I'll get critisized with my photos. But my excuse is, I'm colour blind, so I don't want to play about and make things 10 times worse.!!!! And I, personally, like the old fashioned way of not tinkering with the photos
You'll soon learn about over exposure etc and it's always good to read your manual, I know most of us don't, but I still refer to mine now and again just as a refresher.

Even the pros make mistakes, maybe not as many as the rest of us, but we just don't see their mistakes and they are good at fixing them.

So J, just enjoy your photography, take the constructive critisim, and have a good time with your camera.
Look forward to seeing more of your pics.

[kas]

Maybe there could be a crituiqe thread??