Portland MAX Light Rail
- Thread starter Mike-PDX
- Start date
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If you want the construction shot, then it's a great shot. Go back later and get the final installation, and you'll have a nice pair of images.
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L.L. Heim.
New Member
"Tree Tunnel" is outstanding! While I wish the front of the train was a little sharper, the train draws my eye right into the center of the photo. The vivid colors and interplay of the leaves on the trees with the leaves on the ground with the twinkle lights and the reflections in the puddles make me want to look and look and look at this photo.
OK, I'll give my impressions of a couple of them.
Image #1. This is apparently a monument to, in no particular order, #2 pencils, breast cancer awareness and Hedgehogs...
Great color and saturation, you really got the exposure quite nicely.
I think the image needed rotating a bit to the right, so here's my version.
View attachment 7825
Unfortunately, the construction detracts from the image, unless that's what you're documenting. If the shot is to show "Here's the construction of a new station", then it works. Otherwise, it's somewhat distracting in my opinion. The orange cones and the like catch your eye.
What can you do about that? Well, uh, nothing that I can think of other than go back when they're done. Lousy answer, eh?
The other option would be to try and different angle and/or go in tight on the sculpture, but then you lose the context.
Image #1. This is apparently a monument to, in no particular order, #2 pencils, breast cancer awareness and Hedgehogs...
Great color and saturation, you really got the exposure quite nicely.
I think the image needed rotating a bit to the right, so here's my version.
View attachment 7825
Unfortunately, the construction detracts from the image, unless that's what you're documenting. If the shot is to show "Here's the construction of a new station", then it works. Otherwise, it's somewhat distracting in my opinion. The orange cones and the like catch your eye.
What can you do about that? Well, uh, nothing that I can think of other than go back when they're done. Lousy answer, eh?
The other option would be to try and different angle and/or go in tight on the sculpture, but then you lose the context.
Mike-PDX
New Member
Thanks Bob for the feedback. Yes it was really just a "what the heck are they doing?" kind of shot. I initially thought the cones helped give it that construction feel. After I saw it on the screen, though, I wished I had got much closer and shot with a wide angle from a low vantage point to get just the flagger with stop sign and the sculpture.
Sometimes I simply don't understand these public art installations.
Sometimes I simply don't understand these public art installations.
The tunnel blur shot is cool, but there's a problem with the blur. It was bugging me too, and I finally figured it out...
> I wish the front of the train was a little sharper....
Exactly, the front is blurred, but ONLY the front. I don't know if you were trying to show motion, and using a blur (I'm guessing that you were) or you got the blur simply due to slow shutter speed.
The problem is that only the very front of the train is blurred. It's like tilting your image. For something like that to work, it has to be obvious it was intentional. My suggestion? Go for MORE blur. Use a slower shutter speed, so the train blurs the entire length, and it's clear you intended to show the motion.
Check out this (obviously) Photoshopped version. Suddenly it looks like the controller on that car goes to "Warp Factor 10".
It also leaves no doubt the blur is intentional and does indeed imply motion.
View attachment 7826
The other option is to get enough light to get a crisp sharp shot. (October in Portland... Good luck with that...) and when you do, the train will appear to be stopped, which probably isn't what you're looking for.
> I wish the front of the train was a little sharper....
Exactly, the front is blurred, but ONLY the front. I don't know if you were trying to show motion, and using a blur (I'm guessing that you were) or you got the blur simply due to slow shutter speed.
The problem is that only the very front of the train is blurred. It's like tilting your image. For something like that to work, it has to be obvious it was intentional. My suggestion? Go for MORE blur. Use a slower shutter speed, so the train blurs the entire length, and it's clear you intended to show the motion.
Check out this (obviously) Photoshopped version. Suddenly it looks like the controller on that car goes to "Warp Factor 10".
It also leaves no doubt the blur is intentional and does indeed imply motion.
View attachment 7826
The other option is to get enough light to get a crisp sharp shot. (October in Portland... Good luck with that...) and when you do, the train will appear to be stopped, which probably isn't what you're looking for.
If you want the construction shot, then it's a great shot. Go back later and get the final installation, and you'll have a nice pair of images.
One more comment on the last shot. I'd actually like to see the train blurred but the front be sharp.
The only way I can think to do that would be to use a couple of strobes down near the track and set them for rear curtain sync. You'd need a couple of helpers to hold your strobes, and a couple of radio poppers or the linke. You'd also have to hope that you don't get arrested for temporarily blinding the operator. Yeah, that's probably not a good idea. If you had permission, and could work out the details, it could be a cool shot.
Maybe you cheat and do it in post, compositing a crisp shot of one train with a blur shot of another. Of course you'd have to line them up exactly, which would be nearly impossible.
Heck, maybe doing it in Photoshop like I did (but better) is the only logical option?
The only way I can think to do that would be to use a couple of strobes down near the track and set them for rear curtain sync. You'd need a couple of helpers to hold your strobes, and a couple of radio poppers or the linke. You'd also have to hope that you don't get arrested for temporarily blinding the operator. Yeah, that's probably not a good idea. If you had permission, and could work out the details, it could be a cool shot.
Maybe you cheat and do it in post, compositing a crisp shot of one train with a blur shot of another. Of course you'd have to line them up exactly, which would be nearly impossible.
Heck, maybe doing it in Photoshop like I did (but better) is the only logical option?
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