Ideas and Suggestions

[ollie]

I am lucky in that not more then 5min walk form my house is a set of ruins. The story is that it was being built my a gentleman for his ill wife. When she passed away he never finished the "castle". I snapped a couple of quick pictures the other day, but it was very late in the afternoon and the light was not great. Anyway can any body offer any suggestions or ideas for photos.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/kassx/Ruins/dsc_0006.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/kassx/Ruins/dsc_0022.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/kassx/Ruins/dsc_0021.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/kassx/Ruins/dsc_0020.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/kassx/Ruins/dsc_0019.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/kassx/Ruins/dsc_0018.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/kassx/Ruins/dsc_0017.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/kassx/Ruins/dsc_0016.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/kassx/Ruins/dsc_0015.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/kassx/Ruins/dsc_0013.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/kassx/Ruins/dsc_0012.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/kassx/Ruins/dsc_0010.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/kassx/Ruins/dsc_0008.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/kassx/Ruins/dsc_0007.jpg

[Machew]

Personally I'd like to see more light contrast and long shadows.
I quite like the perspective of the last photo.

[Ronbo]

All the photos seem to be over exposed. the sky is washed out. Try metering off the sky rather than the walls of the house.

[ricktas]

get back there before a storm front comes through, the darkness and the broody clouds would work well

Go there at night (if it is safe) for some long exposures, even with some torches to create some interesting effects.

get in close, photograph some of the details.

[Briancd]

To add to Ricktas' suggestion take some coloured cellophane paper to put over the torches. Even some plain neutral colour to reduce the intensity of the light.

Ronbo is quiet correct about metering for the sky. The other underexposed areas can be corrected, if needs be, however, blow sky are gone forever.

I couldn't help but much around with one of these. Hope you don't mind

[arthurking83]

That #1 edit Brian did looks kind'a interesting :th3:

that darkness adds a sense of abandonment and makes it look spooky-ish!



:)

[sans2012]

Great location - so where is it again?

I do agree with the others - these seem O/E. HDRI would look cool, given the brick colours and greenery - I reckon it would really help brings out the rich colours.

Do like the perspective and that last one:)

[ollie]

Great location - so where is it again?

I do agree with the others - these seem O/E. HDRI would look cool, given the brick colours and greenery - I reckon it would really help brings out the rich colours.

Do like the perspective and that last one:)

Yeah i was kind rushed and it was my first day with my camera. Thanks for the ideas, i can't wait to head back and do some more work.

Sorry to sound ignorant but what's HDRI?

And its located in buff point.
http://maps.google.com.au/maps/mm?ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=-33.235291,151.539815&spn=0.003029,0.004978&t=k&z=18&om=1

[arthurking83]

Yeah i was kind rushed and it was my first day with my camera. Thanks for the ideas, i can't wait to head back and do some more work.

....


There 'ya have it! :th3:

Getting to know the cam(what it does do, and can do) and then figuring out how much processing can be done to the resulting images!

I suppose since this place isn't very far from where you live, going back there is an easy option, try different angles, morel/ess aperture for DOF effects... just keep trying at teh same location, of course to a point!!.. you don't want to get overly bored with the place!

HDR is High Dynamic Range. Take multiple images at different exposures(light/medium/dark) and blend them together to make it look 'unreal' :D

I reckon just worry about getting some great simple shots from here first up, looks like an interesting place, then worry about the trickery of software ;)

ps. what software U using for processing the images?

[sans2012]

Yeah i was kind rushed and it was my first day with my camera. Thanks for the ideas, i can't wait to head back and do some more work.

Sorry to sound ignorant but what's HDRI?

And its located in buff point.
http://maps.google.com.au/maps/mm?ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=-33.235291,151.539815&spn=0.003029,0.004978&t=k&z=18&om=1

Sorry dude, I actually thought you were the other Ollie - my bad.

If you just got your camera your doing a great job mate.

Here's a couple of links on HDR anyways:

1 (http://range.wordpress.com/2006/07/15/modern-hdr-photography-a-how-to-or-saturday-morning-relaxation/)

2 (http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/high-dynamic-range.htm)

[Debra Faulkner]

That's a sad story Ollie. My immediate thoughts were for you to go there in the early morning when the sun was rising. You would get a lovely soft light ... but then I read what the more experienced people here said so now I don't know if my idea would be suitable. I'm sure you'll have fun 'working' there again though! It certainly is an interesting setting.

[ollie]

Thanks for the encouragement. Understanding it at the moment is what i am aiming for. :)

The HDR stuff looks really interesting and i will have to give it a try.

The software I'm using at the moment is GIMP. I'm currently a linux user, but there a cpl of things that don't run well under emulation and Photoshop is one of them.

I plan to duck over thier one morning shortly to get some more pics with the sun on the other side.

:)

[sans2012]

Hey buddy, you dont have to do it with PS, try this (http://www.hdrsoft.com/) if you want to have a go at HDR.

It really is a great location for sure, and Debra is right, early morning or late afternoon will provide nice lighting and soft shadows.

BTW - do you know anything about the history at this location - just interested to know what it was, prolly just a residence?

Good luck mate:)

[Harves]

Stick with it Ollie.... go there at different times of the day and weather conditions, you will get that shot you're after :party7:

[ollie]

Hey buddy, you dont have to do it with PS, try this (http://www.hdrsoft.com/) if you want to have a go at HDR.

It really is a great location for sure, and Debra is right, early morning or late afternoon will provide nice lighting and soft shadows.

BTW - do you know anything about the history at this location - just interested to know what it was, prolly just a residence?

Good luck mate:)

It was a residence that was never finished. Not sure how long ago it was abandoned, I think it was about 20 years ago. It would have been an awesome site if ever it had been finished. I have heard that the owner is quite elderly now...