Help Me Get Better - Crashing Waves - Round 2

[Promature]

Ok, still waiting for my tripod and polarizer and grad ND filter, so these were all handheld. Please let me know what you think about the compositions. Also, should I speed up or slow down the shutter? My wife doesn't like all the motion, so I want to hear what other people think. The only post processing was to add a graduated ND filter on the sky and increase the exposure on the beach.
Image 2541 was shot using a parking bollard for stabilization. ISO 100, 55mm, f5.6, 1/4s
Image 2568 - ISO 100, 28mm, f8, 1/20s
Image 2662 - ISO 100, 55mm, f16, 1/30s
Image 2701 - ISO 100, 55mm, f16, 1/30s

 

[verysimplejason]

Ok, still waiting for my tripod and polarizer and grad ND filter, so these were all handheld. Please let me know what you think about the compositions. Also, should I speed up or slow down the shutter? My wife doesn't like all the motion, so I want to hear what other people think. The only post processing was to add a graduated ND filter on the sky and increase the exposure on the beach.
Image 2541 was shot using a parking bollard for stabilization. ISO 100, 55mm, f5.6, 1/4s
Image 2568 - ISO 100, 28mm, f8, 1/20s
Image 2662 - ISO 100, 55mm, f16, 1/30s
Image 2701 - ISO 100, 55mm, f16, 1/30s

In my humble opinion, 3rd one composition looks alright (actually great potential...) though if I'm going to do it, I'll gonna make a little bit the foreground darker by bringing down the exposure a little bit. Also the clouds and sun will be more emphasized this way. It will also bring out the color more. As for the rest, a more interesting foreground is warranted, maybe a boat or something. I don't know if it will help you but let me share one of my photos (HDR'd a little bit to bring out the colors). I also used a sunset graduated filter here.

 

[Eli]

Alot better than your first set of images, well done. Though I still think you're missing something in the foreground, maybe try get closer to some rocks or something.
Also try to level the horizon, make it a horizontally straight line, preferably in camera or if not then via post processing / cropping.

 

[trygved]

I personally like the slow shutter speed.
As was mentioned by somebody in the previous thread, it looks like a bomb going off.
Nothing excites me about a photo that has been taken a million times, no matter how well it is shot.
What does catch my attention is seeing it in a way that I haven't seen often (or at all).

That being said, I would suggest varying your composition a lot to find what best gives you the effect you are looking for.
All of these images provided are taken at a similar height and similar angle.
If the composition isn't entirely working for you, gradually get lower and closer until you find something that really grabs your eye.

I would also like to see this series with a wider lens, but that is more my own artistic preference.

 

[Sunnystate]

I like it.

Here is another approach: some Rebel don't remember model with 10-22 lens @10mm, EwaMarine underwater housing, and not being afraid of water. That big blob was smashing in my face and camera just fraction of a second later. Maybe will post later when, I find the one "under" water and sand actually.
This was taken just some 50 mil south from your location.

 

[trygved]

I like it.

Here is another approach: some Rebel don't remember model with 10-22 lens @10mm, EwaMarine underwater housing, and not being afraid of water. That big blob was smashing in my face and camera just fraction of a second later. Maybe will post later when, I find the one "under" water and sand actually.
This was taken just some 50 mil south from your location.

This is spectacular, btw.

 

[Hesbehindyou]

Here is another approach: some Rebel don't remember model with 10-22 lens @10mm, EwaMarine underwater housing, and not being afraid of water. That big blob was smashing in my face and camera just fraction of a second later. Maybe will post later when, I find the one "under" water and sand actually.

Please do post that! Could you also tell us a little about any post-processing as well?

 

[sanj]

Straightened the horizon. Adjusted the brightness. Increased color.

 

[Sunnystate]

Here is another approach: some Rebel don't remember model with 10-22 lens @10mm, EwaMarine underwater housing, and not being afraid of water. That big blob was smashing in my face and camera just fraction of a second later. Maybe will post later when, I find the one "under" water and sand actually.

Please do post that! Could you also tell us a little about any post-processing as well?

Here is something, I have found a primitive quick time movie made of sequential shots, no time to go through my files. Simple post processing, levels, color adjustment and contrast, don't remember the details. Taken during "Noel" several years back.

 

[Promature]

Very cool, thank you for sharing.

 

[Ryan708]

getting down lower and closer to some of those rocks to give the foreground some more interest might be cool, but a wider lens(or setting) would probably help too

 

[Sunnystate]

Very cool, thank you for sharing.

Thank you, but you may get in trouble pricing me so openly... I am a "black sheep" around here, I dare to criticize canon
And to top it of (God have mercy) I hate HDR!!!

 

[Promature]

Thank you, but you may get in trouble pricing me so openly... I am a "black sheep" around here, I dare to criticize canon
And to top it of (God have mercy) I hate HDR!!!

Haha, no problem. I am with you about HDR to some degree. I don't mind when it looks natural, but after a certain point it just looks overdone and/or fake. That's why I am buying a graduated ND filter and and polarizing filter; I'd rather get the shot right with optics so that the end photo remains true to the scene.

 

[Ryan708]

I love the concept of HDR, but often hate the results, often too fake looking. most non-photogs probably love it and think there really is a place in the world that looks like that tho, and think my shots are just bland, like cream-of-wheat. Black-and-white also irks me. Dopnt get me wrong, a LOT of shots bring out emotion with black and white. You can take a colorful scene and make it look somber and sad almost. But when John Doe takes his cellphone pic of some crappy underlit party, and make it B+W all of a sudden it is a masterpiece. ok my rant is done.

Anyways, your wave shots are all learning experiance, as are all shots. The more you shoot the more you will learn to see the scene as your camera will. You are not bad, I feel bad offering advice, as if you are BAD. you are doing great, and we all will have our own tastes in what a great shot should be. If you are happy with a shot, thats what counts

 

[Promature]

Anyways, your wave shots are all learning experiance, as are all shots. The more you shoot the more you will learn to see the scene as your camera will. You are not bad, I feel bad offering advice, as if you are BAD. you are doing great, and we all will have our own tastes in what a great shot should be. If you are happy with a shot, thats what counts

I appreciate the feedback. My Lensrentals sale EF-S 10-22 came today and my other support equipment should be here by the end of the week. I intend to reshot this scene several times, in the hopes that by practicing on one scene, I will learn how to shoot others. I already like some of the shots I took, but I want them to be even better.

 

[robbymack]

Much better than your last set. The third one has a lot of potential. Definitely work on adding some foreground interest otherwise you are shooting wide for the sake of being wide. A level horizon and being mindful of the rule of thirds when placing your horizon will go a long way to adding some interest. Don't be afraid to also "set the stage". there is nothing that says you cant bring props or move stuff around. I've got a bunch of household brickabrac i sometimes take down to the beach when there looks to be a good sunset. I can place an interesting item anywhere I want along the sand to add some interest then focus on it close and set a small aperture.

 

[Ryan708]

Nice, that 10-22 should open up some possibilities, I would love to own that lens!

 

[dlleno]

love the 10-22. just to lighten up the mood, here is a wave that hasn't crashed yet lol. taken with the 10-22 REAL close. no underwater housing. camera moving with the wave firing away at 6fps. I got drenched but the camera didn't

 

[Sunnystate]

love the 10-22. just to lighten up the mood, here is a wave that hasn't crashed yet lol. taken with the 10-22 REAL close. no underwater housing. camera moving with the wave firing away at 6fps. I got drenched but the camera didn't

Wow!
Just wonder why do you have so much magenta in the left upper corner, is that color fringe or famous red noise, which may be the case because the same thing you can see on the lower right in the dark parts of the water with no contrast.
In case if this was produced by the 10-22 lens, you probably have a bad copy.

 

[stipotle]

I agree - there's definite improvement.
A couple things - I think these could stand to be brightened, (or take a brighter exposure), and a little more contrast (though not HDR).

Also (more importantly) compositionally, try to focus more on what it is that you are taking the picture of.
Sky? Waves? Rocks?
Practice picking only one and build the composition around that.
For example - I love the surf in the 4th shot. There could really be something there, but because the rocks are so much in the forefront the distract from what could be the stellar subject matter.

Great job.