wiskerke Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 First have a look on All of Alamy if clients are at all interested in the subject. Then check on Alamy what the competing images would be. 1 - 2 View your own image on the same size somewhere in the middle of a couple of those pages. Check if your image has any chance of being seen by clients. There are more than 5000 images for this subject. No need to upload the image for this exercise: take a test image from your collection, fill it with all the keywords you plan to use for the new image and wait 24 hours. Now check on what page that image has landed for different searches you have seen in AoA in step 1. Maybe make that test image a bull's eye or something that stands out ;-) Now draw your own conclusions. wim edit: I forgot one final step: check with google images what sort of images are actually being used for this subject. Try to differentiate between the images that are being made of this subject and those which are being used for this subject. - I'm not doing all this for every image either, but I know I should. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandre Fagundes Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 OP - I wouldn't worry about the opinion on that one person, especially when you've seen some of their efforts when it comes to processing (non-processing). I would upload it, I don't see a reason not to. I would straighten the main statue though (it needs a slight anti-clockwise rotation), and I agree with you about leaving the other lines as they are as that's part of the shot. Of course rotating it will also crop out the flower bed a the bottom and foreground object on the left a little more, when they're already pretty tight, but I'd give it a go and see how it looks as I think it will help the image. My main issue with it is that it's all too bright. The flowers, statue pole and building on the right are too bright and especially the flowers have lost detail. I would take down over exposure a tad and maybe compensate on the shadows by turning them up slightly. I'm nit-picking, but you did ask. Also I notice a hint of purple fringing at the top of the pole supporting the statue. It's a bit hard to tell without seeing it closer but it looks like fringing to me, where the lit-up and in-shadow parts of that pole meet each other. As others say, it's a busy photo but I think that's often fine, it just depends on personal taste and what the client is after. Geoff. About the other guy, never mind... If I were there again (and I hope to be back to Munich many times), I would go a step back and take it more open so I could tweak easier the image, rotate, etc, I just took it too tight and now dont have much how to fix it because I would be cropping something important in the process, but thanks for the insightful thought. I do agree I lighted too much of the shadows, and should pull back more of the lights, it deserves a fresh new processing. I had just changed my monitor to a better one that has better contrast and I am seeing things I havent before...(but that´s just me trying to explain something I didnt do right the first time...). Agreed with the busy part, some might want that, some might not, but a better processing will make the whole thing look better pulling the attention to the column and the building, and less to the foreground. Remember, it didn´t sell in the microstock agency, so it makes sense to do things differently so it stands a better chance now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandre Fagundes Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 OP - I wouldn't worry about the opinion on that one person, especially when you've seen some of their efforts when it comes to processing (non-processing). I would upload it, I don't see a reason not to. I would straighten the main statue though (it needs a slight anti-clockwise rotation), and I agree with you about leaving the other lines as they are as that's part of the shot. Of course rotating it will also crop out the flower bed a the bottom and foreground object on the left a little more, when they're already pretty tight, but I'd give it a go and see how it looks as I think it will help the image. My main issue with it is that it's all too bright. The flowers, statue pole and building on the right are too bright and especially the flowers have lost detail. I would take down over exposure a tad and maybe compensate on the shadows by turning them up slightly. I'm nit-picking, but you did ask. Also I notice a hint of purple fringing at the top of the pole supporting the statue. It's a bit hard to tell without seeing it closer but it looks like fringing to me, where the lit-up and in-shadow parts of that pole meet each other. As others say, it's a busy photo but I think that's often fine, it just depends on personal taste and what the client is after. Geoff. Geoff - I wonder if you might have your monitor turned up very bright as the image looks fine in terms of tonal range to me, not too bright or blown out in the highlights, and the histogram (need to download it to your computer) verifies this. Also not entirely clear who you are referring to in terms of not worring about somebody's opinion - I've read the posts and can't figure out who it is - like to clarify? EDIT - Geoff -looking at your portfolio, the images look fine in terms of brightness so your monitor is probably not too bright. In relation to the OP's picture, a small reduction in the highlights (-5 to -10 max LR/ACR) would probably improve the image in terms of visibility of detail in the column but I wouldn't reduce the exposure. The histogram is ok, no blown ups, neither too darkness, but I think MDM is right, I opened the shadows too much and the top of the New Town Hall I think is too bright, not blown up, that´s not the case, just too bright. So, I wont change the overall exposure, just pull back a bit of the shadows and decrease the lights on the top of the New Town Hall only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandre Fagundes Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 Hi Alexandre For what its worth I would upload it, keep the flowers as I think they add a splash of colour to the image, but I would clone out the cycle sign Regards Kumar (Doc) Thanks Doc, appreciate you sharing your thoughts with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandre Fagundes Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 Interesting perspective and definitely for sale. I like both the flowers and the cycle sign but wished the latter was more prominent. Thank you hdh, you mean the cycle sign should be bigger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandre Fagundes Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 First have a look on All of Alamy if clients are at all interested in the subject. Then check on Alamy what the competing images would be. 1 - 2 View your own image on the same size somewhere in the middle of a couple of those pages. Check if your image has any chance of being seen by clients. There are more than 5000 images for this subject. No need to upload the image for this exercise: take a test image from your collection, fill it with all the keywords you plan to use for the new image and wait 24 hours. Now check on what page that image has landed for different searches you have seen in AoA in step 1. Maybe make that test image a bull's eye or something that stands out ;-) Now draw your own conclusions. wim edit: I forgot one final step: check with google images what sort of images are actually being used for this subject. Try to differentiate between the images that are being made of this subject and those which are being used for this subject. - I'm not doing all this for every image either, but I know I should. ;-) wiskerke, that´s fantastic advice, thank you very much! The similar one I found was CNWY2W by Paul Mayal, so, only one in 5000, His image´s sky looks better and the New Town Hall is better lit, but the whole image is not very well cropped IMO, lacking space in the front (mine, on the other hand is kind of the other way around, too much empty space in the front up to the lamp). Anyway, I could have processed it in such a way that it would look similar to that one (I mean, the sky and the New Town Hall), they are similars, but not the same because he doesnt have the lantern in the foreground. There is no way to know how many times this image was sold, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kumar Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Hi folks, I could do an easy 5 min cloning tweak. Yes, the balcony architecture does seem to be repetitive, as I could make it out using reference images available. Please note that a bit of balcony structure is indeed visible on either side of the bicycle signage. So, cloning can surely reconstruct this image with the definitions of "digitally manipulated". Sorry OP for downloading the sample without yr prior permission. Also sorry for this very hasty job ! But 'am very sure that if the image is important for yr portfolio, a much neater cloning job can in fact be attempted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdh Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Interesting perspective and definitely for sale. I like both the flowers and the cycle sign but wished the latter was more prominent. Thank you hdh, you mean the cycle sign should be bigger? Not really bigger, meant prominent more like in obvious or eye catching if you want to call it this way. I like this modern pictogram being in contradiction with the old building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiskerke Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 First have a look on All of Alamy if clients are at all interested in the subject. Then check on Alamy what the competing images would be. 1 - 2 View your own image on the same size somewhere in the middle of a couple of those pages. Check if your image has any chance of being seen by clients. There are more than 5000 images for this subject. No need to upload the image for this exercise: take a test image from your collection, fill it with all the keywords you plan to use for the new image and wait 24 hours. Now check on what page that image has landed for different searches you have seen in AoA in step 1. Maybe make that test image a bull's eye or something that stands out ;-) Now draw your own conclusions. wim edit: I forgot one final step: check with google images what sort of images are actually being used for this subject. Try to differentiate between the images that are being made of this subject and those which are being used for this subject. - I'm not doing all this for every image either, but I know I should. ;-) wiskerke, that´s fantastic advice, thank you very much! The similar one I found was CNWY2W by Paul Mayal, so, only one in 5000, His image´s sky looks better and the New Town Hall is better lit, but the whole image is not very well cropped IMO, lacking space in the front (mine, on the other hand is kind of the other way around, too much empty space in the front up to the lamp). Anyway, I could have processed it in such a way that it would look similar to that one (I mean, the sky and the New Town Hall), they are similars, but not the same because he doesnt have the lantern in the foreground. There is no way to know how many times this image was sold, right? Just ask Paul? He's a regular here. Or put his image in Google images, just like you would when you were searching one of your own. I don't think you should only consider images with the exact same point and angle of view. I would rather include all images with the same subjects. Personally I love extreme wide angle images, but clients may not. wim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandre Fagundes Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 Hi folks, I could do an easy 5 min cloning tweak. Yes, the balcony architecture does seem to be repetitive, as I could make it out using reference images available. Please note that a bit of balcony structure is indeed visible on either side of the bicycle signage. So, cloning can surely reconstruct this image with the definitions of "digitally manipulated". Sorry OP for downloading the sample without yr prior permission. Also sorry for this very hasty job ! But 'am very sure that if the image is important for yr portfolio, a much neater cloning job can in fact be attempted. Cool job, you made your point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandre Fagundes Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 Interesting perspective and definitely for sale. I like both the flowers and the cycle sign but wished the latter was more prominent. Thank you hdh, you mean the cycle sign should be bigger? Not really bigger, meant prominent more like in obvious or eye catching if you want to call it this way. I like this modern pictogram being in contradiction with the old building. I see the new x old contrast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandre Fagundes Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 First have a look on All of Alamy if clients are at all interested in the subject. Then check on Alamy what the competing images would be. 1 - 2 View your own image on the same size somewhere in the middle of a couple of those pages. Check if your image has any chance of being seen by clients. There are more than 5000 images for this subject. No need to upload the image for this exercise: take a test image from your collection, fill it with all the keywords you plan to use for the new image and wait 24 hours. Now check on what page that image has landed for different searches you have seen in AoA in step 1. Maybe make that test image a bull's eye or something that stands out ;-) Now draw your own conclusions. wim edit: I forgot one final step: check with google images what sort of images are actually being used for this subject. Try to differentiate between the images that are being made of this subject and those which are being used for this subject. - I'm not doing all this for every image either, but I know I should. ;-) wiskerke, that´s fantastic advice, thank you very much! The similar one I found was CNWY2W by Paul Mayal, so, only one in 5000, His image´s sky looks better and the New Town Hall is better lit, but the whole image is not very well cropped IMO, lacking space in the front (mine, on the other hand is kind of the other way around, too much empty space in the front up to the lamp). Anyway, I could have processed it in such a way that it would look similar to that one (I mean, the sky and the New Town Hall), they are similars, but not the same because he doesnt have the lantern in the foreground. There is no way to know how many times this image was sold, right? Just ask Paul? He's a regular here. Or put his image in Google images, just like you would when you were searching one of your own. I don't think you should only consider images with the exact same point and angle of view. I would rather include all images with the same subjects. Personally I love extreme wide angle images, but clients may not. wim Yes, I know, the difference between artistic and commercial. I tend to get frustrated when people look at some of my images and say, "wow, it looks like a postcard!", when I tried so hard to make it way better than a postcard... Anyway, I will keep uploading diferent angles of the same subject if they are nice and eye catching for some reason, and if they can sell of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandre Fagundes Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 Ok, so this is the new version I reprocessed. Please let me know what you think. Thanks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolf Adlercreutz Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Anything I find interesting enough to take a picture of and send to library, will probably sell - sooner or later. My 2 c Rolf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandre Fagundes Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 Definitely an improvement. You've lowered the highs/overall exposure and straightened it, which were my main suggestions, and it looks good. Geoff. Thanks, learning from the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandre Fagundes Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 Anything I find interesting enough to take a picture of and send to library, will probably sell - sooner or later. My 2 c Rolf Makes sense Rolf, go with your gut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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