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Anita Bower
12-21-2008, 06:55 AM
I took this photo yesterday, north of where I live where there was a sprinkle of snow. Inspired by Mike Moats.
Konica Minolta 5D, 100mm macro, tripod, f18, ISO 200, 1/13 sec., outdoors, no flash, WB: overcast. Leaf and I were standing on top of a low stone wall.

Mike Moats
12-21-2008, 08:30 AM
Hey Anita, glad I inspired you to shoot leaves. They make great main subjects. Alot going for this image, good textures, contrast of the leaf and the BG, nice consistent BG, good positioning of the leaf. For some reason your images are coming across soft on the sharpness. Not sure if its just process in resizing for web, or It may be you just need to be more aggressive on the sharpening.

Anita Bower
12-21-2008, 09:31 AM
Mike. Thanks for the feedback. I think my image is not as sharp as it might be to start out. Also, maybe I'm not sharpening enough. Then, my image looks a bit softer on this website than in ps. Here is a version sharpened more.
Question: Do you sharpen more for the web than for printing?

Thanks!
Anita

Anita Bower
12-21-2008, 09:32 AM
Forgot to attach image

Mike Moats
12-21-2008, 09:37 AM
Hey Anita, this looks much better. I just sharpen once and use it for both print and web. I think some do a little extra sharpening for the web.

Julie Kenward
12-21-2008, 09:49 AM
Anita, I saw the "softness" issue, too and went in and applied more sharpening to the original post. I think it's still a bit soft but definitely more defined than the first post.

I also increased the contrast using levels and curves in PS. I think if you compare the two images you'll see a significant difference in the "gray" level over your image compared to mine. Don't forget to play with those two tools (levels and curves) if you have access to them in Photoshop. They can make a real difference in how your image presents and I've found that increasing the contrast can give the appearance of the image being somewhat sharper when it's on the soft side.

In answer to your question, no, you do not sharpen more for the web than for print...it is the other way around! :D This is why you should do all your resizing of your image BEFORE you apply sharpening (not sure if that's how you're doing it or not) and then go in and sharpen the final image before saving. If it looks good to you on your monitor it should present well on the web. In printing you would resize with a higher resolution (more like 240-300 instead of the 72 you used here) and aggressively sharpen so it almost looks oversharpened for print.

Hope that helps! Let us know if you have any other questions!

One last thing...see how the stem end of your leaf looks lighter in weight than the tip end...how the weight of the leaf is at the bottom in this case? Next time you are out making these kind of images play around with where you put them in the frame. I find that if one end looks 'heavier' than the other I will make at least one frame where the leaf sits on the bottom of the frame instead of at the top (as you have it here.) For some reason, that seems "right" to me. Play around with that and see what you think next time!

Ed Vatza
12-21-2008, 10:49 AM
Good morning Anita,

I like the textures here. The Sycamore leaf makes for an interesting subject and that wall makes and excellent textured and colored background. Good choice. The need for sharpening has been addressed. Also I think Jules' version makes the leaf pop a little more although the background is almost (but not) too dark.

I'll tell you, I am far from an excellent photographer but the year I have spent here has been invaluable. Mike and Julie as well as Robert O'Toole who drops in when he's not traveling, writing books or making instructional DVDs or whatever else he does and Roman have all helped to make me a much better photographer than I was a year ago. That's for certain. Enjoy the ride!

Anita Bower
12-22-2008, 06:58 AM
I appreciate all the comments received!

Julie: I do always use levels, and often use curves. I hadn't used curves in this image, but had used contrast. Question: What is "gray level?" I do see the difference in color and brightness.

Re. sharpening. I sharpen as the last step, once sized, as you describe. There seem to be various opinions among photographers as to the correct level of sharpening. I suppose I will find my personal comfort level.

Soft images have been an issue for me as long as I have been taking photos. It must be my weak area and I will continue to work on it.

I also see what you mean about the "heavy" part of the leaf. Great suggestion!

Ed: Thank you so much for your words of encouragement! It is hard to find places to get honest feedback, and I, too, hope I will grow as a photographer. I do need to make sure I balance the mix of praise and criticism so as not to become discouraged.

Again, thank you all!
Anita :-)

Julie Kenward
12-22-2008, 08:29 AM
I do need to make sure I balance the mix of praise and criticism so as not to become discouraged.



Exactly right, Anita! When I first started posting I wanted to get mad when someone disagreed that my images weren't perfect pieces of art but I soon realized I was taking better photographs in every way - compositionally, exposure-wise, doing more and better things in post-processing...it was a win/win situation as long as I remembered that it's MY vision and all decisions about what I do with an image are mine (ultimately) to make. You can always take or leave any comment you find here - we only bring them up to widen your eyes and perhaps take you somewhere you've never been before as a photographer.

Monica, if you're struggling with continuously getting soft images I would suggest finding a local camera place (try to stay away from the big chains and go "local") and ask for advice. Take your camera and lens with you and see if perhaps the lens needs to be calibrated. Find out if you understand the focal point system correctly. These camera guys love to help you sort out a problem and they could help you turn that around if that is constantly happening to you. If you can't find a camera store, find a camera club...there's sure to be someone who knows it all there as well.

Also (and this is so important for everyone to remember) we point these things out so everyone who views your image learns from it - not just you. By posting, you are in effect helping us all teach others how to become better at the art and science of photography.