Author Topic: And here is my first sample - by Gerphil  (Read 5645 times)

Gerphil Kerkhof

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And here is my first sample - by Gerphil
« on: 27/06/2013, 17:38:14 »
Hi Hayo and the rest,

First of all I enjoyed the workshop and the opportunity to shoot at these exciting locations - and of course the group!

I worked today/yesterday on a first series of images to be merged using HDR Efex Pro. You can take a look at https://plus.google.com/photos/106104575859954101407/albums/5894185855211777809?authkey=CObQudSv--ei1wE where you can view them full-screen (and leave comments too).

To make it easier for you: I include below the HDR images from Zeche Zollern too:





































RAW images were (slightly) preprocessed in Nikon Capture NX2 and converted to 16-bit TIFFs. Then I used Äutomate/Merge into HDR Efex Pro to merge them. Most of the Zollern images are processed using the Sinister preset, which I tweaked to suit my taste. Wanted to make it a bit creepy - possibly also because I listened to Nirvana in the background and because of having to get used again to the weather here (Slovenia and Croatia in contrast were nice and sunny). Hope you like them nevertheless.

I am currently working on the Hansa images, applying series-wise several different styles - creating two new own recipes/custom presets ('Melancholy' and 'PalePalace'). And of course I also have a load of single images, which I will process in the 'oldfashioned' way.

Enjoy,
Gerphil
« Last Edit: 28/06/2013, 18:48:08 by Gerphil Kerkhof »

Hayo Baan

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Re: And here is my first sample - by Gerphil
« Reply #1 on: 27/06/2013, 19:32:45 »
Hi Gerphil, thanks, your images look very nice!

To make reviewing and giving feedback easier for me, please include your images here too.

To post on the forum, you can either
  • upload them – simply click on the “attachments and other options” underneath the message editing frame, browse to your image (max 200kB) and upload it.
  • link to them – when you have your images already on the web, you can use the [ img ] http:location_of_file [ /img ] tag (use no spaces inside the square brackets! or simply click the picture frame icon in the toolbar). In this case there is no filesize restriction. For instance [ img ]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/1y98eYofqilbdan6i6K2t1UXOjepg0StJyNMsUoIO50=w307-h204-p-no [ /img ] includes one of your images like so:

If you have further questions, please let me know  :)
« Last Edit: 27/06/2013, 19:42:14 by Hayo Baan »
Hayo Baan – Photography
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Hayo Baan

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Re: And here is my first sample - by Gerphil
« Reply #2 on: 02/07/2013, 14:57:21 »
Hi Gerphil,

Sorry for the belated reply, I hadn't noticed you edited your post already (thanks for that by the way).

Great images, again very different from what I've seen so far! Nice. Here's some feedback.

Overall: You have chosen a very noticeable, slightly bleached HDR effect for your images. While I do like it, especially since you chose this very consistently throughout the images, it may not be to everyone's taste (but that is actually a good thing!).

Now for some individual image feedback:
  • Stairs – Composition works well, perhaps the bottom is a bit close to the frame?
  • Control panel and bell – I like the straight lines, but somehow find it not as interesting as some of your others.
  • Tower seen through wheel – I love to see the tower from different perspectives/through other things, this one is no exception. Compositionally it is perhaps a pity that the top of the wagon overlaps the tower and that the image is a slightly “heavy” on the bottom (not a real problem as the wagon is still quite interesting structure-wise).
  • Wheels and crane – Good way to get the crane in a nice composition. A problem for me is the fact that the crane is touching the frame.
  • Crane and tower – Good combination of both subjects.
  • Hochzeit Express 1, 2, & 3 – Wow, I always hated this thing; I find it always ruins my pictures as it doesn't belong at the site (in my opinion). You have show me that you can in fact make a great image of it. Hats off!
  • Engines – Interesting approach to the subject. It is perhaps a bit hard to see what you're looking at now though.
  • Rusted through – Hmm, I do love rusty abstracts, this one doesn't fully work for me though.
  • Bannisters – I took a very similar image there once too. I think it works because of the contrast between the greenery and the rust.
  • Boiler – Funny, I think I took almost exactly the same image here :)
  • Boilers – Ok, but not your best of the weekend
  • Wheel + tower – Different, but works somehow
  • Opening – Simple, but I like it quite a lot!
  • Engines 1 – Ok
  • Engines 2 – Ok, but I think 1 is better
  • Detail – I generally like details and you have chosen a nice combination of foreground and background. Compositionally I would have liked to see the wheel in the background more detached from the foreground structure. I also think the left side is now feeling a bit too heavy.

As always, these are my personal opinion so feel free (nay, obliged) to disagree  ;)

Looking forward to your images of the cokery!

Thanks,
Hayo
Hayo Baan – Photography
www.hayobaan.nl

Gerphil Kerkhof

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Re: And here is my first sample - by Gerphil
« Reply #3 on: 02/07/2013, 16:59:23 »
Hi Hayo,

Thanks for your feedback. I am indeed rather happy with this first series, though afterwards I could have paid a bit more attention to the composition of some of them (like the one with the crane). The Kokerei images will partially be pale as well as I like that (more than over-saturated). I had a few issues there with ghosting and weird artifact with foliage, in particular against white sky, which I need to work on (maybe give them another tweak). However, my regular work has started again, so I need some more time for that. Stay tuned!

Kind regards,
Gerphil

Gerphil Kerkhof

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Re: And here is my first sample - by Gerphil
« Reply #4 on: 04/07/2013, 19:24:16 »
Hi Hayo and the rest,

I just posted another series of HDR pictures taken at Kokerei Hansa on Google+ https://plus.google.com/photos/106104575859954101407/albums/5894185855211777809?authkey=CObQudSv--ei1wE.

These have all a slightly different atmosphere which I achieved by playing with the default preset and two presets created by myself (named 'Melancholy 2' and 'PalePalace'). About half of them were subsequently given an extra tweak using Color Efex Pro for Capture and Nikon Capture NX2. I just selected those that I gave 3 stars or more as I have twice as many, but I don't want to drown you:































I continue now working on the non-HDR images, during which I might also tweak some of the HDR ones to make them fit in possible series. I would appreciate your feedback and the next step after completing all this is posting them to my www.geja-vu.nl website.

Kind regards,
Gerphil
« Last Edit: 12/07/2013, 15:52:33 by Gerphil Kerkhof »

Hayo Baan

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Re: And here is my first sample - by Gerphil
« Reply #5 on: 06/07/2013, 11:26:47 »
Hi Gerphil,

Wow, yet another series of awesome images, thanks for sharing.

Here's some feedback:

  • Cokery – Nice atmosphere! I find it quite hard to photograph this building from this angle as it tends to give unbalanced compositions. This one is quite all right though. I especially like the eeriness of it. Well captured/processed.
  • Blue – Again quite eerie…
  • Stairs in Coke Battery 1&2 – Very similar to my shots here. Nice.
  • Inside the mixing unit 1-5 – Number 2 is my favourite. Number 3 I like too, but I think there should have been a bit more room at the bottom and/or you could have exaggerated the sheer size a bit more by photographing it bit more upwards. Number 5 seems to have a bit of flare. very hard to prevent in these lighting conditions. With some minor post processing I think you can remove most of it easily though.
  • Compressor – Imposing, aren't they? Here I would also have liked a bit more room at the bottom; the base of the compressor is now just against the frame.
  • 20-minute-room – Ok, but a bit more “chaotic” than most of your other images.
  • Shadow lines – Real nice. These are the details you overlook too easily while walking around. Pity as they tend to give great images. Well spotted.
  • Ropes – Great play of light and shadow.
  • Railway under the quenching tower 1&2 – Always a great location to photograph. Pity about the walkway planks, without them it would have been an even better shot.

Thanks for posting! Hope to see more (of the rest of the group too).
Hayo Baan – Photography
www.hayobaan.nl

Gerphil Kerkhof

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Re: And here is my first sample - by Gerphil
« Reply #6 on: 12/07/2013, 16:01:41 »
Hi Hayo,

Thanks for your comments, also those given offline. I made a few more edits to some of them and finally, today, when preparing my series for Foto Nationaal, I even re-created one of them fully, while in another case I spotted some flare which needed additional repair. All in all very useful and helpful to do and to be very critical. Actually learned that it is really important to have sharp images to start with - requiring some additional sharpening when you capture in 'Neutral', in particular when the image is a bit soft, as otherwise you get nasty halos in HDR, whatever you do there.  And to be very critical on flare. I keep you posted on the results with Foto Nationaal - though that takes a while (September).

Kind regards,
Gerphil