[Barbara G.]

Here is another photo that you can critique. I have a lot to learn and here is your chance to give me some honest feedback. This is the original and it turned cloudy on me when I was out and about trying to get some photo time in.


   

[MrB]

Barbara, I think you have a great subject to photograph there and I love the almost complementary colours (almost red and almost cyan).

For the image overall, I think I would want to enhance those colours by a combination of increasing contrast and increasing saturation. That would probably have happened naturally on a sunny day. However, given the photo you have taken, that could be done in almost any photo editing software. As I have written before though, small increments, step by step - overdoing it would be a disaster.

Regarding the composition, if you have the chance to re-shoot, think about turning slightly left and up. That would include the whole of the green box and the word (ice?) on the left without losing the elevated green tank on the right. It would also take the top-left window away from the edge of the frame, and reduce the amount of road where there is nothing of interest.

Others may well disagree and offer you other ideas to consider, but those are my main thoughts and suggestions.

Cheers.
Philip

[Barbara G.]

Thanks MrB - I was parked across the street when I took this. The place is not too far from my home, so sometime I will venture back and really appreciate your comments/suggestions!

It is amazing what you see when you look at a photo several times. If I cropped the photo, I would take out the letters on the left and crop in some on the right as well. I will have to take some time to do this and post the results.

[EdMak]

Did you fill up when you were there?!. This I like, another return visit, obviously. Here is a 2 mt P/S job, you were not far away, Cheers. Ed.

[MrB]

Ed has made the colours more vibrant, Barbara, and he has taken a different approach to the green box and the window on the left - by cloning them out. However, for me they are important to the gas station, and to your composition - but I would like to see the window with more wall around it. It could be moved in software, but I would prefer it left where it has been for many years and included in the composition - when you are able to shoot the image again sometime.

Cheers.
Philip

[EdMak]

I thought the window looked out of place, so, a compromise? Cheers. Ed.

[MrB]

Re. Post #5, Ed:

The window and green box are fine where they are, and they are real components of the gas station - it would be better to include them properly at the image capture stage. The compromise for this image would be to crop them out completely, e.g. -

   

This is, of course, just my "To each his own" view!

[Wall-E]

Here is another photo that you can critique. I have a lot to learn and here is your chance to give me some honest feedback. This is the original and it turned cloudy on me when I was out and about trying to get some photo time in.

And here's my quick edit in Picasa.
Cropped out the Ice machine and the standing barrel, used Boost on the saturation and contrast and then added even more saturation.

[Barbara G.]

Wow! It is amazing what different things you can do to the photo. My time is so limited right now, so I greatly appreciate each of your efforts in giving different ideas to make the photo improved as well as different in each view! You guys are great!

[Freeman]

The edit versions are excellent and it's an education to read the comments but am I alone in liking the slightly washed out patina effect of the original? Jeff

[Wall-E]

The edit versions are excellent and it's an education to read the comments but am I alone in liking the slightly washed out patina effect of the original? Jeff

If it was just the colors on the station itself, (and accouterments), I'd agree with you.
But the entire scene is kinda dull to me.

Barbara;

If you're shooting in JPG, try setting you color intensity higher in-camera.
In my Nikons, it's called 'Vibrant'.