Stock Critique Event - Log Pt2

*  dreamystock was promoted to Asking by kuschelirmel

<elandria>  

<lockstock>  Yay!

<dreamystock>  Hey Guys I wanted to critique this photo ± dreamystock.deviantart.com/art… Because I wanted to know what you guys think cause that means alout to me ,I hope someone wants to manipulate me ,And Iff you have ideas formy maybe next shoot , Or tips to let the next one look better,

<dreamystock>  A little long story

<lockstock>  LOL, that's fine.

<lindowyn-stock>  

<lockstock>  Is that you in the photo or a friend?

<dreamystock>  Me ,

<elandria>  its a grea pose

<dreamystock>  Thank you

<lockstock>  You picked a good day to photograph. The soft lighting is so much better than harsh bright sunlight.

<lockstock>  I love your face! It's so classical!

<dreamystock>   Thanks means alout as I am insecure alout lately ,

<kuschelirmel>  lockstock: indeed

<lockstock>  You'd make a great Renaissance princess.

<cryingsorceress>  the setting is so beautiful

<elandria>  you really shouldn't worry and your confidence will grow

<lockstock>  Can your camera take larger pics?

<dreamystock>   That means alout really

<dreamystock>  Yes I believe so ,

<znow-white>  Dragonbrush: nice setting

<dreamystock>  I have a shitty camera though ,

<elandria>  you should set your camera to do the highest quality it can

<elandria>  they normally call it jpg "fine"

<elandria>  (at least they do with nikons lol)

<dreamystock>  I have a Samsung Digimax S600 Cam era

<dreamystock>  its a normal digital one unfortunatly

<kuschelirmel>  a little thing i noticed thats not related to the pic itself: you say "read the rules" - maybe you'd want to include a link to the journal where you keep them so people dont have to go searching. when they can easily access your rules manippers are more likely to use it

<elandria>  you should be able to find the quality setting in the menu though

*  elandria agrees with kuschelirmel

<dreamystock>  Okay , I will to that

<elandria>  the more places people can locate your rules the easier it is for them and the more likely they are to comply

<lockstock>  Even for a "crappy" camera, it's a useful shot.

<dreamystock>  I was planning to do a shoot tomorrow but I dont know what I shoud do ,,,

<dreamystock>  Thanks I hope someone will use it

<elandria>  its great for traditional arts who need reference poses without necessarily needing the high res manippers want

<dreamystock>  Do one of you hav a idea of what I must ore should do

<dreamystock>  for a shoot ,

<lockstock>  Do you have any costumes or even some interesting fabrics to play with?

<dreamystock>  No thats a pitty (

<dreamystock>  I only have modern clothes unfortunatly ,

<cryingsorceress>  mhm, yeah. all your model stocks are very casual. maybe exploring a different theme

<kuschelirmel>  Dreamystock: theres always the possibility of using a bedsheet

<cryingsorceress>  you could try formal wear. maybe something fun and funky

<dreamystock>  Yeah I allready tought so but myne sheets are different I think .

<lockstock>  Well, fun outfits are good, even modern ones. And with such a pretty face, portraits are good. You can do some different hairstyles and give yourself a "classic" look

<kuschelirmel>  

<lockstock>  You'd make a lovely fairy or elf. Like kuschelirmel said, bedsheets are useful for making dresses.

<dreamystock>  :') Aww thats sweet of you guys , I will definatly try

<cryingsorceress>  Yep and i think that your nature shots are beautiful too

<dreamystock>  I can try to make one with myne bedsheet but I dunno iff its going to work ou

<cryingsorceress>  doesn't hurt to try

<lockstock>  Give it a go. Experience is never wasted, even if none of the shots turn out well the first time.

<dreamystock>  I have a modern sheet thing wich isnt a sheet I guess

<dreamystock>  Okay

<lockstock>  Tablecloths work too.

<kuschelirmel>  Dreamystock: if you're shooting indoors with your camera, remember to get some strong light in there

<dreamystock>   Good Idea

<elandria>  try Creative-Sheet-Stock for inspiration

<kuschelirmel>  Elandria:

<lockstock>  And remember, even "modern" girl stock is useful!

<dreamystock>  Thanks , I will post the new ones soon so you can see

<kuschelirmel>  Dreamystock: if you need cheap bright lighting look in your hardware store for those lights they use on construction sites

<dreamystock>  Now I have to hope that some manipuylators like the concept

<kuschelirmel>  Dreamystock: im sure some will

<lindowyn-stock>  Never underestimate the value of a good reference photo. Artists are constantly in need of reference for clothing drapes, anatomy, etc.

<cryingsorceress>  I think that you'll attract a lot of pop art manipers too

<dreamystock>  :' I hope

<lockstock>  Just keep experimenting with what you have as well. Desk lamps, windows, car headlights...(as long as the car isn't moving! LOL!)

<kuschelirmel>  just have a bit of patience and you'll be fine Dreamystock

<dreamystock>  I had advice from Faestock too this morning , I kinda ask all around

<elandria>  yep everything you have at home is a potential prop

<dreamystock>  Thanks You guys are great

<kuschelirmel>  Dreamystock: thats great!

<kuschelirmel>  allright then

<dreamystock>  Thanks somuch for the advice

<lindowyn-stock>  If it is heavier than you, don't lift it. If it can eat you, don't tempt it. Prop rule o' thumb.

<kuschelirmel>  thank you Dreamystock for giving us something to critique and for standing in the spotlight

<dreamystock>  Thank you guys youre all great

*  dreamystock was demoted to Stockers by kuschelirmel

<kuschelirmel>  next up is Amaries-stock

*  amaries-stock was promoted to Asking by kuschelirmel

<amaries-stock>  Thank's!

<cryingsorceress>  

<amaries-stock>  As you wanted a texture, I'd like to get some critique on this one:

<lindowyn-stock>  

<cryingsorceress>  Awesome res

<lockstock>  Wonderfully HUGE! This would make a cool map.

<amaries-stock>  I didn't went out to take shots of this, I wanted only to photograph flowers that day. But then I discoverd those empty ponds.

<elandria>  ooohh map

<amaries-stock>  

<cryingsorceress>  This is just personal reference. I'd prefer something sharper &amp; with higher contrast but that can be easily fixed in photoshop

<lockstock>  This is a very nice texture!

<amaries-stock>  I've uploaded this after people liked my first Grunge texture.

<amaries-stock>  cryingsorceress: Is it too blurry?

<kuschelirmel>  i love that its so high res Amaries-stock

<elandria>  great texture, it could have been a little sharper maybe, but it might be just down to the nature of the surface to look a bit soft

<cryingsorceress>  Amaries-stock: no, not blurry at all. I just prefer things on the sharp side

<amaries-stock>  kuschelirmel: Thank's!

<cryingsorceress>  Yeah, it's a bit soft

<elandria>  concrete always looks a bit on the "soft" side for some reason, its to do with how it reflects the light

<amaries-stock>  I might sharpen it in my photograph software. I haven't got Photoshop yet.

<lockstock>  But I'd have to say that you shouldn't try to tweak your stock before you upload. Let the users to that.

<kuschelirmel>  Amaries-stock: as long as people use it scaled down or as background texture its ok the way it is - but for it to be on itself or take up a prominent part in a high res printable manip it should be sharper

<elandria>  don't overprocess it though,

<amaries-stock>  It was late afternoon, therefore the light wasn't too good anymore.

<kuschelirmel>  though i doubt photoshop would make such a difference here

<kuschelirmel>  it can only enhance what is there

<amaries-stock>  I've got several more shots of these and I wonder, if I should upload some more.

<kuschelirmel>  Amaries-stock: how big was that texture in real life?

<lockstock>  If there's enough difference, then certainly!

<cryingsorceress>  Yep, upload them!

<kuschelirmel>  and how close were you to it when you took the shot

<amaries-stock>  kuschelirmel: It was within a pond.

<elandria>  you could always add a downloadable pack to this

<amaries-stock>  kuschelirmel: I think I stood about 50 or 60 cm above it. It was a small piece.

<amaries-stock>  The pond itself was bigger, but I only picked out spots of about 20 to 30 cm.

<kuschelirmel>  im asking cos maybe if you were really close then you may try to go back a bit - and if you stood away from it and used the zoom you could try getting closer and shoot without zoom

<kuschelirmel>  ah i see

<kuschelirmel>  so neither really far nor that close

<amaries-stock>  kuschelirmel: Erm... I don't understand your point.

<kuschelirmel>  a camera has an optimal range to focus correctly

<elandria>  not much to do with the stock but giving more "interesting/descriptive" titles to textures make them stand out from the crowd

<amaries-stock>  kuschelirmel: Should I get closer to photograph without zoom OR get farer away to shoot with zoom?

<lockstock>  You've got some awesome images in your gallery already, Amaries-stock.

<elandria>  standing back and using the zoom alters/improves the lighting that the sensor picks up

<amaries-stock>  kuschelirmel: Yes. I've got a "normal" lens and a "tele" one.

<kuschelirmel>  so if you had been real close your camera might not have been able to focus correctly

*  kuschelirmel can just speak from experience with her tiny point and shoot camera

<elandria>  also standing close blocks the light

<amaries-stock>  kuschelirmel: It might be. I didn't use the tele lens.

<amaries-stock>  lockstock: And thank's!

<kuschelirmel>  i dont think that you'd need a tele

<kuschelirmel>  but if you used the zoom, then maybe try not to use the zoom next time and get closer instead - you'll have to find out what works for your camera

<amaries-stock>  I used the tripod, therefore I'm limited to its range.

<lindowyn-stock>  Nah, just be aware of your own focal length. Check your lcd for sharpness as you are taking them and zoom in closely to check.

<lindowyn-stock>  (That is, once you've played back the image...zoom in..yeah...)

<kuschelirmel>  lindowyn-stock: thank you you know more there than i do

<kuschelirmel>  if no one has anything more to add I suggest we move on

<elandria>  :thumbup:

<lockstock>  Texture shots looks so easy but they really are tricky to do.

<elandria>  bah

<amaries-stock>  lindowyn-stock: Unfortunately I'm sometimes seeing blurry. At those days I can't decide I've got to rely on the camera, because then I only can see, which squares the cam choses.

<kuschelirmel>  thank you Amaries-stock for coming - even though i feel we werent much help

<lindowyn-stock>  The best way to learn where your camera's focal length begins (because the human eye can't look at a distance and go "oh, that's 33mms") is trial and error. Double check yourself until you kinda get an idea where you should be.

<amaries-stock>  Thank you for giving me critique!

<lindowyn-stock>  

  I'll totally be quiet now.</sub>

<kuschelirmel>  okay, next up is Ayelie-stock

<amaries-stock>  lindowyn-stock:

<kuschelirmel>  lindowyn-stock: hey i thought your advice sounded great!

*  amaries-stock was demoted to Stockers by kuschelirmel

*  ayelie-stock was promoted to Asking by kuschelirmel

<ayelie-stock>  Thank you

<ayelie-stock>  I have a pack of 6 images of these books, but I uploaded a single one so you can see here --&gt; ayelie-stock.deviantart.com/ar… I'd like some opinions, and specifically I was wondering about the usefulness of removing the background myself (it was pure white so easyish to do) ... and if there are concerns about the DOF?

<ayelie-stock>  I took it indoors near a sunny window for light, but of course silly me was using my macro lens and forgot to lower the aperture; so they were taken at f/3 instead of a more useable 5.6 or 8 ISO is 200 and shutter speed 1/60.

<ayelie-stock>  For model stock that might be an issue, but for something like books where it will usually be an additive element to an image rather than a featured one, is that utterly critical?

<lockstock>  I'm fine with pre-extraded objects. You did a nice job too!

<ayelie-stock>  There's a bit of a blip on the bottom book on t he left, but that's where the sheet was covering it

<kuschelirmel>  Ayelie-stock: on the extraction, I think you did a good job and many manippers are glad to get their hands on precut stock

<lindowyn-stock>  My only concern here with your dof is that you can see area on the books (near the spine) that are in more focus than the rest of the books, which appear soft. It is still usable, but that is what my eye caught.

<ayelie-stock>  otherwise it was simple, RAW mode is awesome and I could white the sheet right out to remove it

<znow-white>  Ayelie-stock: you know these a re fab

<ayelie-stock>  lindowyn-stock: yes DOF was a concern, that's what I was wondering about

<lockstock>  I see the blip, but only after you pointed it out. As a small addition to a larger scene, it wouldn't be noticed.

<ayelie-stock>  I tend to use my macro lens for object shots because I can get a lower ISO with lower light... but sometimes DOF is compromised.

<lindowyn-stock>  Entirely, completely usable.

<lockstock>  And this could also work as a main focus. It's a good shot.

<kuschelirmel>  Ayelie-stock: tbh i dont see that much dof on this one - not enough to be distracting anyway

<kuschelirmel>  Ayelie-stock: I also think its great and usable

<elandria>  the only thing i'd say is when doing stuff like this try and make sure that the backgrous sheet or whatever you are using doesn't cover any of the lower edges or corners

<elandria>  background*

<cryingsorceress>  Ayelie-stock: i think that you cut out some of the book on the bottom

<ayelie-stock>  Elandria: yes, definitely... wrinkles are a pain

<elandria>  they are

<ayelie-stock>  cryingsorceress: it was the sheet wrinkle, it covered the book

<cryingsorceress>  Ah, I see

*  ayelie-stock will iron the dratted thing next time

*  kuschelirmel rembers all too well fighting the wrinkly sheets

*  lindowyn-stock has really critical eyeballs. From a stock perspective, it's not really an issue here I don't think.

<ayelie-stock>  awesome! I'll do more stuff like this if it's useful, then.

<cryingsorceress>  true

<lockstock>  If most of the objects you shoot or intend to shoot are about this size, investing in a large bit of white posterboard would not be a bad idea.

<elandria>  its really useful, piles of old books rock

<cryingsorceress>  

*  kuschelirmel is definitely going to download these

<ayelie-stock>  lockstock: it's on my list of necessaries. Along with a bounceable flash

<kuschelirmel>  lockstock: good idea!

<elandria>  yer if you use card ratther than a sheet you can create a miniture infinity curve for shooting against

<lindowyn-stock>  That's what I was thinking Elandria.

<elandria>  

*  elandria wants an infinity curve in her front room

<lindowyn-stock>  Plus, posterboard is cheap. If you want to do some trick lighting, you can bounce the flash within a white posterboard atmosphere to imitate a high key situation.

<elandria>  plus bouncy flash is less harsh

<lindowyn-stock>  Even lighting=

<ayelie-stock>  yes! Exactly

<ayelie-stock>  lighting conditions indoors generally suck for me, so I need all the tricks and tips I can possibly use. I also do some shooting close to sunset when the light is diffused but still bright, if it's warm out - better than flourescent or incandescent light indoors.

<lockstock>  Looking forward to seeing the new and improved set up!

<kuschelirmel>   thank you for coming Ayelie-stock

<lockstock>  Early morning light is softer than evening light.

<ayelie-stock>  Thanks everyone

<lindowyn-stock>  I has some inexpensive tips Ayelie-stock. Hit me up later.

*  ayelie-stock was demoted to Stockers by kuschelirmel