Here it goes....

[sgelatt]

I haven't had the guts to post a picture for a critique yet, so here it is... and I want to make a 100 post so I'm not a newbie anymore!

I took this photo today while driving around. I took it from my car window. The only thing I did was crop out some of the sky on photoshop. The colors are the way I took them.

What do you think??

[jefg99]

First, I like the photo, especially the balance and symmetry of the rungs of the wagon. It looks like an unusual crop, like a panorama, which makes me wonder how it would be printed to hang. I think it could work just as well if cropped to an 8x10 format. The other thing i noticed, but can't tell what it is without enlarging, is the object over the irhgt side of the barn roof. Depending on what it is, I'd probably photoshop that out.

[sgelatt]

I enlarged it and it's a large amount of wire! so I will photoshop it out. Thanks Jeff.

[Ken K.]

Sandy,

Congratulations on taking the plunge into the critique pool

What I like most about this image is the how the bright yellow jumps out against the green wagon.  I also like the symmetry of the wagon hoops.

I don't think the barn adds anything to the image and tends to distract from the very attractive wagon.  I can't tell but you might have been able to compose without it by moving to your right.

Overall a nice image.

Ken

[Ric]

Gee, I have to agree with Ken that the Barn takes your eye off the wagon... Try cropping the wagon out and see what you get... Show us too though so you get your 100 posts... 

[lotus]

Sandy, my suggestions: crop, rotate clockwise (will create some dynamic), lighten all greens around the Wagon - something like shown below.




ps: Feel free to tell me to delete my post if you don't like manipulations with your image.

[sgelatt]

I like what you did Lotus and thanks for all the comments. My laptop crashed and I am trying to recover it and the pictures I have on it! Yikes!

[sgelatt]

I will try as soon as I get everything running again. My 500gb external harddrive is full and I took this pic yesterday -- got a 1tb external harddrive this morning and trying to recover! What online storage do you use? I should use both.

[sgelatt]

I cropped it on picnik through flickr:

This one is a little conservative but I thought about trying to crop it to just showing the two wheels with the back wheels and not the entire wagon.
           

My second crop is a little more abstract and might seem to be missing something.
           

[sgelatt]

I like that much better Judy! Thanks.

[peachhead]

Sandy,
While I actually like your original image as it was, I really do like Judy's crop a lot!! 
Maybe you can go back to that spot and photograph that wagon from several different angles/with different lenses and see what you like best.  I do that sometimes---I just work something to death until I get the effect I like.  Its a little obsessive, yes, but sometimes it is exactly what is needed.  (Remember my "Weeds" that I photographed in every kind of weather and light?)  Sometimes just moving over 3 feet makes a big difference in your shot.

[Nick D]

Hi Sandy,

I have to agree with Sandy, I like the image as is and Judy's crop. to me the barn doesn't take away from the image, sorry Ken, Ric, but adds to it because of the larger DOF and it gives a nostalgic feel to image, "Back in the day when we lived on farms and rode horse drawn carriages". If I would do any PP work, it would be to clone out spiral fence with that beautiful blue sky. Again though, that is not bothersome to me.

I like Judy's crop because I too like the hoops.

Also I really like the colors allot in your image.

I actually like this picture centered because of the farm but if you don't want the farm noticeable, I would try to get it a little closer and to the right with a more shallow DOF.

Nice image, thanks for sharing.


nick

[Nick D]

Hi Sandy,

I have to agree with Sandy,...

Oops, sorry about that.

I meant to say: I have to agree with Lorreta,

But I meant the rest