A trip to Lille

[shirley]

These were taken on a trip to Lille

A City Wakes


Child at an Exhibition



Thanks for looking.
Comments welcome.

Shirley

[shirley]

Re: A trip to Lille

OK so no thoughts or comments on these. I rather liked the first but not sure about the second, anyway never one to give up, what about this one?

Passing trains

[Ian]

Re: A trip to Lille

Sorry Shirley! I did have a look and your pix made me think, but I didn't have a suitable response!

I like the idea of the slow shutter speed to blur the people. But I think the overall results haven't quite gelled.

I'm sure you have some ideas for improving the technique? What do you suggest?

Ian

[Makonde]

Re: A trip to Lille

I find night shots very difficult.

The first one is engaging, dynamic motion blur and all.

Lille is a surprisingly interesting town isn't it? A great recovery job from a clapped out industrial city to one with industries to suit modern times, a terrific underground (robot trains) and modern container shipping dockyard (for a landlocked town !); a node on the digital superhighway and also a good restoration job of the old town centre.

(I spent a month there living with a French family on language immersion in the mid-1990s so maybe it too has aged...)

[shenstone]

Re: A trip to Lille

Hi Shirley

I looked and like Ian I struggled to decide what I thought and t that end I held back seeing what the better and more artistic members of the forum had to say.

Having heard nothing I'm afraid that my comment is then to echo Ians - I like the concept, but they don't quite work they lack something of an etherial light in the figures and I'm left thinking that someone walked into your shot.

In the 1st shot if the figure had been more translucent and maybe someone more interesting looking then I can see the Idea working

I quite like the idea of the train shot, but not the reflections

Regards
Andy

[Guest]

Re: A trip to Lille

'fraid I'm with the concensus and again first time I couldn't put my finger on what troubled me.

I think it's because both the 'ethereal' figures have too solid a centre, it counteracts the feeling of motion and anchors them.

Never, intentionally tried this kind of shot so I can't advise how to resolve it. Hopefully one of our more adventurous members can.

I do like the idea and 'almost' like the result.

Sorry

Nick

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: A trip to Lille

In both of the first two there is the stationary Foot of the person that draws the attention far more than I want it to. I like the idea of the movement of the people against the stationary elements in the image. It's almost as if you have tried to capture the "minds eye" view in which while looking at something someone has walked into your line of sight and you don't actually register them as there and continue to look through them. If that's the effect your going for then a little longer shutter would have rendered them even more a blur and the result may well have been better.

Any images that are as different as these are always difficult to read and each of us will read into them a different "story". Often this is the best part of such images as they provoke thought and debate. Like many of your images they get us thinking and wondering which is really a great thing to have achieved.

Well done.

As for the third, this is entirely different where the stationary element in a reflection and the moving element is beyond the window. This is particularly well seen and something I have played with but failed to get anywhere near as good as this.

[JohnGG]

Re: A trip to Lille

Sorry Shirley, I don't know why I didn't see these

Of the original shots I prefer the first, particularly the colours of buildings and sky. I think it was unlucky that the passer-by was a little too close to you so has too much prominence in the composition. The second could have been great but the extraordinary way that trainer dominates the whole thing rather spoils it

I can't make my mind up about the third shot. I like the composition but the reflections are a little busy which can distract a little. On balance I rather like it

Cheers,

JohnGG

[Zuiko]

Re: A trip to Lille

Sorry Shirley, I'm getting lazy!

First image almost cracks it but for me the pedestrian's left leg is just a little too solid and lacking in movement in relation to the rest of her form. I've tried this type of shot myself and can vouch that it is very unpredictable and hard to get right, requiring either split second timing combined with an intuitive ability to anticipate or a very large measure of serendipity!

Second image I find hard to relate the moving subject to the background. I keep finding myself trying to establish what the exhibiton is, which undoubtably detracts from what you were trying to achieve and therefore doesn't work for me.

Third image is in a different league. Well observed, imaginative and creative, superimposing a sharp reflection on passing carriages that benefit from just the right amount of blur. The only improvement I'd make would be to tone down the extra-bright reflective strip immediately in front of the passenger's head. Great image, one for your panel maybe?

Cheers,

[shirley]

Re: A trip to Lille

Just about to go out but wanted to thank everybody for thier replies.
I must admit I do like no.1 but I now see exactly what people mean about the 'solid' leg - interesting isnt it - I didnt see that before.

I have mixed feelings about the passing trains - sometimes I look at it and like it other times I am not sure - definitely one to go back to.

I love all the constructive crititique on this site - it is so helpful.
Thanks

[photonutter]

Re: A trip to Lille

Not sure if this was something more like your intentions,

By selection the incandecent whithe balance, you should get a better colour hue, and the longer exposures to upclose moving objects create move blur and saturation.

[Ian]

Re: A trip to Lille

Not sure if this was something more like your intentions,

By selection the incandecent whithe balance, you should get a better colour hue, and the longer exposures to upclose moving objects create move blur and saturation.

There is a certain 'freshness' in this image that Shirley's lacked. It's more crisp.

But full marks to Shirley for trying new things!

Ian

[photonutter]

Re: A trip to Lille

Having had a closer look at exif, looks like the only difference is I've used a shorter length lens and been closer to the subject in motion, something to try for future maybe.

[shirley]

Re: A trip to Lille

Thanks for posting your image Photonutter. Not sure if yours was dawn or dusk, mine was dawn Surely it was worth getting up for

Anyway went back to the RAW files, the first one was cropped so I thought I would post the uncropped version and blur the solid leg, any further thoughts appreciated.




This one was taken at the same time without any people.

[Guest]

Re: A trip to Lille

I like the first one - the motion has started to happen and the lady no longer looks to be held in place by her feet, or dragged back by the trolley. Maybe a slight crop to the lhs just to remove the inside of the circle which doesn't feel to be a strong shape.

Without the motion - I'm not sure where the picture wants me to look.

Nick