Some Stills - Commentary Please

[steen6673]

I'm just posting a few photos that I like. Any critical commentary is appreciated. I've been considering printing a few and selling at local art festivals, etc. Thanks!

Steen

 

[Mix_]

Great playing with orange - blue (orange - teal) colors in sky and on the ground or on the ground alone!

 

[steen6673]

Great playing with orange - blue (orange - teal) colors in sky and on the ground or on the ground alone!

Thanks! Do you think the colors are too garish? My wife likes them that way, but I'm concerned they look a little overdone.

 

[Mix_]

no, I just pionted out the good use of counter-colorwheel colors.

But, if that's what You're asking - those photos seems not very natural. But no one says, they should be.
The photography works, if you succeed to transfer feelings/mode/emotion, and not allways that means photorealismus.

 

[DRR]

Thanks! Do you think the colors are too garish? My wife likes them that way, but I'm concerned they look a little overdone.

I think they are much too overdone but I wonder if you have a clearance to fly at night. Its illegal in Australia. I wouldn't be putting these up anywhere in this country. Its stupid to post illegal images .

 

[Pharm]

Straighten the horizon in the images where it's crooked and move the horizon out of the center of the images. Nothing screams "amateur" like crooked or centered horizons. Other than that, beautiful!

 

[steen6673]

Great advice - I find it challenging to move the horizon since I can't tilt the camera any further back. Currently, I take 2 vertical exposures and stitch them in Lightroom. Unfortunately, I can't with these as I didn't think of that when I took them. I hate losing any of the sky or ground in these twilight shots. I do appreciate the critique. It only makes for better photos.

Concerning flying at night, I'm only a hobbyist in the US and it is a very gray area up for interpretation. But, due to the ignorance of most people, I don't post photos regularly and will take those down in a few days.

Thanks!
Steen

 

[Pharm]

Great advice - I find it challenging to move the horizon since I can't tilt the camera any further back. Currently, I take 2 vertical exposures and stitch them in Lightroom. Unfortunately, I can't with these as I didn't think of that when I took them. I hate losing any of the sky or ground in these twilight shots. I do appreciate the critique. It only makes for better photos.

Concerning flying at night, I'm only a hobbyist in the US and it is a very gray area up for interpretation. But, due to the ignorance of most people, I don't post photos regularly and will take those down in a few days.

Thanks!
Steen

You can crop them in Lightroom. Try to shoot them the way you want them but if you can't, crop them in post-production. Some of my best-selling stuff was cropped in Photoshop because for one reason or another, I couldn't crop them correctly at the time of shooting. Also, look up "rule of thirds".

In the image below, I was on a ladder and didn't have the lens I needed for the shot I wanted. If I got physically closer, her face would have been distorted so I shot it and cropped it closer.

Pretty Nutty Office Girl Stock Photo | Getty Images

Also notice the horizon placement (thirds) and the placement of the tree (thirds):

A tree in a field of grass with blue sky.

Sometimes the rules can be broken but you have to know when and how to break them and still have it work, like this image:

Half face shot of a pretty girl with silver earring.

These are not drone-related but to show the use of some of the basic "rules" of photography. Hope it helps.

Looking back, I do think some of your shots are a bit over saturated but not terribly so. Back off the saturation just a notch or so.

 

[DRR]

Great advice - I find it challenging to move the horizon since I can't tilt the camera any further back. Currently, I take 2 vertical exposures and stitch them in Lightroom. Unfortunately, I can't with these as I didn't think of that when I took them. I hate losing any of the sky or ground in these twilight shots. I do appreciate the critique. It only makes for better photos.

Concerning flying at night, I'm only a hobbyist in the US and it is a very gray area up for interpretation. But, due to the ignorance of most people, I don't post photos regularly and will take those down in a few days.

Thanks!
Steen

Flying at night a grey area? What planet are you living on? Its as simple as day and night. you are allowed up to 15 mins after sundown. Even us licensed pilots need approvals to shoot at night. Interpretation? Nighttime is dark. You are flying illegally and the photos have already been seen by a lot of people. You are too far for me to care but if you were in Australia, I would be one of the first to dob you in.

 

[phantomAlex]

You are very talented, I see your color saturation as one of the many styles out there, and if you like it, keep doing it, you will always have people like me that love it! Reminds me of a painting on a canvas or similar. Thank you for sharing! If asking is not a problem, how much would they go on the market for?

 

[steen6673]

PhantomAlex and Pharm, thank you very much. I absolutely love the constructive information and appreciation! I am always pleasantly surprised by the breadth of knowledge and discourse the internet allows. Alex, the pricing is a very good question. I tend to like the high gloss aluminum prints, but they are pricey to make. My over saturated colors also look well with high gloss under acrylic, but that is the same price. I'm looking at $70 with shipping for a wall mount 16x20 aluminum print. They look awesome though. I was thinking of asking $100 to $125. An 11x14 aluminum is only $47 shipped, and I was thinking $70ish for those. What do you think? I could do a lot less for a normal high gloss photo with matte, but they just don't have the pop. Obviously, I'm on the fence and can't decide if it is even worth it.

 

[DRR]

Great advice - I find it challenging to move the horizon since I can't tilt the camera any further back. Currently, I take 2 vertical exposures and stitch them in Lightroom. Unfortunately, I can't with these as I didn't think of that when I took them. I hate losing any of the sky or ground in these twilight shots. I do appreciate the critique. It only makes for better photos.

Concerning flying at night, I'm only a hobbyist in the US and it is a very gray area up for interpretation. But, due to the ignorance of most people, I don't post photos regularly and will take those down in a few days.

Thanks!
Steen

Im sure you realise that if you are going to sell them that is a commercial operation? You say you are not licensed to do that?

 

[Quadular]

Very nice, thank's for posting.......like what you are doing with the colors

 

[steen6673]

I will sell a very, very small amount at local art exhibitions (maybe even). I take photos for my enjoyment only and an occasional contest/display. My understanding based upon reading the rules and a phone call to FAA last year is that I am not a commercial operation if I sell an incidental photo and don't fly for "paying" customers. For example, I do enter photos in the county fair and every now and then sell one of those photos. This topic has been discussed many times here on PhantomPilots since the advent of the new rules. I posted here now more to see what people thought of my "over saturation" and to hear what some of the incredible photographers that post on the board think of my meager photos. But, who knows, if the stars align correctly I would love to have my real business run itself so I could get a commercial license and take photos all day. I guarantee if that happens, I will get my part 107.

 

[Helihover]

You need a 107 to sell aerial photos you took.

 

[steen6673]

Please take a look at the last paragraphs in this FAA letter concerning hobbyist photos. This is the impression I've always had. At this point, all I am thinking of doing is being able to let people who see my photos and really want them be able to purchase them. Alas, I'm not going to worry too much about an FAA infractions as I haven't sold any UAS photos yet, only traditional photography.
http://www.phantompilots.com/thread...an-be-used-commercially-after-part-107.96999/
[Help] Footage shot as hobbyist can be used commercially after part 107??

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...iams-AFS-80 - (2015) legal interpretation.pdf

 

[phantomAlex]

PhantomAlex and Pharm, thank you very much. I absolutely love the constructive information and appreciation! I am always pleasantly surprised by the breadth of knowledge and discourse the internet allows. Alex, the pricing is a very good question. I tend to like the high gloss aluminum prints, but they are pricey to make. My over saturated colors also look well with high gloss under acrylic, but that is the same price. I'm looking at $70 with shipping for a wall mount 16x20 aluminum print. They look awesome though. I was thinking of asking $100 to $125. An 11x14 aluminum is only $47 shipped, and I was thinking $70ish for those. What do you think? I could do a lot less for a normal high gloss photo with matte, but they just don't have the pop. Obviously, I'm on the fence and can't decide if it is even worth it.

Aluminum and high gloss, yes, that's definetly the way to go, keep that pop effect as you describe it! I think your prices are well balanced, considering the high cost to produce them. Please keep us all posted, your photography is stunning, thank you so much for sharing [emoji2]

 

[Ben01]

Im sure you realise that if you are going to sell them that is a commercial operation? You say you are not licensed to do that?

Geez calm your farm mate, 3 posts on this thread and all reek negativity.