Critique V Star in B&W

[cooldad]

Got to go to Blowing Rock, NC to walk around and saw this on the street. I thought it would be a nice B&W conversion.
Loaded to iPad Pro and converted to silver tone via LightRoom app.

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[Butlerkid]

It is an interesting emblem! However, the eye goes to the brightest part of the scene, which in this case is the brights in the middle of the frame. Did you try some other angles and compositions to focus just on the emblem and reflections and to minimize or change the bright background?

 

[Mike Buckley]

You might be able to solve the problem Karen mentioned partly by cropping tightly to a square or 4 x 5 format. You could also darken the bright tones in the background. If you decide not to crop, at least consider darkening the background.

I'm curious to know if you used a polarizer to control which parts of the metal displayed the reflections. If not and if you regularly photograph subjects with similar characteristics as this one, a polarizer will provide you immensely increased control.

 

[cooldad]

It is an interesting emblem! However, the eye goes to the brightest part of the scene, which in this case is the brights in the middle of the frame. Did you try some other angles and compositions to focus just on the emblem and reflections and to minimize or change the bright background?

This is true. I was trying to isolate the emblem with shallow DOF and didn't really pay attention to the background. I also tried to hurry because I could just envision some big burly biker coming out and yelling 'What are you doing to my bike!'

You might be able to solve the problem Karen mentioned partly by cropping tightly to a square or 4 x 5 format. You could also darken the bright tones in the background. If you decide not to crop, at least consider darkening the background.

I'm curious to know if you used a polarizer to control which parts of the metal displayed the reflections. If not and if you regularly photograph subjects with similar characteristics as this one, a polarizer will provide you immensely increased control.

I'll try darkening the background and see how that goes. I did have a polarizer on my lens but have yet to master its use.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Mike Buckley]

I did have a polarizer on my lens but have yet to master its use.

Did you turn the polarizer to the desired position? (My wife sometimes forgets to do that.) I ask because the reflection of the building works very nicely in my mind. Perhaps you got lucky; perhaps you're using the polarizer to greater effect than you're giving yourself credit for.

 

[Butlerkid]

BTW - most bikers are really nice folks! We used to own a big bike and I had my own Suzuki Intruder for a number of years! LOL!

Many would be flattered that you wanted a photo of their bike. Of course.......YMMV!

 

[cooldad]

Did you turn the polarizer to the desired position? (My wife sometimes forgets to do that.) I ask because the reflection of the building works very nicely in my mind. Perhaps you got lucky; perhaps you're using the polarizer to greater effect than you're giving yourself credit for.

I liked the reflections as well. There were some other shots where I tried to minimize reflections but I wasn't seeing the results I wanted to from rotating the polarizer. I do need to get out and practice with it more.

BTW - most bikers are really nice folks! We used to own a big bike and I had my own Suzuki Intruder for a number of years! LOL!

Many would be flattered that you wanted a photo of their bike. Of course.......YMMV!

Maybe I have just watched too many movies....

 

[Mike Buckley]

I tried to minimize reflections but I wasn't seeing the results I wanted to from rotating the polarizer.

My hunch is that your expectations might have been unrealistic. Keep in mind that the polarizer minimizes or eliminates the reflections only on one plane at a time. So, when photographing curved surfaces such as in this subject, the physics of light prevent you from minimizing or eliminating the reflection on the entire surface. A different part of the surface will be affected each time you turn the polarizer. That's because the plane that is affected changes when you turn the polarizer. Make sense?

Also remember that a polarizer has absolutely no affect on shiny surfaces of bare metal. Best to use it on painted metal, as in this photo.

 

[cooldad]

That makes sense. I also read that you have to be at a right angle to the sun as well. I tried to get glare off of some cars lined up in the street, the windows on the side of a building, that kind of thing.
Thanks for the info, Mike! I’ll try again this weekend!

 

[Mike Buckley]

I also read that you have to be at a right angle to the sun as well.

When using the polarizer to darken the blue part of the sky, the impact will be greatest when the lens is at a right angle to the sun and when the sun is barely above the horizon. The polarizer will impact the sky in less extreme situations, but not as much. When eliminating the reflection on other surfaces, it's all about the concept called the family of angles. If you want to learn all about that and how, when and why a polarizer works, buy any edition of Light: Science & Magic, including any of the old editions which can be bought very cheaply.

By the way, I was wrong when I mentioned that a polarizer has absolutely no effect when photographing shiny bare metal. If some of the light striking the surface is polarized, a polarizer will have some effect.

 

[Mike Buckley]

I should add that when photographing outdoors, my polarizer lives on my lens. Even on cloudy days, it will almost always minimize glare on something such as vegetation and man-made objects.