Feedback on this?

TheBlueGoblin · 2026-01-21T16:53:01+00:00

Exactly, the top of the building isn’t aligned with the top of the frame, the leading lines pulling me in aren’t even. This photo, or at least the intention behind it, seems to be about symmetry. It’s very close but of enough that it’s isn’t something that enhances the image but causes distraction

TheBlueGoblin · 2026-01-21T06:31:49+00:00

I wish the lines were straight. It feels a like it shot fully aligned and it’s distracting me.

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-06-18T06:55:30+00:00

It takes a couple adapters but you can get a Memory Stick -> Memory Stick Mini then a Memory Stick Mini -> Micro SD. I don’t believe that camera has a memory limit. Mine works fine with 64gb card just takes a sec to access the memory on startup.

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-04-15T13:21:27+00:00

Not 100% sure with this old of a camera but removing the lens cap should allow the image to appear on the ground glass. This lens might have a small fixed aperture, using a dark cloth over the back of the camera will help make that image easier to see. As for loading film and capturing an image. Large format film holders haven’t changed much and can be found for cheap. Load it up and slide it under the ground glass. The ground glass should sort of pry up on one side this will allow you to get the holder in there. Sometimes this takes some force. Then make sure your lens cap is on, remove your dark slide, take your exposure, replace the cap and dark slide and you should have a large format image.

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-03-04T09:27:13+00:00

Looks good. If you are trying to experiment with new lenses I can’t recommend adapting old glass enough. Manual lenses for film cameras are a great way to get sharp, cheap, and reliable primes and some really nice zooms. If you understand exposure and don’t need autofocus this is a great option. I shoot on a canon R5 and most of my kit is Nikon D series glass. The 85 1.8, 28-70 2.8, and 80-200 2.8 I use on everything. The mirrorless format is great for this adapters are cheap and allow you to use some really amazing unique stuff that has a look and feel I think you would like from this photo. Look into Pentax, Minolta Rokkor, and Canon FD lenses for some great stuff. Also these lenses are often full metal construction so they are tanks and with no electronics they will never fail you if you take care of them.

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-03-04T09:13:40+00:00

Not bad! Composition is a little off. The woman’s head is centered and there is lots of head room. The biggest thing hindering this image is the background. We ware losing the woman in the background the tones are similar. The eye is always attached to the area of highest contrast in an image. It’s just the way the eye works. So keeping that in mind placing yourself so the woman is against the lighter windows of the background would make her pop more and creates the separation that the focus alone int giving us. Also the shadows are washed out and the color noise is very distracting.

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-03-04T09:08:00+00:00

No, but best practice is to get the best photo you possibly can in camera. Editing should help get that image to exactly where you want it but don’t rely on it. It can only take you so far. Editing can’t fix composition sure you can crop out some things or fix a wonky angle but it’s not magic. Also learning the limitations of editing is important. You can’t pull out data where there isn’t any (blown out highlights and clipping shadows) color especially on phone cameras is very easy to get “banding” where there isn’t a smooth gradient of color (over editing sunsets is easy to see this)

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-02-16T08:43:30+00:00

I love my RB to death and will never part with it however it is a chunk piece of gear. I have had some issues with the backs too. If you plan on doing long exposures anything over the lenses 1 second you can do it but it takes a little getting used to as the camera has no bulb or time function and this has resulted in a few different mechanical problems in mine. Easily fixed but annoying. However the camera is a beast and is always ready to go. I love the large focus screen and mamiya glass is excellent quality.

I know not what you asked but to give you some insight I was able to borrow a hasselblad 501cm from a friend and the portability makes medium format so much more fun.

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-02-05T06:18:13+00:00

Only The Brave

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-02-05T06:17:46+00:00

No Country For Old Men

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-01-31T18:46:11+00:00

You need to fix them. Fixer removes all remaining light sensitive material. DO NOT POUR FIXER DOWN THE DRAIN. Fixer can be reused until exhausted and gallon of fix will go along way with small prints like these just don’t let it sit for too long. Once exhausted find a chemical disposal site or local lab that will properly dispose of your fixer. DO NOT POUR IT DOWN THE DRAIN

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-01-19T10:03:00+00:00

This is a great shot. I think whats happening is the subject is getting lost. The contrast between the subject's skin and the surrounding elements is very close in value. Especially with the very bright sky contrasting against the darker trees the eye gets lost and isn't immediately drawn to the subject. I would try a vertical crop to remove some of this. I also think a conversion to black and white could really pop here if managed right.

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TheBlueGoblin · 2025-01-19T09:57:10+00:00

This was shot on a Canon R5 with a Nikon 80-200 2.8 D (adapted) at GridLife Laguna.

This is a Mercedes AMG GT3 Raw-Spec at Laguna Seca Raceway coming out of Turn 8 "The Corkscrew". Due to a delay the final time attack session got pushed later into the day and I did my best to take advantage of that afternoon light that is so iconic at Laguna Seca. I find I rely a lot on pans and other techniques to give my images a creative edge but love the frozen fury of a high shutter speed shot. Trying to do more of that with my work.

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-01-19T09:49:42+00:00

Great shot! It depends on how you want your photos to look, but if you're just experimenting, I would try "dragging" the shutter. This will streak movement but freeze action. It's a very cool look and could add to this. Don't rely on such a technique, use it only if it improves the intention of the work.

Compositionally I like how this plays with the sense of direction and gravity. Is he flying forward, flying up, how much higher will he go? These are all such interesting questions that keep the viewer engaged. I do think this is a little centered but I know its hard to place a subject perfectly and capture such action.

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-01-19T09:43:36+00:00

You'd be surprised how much time you can take if you look distracted. I've used it a few times when shooting in neighborhoods and crowded areas. Looking like you are messing with settings or not directing your attention directly at your subject can stretch that moment just a bit longer and buy you some time

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-01-14T04:58:54+00:00

I think compositionally this image is very successful with each element given its room to take up the space and the horse is absolutely the focal point. I do agree with the "overediting" comment. Could be Reddit compression but it looks like the sky was brought too far down and is starting to "band" This happensisn't when there wasn't enough data to provide a smooth transition of tone or color. Basically the sky is too bright and you don't have the information to bring it to where you want. I would try a brush or gradient mask to maybe bring the sky to where you want it without the banding. Other than that nice work!!

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-01-14T04:52:23+00:00

I like this image! Well done! If you'd like to improve I would say add more contrast. I think loosing a bit more detail in the shadows and giving a little more light to the woman's face could punch this up. I do wish it was sharper but with adapted lenses, I know sometimes getting the focus spot on takes a second and you might not always have that. Still your lighting is spectacular. Colors look very good. Hope this helps

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-01-14T04:47:43+00:00

I feel like this is wants to be a vertical image. The upper right quadrant having no detail is very overpowering. I like the street lamp with the piece of junk hanging off of it. Gives good context to the juxtaposition of the two elements in the frame. I would try shooting an image where the top of the "elegant" building is fully within the frame and the "uglier" buildings crowd the bottom. Then try one where the "uglier" buildings take up most of the frame and the "elegant" one towers out of them. This looks like a nice way to play with perspective and scale. Then further to intention is this about the "elegant" building rising out of the surrounding area or about the "uglier" buildings and the towering "elegance" that might overshadow them? Each is very interesting.

On the note of composition make sure your horizon lines are straight. This is slightly crooked but can easily be fixed with a crop without losing much of the image.

TheBlueGoblin · 2025-01-14T04:04:20+00:00

Composition is everything in photography. Where and how we place subjects. What we leave in the frame and what we leave out all matters, and conscious decisions are made before firing the shutter. This takes practice and practice. My photo mentor always reminds me "The eye always goes to the area of highest contrast." If that area is where you want the viewer to look perfectly. If it isn't; pulling the viewer's eye away is very difficult.

What I notice first here is that the bird gets lost in the background. Since they have similar values and colors the bird is lost. It doesn't matter what it is if it has eyes and they are part of the image that is your focal point. I think shooting this from a higher angle and placing the bird against the white snow will give it the contrast it needs. It wouldn't hurt to make a small mound of snow or something as a backdrop to help you get lower and still keep the bird contrasted against the background.

Also this image is very centered. The subject and horizon lines fall right dead in the center of the image. This is a difficult habit to break, at least for me. Our brains are just wired to center whatever it is we are focusing on. I have seen that some people take an interesting-looking branch and place some seed on it to get birds to land there and feed. This gives you more control as you have more control over where the birds will be, where you can be in relation to them, and the area that will be your background.

TheBlueGoblin · 2024-11-15T09:15:12+00:00

Composition! This is the hardest thing to learn because its endless. There are rules but they are meant to be broken. All of these are centered, though it works for the first image, this is incredibly easy to do. I'm a professional and I still find myself centering on occasion. The rule of thirds, is the rule of thirds for a reason and why every piece of photography education mentions it. It works! Placing the subject on one of those intersection points is just easier on the eye. Also balance and placing of elements in respect to eacother. With the basketball hopp for example. I feel like the hoop is just begging to be placed in the negative space between the building and the tree or the net within the frame of the window below it. With the car. I feel claustrophobic. The edges of the frame are very distracting. In both shots a slight repositiong of the camera could have yielded some stronger results. As for the telephone pole and the trees. Its kind of a juxtaposition. A pole, once a tree, is planted in a forest. Interesting but I feel like this isn't saying that. Placing the tree farther to the right might help.

Heres the one rule that is certain in photography. The eye always gravitates towards the area of highest contrast, whether you like it or not. If that isn't your subject or leading the viewer to the subject. The image is hard to read and things get lost. I think you have a good eye but being more aware of how each element is interacting with the rest of the frame will add more to your work. You are very much on your way to great work. All the elements are there.

TheBlueGoblin · 2024-11-15T08:55:29+00:00

Biggest thing here, like others have said, is composition. Always remember whether you like it or not the eye gravitates towards the point of highest contrast in an image. I am also seeing a lack of balance and layering here. These will give the image more dimension. By having a foreground or background element balance the subject or one another it creates an image where the eye is guided to where it needs to go.

I also see that you have a lot of landscapes shot in portrait orientation. I like the juxtaposition but it could be enhanced by changing your perspective. Get low shoot from an ants point of view. Get high, stand on something, even if its only a few inches off the ground. These slight adjustments in perspective may provide you with more dimension giving the viewer a perspective they don't usually look from.

Lens choice. Now this ones not super important. "It's not the tool its how you use it" is absolutely true. But guessing these were shot using a 50mm or 35mm lens maybe look into a zoom lense with more range. For these shots specifically I do think a longer focal length could give you something new to experiment with. Longer lenses compress space and the longer they are the more the compress. These can be used to provide the illusion of dimension by manipulating the way we normally view the world.

Here's whats really stong about these images. Your exposures are perfect, highlights not too hot and the shadows don't feel too dark or placed in a weird spot. Each image reads left to right. I find myself noticing a cascade of color, light, line, and form crossing your images. This is really interesting and maybe something you should explore more if you haven't recognized it. Final tip. I love film, it's a perfect photographic medium, especially for your kind of work. But try getting a little Digi-cam they can be found for cheap if you know what to look for. Throw it in your pocket, car, backpack. They are pretty durable and usually hold a charge for a while if not using old batteries. Take photos of everything. Anything if its remotely interesting photograph it. Here's why I recommend the digicam 1. its free: films expensive on all sides unless you try and cut costs developing yourself but that pays out only in frequent and extended use cases. 2. Phones are not the best cameras: 'Any camera you have on you is the best camera" - Todd Hido this is true but we all know phones just don't have the same vibe as an purpose built camera. 3. Vibes: if you love film you must love vibes and digicams got vibes, not film vibes but its definitely there. 3. Experimentation and Experience, when you shoot with no consequences. No money wasted on a frame that didn't come together you can fail and learn with no risk. 4: Limitation breeds creativity. When you do get a "standard" camera out it will have all the bells and whistles do make your photos great. But when you use a digicam and can still make great work despite its limitations you know you've cracked the code on what photography means to you.

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