[jacksonpt]

I've kinda of decided to use some of my own photography to do some decorating around the house - primarily in the basement (around our bar/pool table/home theater). I took a few pics last night, was wondering what you all though. I know there are some pretty good photographers on this site, so...

I like B&W stuff, and I know I need to work on the lighting and exposure some, but as a first try, I think these turned out pretty good. Any input?

 

[binary visions]

Very interesting pictures. The lighting is a great effect.

The third one... I don't know, it just doesn't have a subject. No part of the picture is in focus, save for a small part of the felt.

I think the depth of field could be deeper in all of them since you are relying on lighting to remove background objects. For instance, in the first one, if the felt were crisp all the way to the edge... You're starting to lose the edge of the "8" as well.

Very nice, though

 

[jacksonpt]

Very interesting pictures. The lighting is a great effect.

The third one... I don't know, it just doesn't have a subject. No part of the picture is in focus, save for a small part of the felt.

I think the depth of field could be deeper in all of them since you are relying on lighting to remove background objects. For instance, in the first one, if the felt were crisp all the way to the edge... You're starting to lose the edge of the "8" as well.

Very nice, though

Thanks... I'll play with the aperature settings next time. I know my focus was off in the 3rd one - I'm using a point-and-shoot Sony digital camera that doesn't have a true manual mode, so I have to fight the camera sometimes.

I do have one other question. When it comes time to take the final shots and have them printed... should I take them in B&W mode (a setting on my camera), full color and have photoshop convert them to B&W, or take a full color pic to the print shop and have them print in in B&W?

 

[binary visions]

Thanks... I'll play with the aperature settings next time. I know my focus was off in the 3rd one - I'm using a point-and-shoot Sony digital camera that doesn't have a true manual mode, so I have to fight the camera sometimes.

I do have one other question. When it comes time to take the final shots and have them printed... should I take them in B&W mode (a setting on my camera), full color and have photoshop convert them to B&W, or take a full color pic to the print shop and have them print in in B&W?

I always take my shots in full color. I have noticed absolutely no difference between taking the shot in B&W and converting it to B&W in Photoshop. At least if I take it in color, I have the option of having a color photo if I want it. edit: Mine is a Sony DSC-F717

I don't work with print shops on my photos. I do everything myself in a photo editor. I'm sure the photo place will do fine work but I just want to do stuff myself. Good learning experience and all... It's pretty amazing what some careful work in Photoshop will do to a picture!

 

[jacksonpt]

I don't work with print shops on my photos. I do everything myself in a photo editor. I'm sure the photo place will do fine work but I just want to do stuff myself. Good learning experience and all... It's pretty amazing what some careful work in Photoshop will do to a picture!

I do all the touch-ups myself, I only take it to the print shop to be printed. Then I frame and matte it.

 

[Skookum]

i'm not a photographer but i once stayed at a motel 6 one time. i really felt cheap but i made her feel like a million bucks, but that's another story.
i like the third one the best. i dunno i guess i'm wierd, but it at least connotates some action of pool, other than pool being the subject. if that makes any sense. so i guess i'm totally opposited of Binary.
Y'know i once did an 8-ball break one-handed.... with a witness.... :dancing:

 

[jacksonpt]

This is the pic I really want to get, but I need to work on the exposure/aperature settings next time.

 

[pixelninja]

i like the third one the best. i dunno i guess i'm wierd, but it at least connotates some action of pool, other than pool being the subject.

The 3rd pic is the best IMO. It gives me the feeling of playing pool in some dark smokey hole-in-the-wall. Not every photograph has to be in focus. The softness of this image really lends to the feel. The first 2 are ok, but appear staged. The third pic has more of a spontanious feel to it, which I like.

 

[qualude]

Good composition on all the shots, your spacing and use of "empty" areas is very nice. The lighting is great, also. One thing that you can do to make shots like the 8-ball shot a little better in my opinion, just clean the ball off a little bit. The scratches will still show, but get rid of the chalk dust and fingerprint smudges. Also, as binary visions said, the DOF could be a bit better. I always shoot anything digital in color, and then convert in PS if I want to. It does make life easier, as "thinking" in black and white can be difficult sometimes.

 

[DHS]

This is the pic I really want to get, but I need to work on the exposure/aperature settings next time.

hrm, the que ball there looks like its killed several people.

 

[DHS]

oh, name of pic....

"the killing never stops"

 

[TN]

magic 8-ball says: i like the 1st one the best & agree that the cue ball should be spit shined or something.

 

[Toshi]

i like the first two, good thoughts there. it's almost always better to shoot in color. that way you can also use channel mixer to get different looking b&w conversions (like all red channel if you felt like it).

 

[JSB]

Hey, nice shots.

I like the 8 ball shot the best. I really like hte lighting and the shadow your getting.
The second pic I'm not that crazy about. The shadows don't look right to me for some reason. It's probably the stick, but the shadow on the chalk, and the ball look different which makes me think something was PSed. I'm no photo expert, but I like this one the least. The third one is okay, but I like the idea, and I think could be a really cool picture. I'd like to see more of the rack. The picture tends to lost in the dark some what. I like the softness up top, but if you could pull more reflection of light on the rack I think it would really pull together. Possibly giving some subject to the picture as binary visions had mentioned. Real nice shots though.

 

[rpk1988]

Try double exposing stuff. Sometimes if you get that right, it will look twice as better.

I like the eight ball the best too. The one under that of the cue kinda looks like the moon. Sweet pics.

 

[jacksonpt]

OK, I did some more shooting last night. I tried to retake a few of the shots from the other day. The retakes of the 8ball shot didn't turn out. I got a much better shot of the cue, cue ball, and chalk though, plus a couple of others that I like.

This one was pretty close, but needed some good cropping to really make it pop.

I didn't have the original here at work to play with, so I had to play with an already ps'ed version, so it's a little oversharpened and a bit over touched up in places, but you get the idea.

 

[narlus]

2nd one's a winner, mate. mat, frame and hang.

 

[binary visions]

Funny, I said that you should have a deeper DoF, but I actually like the first one with that shallower DoF this time... I think you got it spot-on - the cueball wasn't important to have in the focus area. I like it!

 

[JSB]

I love all three.
The retake of the cue ball, chalk, and stick looks perfect now.
The second shot looks great as well.
The third is exactly what I was thinking about the reflection on the racked balls, but the light needs to go. I see you took it away in the 4th, but I think taking the width out of the pic takes away from the pic. I like the light on the table contrasting with the shadowed balls. Would cutting the light out, but keeping the width not be something that would work. I'm not photo pro, so I don't know. they look great though.