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Welcome to Digital Doctor, the section where we critique reader's pics. If you'd to submit one of your pictures, check the rules below and email your images to digital@yaffa.com.au.

Here are the images and comments from the current issue of the mag. Click on a thumbnail to view a larger image and see the Doc's comments.

     



HOW TO ENTER
Simply send us an image with your name, the details of the camera used, and the photo title, and we'll give you our take on where you went wrong, where you went right, and what you can do to improve. The best image each issue will win a new camera.

RULES
• Only one entry per person
• Email all entries to with the words "Digital Doctor" in the subject line
• JPEG images only. Maximum file size is 4.0MB, maximum image dimensions 40 x 30cm at 300ppi
• The competition is open to Australian residents only
• Employees of Yaffa Publishing or the sponsor are not eligible to win the prize
• Only a selection of images will be published in the magazine and on the website
   
 
 
 



 

WINNER
Photographer: Thierry Rocchia


Title: Kangaroo Island Landscape
Camera: Panasonic Lumix LX-3 D100
Comment: Hi Thierry, I love the fact that you have captured a sense of movement with this image. It's difficult to do when you're shooting landscapes and I won't hold it against you that you've created the effect using Photoshop's Motion Blur filter.

One thing I think you could do to improve this image would be to change its aspect ratio. I think this scene works better as a horizontal or square image. To test it for yourself grab a couple of plain pieces of paper and place them top and bottom over the image to create a square. You can do the same thing in Photoshop with the Crop Tool - simply hold the Shift key as you drag to create a square composition.

The scene you've photographed has a lot of lateral movement but it is rather passive in a vertical composition. By making the image square you give the grass more room to move. Do you notice a difference in the feel of the image? Suddenly the picture appears to have much more energy.

Most of the photography I do is done with a conventional DSLR in the 35mm format, but I actually prefer working in the square format of my old Hasselblad 503. Perhaps someday someone will make an affordable 6cm x 6cm digital sensor for it - I hope so! I find it easier to compose with a square format, and I know many other photographers who feel the same.

Anyway, my advice for you would be to get out there and try creating the same effect again - this time try to do it all in camera with a slow shutter speed. Wait for a windy day and try a range of settings below 1/15s.

Happy shooting!

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Photographer: Alfred Knoll

Title:Sunrise at Dry Creek
Camera:Leica V-Lux1
Comment: There are many elements that go into making a good photograph and in this column we talk a lot about design, lighting and emotion. I like the design of this image and the way you have used the repeating element of the windmills to add a visual rhythm to the scene.

In this picture you have three repeating ideas working for you: the windmills, the grass along the leading edge of the composition (which is repeated again on the opposite side of the creek), and those four birds, which add a cute touch to the horizon line.

On the whole it works well but there is room for improvement. The first thing I noticed is that middle windmill, which is too close to the windmill on the right. Using the clone tool, I'd carefully move it left a fraction, just to provide some separation. (Don't forget to move the reflection in the water too.) The idea behind breaking up those two windmills is to improve the visual rhythm.

Now, assuming that you are working from the original file there is one more adjustment you could make. In the middle area of the picture there are hints of green trying to break through. What I would do is use the Shadow/Highlight command to bring some more green into the image. That should help complement those warm tones in the sky.

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Photographer: Matthew Dilosa

Title:Crocus Flowers
Comment: Hi Matthew, I like the black background in this shot. Because black adds absolutely no tonal or colour information it forces you to concentrate on the design and colour of the subject. This is the case in this image where we can really appreciate the subtleties of the mauve tones as they blend into the whites of the petals.

Sadly, two things let this image down for me. The first is the design. That middle flower is the only one in bloom but it's partially obscured by the flower on the left. All three flowers could do with some more space around them.

Then there's the lighting. If you squint at the image you will notice that the highest petal is also the brightest. Our eyes are always drawn to the lightest part of a picture and in this case that petal is taking our eyes away from the lower part of the image. You could darken the top petal using the Burn Tool in Photoshop but I would be inclined to reshoot. As a wild suggestion, have a go at lighting the image using a small LED torch and paint the flowers with light. If you put some black velvet or card around the torch you should be able to "snoot" the light so you can light detailed areas of the flower without the light being noticed by the camera.

You're on the right track but another visit to the florist is in order! Enjoy!

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Photographer: Leighton Sheedy

Title:Lily Stem
Camera:Nikon D80
Comment: There are some interesting colours here, Leighton, but the image could do with some more contrast. One very simple thing you could do to make the image look less flat would be to adjust the Levels setting.

Levels is often the first thing photographers check when they're editing an image. If you're using Photoshop Elements go to Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels . In the full version of Photoshop go to Image > Adjustments > Levels.

Most images look best when the two outer sliders meet the edges of the histogram. In your image, you can see that the histogram is touching the left (shadow) slider, so no change is required there. However, the right side of the histogram is well short of the right (highlight) slider. If you drag the right slider to the left so it meets the base of the histogram "mountain", you'll see the contrast of the image improve dramatically.

And if you hold the Alt/Option key on your keyboard as you drag the sliders, any areas of the image that are being clipped (overexposed) will show up in the image window.

If you are in any doubt about how much to adjust an image, duplicate the background layer and make your Levels adjustment to the new layer. Print the image on photo paper using the best quality settings and see how it looks on the page. If the effect is too strong, simply reduce the opacity of the top layer to suit.

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About Digital Photography + Design

Digital Photography + Design is Australia's top-selling digital photography magazine.
Available six times a year, the magazine delivers easy-to-follow image-editing tutorials, inspiring portfolios, and in-depth reviews of the latest gear.

Editor: James Ostinga

 
       
 
Published by Yaffa Publishing Group Pty Ltd 17-21 Bellevue Street Surry Hills NSW 2010.