Leaderfoot Viaduct

Inspired by what, I thought, was a really elegant structure shown in JammyBee's thread link, I went up to get some pictures of Leaderfoot Viaduct.

What I need now, because I don't do landscapes, is you lot to tell me where I'm going wrong.

K3/Sigma24-70 @ 36mm f16 1/80 ISO100



K5IIs/Sigma10-20 @ 12mm f14 1/200 ISO100



K5IIs/Sigma10-20 @ 12mm f14 1/125 ISO100



K5IIs/Sigma10-20 @ 10mm f14 1/160 ISO100

I don't think you're going too far wrong Barrie, these shots look lovely. Colours are natural, compositions are pleasing to my eye.

There are a few minor suggestions I can make:

- In the first shot a move slightly to the right (if this was possible) would have been beneficial so that the river's right bank could be seen. Also this would have avoided cutting the right edge of the frame with the bridge support

- A very slight tilt to the right on the first shot and the opposite on the last shot, this is very minor

- I would crop some off the bottom of the third shot so that the line of the larger pebbles lines up with the bottom right corner of the image, the same in the second shot so the left edge of the road lines up with the bottom left corner

- A small lift to the shadows in the first image

As stated though these are lovely shots.

Regards
David

Just to add to David's thoughts, these have been taken in quite harsh light

Thanks David, this is the uncropped version of #1. I was not sure about having the bush in the corner?




I'm not sure what you mean for the crop of #3?

Since you pointed out the tilt in #1 and #4, I realise Light Room is correcting for the pillars to be vertical. However it is not coping with the fact they are tapered.

Alan, they were taken late afternoon but into the sun to avoid clutter behind me. I think it needs a morning trip to have the light coming from the best side

I'm no landscape expert Barrie but these look good to me. I particularly like the lone figure of the angler in the river in #1. If this is where I think it is that must be the River Tweed.
Were these taken when you went to the Edinburgh Fringe?
David

PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout

I like the perspective of #3

#1 has the awkward sliced right hand column and needs the vertical being vertical.

Personally I think some more interesting and original shots could be had be getting right up close or even underneath the viaduct.

Also I agree with Alan about the light. Much better to get there early morning or evening. Or even when the weather is stormy.

I like three best as it shows how the often inevitable large foreground a wide angle produces can give good effect and sense of depth.

As to the light I agree. I'm always wanting to revisit interesting places as I was there on holiday, at the wrong time of day/weather/year conditions. Equally how much do we annoy family/wives/friends on a walk when we've been standing ten minutes or more without the camera to our eye looking at the cloud over the sun to change position or shape?

Thanks David, and you are correct it is the Tweed, on the A68 just north of the Melrose junction. It would have made a good stop for the Fringe trip, but no, yesterday we had a ride up to Jedburgh.


Smeggy, I think there is scope for another trip to try again. I had hoped to be able to get onto the viaduct, which you could according to the internet. But I doubt the Health & Safty Guru has been out as it's all gated and locked now.

Thanks Bill. I had "The Girls" with me and as you say it makes you conscious of the time spent. I'll bet they are not so keen when I do the early morning start

Here you go Barrie, this is my suggested crop on the third image:




Regards
David

Very impressive subject there Barrie. I think I agre with the concensus that #3 is the standout shot, yet there is something I like more on #4, probably the shadow patterns and the way it includes the context of the valley.

Here's my take which is straightened and cropped a little plus the overall contrast reduced a bit as the light is a bit harsh for my eyes - I'm probably going to regret that as the images as posted on the forum look flatter than within my imaging software here.

Good images Barrie. Any criticism offered is as above with cropping and squareness.

My question; why such small apertures? Looking at the lenses used and apparent distance you shot from I would expect f/8 to be adequate to pull full DOF for these.

At times I do use a free basic DOF app on an iPod for certain shots. Such apps are probably available for smart phones as well.

Best regards

(Nokia 3310 owner/user)

Thanks David and Rob.

Gary, in answer to your question, the apertures are down to inexperience. The shots with the Sigma 10-20 where on a tripod so I thought given the good light and shutter speed the smaller the better. What would I have gained using something like f8?

Hi Barrie

Firstly - not a lot wrong with any of them that I can see - other than things you could not have influenced.

Really like the perspective on number 3 but looking at number 4 - couldn't help thinking this one may look good in b+w - so had a quick bash at it - hope you don't mind

Carl

Thanks Carl, that does look quite dramatic compared to the pastoral colour version.

Diffraction at small apertures will cost you image sharpness Barrie. I have taken shots at very small apertures just for the hell of it but I generally will stop and consider DOF for most situations.

The DOF of the 10-20mm at 12mm and at f/8 focus point at only 6M in front of the camera has a DOF of 0.7m to infinity. At f/5.6 (still at 6M focus point) it is 1m to infinity. Effectively so much DOF that at 10mm & f/4 if you focused on a subject at 2M the DOF is 0.7M to infinity.

Above figures from SetMyCamera, a free app for iPods/iPhones/iPads.

Best regards