You don't need HDR on these James, for this type of subject I would concentrate more on the composition / exposure aspects and process them normally.

Tweak the contrast up a bit to give them more 'bite' and try some different angles if you shoot the same subjects again. There is nothing major that is wrong with the images you have posted here, but there are a few tweaks you could apply to give them more impact. For example, in the first and last (same original image) the wheels of the train cut the edge of the image frame, this could be given a little more space to make the composition more effective.

Hope this is helpful.

Regards
David

Where is Lincolnshire?

What are you looking for Dave? A4? A3? 6 inks? 4 inks?

I can recommend Epson printers in general, the ones with at least 6 inks are much better for photos. If you are into black and white prints though you will need to spend a lot more, as the cheaper inkjet printers are very poor at producing true black and white.

Regards
David

I agree with Doug and Smeggy. On a shoot like this it's more important to get the shots and ISO 800 to 1600, plus a bit of underexposure shouldn't cause you a problem if it helps to keep the shutter speed up. Despite this, the shots you've posted here are definitely worth keeping.

On my recent trip to Bempton Cliffs I was lucky with the weather and the light, but I was under-exposing by 1 stop to prevent whites burning out.

Regards
David

Cheers Barrie, I thought about this and left them in because I thought they were quite nice! I'll get rid next time.

Not any old Sparrow Stuey, but a Tree Sparrow!

Thank you for the comments!

Regards
David

Just checked the one with white splodges, I've uploaded the wrong file, this one was a working version while I was trying to reduce the exposure on the bird! Here's the correct one:




Regards
David

Hi Alan

Thanks for the feedback. Not sure about the white patches on number 6, I'll have to take a look at the original and figure this one out. I think you're right about 5, I wasn't sure how to present this one, it is pretty sharp so the eye would look OK with a bigger crop.

I think number 3 is a little blown on the whites, you are right.

Hi Nigel, thanks for the feedback. The scene setter isn't a grad, it's the effect of a polarising filter, this can be very pronounced at 12mm.

Settings used were mostly manual, there are a couple in AV mode with approx. -1 stop exposure adjustment to prevent the whites blowing out.

Regarding the last image, I do have a version with the DA*300 plus 1.4 TC, but after reviewing them I liked this one the best.

Regards
David

Love these Alistair, they are more imaginative than just the 'normal' street portraits. I too like the second one, the way you have put the point of focus on the artist's pad is superb.

Regards
David

Thanks to the votes from the PU Members, I spent a wonderful day yesterday at Bempton and in the surrounding area. The weather was great and the experience of seeing thousands of seabirds nesting on the cliffs at reasonably close quarters was fantastic. There were a few Puffins there, but unfortunately not within reach of any decent photos, so the majority of these shots are the majestic Gannets.

Please give your constructive feedback, I am not going to request comment on any particular aspects of these shots so please feel free to say exactly what you think. Most of the 'bird' shots are with the K-3 and DA*300, some with the 1.4 TC and some without. There are also some shots with the K-5IIs, Samsung D-Xenon 12-24 and Pentax DA*50-135. No names on these images because it seems to upset some people

1. K-5IIs, D-Xenon 12-24





2. K-3, DA*300





3. K-3, DA*300, Pentax 1.4 TC





4. K-3, DA*300





5. K-3, DA*300 (yes, I know I've cut the frame with this one but I still like it!)





6. K-3, DA*300, Pentax 1.4 TC





7. K-3, DA*300





8. K-3, DA*300, Pentax 1.4 TC





9. K-3, DA*300, Pentax 1.4 TC





10. K-5IIs, DA*50-135




Hope you enjoy.

Regards
David