Critique Required A Day At The Beach

[Rob MacKillop]

Nikon F4. 85mm 1.4D. XP2.

I'm not happy with any of my images from this morning's trip to Portobello Beach on the outskirts of Edinburgh. I relied on the camera's exposure meter, but feel it wasn't up to the job. Maybe it is, but I'm seeing something different. I can't help but feel disappointed with the whole batch. It was a freezing day, raining almost continuously, with the wind blowing invisible grains of sand at and around me. Little wonder, then, the camera had a hard time. Am I being unreasonable? I don't know if I had a "touch" before, but I do feel I've lost it.



1. Centre Isle:




2. The Stones:





3. The Bench





4. May The Forth Be With You I





5. May The Forth Be With You II





6. May The Forth Be With You III





7. Walking The Dog

 

[Pete Askew]

I like the panorama and I really like "May The Forth Be With You I" and I would prefer Centre Isle more without the sea defence. I like the gloomy feel of these and I think that works better with the simpler compositions. The patterns of the stones is very different and works well, especially if you exclude the sea.

Some days it just doesn't gel though but there are some reasonable shots here I think and there is damn fine shot hiding in Centre Isle I reckon.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Thanks, Pete. I can count on you to always find something positive to say. Reasonable is about right. The next time will be better!

 

[Brian Moore]

Stones and Center Isle! Both good uns. The whole set is interesting. The pano is really nice, too.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Thanks, Brian. I should shut up

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Thanks, Brian. I should shut up

Yes I agree with you here Rob, yet you chose a few good enquiring questions. I often put it down to expectations and myself have rarely found any form of expression too forefill those expectations unless I have none.
Getting back here,this set is in itself, is as a whole with your sentiments and images something that comes together as a whole, as being something very worthwhile and a reflection of your time spent that day. Gloomy though it may have been

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Cheers, Julian. Gloomy it was. Today we had blizzards of snow, and strong cold winds. Lovely! Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me...

 

[Ivar Dahl-Larsen]

I like the first, the second and the last and I have viewpoints as normally and as you use a film based camera and the weather is grey and gloomy, what do you expect. Film based cameras always measure 18 % grey and if you follow your meter reading as you say you did, now that's what you get. On your third shot, if the bench is in white colour, well it has turned a bit grey which did not have to be so! I am not being negative, you are the one using it You could have exposed for the ground only and the result may have turned as you envisioned! Which metering did you use? I once had spot metering on in my Canon F1 about to photograph some young ladies on a beach on a fine day, not realising that that's what I had. I do not have to tell you the result of that I recommend centre average metering on that camera and that you measure the light where you are to find 18% grey.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Thanks, Ivar. I'll think about that.

 

[Pete Askew]

I thought Edinburgh was always 18% grey!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

More like 90%...

 

[Douglas McMann]

No.5 for me...possibly because of the single breaking wave which I'm drawn to every time I look at the image...a good focus point.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Thanks Dougie. Yeah, it's not bad ;-)