[ray]

Ive been practicing getting rid of those blown out skies can i have some critique please...Ray

[JMitchell]

Looks better Ray but now the bottom is clearly lighter than the top and it looks a bit weird. Dunno Also, the sky seems to have a sort of magenta cast, not certain what might have caused that.
Not being very helpful am I Sorry

[ray]

Originally Posted by JMitchell

Looks better Ray but now the bottom is clearly lighter than the top and it looks a bit weird. Dunno Also, the sky seems to have a sort of magenta cast, not certain what might have caused that.
Not being very helpful am I Sorry

Could the cast on the sky be my ND grad filter

[water]

Originally Posted by ray

Could the cast on the sky be my ND grad filter

It may not be as 'neutral' as you'd like,it is a possibility.There are no blown highlights lower down in the sky Ray so what exactly is it you are doing here because with accurate exposure most 'normal' contrast scenes like this do not 'require' a ND filter to be used.It should be quite a simple matter to tone down the sky in Photoshop with either a selection or just careful use of curves [those more adept at photoshop will have better ways of doing this]

[ray]

I Dont think i can ever be what you guys want me to be, im quite happy with my photo's
in no way am i having a go at you guy's its just that i am not going to get any better
you people are so good im out of my depth on a photography forum, so im going to bow out now thank you to everybody for your help...Ray

[Dabhand16]

Doing some recent research on filters, I've seen several references alleging that Cokin ND grad filters having a colour cast. Are your grads Cokin?

As said, it can be easily corrected, but might be worth trying a different brand of filter.

[water]

Originally Posted by ray

I Dont think i can ever be what you guys want me to be, im quite happy with my photo's
in no way am i having a go at you guy's its just that i am not going to get any better
you people are so good im out of my depth on a photography forum, so im going to bow out now thank you to everybody for your help...Ray

Ray,I am confused.You have posted some lovely shots on here so I cannot get my head round why you would feel "out of your depth on a photography forum".If I,in any way,have led to you to come to this view I will be mortified.Seriously.
We all 'feed' off each others views/ideas/suggestions.Photography is a tough hobby to do well,but at the end of the day,for me at least,it is just a hobby so perhaps it is I who should 'bow out'.

[P-E]

Stick with us Ray........I rarely venture out of Sheffield so I enjoy seeing your pictures from over the Pennines

[ray]

Thank you for the encouragement, i was feeling a bit low and i realise i acted in haste though i still think i will never get any better, but what the hell im enjoying myself

[Dabhand16]

Originally Posted by ray

I Dont think i can ever be what you guys want me to be, im quite happy with my photo's
in no way am i having a go at you guy's its just that i am not going to get any better
you people are so good im out of my depth on a photography forum, so im going to bow out now thank you to everybody for your help...Ray

Ray - I think you have missed the point here. Unless you are relying on earning a living from photography, it is ultimately something you do to suit yourself. That is the greatest thing about being an amateur. You say you are happy with your photos, and that is just fine

I think that members of any photographic forum will always make suggestions on things that would give improvements, and you have always indicated that you wanted to improve your shots too. Things like straight horizons and other advice to make improvements should not be thought of as us imposing 'standards' that you HAVE to achieve, just things that can be done to improve them. How many shots are posted here (by people of all standards) that have no suggestions on improvements? Not many!

On the other hand if you are happy with your photos, I have to question why you join a photographic forum, and ask for advice? Like golf, photography is not easy, in spite of the ads for compacts that would have you believe otherwise. I don't know how long you have been into photography, but it is not someting you can just 'do' after half a dozen lessons. I have been involved in photography for over 50 years and I'm still learning.

If you do not want to receive comments on your pictures, you can upload them into the members gallery and disable the comments.

I Dont think i can ever be what you guys want me to be

We don't want you to be anything, Ray. I think it is more what your expectations are. If you are prepared to give this hobby time, and take the comments in the light that they are offered, you will progress if you want to.

.

[Dabhand16]

Originally Posted by ray

Thank you for the encouragement, i was feeling a bit low and i realise i acted in haste though i still think i will never get any better, but what the hell im enjoying myself

That's the ticket

My last post obviously crossed your reply.

I'm so pleased to read this

Stick with it Ray - and don't get disheartened. Get that 40D out of the classifieds and spend the rest of your life enjoying trying to get the best from it - that is what my game plan is for the D300.

[ray]

Originally Posted by Dabhand16

That's the ticket

My last post obviously crossed your reply.

I'm so pleased to read this

Stick with it Ray - and don't get disheartened. Get that 40D out of the classifieds and spend the rest of your life enjoying trying to get the best from it - that is what my game plan is for the D300.

Thanks Graham, ive had a camera approx 18 months as i said im enjoying myself, but i do get frustrated at times, will you please delete that ad

[Dabhand16]

That's been done Ray.