All pictures shot with a cheapish tripod, and a Sony DSC P200 (a small point n shoot with some manual control), all are iso100.




<img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/boggysv/1sttry.jpg">


<img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/boggysv/2ndtry.jpg">







It's windy and I'm shooting with a long exposure. Stood behind the camera against the wind for the entire shot, but it still ends up like this. What can I do to solve it?

<img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/boggysv/3rdtry.jpg">


<img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/boggysv/4thtry.jpg">



and lastly this one, was trying to go for the "retro" look....failed quite bad I guess :(
<img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/boggysv/Untitled2.jpg">
Considering the pictures I've seen here, I think alot of you guys would regard my pics as "very unnatural"?

You could try putting the shutter on a timer/remote for the long exposure pictures... I dunno if you're doing that already or not, but camera shake at the begining of the shot might be robbing you of what would otherwise be a neat picture.

as for the last one, i think it still has some hope. if you want that "retro" kinda look....you can create a cross-processed look in PS.

not sure if this is what you're looking for...but look up "cross-processing". its a technique done when developing the photo where you intentionally process with the wrong chemicals (C41-E6)

<img src="http://images14.fotki.com/v389/photos/8/87136/332658/retro-vi.jpg">

As benfica mentioned, the colors really come alive. I think the lighting that hit that wall is perfect. I would try a few more compositions with that wall. Maybe move yourself and face the other direction rather than facing towards the grimm reaper. It really depends on what else falls into the frame and how the lighting works out...but give it a shot. I'd also crop out of the concrete ...maybe remove the top two inches of the image, which moves the focal point closer to the top left quadrant of the picture.

I like the second one as well, but I would try to darken the floor in photoshop. That light takes away from the eerie feel that the rest of the image has, and it also draws attention away from the column.

And the last one...I think you have a few problems with the "retro" look you were after. First, it mostly looks like water damaged books, and not age that has taken it's toll. Second, the books have "modern" titles on them. I'd probably look for some classic fiction instead. Third, the physical make up of the bindings doesn't say "retro" at all (well, except maybe the cloth-like binding on the third book from the left). To me it says...here's the junk I found when cleaning my basement. (don't mean to insult...that's just the blunt way of describing the message I'm reading from this picture). The light colored background really doesn't add much. I think some muted incandescent lighting on a mahogany bookself for example, might go with the theme a little better.

I create duplicate layers and adjusting the layer blending modes, use masks, layers with color fill, and varying opacity on those layers.
I have actions setup in PS, but there are some really good cross-processing actions out there for download.<ul><li><a href="http://www.biscaclothing.com/news/2006/07/cross_processing_in_photoshop_1.html">here's a tutorial.</a></li></ul>

RKA - I tried to darken the floor, but it seemd too unnatural, even for my taste. The pillar is just too bright :(
Will try again when I hae the time.

Regarding the books, they are not flood damaged, they are (at least) from 1978.


And the wall in pic 1 is no more there
&gt;:-(

some asswipe came and defaced it with his new "gangsta" artwork. Quite lame actually.