Short stroll across Amsterdam

[d67]

Hello

Here (Beechbrook.com site) you will find a recent, short, stroll across Amsterdam city center I did with my wife and son.

The first day was brightly sunny ... with violent light contrasts and the next day was misty and grey ... and very dark.

You will find numerous bending forward fronts and some tilting houses.

I am not always involved ... as these are normal situations due to architectural considerations (facilitation of house moving on the outside by reason of very narrow and steep staircases) or due to the nature of the ground (houses constructed on piles).

This slideshow is controlable : left mouse button = Pause / Resume and right mouse button = Next slide.

Image format is 1280/800 pixels

Comments, positive or negative, are, of course, welcome.

Have fun

Patrick

[Ken Cox]

PATRICK

another look at a different culture - i dont think we have ever had a glimpse of famous city quite like you have captured - great show !

but now I am cold after looking at the fog

ken

[dpeterso]

Hello

Here you will find a recent, short, stroll across Amsterdam city center I did with my wife and son.

The first day was brightly sunny ... with violent light contrasts and the next day was misty and grey ... and very dark.

Comments, positive or negative, are, of course, welcome.

Have fun

Patrick

Hello Patrick ,

Let's begin with an overall impression: very nice! My wife and I both watched it and we both enjoyed it very much. I liked your description of the light on the first day as being "violent". Well said. Nevertheless, you did a masterful job with the exposures. I especially liked how you transitioned from the bright contrasty sun on the first day to the fog the following day. You expertly shifted the mood via the music and it, let's just say, it was special. My wife thought there wasn't enough time allowed for the pictures taken with the sun. There was a lot going on in the scenes and a little more time may have helped. However, I thought you were timing the slides with the beat of the music, which was a nice upbeat type tune. A nice touch may have been some closeup shots of the bicycles. Have you ever seen so many bicycles in a modern city? Impressive.

Overall, very enjoyable. I hope you take many more little trips and show us the world you see.

Reagrds,

Dave

[neil]

Thanks for that.

Liked the nice speedyness.

Then the slowdown.

I was never bored for a second, and you had some superb images there.

I will look forward to seeing more.

All the Best

Neil

[fh1805]

Patrick,

Thank you for posting this wonderful sequence of images taken in my favourite European city. I've visited Amsterdam twice, and you've made me feel that I want to go back for a third visit!

To me, your final image (of the windmills) was out of character to the rest of the sequence. But, of course, they are an iconic image of the Netherlands.

Your control of the pace of the sequence was excellent - and the mood of your music fitted the mood of the images perfectly.

I look forward to your next sequence with eager anticipation.

[xahu34]

Hello Patrick,

this is a slide show that I like very much, showing pictures of a town which I visited several time when I was much younger than today. Maybe it was a bit uncomfortable for you and your family, but the change of the weather (mood) was very good for your presentation. Regarding the music, you made a good choice. My impression is that in the first part the time intervals were chosen too short. On the first day the lighting conditions were very extreme, and regarding exposure, you did a very good job. The consequence of preserving the highlights (not being clipped) are rather dark shadows on several pictures. It might be possible to apply contrast masking techniques to obtain some more structure in the some of the shady areas. All in all a very good work.

Best regards

Xaver

Munich

[morturn]

Hi Patrick

Thanks for posting this show, which I did enjoy; in fact Amsterdam is now on my list of city visits.

I could see that you were trying to deal with some very busy high contrast shots, some of which o I found a little too dark in the shadow. I am not sure if you are a Photoshop user, if so I would prefer to have seen a little bit more detail in the shadows.

The misty shots were very good, and the change of music went equally well with them, giving a great change in the mood.

The show held my interest throughout and the length was just about right, overall very watchable.

Thanks again for posting

[d67]

Thank you very much for your comments.

Here answers to the questions :

For the high luminosities and violent contrasts, I take preferentialy my measures on the strong lightened zones, but, most of all, I take several photos, changing settings (over or under exposure) with the help of the image histogram, until I obtain a balanced photograph and a histogram curve with no lost of high or low lights.

For enhancing shadows details (Xaver, Morturn), I post processed the images but I had to limit the corrections not to flaten the whole photo contrast... and to retain what was our personal and immediate impression : we weared sun glasses and had to take them away from time to time.

If you strongly darken the room where you are running the sequence, you will see that there are a lot, easily viewed, details in the dark shadows.

End windmill : I agree with you Peter, but I didn't find a photo of Amsterdam that immediatly refers to this town, so I used the windmills (some are only 20 mins far away by car from the city center) !

I choosed short intervals (Dave, Xaver) between slides (manual control with the mouse is possible) in the first part of the sequence to hold on a sustained rythm... as we did this day to go from one area of the town to the other. The next day, the misty day, our visit rythm falled drastically down in complete accordance with the weather !

Once more, thank you very much for your helpfull comments.

Patrick

[Peter S]

Hi Patrick,

I also enjoyed your show. I spent a couple of years living in Den Haag and your images brought back good memories of visits to Amsterdam.

I agree with those who commented on the dark shadow areas and would have thought a bit of masking in Photoshop could have improved things a bit.

I had a bit of a smile at your comment "If you strongly darken the room where you are running the sequence, you will see that there are a lot, easily viewed, details in the dark shadows."

You don't want to change your screen resolution to watch Barry's shows but you want us to draw our curtains to watch yours mmm! :lol:

The misty scenes contrasted nicely with the bright sunny days and the music change was just right

Kind regards

Peter

[d67]

I had a bit of a smile at your comment "If you strongly darken the room where you are running the sequence, you will see that there are a lot, easily viewed, details in the dark shadows."

You don't want to change your screen resolution to watch Barry's shows but you want us to draw our curtains to watch yours mmm!

Hi Peter

I don't want you, or nobody else, to change something to your room

Due to the very great range of light, my possibilities to get a balanced image was very limited.

I tried to improve the shadows but the result was, from my point of view, not satisfying : flat contrast, artificial looking.

In fact, after my post treatment, the shadows are not so bad looking when viewed in a normal situation for image viewing : darkened room, no direct light source, screen well parametered, etc

... but, as the majority of us, I too don't match these goals,

... my screen stands just parallel to a window and I close my curtains very seldomly

Perhaps a pity but a fact

Patrick

[Barry Beckham]

Patrick

Sorry Patrick, but I found the images far too dark to be enjoyable and they are so easy to fix (if you have Photoshop) using Image > Adjustments > Shadow and Highlights. I did a screen grab of your first image and it came up fine in seconds.

I also didn't find the first piece of music very appropriate to the show. It was too futuristic and the images didn’t keep pace with it. It felt to me that the images should have been moving along at a faster pace given that music and with a faster transition.

The second part was much better, the misty appearance captured some mood and the music then worked in harmony with it. Too be honest it was like two separate slide shows.

However, the quality of the second batch of images could also do with some manipulation. They need to be adjusted with levels, while retaining the misty charm. Again, this is not difficult to do and it would lift the appeal of your sequence considerably.

As it is, it has limited appeal

[d67]

As it is, it has limited appeal

Barry, no problem and also very few manipulation to do : just select the exe file and hit the Suppr key... that's all !

[Barry Beckham]

I am sorry, but I dont fully understand

Barry, no problem and also very few manipulation to do : just select the exe file and hit the Suppr key... that's all !

[d67]

I am sorry, but I dont fully understand

Barry, no problem and also very few manipulation to do : just select the exe file and hit the Suppr key... that's all !

No problem considering the limited appeal of my sequence. Nobody is perfect

As for the the limited manipulations of all the slides you suggest me, you too will not have plenty to do with this slideshow : just select the exe file in your Windows explorer and then hit the Suppr key... that's all !

[Barry Beckham]

You sound upset by my comments and I am sorry if I have caused offense. I thought I offered some constructive comment offering solutions too, but perhaps this is why people prefer not to comment on slide shows posted.

There seems little point in making comment at all if it all has to be positive.

[xahu34]

Comments, positive or negative, are, of course, welcome.

Hello Patrick, reading through this thread, I would like to ask you if your statement really can be taken literally?

... and to retain what was our personal and immediate impression : we weared sun glasses and had to take them away from time to time.

Sorry, but this is not relevant for anyone else than you. Others will see the pictures just as they are!

I post processed the images but I had to limit the corrections not to flatten the whole photo contrast.

Using appropriate contrast masking, the problem can be solved. The easiest way is to use (as mentioned by bbdigital) "shadow/highlight" in Photoshop, keeping in mind that this particular PS-function tends to produce halos (In most cases I use my own workflow).

Best regards

Xaver

Munich

[d67]

You sound upset by my comments and I am sorry if I have caused offense. I thought I offered some constructive comment offering solutions too, but perhaps this is why people prefer not to comment on slide shows posted.

There seems little point in making comment at all if it all has to be positive

Don't worry Barry, your comments are very welcome and positive.

I deduce from your comments that in the first part, images "are far to dark" and that "the first piece of music isn't very appropriate to the show".

Above, the quality of the second batch of images is also not the best.

In conclusion, concerning this sequence, I am happy for you that you found the second piece of music good

In concordance with your feelings, I will take time to change every slide treatment, change the music, create 2 separate slideshows and also change there name to .... BB 1 and BB 2 ... perhaps more appropriate than Amsterdam

There seems little point in making comment at all if it all has to be positive

I fully agree with this remark.

Why waist your time ? I think you have better download and look at these slideshows .

Good night

Patrick

[xahu34]

... but perhaps this is why people prefer not to comment on slide shows posted.

No reason to give up,

As it is, it has limited appeal

but it seems to be possible to express comments in a more diplomatic way.

Best regards

Xaver

Munich

[d67]

d67 @ Mar 29 2008, 11:12 AM)

Comments, positive or negative, are, of course, welcome.

Hello Patrick, reading through this thread, I would like to ask you if your statement really can be taken literally?

Hi Xaver

Yes of course it can be, and I tooked notice of all comments, very likeable, judicious and positive, of B. Beckham to revisit in depth my sequence (images and music) about Amsterdam.

Here you will find my second trial.

As the first version, this slideshow is also controlable : left mouse button = Pause / Resume and right mouse button = Next slide.

Image format is 1280/800 pixels

Thank you again to Barry.

I hope this one is the good one.

[Barry Beckham]

Patrick

Well, what can I say? Your reply has either been lost in translation and I am misunderstanding your reply

or

I must have wronged you in a past life

If you don't agree with what people say, ignore their comments, that's what I do. Enough said I think.

[d67]

If you don't agree with what people say, ignore their comments, that's what I do. Enough said I think.

For me too

[dadou]

Always the same problem !!!!!!

Patrick : I said you that I loved your slide show ; I said you that it was for this good presentation of the contrast beetween these two ligths of these two days ; I think that doing harder the contrast of the first day and more smooth the one of the second day it is a good manner to show the variable weather of Amsterdam .

I know your usual manner to do photos and understand your idea in this slideshow ...

Barry is a good photographer also , I love very much his pictures ; but perhaps he did not understand your idea and thought only as a photographer seing your slideshow ....

Every one has his perception of a slideshow ...This one is not in the BB sensibility , but many others love it ! Perhaps the next will be more in his sensibility and not in the others one !!!

The perfection is not in our world !

In France , we say : it is difficult to be liked by everybody and his father ..

Sorry for my poor english ....

[Ronniebootwest]

The banter between D67 and Barry proves the point made a short while ago doesn't it? If folk do not want to read constructive criticism about thier work, then don't invite comments in the first place. I agree with Barry on this one, some work in photoshop would have improved the exposure of these imaged and made the whole slide show much easier to watch.

I mean no offence with these remarks!

Ron

[d67]

If folk do not want to read constructive criticism about thier work, then don't invite comments in the first place. I agree with Barry on this one, some work in photoshop would have improved the exposure of these imaged and made the whole slide show much easier to watch.

Sorry Ron but we are turning in a circle.

I asked for comments and as everybody, positive one are of course gratifying but l have the weakness to think that I learn more from negative one than from positive one.

I am clearly aware of the darkness of the shadows of the first part of the sequence and, if you take time, you will see that

- I explained two times in this thread why I did not correct this situation more (unreal aspect or flat contrasts) and

- I publicised this show in pinpointing my choices ("The first day was brightly sunny ... with violent light contrasts and the next day was misty and grey ... and very dark.").

So.. what can I say and explain more ?????

It is very easy to you to explain very subtil thoughts but absolutely not for me. I have to translate the best I can from french to english. Think about you doing the same in french !!!

I didn't want to make a catalog of photos about Amsterdam but wanted to show this town seen in two very opposite lightnings (bright and violent and grey and soft).

In an other post BB replied to my comment of one of his slideshow

"Yu should change resolution in my view to see what the author produced, if you don't like it hit the escape, but as an AV enthusuast you should resect what the author is trying to do and present.".

It is very funny to see that this assertion is only valid to that one who says it

That said, much can be said, but we are not speaking in a lounge, men to men, and eye in eyes ... so a little bit self-control is welcome.

Lacking humility, not sure some members can !

Regards

Patrick

[Ronniebootwest]

Patrick I have read your response and find that I now am understanding more of what you are trying to do. I am not in any way implying that you are not a very good photographer, I have taken the time to visit your space in 'PBase' and I just love some of your images that I found there - perfectly exposed and composed. I now understand what you were attempting to show us in Amsterdam, i.e. the dark versus the light.

I am going to look again at you slide show, maybe in a couple of days and I am sure that I will then see it in a different light!

I do not profess to be a professional photographer, just a keen ameteur so I hope that you will understand that I offer my comments in an open and friendly way.

Ron.