Looking for input on potential postcards

[Buffalo]

Hi all,
We are going to create actual postcards out of some of these five images. I thought it might be interesting to get your input in terms of:
Which do you like the most
Which do not work
Which need some tweaking or would make them even better.

All these images are from our trip to Nepal and go with with our website, www.ekpadventures.com

I used a simple Cannon Rebel with a polarizing lens. Aside from some simple sharpening and contrast toning, only the middle shot of Meena in front of the mountain (red text) has received any substantial photoshop work.

These are works in progress of course, but your input would be appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[pudgy_groundhog]

Not sure if you are looking for feedback on the photos or postcard designs, but I will throw in my two cents on the photos:

1. I like the person in the photo - it adds visual interest and provides for a sense of scale - although the person is a little dark. I would try to lighten him so he stands out a little more. Overall the photo looks underexposed (happens often with scenes with a lot of white, you typically have to overexpose when you are taking the picture)
2. I like this photo. It's composed nicely so the trekkers form a line that leads the eyes to the mountain. If anything I would lighten the foreground a little and watch for oversharpening the rocks.
3. You said this photo had photoshop - what did you do? It's difficult conditions as the mountain is very bright and Meena is backlit - so no light on her face or front. She is very dark - you would need to lighten her. The mountain also looks really bright - like maybe some areas lost detail/are blown. In the future for a shot like this, I would try having the person turn around and do a silhouette shot - it's too difficult to expose properly to maintain detail in both the bright and dark areas.
4. I like the contrast of the dark blue sky and snowy mountain and I like the line of the mountain. Some areas in the snow look like the might have lost detail or are blown.
5. I'm guessing you chose this picture since the quote mentions the sun. As a set, I don't think this pictures goes as well - nothing marks it as Nepal and I think it's the weakest of the pictures. Composition wise it would be better if she was on the right hand side of the frame since she is looking to the left. As it is, her looking to the left leads your eye out of the frame.

Overall, nice set of pics! Looks like you had an awesome trip!

 

[JacobH]

I hope this helps:

1) I feel like the person in the first photo actually gives a false sense of scale. Aren't those ice pinnacles hundreds of feet tall? They look like moguls.

2) Really great, I don't think I have anything to add here. Might be a little "too much brown" but the focus is clearly the "horizon" and Pumori (correct mountain hopefully??). Sense of scale here is working well with the town in the distance and people getting progressively smaller and smaller... while the mountains are getting bigger

3) Something feels off with this one. Maybe you are going with B&W for the simplify theme, but then the red text becomes the focus for me. Detracting from your wife (of course I wouldn't know that if I didn't read this forum) and the mountain. Unless that is your intention. I guess it really all depends on what you're intention is, or if you're leaving it open for interpretation.

4) Great! Crooked, winding, steep mountain ridge that climbs to a blue so dark it might as well be space. Totally fits with the quote. I have no critique here, this is my fav.

5) The sunshine goes with the quote, but I feel maybe detracts from the image as a whole. It's beautiful, but unlike #4 I can't see where the person is going, i.e. the difficulty to overcome and the high mountain, etc. It's a nice pic but I don't think it's all working together that well.

I followed your blog(s) and I think your adventures are awesome! You've got a bunch of great pictures and stories. I hope my criticism is helpful and constructive, from an amateur standpoint.

 

[nartreb]

I didn't get much sleep last night, put your thick skin on.

1. I don't understand the quote and I can't figure out what the person in the photo is doing - searching for something under the boulder? As a photo it's got an interesting set of subjects, well composed, and a good exposure given the tough light, with a nice, natural white space for text at the top. With a different caption this could work.

2. My favorite photo and my favorite quote. Great match between quote and photo. Took me a minute to see the mountain on the horizon - perfect!

3. Red text and broken font are distracting and hard to read; quote is too long for a postcard. I'm not sure the quote matches the photo. The photo shows artifacts and lacks detail - it's my least favorite photo except for the sunshine one.

4. Stunning shot - probably works best at large size, not a postcard. I'd pick a different quote. For one thing, I've heard that Abbey quote a million times. For another, the trail in the photo does not look especially crooked or dangerous (or even lonesome - lots of people in the photo), nor does the mountain go into or above any clouds.

5. Agree with the others. The sun seems to be beating down on her, not lifting her up. Also, whose basket is that in the right of the photo?

 

[Buffalo]

Thanks everyone!

Pudgy - In photo three, I added some exposure around Meena to make her glow a little and brought her shape forward and tried (not terribly successfully) to bring out some features instead of just a dark form. You're right though, there just may be no good way to get this one right.
In photo five, I hadn't thought about her looking to the left, thanks for pointing that out!

Jacob - Yeah, that's me in the first photo and the pinnacles are about a quarter mile away believe it or not.
Photo two, yup that's Pumori.
Photo three, yeah I moved to black and white on purpose as the original photo was all blown out and messed up. But I liked the pose and the framing of her outline against the mountain so I tried to fix it. I think I overstepped with the font. I need to keep it simpler.

Nartreb - No worries about having a thick skin. I'm not looking for affirmation, I'm looking for critical eyes to help me become a better photographer, so thank you!
For photo one, that's me actually having to brace myself on the rock cause I was feeling the altitude, thus the quote about sacrificing boredom not being easy. But you may be right in that without context, what the subject (me) is doing could be interpreted outside of the quote.
Photo three - Broken text doe not work. This one needs the most work, see above. I was trying to salvage a crappy shot and it didn't work out too well.
Photo five - LOL about the basket. There was a woman selling oranges out of that basket off the side of the road. I guess I should have taken a picture of her!

Thanks for taking the time to do this, I really appreciate it!

 

[DougPaul]

Photo 3 is over sharpened. The halos are visible.

Doug

 

[NeoAkela]

Art is very subjective, so I dislike ever making critical remarks about the work of someone else. However, since you asked for honest feedback... from my experience, something like a postcard works best if it first grabs the viewer in the first few seconds. Photo two and four do that for me. However, only #2 gives me the secondary payoff of the message and photo meshing together once the card is inspected further. (#4 would have come closer if there had been some undercast or clouds in the picture, but even then I feel the wording is too long for a postcard).

So, for me - and this is very subjective - the second one is the only postcard I would buy. It is (to me) a perfect blend of superb photo and meaningful message. Not to say the others aren't good, just not my postcard cup-o-tea.

 

[Billy]

#2 is the winner for me. #4 comes in second place but it doesn't have the typical physical x-y dimensions of a postcard. I would decrease the font size of the text, let your nice photos do the talking. Dynamic range of #3 exceeds your digital rebel and the red text is tough to read. Also, because you're printing these small (postcards), watch out for sharpening....I've read that when making small prints, sharpening can/will appear overdone.

Overall, very nice, and cool idea.