Weathered Water

[LumenLux]

Weathered Water is a 5 minute excursion now on Beechbrook, open for comments.

[LumenLux]

Someone once told me that in some cultures, it is not polite to accept the first invitation. So with the many cultures covered in this fine forum, I hereby issue a second invitation for comments or observations. Many of you know me well enough to know I like to learn from everybody. Constructive or complaining criticisms or just plain opinions are appreciated.

[dpeterso]

I hereby issue a second invitation for comments or observations. Many of you know me well enough to know I like to learn from everybody. Constructive or complaining criticisms or just plain opinions are appreciated.

[LumenLux]

I hope I'm doing the right thing by giving you an honest opinion.

Dave

Of course you are doing the right thing Dave, thank you.

As you suggest, there are indeed many other shots that could, and will, be used in a more complete treatment of the very scenic area. However that show will most certainly be too long for many or most viewers. The idea to try the Weathered Water idea came about while working on the longer presentation of the actual experience. I was intrigued with trying to focus on the wide range of water character from the chocolate colored flash-flood water to the normal turquoise-green water. I had found so much interest in the relaxing pure water and in the relections, etc. in even the muddy water. As I wanted to explore some presentation ideas, I decided it best to test with this excerpt rather than possibly bog down the flow of the already in process longer show.

I personally think the posted show is adversely hit early with the less-than-perfect transition from the the muddy water slide. The muddy water photo had to be hand-held at near dark and pumped-up iso. Thus, not a clean image to start. And yes, your feeling on too long a "linger" is understood. Actually, the last slide is set to stay on screen forever, and the music actually plays again if one were in the mood to just "linger" to the music or mood.

From your appreciated observations, I think I may have ended up pursuing the idea for my own pleasure and training in pan & zoom etc, without really coming up with general "entertainment" or pleasing experience for others. The other thing it did for me was send me to the tutorials from Evans and Evans. Even though I thought I had made decent shows with Version 5 early Beta's a year and a half ago, I sometimes feel I have not progressed since then on some features. Maybe even gone backward.

Again, thank you Dave, and now after seeing your candid comments, maybe others may feel inclined to opine also.

[Barry Beckham]

Lument

This slide show has great potential and I do envy some of the locations that you guys visit. As I look at the images, I wish I could get there easily myself.

However, sorry about the however, but its better than using BUT

The quality of your images are suffering and I came away with the impression that you took all these shots hand held when they demanded a tripod. Yes, I know we don't/can't always have one with us, but then perhaps we shouldn't choose those images to include in a slide show.

If you want to use AV techniques like going from a filtered image to a sharp one, that sharp one, must be sharp. After all your drawing attention to it by using the technique.

I agree that the end image was on the screen so long I reached for the escape key too. What made you leave on screen quite so long, you were not waiting for the music to end I hope. You can easily edit the music using the free Audacity sound editor that most forum members use.

There is an expression that I think is a world wide one that goes. "First impressions count"

When starting a slide show that is not a bad sentiment to have in mind. Start with a little wow value and your audience may be hooked a little easier. You started with an overlong zoom, where I couldn't tell what I was looking at for a long time and the image was a litte dull too. Dull as in contrast/impact

You were also faced with some very extreme contrasts and you need some editing skills to balance those up a little and then the whole show will come together much better.

Your show is almost filling my entire screen 1280*1024, but these are landscape/waterscape shots and in my view they need to be seen in the format they came from your camera, or close to it.

The square shape of the 1280*1024 monitor is not good for landscapes, but I do notice that practically everyone uses this format. Perhaps the images where made for a lower resolution and were expanded to fit my monitor by PTE

I cannot be the only one who finds that using an almost square format does the exact opposite of what we want our slide show to do. That is to convey a mood, capture an audience interest and hold them for 3-4 minutes.

Hope that helps

[JudyKay]

Dear Mr. Lumen,

I really like your show. Alot. I have watched it 2x through and showed my family. Good job!

Sorry to be slow, I wish I could respond to all the wonderful shows, but I am often busy stirring up trouble somewhere else.

PHOTOGRAPHY/GRAPHICS ( FOUR Out of 5)

Really good. I love the reflections and Chocolate water. I would LOVE to linger in that place. I think your Linger theme works. Maybe all the pictures aren't world masterpieces, but several are outstanding, and all of them are very good. I think you captured something well worth sharing.

SOUNDTRACK (FIVE Out of 5)

Works for me...

TIMING (THREE Out of 5)

Timing is fine, but while lingering at the end I wasn't sure if I was at the end or if the computer hiccuped. I waited it out to the bitter end, and then the music restarted. I wasn't sure if something new was going to happen or not. The second time, I just chilled out and enjoyed it. Maybe something better could be done there.

But I have a question, was it my eyes or my monitor or did the picture kinda rise and fall in intensity? If so, I like it.

PTE MASTERY (FOUR Out of 5)

Personally I liked the extreme zoom effects. I felt all excited to see what was going to happen. The effects also made me look at the photos in interesting and new ways.

WATCHABILITY - Couldn't finish / Watched Once / Would watch again / Would watch many times

Extra Credit points because I liked it. THREE

OVERALL SCORE AND COMMENT (NINETEEN Out of 20)

I kinda agree with Dave about including more pictures from surrounding areas. I found my self wondering what else you saw around there.

jk

[Almark]

Lument,

As above, I found the pan/zooms to take much, much too long. The extreme zooms often resulted in pixelation of the image. Surely the purpose of creating a slideshow is to show off your images at their best. I found I hit the esc key before the last image.

I agree that the images have much potential. If you really feel that you have to pan and zoom then perhaps limiting the zooms to 10% + or - 100% would help. Otherwise I would suggest using simple and long fades. Also I think your music starts too abruptly, creating a short fade in or inserting some silence would help.

Clearly all of the above is just my humble opinion, I am no expert. So feel free to completely ignore it.