Spotting Review From Dec 30 @ LGA

[T-Bird76]

Well after going to work for an hour on the 30th my boss said for me to go home and enjoy my New Years holiday a bit early. So Phil and I meet up at the World's Fair Marina for some spotting. Like the other day at JFK the light was just perfect. Here's some highlights of the day. Hope you enjoy

[PhilDernerJr]

Tommy, your photography has come a long way. Those shots look wonderfully crisp and sharp. Especially proud of you on the larger-than-1024 DL 763.

[IslipWN]

did you happen to get a pic of the song 757 at around 11:20 am or were you there later?

[PhilDernerJr]

Joe, I have pics of it. Tommy wasn't with me at the time.

N698DL

[jakbar]

Tommy, nice shots! You've been lucky with the great weather and sunlight. In case you also want some constructive critique, some, but not all, of the shots look a tad oversharpened to me (particularly the Retrojet picture).

Josh

[Futterman]

Great shots, Tommy! We may have to rename Phil's shoreline some day. :)

As far as critique is concerned, I agree with Josh to a certain extent. I will also say, though, that a few of your shots look very dark on the belly and under the wings (particularly the jetBlue, Astrojet, ATA, and one or two US Airways). Are you using autolevels or autocontrast in Photoshop?

Brian

[PhilDernerJr]

Actualy, I do agree about the sharpening on some of them. However, the dark dottom issue is just because the sun was higher than it looks.

[Futterman]

However, the dark dottom issue is just because the sun was higher than it looks.

That may be true, but it's still dark. Perhaps a quick re-edit from scratch with careful adjustments to levels and contrast will bring out some of the detail. The Shadow/Highlight tool is also great for that kind of work.

Brian

[PhilDernerJr]

Well, when talking about the natural effectsof the photograph, he did nothing wrong. I don't see what you mean about levels though. That's a job for dodge, not levels.

[jakbar]

the dark dottom issue is just because the sun was higher than it looks.

That's true, but it's not an "excuse" for a photo with overly high contrast. Contrast-y photos can be fixed properly in Photoshop, but auto-anything is not the solution unless properly used in conjunction with other tools.

[PhilDernerJr]

Yeah. I use Fade to correct the harsh job that certain "auto's" do.

[jakbar]

I don't see what you mean about levels though. That's a job for dodge, not levels.

When you're talking about the entire underside of a plane, the dodge tool is, IMO, an inferior replacement for the proper application of curves, and, to a lesser extent, the shadows/highlights tool. Rather, I would use the dodge tool if I wanted to gently lighten the dark fanblades on an engine, or a set of tires, etc.

[jakbar]

Yeah. I use Fade to correct the harsh job that certain "auto's" do.

I'd like to believe that anything done with the "auto" tools can be done manually -- i.e., better -- if you know how to do it properly. The only time I ever use the auto tools is when I just can't get the color right with levels, and I use auto-color but then fade by like 50-75%.

[Futterman]

I agree with lawyer Josh.

I'd also like to know Tommy's workflow for these shots...personally, I don't use auto-anything, as there are other tools in Photoshop that can adjust contrast and colors to a much more accurate and precise extent. I find it hard to believe that the aircraft in these shots should be pitch black under the wings...

[PhilDernerJr]

Tommy's workflow is mentioned in anther recent thread somewhere.

I've been pleased with Auto-Levels and a Fade of 50 in most photos, although a manual applicaiton is necessary for certain shots for me.