I'm still not happy with these montages but.......

[Russinator]

Well, I'm calling it a day. I'm still not happy with these montages but [I think] they're better than my fist attempt. What do you all think? I welcome any suggestions - Russ

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1P3M5Ng4jvSzKM8hsx67K0WoQFyTb_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1P3M5Ng4jvSzKM8hsx67K0WoQFyTb)

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1hCKXy4LHLyY0xP7st0zrz9wMX6S651_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1hCKXy4LHLyY0xP7st0zrz9wMX6S651)

[Robyn]

Hi Russ, those waves look excellent.....great stuff.

You've asked for suggestions...so.....

I would vary the border line thickness so that the photos have a much thinner line around them than the outside border.......I think this would draw the eye into the image a bit more. Maybe even play with making the border around the pics a different colour from the outside border and a drop shadow behind the pics........but I like what you've done anyway, especially the bottom image.....great colours.

[Russinator]

Robyn, thanks for the suggestion. After reading your post, I took another look at the montage and I agree with you about the thinkness and the color. I'll make thos changes in the morning. Thanks again - Russ

[apasskey]

Hi Russ. Those photos make me feel cool just looking at them!! They are great!! - Did you put a drop shadow on each one? I couldn't really tell. I agree with Robyn about the frame sizes. All the critique aside - they are really wonderful photos!!!

PS - I love your SD Lake photos - they are gorgeous!!

[kevq]

Russ,
I agree with Robyn. I think the borders around the images would be better made thinner and in a colour more in keeping with the overall colours of the montage. Would humbly suggest that you pick a colour using the colour picker, from one of your photos. Make it dark enough to stand out but not so dark that it overpowers the photos. Also I don't think the font is right for the montage. Try something simpler and easy to read.
I think that the layout of the montage is great and with a few alterations it would be superb.
Kev

[Russinator]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions [I was hoping to get several suggestions]. I just got home from the beach, I'm tired, sunburnt and, the room where I do the pictures, is like an oven in the afternoon [sunny side of the house]. In the morning, it will cool in there and I will make the changes that were recommended. In the afternoon, if I need to check email or reply to you guys, I use the laptop [in the cool part of the house]. Thanks again for the help, I'll get back to you with the changes as soon as they're done - Russ

[ThomasT]

Hey Russ I love your photos first of all they look very good. Just letting you know.. On the Montage, I do agree with Robyn. I also agree with Kev's Idea too. Another thing I would do is if you have a simple wave shot with no surfer on it to use that as a background behind the images and just lower the opacity.. It would add a edge to the photo and also draw attention to it.. The What seems like white sky and clouds doesn't fit that well with surfing.

Again I love your photos I am a Kiteboarding Photographer and I want to do surf photography... Do you use a waterproof housing in your shots or are you just on land... But again the shots look greattt I love your site too.

Thomas

[Russinator]

This morning I made the changes that were suggested. That is, if I understood them correctly. The picture on top is after the changes. Do you like it better this way? What else might I do? As you might guess, I can't picture what would be better and what's not.

Thomas asked about my camera equipment. The pictures in this montage were taken with a Nikon 35mm camera. All of them are me, taken by different people. The top picture was taken from my boat at a hard to get to place [Cojo Point]. Cojo is one of the spots at the Hollister/Bixby Ranch [a few miles south of Point Conception]. I used to have a water housing for the Nikon, some of the pictures I took with that set up can be viewed here http://www.therussinator.com/LarrySurfing/ [Larry's my son]. That Nikon died a few years ago. Now days I use a digital camera with a 12x optical zoom. It's not great but it does a fair job. I'm thinking about an
upgrade [to a better digital camera].

Russ

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1NgHOw7cHul1iWp9lh57oZOLqGcLrI1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1NgHOw7cHul1iWp9lh57oZOLqGcLrI1)

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1hCKXy4LHLyY0xP7st0zrz9wMX6S651_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1hCKXy4LHLyY0xP7st0zrz9wMX6S651)

[Robyn]

Russ......I'd actually prefer your original image. I don't like the grey background, I don't think that it does anything for the image at all. Personally, I like the font that you have chosen.

Hope you don't mind but I've taken the liberty of doing this........

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1QdU0h3FxtkkOl53yEo0RnZJTDr26E1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1QdU0h3FxtkkOl53yEo0RnZJTDr26E1)

I've done this quickly, but this is more along the lines of what I was thinking. I've just slightly changed the lines and colour on the pics (the same as you have done on your top pic), added a slight drop shadow and the outside frame is one of Jodi's frame. You may well have other ideas. :)

EDIT: Just an after thought here.......if as Thomas has suggested white clouds and blue sky doesn't fit the image, you could put a photo tint on the background to change this look.

[ThomasT]

I agree with robyn there Russ. I have a Canon D20 that I use for Kiteboarding with a underwater housing.. I use a cheap one thats softcase..

But I love the pictures anywho!!

Good job,

Thomas

[Robyn]

Russ......here you go.......I've put a photo tint on the background and toned it down a bit, gives it a bit more contrast.......what do you think?

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1rORmijlDoglrlQtRAScjj9nJQ2Cd_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1rORmijlDoglrlQtRAScjj9nJQ2Cd)

[Robyn]

Russ..........you probably think I need to get a life.......but here's another suggestion for you.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1bgrlwnxh5kjHfVPJBFifKnBaTPni_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1bgrlwnxh5kjHfVPJBFifKnBaTPni)

or this one.......I've flipped the background layer horizontally to give it a bit better balance

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1ZOZ5oL47Ty3Je2lRWohSxdfbVCWad0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1ZOZ5oL47Ty3Je2lRWohSxdfbVCWad0)

[Russinator]

WOW ROBYN: THANKS FOR DOING THAT FOR ME.

I was at a dead end, I didn't know how to finish my project. Out of the four you did, my wife, and I, like the second one best [photo below]. You and other people on this forum are very talented. When I look at your and/or their work, I'm in awe. Someday I hope to become half as good. It's wonderful that they take time, like you did, to help others. Wouldn't it be great if that was the way the entire world treated others? Russ

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1rORmijlDoglrlQtRAScjj9nJQ2Cd_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1rORmijlDoglrlQtRAScjj9nJQ2Cd)