Photo a Day: Wherein You Read The OP, Like A Smart Person

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Medieval Medic: Sep 8, 2011

I figure I should start actually trying to get critique on my own rubbish photos.

For this one I really liked the curve that is kind of formed between the two parts of the building, the separation between the darkish building and the brightish sky, and the small men working up there. It is slightly blurry, but I am not quite sure if that works for or against the photo. On the downside, the uncropped picture made the contrast between building and sky so much more powerful and imposing, unfortunately no matter how I positioned myself while maintaining the curvature, there was a large billboard just off frame that ruined the feeling.

20140819 Edge_ by MedievalMedic, on Flickr

This one is interesting to me, because while the subject is kind of bland and boring, the way the bokeh affected the flowers & stems in the top left I can't explain but I REALLY love, to the point that I feel the photo is more about them than the foreground.

20140810 Yellow Flowers_ by MedievalMedic, on Flickr

# ? Aug 20, 2014 03:09

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# ? May 25, 2024 20:34

McMadCow: Jan 19, 2005; With our rifles and grenades and some help from God.

Medieval Medic posted:

I figure I should start actually trying to get critique on my own rubbish photos.

For this one I really liked the curve that is kind of formed between the two parts of the building, the separation between the darkish building and the brightish sky, and the small men working up there. It is slightly blurry, but I am not quite sure if that works for or against the photo. On the downside, the uncropped picture made the contrast between building and sky so much more powerful and imposing, unfortunately no matter how I positioned myself while maintaining the curvature, there was a large billboard just off frame that ruined the feeling.

20140819 Edge_ by MedievalMedic, on Flickr

This one is just a little too clever for my tastes. You're not really redefining the building by abstracting it in any way, and I'm not seeing it in a different context as a complete object. The light is nice and there's definitely potential here, but I think you're starting off a little too ambitious. It's a nice thumbnail, I will admit. It just doesn't hold up to close scrutiny.

Medieval Medic posted:

This one is interesting to me, because while the subject is kind of bland and boring, the way the bokeh affected the flowers & stems in the top left I can't explain but I REALLY love, to the point that I feel the photo is more about them than the foreground.

20140810 Yellow Flowers_ by MedievalMedic, on Flickr

No lighting, uninteresting composition, not a lot of success happening here. I would almost suggest that you apply some of your abstract thinking from your building shot to these flowers. I don't mean to sound discouraging by giving you conflicting critiques, but I feel like you're being unsuccessful in opposite directions. Going in close usually means you get to explore something in a way that isn't always apparent to the naked eye... have you done that here? I don't really think so. Keep on trying, don't get discouraged by negative jerks like me. Keep in mind, though, that making a photograph should be a special occasion, of something worthy of your attention. Treat your subject as such and it will be apparent in your work.

This one is a bit of a different direction for me, in response to some personal events in my life. I don't want to muddy things with my concept, but I'm hoping to get some thoughts on whether or not this grouping is at all compelling.

A Ghost of London by McMadCow, on Flickr

# ? Aug 20, 2014 04:48

iammeandsoareyou: Oct 27, 2007; Nothing to see here

McMadCow posted:

This one is just a little too clever for my tastes. You're not really redefining the building by abstracting it in any way, and I'm not seeing it in a different context as a complete object. The light is nice and there's definitely potential here, but I think you're starting off a little too ambitious. It's a nice thumbnail, I will admit. It just doesn't hold up to close scrutiny.

No lighting, uninteresting composition, not a lot of success happening here. I would almost suggest that you apply some of your abstract thinking from your building shot to these flowers. I don't mean to sound discouraging by giving you conflicting critiques, but I feel like you're being unsuccessful in opposite directions. Going in close usually means you get to explore something in a way that isn't always apparent to the naked eye... have you done that here? I don't really think so. Keep on trying, don't get discouraged by negative jerks like me. Keep in mind, though, that making a photograph should be a special occasion, of something worthy of your attention. Treat your subject as such and it will be apparent in your work.

This one is a bit of a different direction for me, in response to some personal events in my life. I don't want to muddy things with my concept, but I'm hoping to get some thoughts on whether or not this grouping is at all compelling.

A Ghost of London by McMadCow, on Flickr

Without the context of the concept I feel like the first image does not fit well with the second two. I do think the second and third image work well in the context of the title. Since you said this was inspired by personal events and you don't want to discuss the concept I won't speculate as to the significance of the person in the in the first two images, but if the theme is supposed to conveyed by a transition from sharpness to blur, I think the third image should be more out of focus than the second. To my eye they appear to be about the same from a focus standpoint. I would say my opinion might change as to whether the image is conveying what is supposed to in light of an artist's statement, as it does appear to be something that requires a bit of context to appreciate.

As for my offerings, these are shots I took at high noon with Tri-X 400 (Ilfosol 3 developer). These are mainly a part of a self teaching exercise to get myself to see things in black and white better, as well as to work with harsh light.

MLK BW by noonebutme2010, on Flickr

FTC Horse BW1 by noonebutme2010, on Flickr

FTC Horse BW by noonebutme2010, on Flickr

# ? Aug 20, 2014 20:02

whsa: Apr 24, 2008

Medieval Medic posted:

20140819 Edge_ by MedievalMedic, on Flickr

I enjoyed the geometry...I feel that's enough. The backwards 'S' through the row of lighter panes of the rear building that flow into the nearer one feel pleasing. I have no problem with the sharpness/blurriness, it looks like it's in mist. I'd actually like those guys to be gone, and the lights to be off inside the offices (good luck with that).

Go easy, I'm new to photography :]

house by whsa, on Flickr

I was trying to do something with the diagonal lines leading to the door. I don't think it worked. Black and white because of the terrible sky.

backbarrel by whsa, on Flickr

I liked the old 'stuff' inside the garage and the crooked 'almost symmetry'. The textures appealed too.

Have I taken two photos of nothing?

whsa fucked around with this message at 23:37 on Aug 21, 2014

# ? Aug 21, 2014 23:34

BANME.sh: Jan 23, 2008; What is this??
Are you some kind of hypnotist??; Grimey Drawer

whsa posted:

Have I taken two photos of nothing?

you might just fit in here

# ? Aug 21, 2014 23:38

David Pratt: Apr 21, 2001

whsa posted:

house by whsa, on Flickr

Foreground is underexposed. In Lightroom raise the "shadows", in an editor capable of editing curves, raise the left-hand part of the curve. Doing it this way rather than raising exposure will keep the detail you've got in the clouds.

# ? Aug 22, 2014 12:43

whsa: Apr 24, 2008

David Pratt posted:

Foreground is underexposed. In Lightroom raise the "shadows", in an editor capable of editing curves, raise the left-hand part of the curve. Doing it this way rather than raising exposure will keep the detail you've got in the clouds.

Thanks, I'm working with the raw files in RawTherapee. I'm not satisfied with what I'm getting, I was going for low key but maybe the shot just doesn't lend itself to it. Heading to the post thread for advice.

edit: it's much easier in lightroom, which is annoying because I want rawtherapee to be as good.

whsa fucked around with this message at 20:25 on Aug 23, 2014

# ? Aug 22, 2014 19:16

Popelmon: Jan 24, 2010; wow
so spin

Huxley posted:

Visitor by mattphilpott, on Flickr

I really like this one. It helps that the cat is looking at the camera too!

iammeandsoareyou posted:

FTC Horse BW by noonebutme2010, on Flickr

Love it!. I think the line with the upper body and the building behind it gives it a feel of movement that really works for the battle scene.

I had another go at my parent's garden with a macro lens (and my father's new cheap as poo poo Canon 70-250mm. Feels just like the nifty fity and the IQ is way better than I expected).

Four! Bugs by arnesander, on Flickr

I'm angry at myself that I hosed up the aperture on this one, the DOF is way too shallow. I still uploaded it because there are four bugs in it!

Bee on Pink by arnesander, on Flickr

And I hosed up the aperture again! I still like that you can see the pollen on the bee's hairs. ANd the color of the flower is pretty!

I can see myself in the eye of a loving frog!! by arnesander, on Flickr

Kind of a self portrait. You can see me. In the eye of a loving frog! (this is taken with the 70-250mm)

Popelmon fucked around with this message at 23:51 on Aug 23, 2014

# ? Aug 23, 2014 23:43

Primo Itch: Nov 4, 2006; I confessed a horrible secret for this account!

McMadCow posted:

This one is a bit of a different direction for me, in response to some personal events in my life. I don't want to muddy things with my concept, but I'm hoping to get some thoughts on whether or not this grouping is at all compelling.

A Ghost of London by McMadCow, on Flickr

I do think they blend well visually, with the bars on the top and bottom pictures, and the way you move from top to lower body and from right to left, but my main problem is that I, personally, don't get any sort of communication from them.

I think it looks really nice but being a conceptual image I don't get what you're trying to say with it (Might be just my ignorance with art thought). It might need a title or statement, as said previously, to shine some light on it's meaning.

# ? Aug 24, 2014 14:41

im an orange: Jun 24, 2005

Guys... I bought a Nikon D3200 and a 35 mm prime not too long ago. I have no idea what I'm doing but I want to get better.

DSC_0069 by banana_fishing, on Flickr

I feel like the quality of this photo is just not that great.

DSC_0306 by banana_fishing, on Flickr
Is this underexposed?

DSC_0095 by banana_fishing, on Flickr
The sky/background might be a little too bright.

Any and all critiques are welcomed.
Also, I've been editing my photos in iPhoto. Should I invest in something more intensive like Photoshop or is iPhoto OK for now?

# ? Aug 24, 2014 17:38

gbut: Mar 28, 2008; 😤I put the UN🇺🇳 in 🎊FUN🎉

im an orange posted:

Also, I've been editing my photos in iPhoto. Should I invest in something more intensive like Photoshop or is iPhoto OK for now?

Darktable is available for OSX and it's free. I also recently got a d5100 plus a 35mm DX lens and darktable seems like a nice tool for fiddling with NEF raw files while I'm learning to take pictures wit non-phone camera. It has a bit of a steep learning curve, but it's pretty powerful.

# ? Aug 24, 2014 18:07

TheJeffers: Jan 31, 2007

im an orange posted:

Guys... I bought a Nikon D3200 and a 35 mm prime not too long ago. I have no idea what I'm doing but I want to get better.

DSC_0069 by banana_fishing, on Flickr

I feel like the quality of this photo is just not that great.

OK, so it's not great. The critical question that you didn't answer for yourself is why it's not great. Let's do that.

First off, you canted the horizon. Unless you apply such a cant with obvious artistic intent, an angled horizon puts a photo in snapshot territory at best. At worst, viewers will judge the picture to be a failure straight away. Make sure to put "level horizon" on your mental pre-shot checklist and it'll become a habit with practice.

Second, the subject of the photo is unclear. I feel like the boy in the foreground is supposed to be the main subject of the picture, but you included so many other possible subjects that his primacy isn't clear. The groups of baskets in the middle distance are eye-catching, but they don't have a clear relationship with the boy or the bathers on the shoreline. The distant bathers also lack a clear relationship with the boy, and they're too distant and disarrayed to have a strong effect on the composition. If you can't answer the question of what the viewer is supposed to be looking at when you compose the picture, the eventual observers of the photo won't be able to figure it out, either. When confronted with an unclear composition like the one in this picture, most people will just give up.

Finally, the light in the picture isn't serving to emphasize any particular subject. The boy is interesting to look at because of the contrast between his dark skin and his bright clothing, as well as the contrast between the orange and blue on the clothing itself, but he's in shadow. My eye is drawn more toward the sunlit areas in the picture, but there's nothing in those sunlit areas to reward my exploration. There's a pretty shoreline, but this picture could be any of a billion forgettable pictures of pretty shorelines. My eye eventually finds its way to the boy's head because of its position between two shadowed areas, but there's no light on him to suggest further examination.

This picture could have been stronger had you committed to one primary subject and directed your efforts accordingly. You could have made the boy the only subject. That decision made, you could have gotten closer to him in order to fill the frame. You could have squatted or kneeled so that you were more on his level, taking the photo with a more interesting perspective. You could have waited for some better light so that the boy was literally illuminated as the primary subject of the picture. I don't mean to say that any of these options were guaranteed, since candids like this one are so often at the mercy of factors beyond anybody's control, but the variables in question could have converged in a way that made for a better picture. To get better as a photographer, you have to anticipate the moment when those convergences are going to happen.

quote:

DSC_0306 by banana_fishing, on Flickr
Is this underexposed?

It is, but the picture is obviously a scene at dusk, so it doesn't harm anything. A lighter exposure would have lessened the contrast between the darker buildings and the artificial lights scattered around the frame. If anything, I might have underexposed it even more to emphasize that contrast.

quote:

DSC_0095 by banana_fishing, on Flickr
The sky/background might be a little too bright.

I'm not bothered by the brightness of the sky. As before, the problem here is the lack of a clear subject. The couple on the left edge of the picture are lit in an interesting way, but they're not doing anything worthy of attention. The signpost near the center of the frame is strongly eye-catching, as graphic elements tend to be, but it's not really worthy of attention on its own, either.

That said, this picture comes closest to "working" for me of the three you posted. The couple on the left is balanced by the pair of teens talking in the right of the photo, and the orange/blue contrast of the teens' clothes is very eye-catching. I find my eye circling back and forth between the two, and the signpost is a good divisive element between them. At the very least, there's nothing in the photo that takes my eye out of the picture entirely.

I like this quote by Edward Weston: "To compose a subject well means no more than to see and present it in the strongest manner possible." Keep shooting, and be purposeful about seeing light and compositions.

# ? Aug 24, 2014 20:50

im an orange: Jun 24, 2005

TheJeffers posted:

OK, so it's not great. The critical question that you didn't answer for yourself is why it's not great. Let's do that.

First off, you canted the horizon. Unless you apply such a cant with obvious artistic intent, an angled horizon puts a photo in snapshot territory at best. At worst, viewers will judge the picture to be a failure straight away. Make sure to put "level horizon" on your mental pre-shot checklist and it'll become a habit with practice.

Second, the subject of the photo is unclear. I feel like the boy in the foreground is supposed to be the main subject of the picture, but you included so many other possible subjects that his primacy isn't clear. The groups of baskets in the middle distance are eye-catching, but they don't have a clear relationship with the boy or the bathers on the shoreline. The distant bathers also lack a clear relationship with the boy, and they're too distant and disarrayed to have a strong effect on the composition. If you can't answer the question of what the viewer is supposed to be looking at when you compose the picture, the eventual observers of the photo won't be able to figure it out, either. When confronted with an unclear composition like the one in this picture, most people will just give up.

Finally, the light in the picture isn't serving to emphasize any particular subject. The boy is interesting to look at because of the contrast between his dark skin and his bright clothing, as well as the contrast between the orange and blue on the clothing itself, but he's in shadow. My eye is drawn more toward the sunlit areas in the picture, but there's nothing in those sunlit areas to reward my exploration. There's a pretty shoreline, but this picture could be any of a billion forgettable pictures of pretty shorelines. My eye eventually finds its way to the boy's head because of its position between two shadowed areas, but there's no light on him to suggest further examination.

This picture could have been stronger had you committed to one primary subject and directed your efforts accordingly. You could have made the boy the only subject. That decision made, you could have gotten closer to him in order to fill the frame. You could have squatted or kneeled so that you were more on his level, taking the photo with a more interesting perspective. You could have waited for some better light so that the boy was literally illuminated as the primary subject of the picture. I don't mean to say that any of these options were guaranteed, since candids like this one are so often at the mercy of factors beyond anybody's control, but the variables in question could have converged in a way that made for a better picture. To get better as a photographer, you have to anticipate the moment when those convergences are going to happen.

It is, but the picture is obviously a scene at dusk, so it doesn't harm anything. A lighter exposure would have lessened the contrast between the darker buildings and the artificial lights scattered around the frame. If anything, I might have underexposed it even more to emphasize that contrast.

I'm not bothered by the brightness of the sky. As before, the problem here is the lack of a clear subject. The couple on the left edge of the picture are lit in an interesting way, but they're not doing anything worthy of attention. The signpost near the center of the frame is strongly eye-catching, as graphic elements tend to be, but it's not really worthy of attention on its own, either.

That said, this picture comes closest to "working" for me of the three you posted. The couple on the left is balanced by the pair of teens talking in the right of the photo, and the orange/blue contrast of the teens' clothes is very eye-catching. I find my eye circling back and forth between the two, and the signpost is a good divisive element between them. At the very least, there's nothing in the photo that takes my eye out of the picture entirely.

I like this quote by Edward Weston: "To compose a subject well means no more than to see and present it in the strongest manner possible." Keep shooting, and be purposeful about seeing light and compositions.

Very helpful critique. Thank you!

# ? Aug 25, 2014 03:12

totalnewbie: Nov 13, 2005; I was born and raised in China, lived in Japan, and now hold a US passport.

I am wrong in every way, all the damn time.

Ask me about my tattoos.

People in this thread recommended two different books about composition, one a more "artistic" book and the other a more "methodical" book.

I went with the more "methodical" book The Photographer's Eye and it was really, really helpful to me in learning the basics of photo composition.

I'm sure someone will chime in with the other book, but if you take the time to read, I'm sure, either one of them, it will improve your photos dramatically.

I like to think that when it comes to things like whitebalance, exposure, etc., shoot in RAW and you can correct in editing. But when it comes to composition, you've really got to get it pretty good the first time (or have a plan to crop already in mind, though it's dangerous to get into a habit of relying on cropping a photo to get the composition you actually want).

# ? Aug 25, 2014 15:53

TsarAleksi: Nov 24, 2004; What?

im an orange posted:

Guys... I bought a Nikon D3200 and a 35 mm prime not too long ago. I have no idea what I'm doing but I want to get better.

DSC_0095 by banana_fishing, on Flickr
The sky/background might be a little too bright.

I think the issue here is that there just isn't anything to catch the eye -- it's an interesting setting but not an interesting scene, if that makes any sense at all. A case like this can't really be a grab shot if there isn't anything going on, sometimes you have to wait around and watch for the right moment. The lighting isn't ideal either but it's not what's making this not work, to me anyway.

...

Haven't been shooting a lot lately, here's a few more interesting shots...

TsarAleksi fucked around with this message at 18:47 on Aug 25, 2014

# ? Aug 25, 2014 18:44

Musket: Mar 19, 2008

McMadCow posted:

This one is a bit of a different direction for me, in response to some personal events in my life. I don't want to muddy things with my concept, but I'm hoping to get some thoughts on whether or not this grouping is at all compelling.

A Ghost of London by McMadCow, on Flickr

Here is my honest feels about these Madcow. I like the grouping. Alot. You keep a lot of common elements flowing through each frame. From shared vertical elements to blurred subject matter. Its almost like your in some sort of foggy journey trying to get ones bearings. From the initial meeting, to conflict, to goodbye. Thats my take on this. I like it. Its very good.

# ? Aug 25, 2014 19:26

pootiebigwang: Jun 26, 2008

McMadCow posted:

This one is a bit of a different direction for me, in response to some personal events in my life. I don't want to muddy things with my concept, but I'm hoping to get some thoughts on whether or not this grouping is at all compelling.

A Ghost of London by McMadCow, on Flickr

I am really happy to see conceptual ideas posted in this thread for once as I generally find those critiques more compelling and fun than the standard "rule of thirds, fix your focus, change color here..." critiques that tend to populate this thread. These are very compelling. Here's my half baked idea and this might be further from what you were going for but it is what speaks to me. I get the sense of a relationship that has gone arise, this person was obviously important enough to be photographed but at this point they might be more of a memory than something that is concrete and physical in the narrator's life as of now. As our own memories are generally just glimpses of a moment and are very rarely so vivid. Even memories that I have that I know are so vivd still have characters whose faces I can no longer make out as time as gone by. So it feels almost like a fond farewell in a way, to a person that might have meant a lot at the time this was taken, but as life moves on becomes more and more of a memory and whose face just fades along with the memory leaving only the semblance of a human and not a particular face. Apologies for the stream of consciousness/word vomit but it is immediately what I thought of when I looked at the image. Overall I think it is very successful in its story telling and feel the images have a good sense of balance and flow to them where I am not looking at any particular image and wishing it was different or removed.

I have no idea if this is any way shape or form helps, but I have always really dug your work and I hope you pursue these conceptual ideas in the future.

# ? Aug 25, 2014 21:01

Arrgytehpirate: Oct 2, 2011; I posted my food for USPOL Thanksgiving!

I got a new camera - a Rebel t5i. I took it out to a local con to give it a test spin and complete a Photography class assignment. Here are the best 3 out of 114. Please critique and feel free to give advice and also guess which one my teacher like the best! Oh, they are all totally unedited, and if you're curious as to the specs used let me know. (Hint they are all 5.6 because I didn't know how to change my f-stop.) In an ideal world I wish the first photo had no one in the background but alas.

Arrgytehpirate fucked around with this message at 04:55 on Aug 26, 2014

# ? Aug 26, 2014 04:07

McMadCow: Jan 19, 2005; With our rifles and grenades and some help from God.

pootiebigwang posted:

Wow, you could have practically written my artist statement with that crit. Between what you and Musket had to say I feel like my idea must have made it through there somehow. Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed reaction!

I guess if there's one additional thing I could add to my own thoughts, is that I also intended these as a response to the importance of pictures when the real thing is no longer there. The subject is a person I photographed many times, but probably won't ever again. All of a sudden these three "misses" became so much more significant when my pile of pictures became finite. I figured I'd give them the appropriate treatment as a result.

# ? Aug 26, 2014 05:07

Musket: Mar 19, 2008

Arrgytehpirate posted:

I got a new camera - a Rebel t5i. I took it out to a local con to give it a test spin and complete a Photography class assignment. Here are the best 3 out of 114. Please critique and feel free to give advice and also guess which one my teacher like the best! Oh, they are all totally unedited, and if you're curious as to the specs used let me know. (Hint they are all 5.6 because I didn't know how to change my f-stop.) In an ideal world I wish the first photo had no one in the background but alas.

Shot 1:

Next time, wait. Ask your subject if they have a moment to stand behind a wall/background thats not cluttered or wait for when you have a clean background. You want to step back and maybe do a torso up shot or get in tighter for a better portrait. Could have also turned your camera horizontally for a better composition. Always Think about composition.

Shot 2:

Feels like its white balance is off. Again, a tighter crop by taking a half to full step forward or if you had a zoom, zooming in. Your teacher probably liked this one :snoop:

I find it boring and uninteresting.
Shot 3:

Too loose of a composition. Want to isolate her more from all that empty space on the left. Shame she didnt look at you when you took this. Engage your subject when taking their portrait. It also feels a tad underexposed.

RTFM of your T5i please. Start reading the post production thread, download the 30 day trial of Lightroom 5, or just get the Lightroom/Photoshop deal for 9.99USD a month. Take the time to learn to edit. Lightroom is pretty easy to learn. You could have taken about 2 mins per shot and have at least improved them a bit, especially with the crop tool and you could have fixed the white balance a bit to get the colors better.

Musket fucked around with this message at 05:50 on Aug 26, 2014

# ? Aug 26, 2014 05:15

McMadCow: Jan 19, 2005; With our rifles and grenades and some help from God.

Musket posted:

It also feels a tad overexposed.

You mean, under? Dark shadows over her eyes, muted colors, even the white of her top is pretty zone 6 imo. I'd say that's a stop low, which is to be expected from pointing a reflective meter at Caucasian skin.

# ? Aug 26, 2014 05:28

Musket: Mar 19, 2008

McMadCow posted:

You mean, under? Dark shadows over her eyes, muted colors, even the white of her top is pretty zone 6 imo. I'd say that's a stop low, which is to be expected from pointing a reflective meter at Caucasian skin.

Yea, I meant under. I am currently under the influence of fermented sugars.

# ? Aug 26, 2014 05:49

sw1gger: Sep 19, 2004; meowcakes

pootiebigwang posted:

I am really happy to see conceptual ideas posted in this thread for once as I generally find those critiques more compelling and fun than the standard "rule of thirds, fix your focus, change color here..." critiques that tend to populate this thread. These are very compelling. Here's my half baked idea and this might be further from what you were going for but it is what speaks to me. I get the sense of a relationship that has gone arise, this person was obviously important enough to be photographed but at this point they might be more of a memory than something that is concrete and physical in the narrator's life as of now. As our own memories are generally just glimpses of a moment and are very rarely so vivid. Even memories that I have that I know are so vivd still have characters whose faces I can no longer make out as time as gone by. So it feels almost like a fond farewell in a way, to a person that might have meant a lot at the time this was taken, but as life moves on becomes more and more of a memory and whose face just fades along with the memory leaving only the semblance of a human and not a particular face. Apologies for the stream of consciousness/word vomit but it is immediately what I thought of when I looked at the image. Overall I think it is very successful in its story telling and feel the images have a good sense of balance and flow to them where I am not looking at any particular image and wishing it was different or removed.

I have no idea if this is any way shape or form helps, but I have always really dug your work and I hope you pursue these conceptual ideas in the future.

Your explanation definitely makes me enjoy those photos more. If that was the photographer's intent, holy poo poo that's fantastic.

# ? Aug 26, 2014 22:46

sw1gger: Sep 19, 2004; meowcakes

TsarAleksi posted:

Haven't been shooting a lot lately, here's a few more interesting shots...

One:
I love the composition of this one the most. I'd like to maybe see the sky contain a bit more blue, but that could just be me. That said, I'd also try and bring back some details lost in the shadows, particularly the dark side of the lady's face.

Two:
The layers of depth are really nice in this. I'd probably experiment with either 1) removing the sun or 2) making it bigger

Three:
Okay at best for what it is. Removing the water bottle in the front would be a good first step.

# ? Aug 26, 2014 23:17

voodoorootbeer: Nov 8, 2004; We may have years, we may have hours, but sooner or later we push up flowers.

McMadCow posted:

I guess if there's one additional thing I could add to my own thoughts, is that I also intended these as a response to the importance of pictures when the real thing is no longer there. The subject is a person I photographed many times, but probably won't ever again. All of a sudden these three "misses" became so much more significant when my pile of pictures became finite. I figured I'd give them the appropriate treatment as a result.

...and now I want to re read Our Town

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:25

huhu: Feb 24, 2006

Arrgytehpirate posted:

I got a new camera - a Rebel t5i. I took it out to a local con to give it a test spin and complete a Photography class assignment. Here are the best 3 out of 114. Please critique and feel free to give advice and also guess which one my teacher like the best! Oh, they are all totally unedited, and if you're curious as to the specs used let me know. (Hint they are all 5.6 because I didn't know how to change my f-stop.) In an ideal world I wish the first photo had no one in the background but alas.

1st: What ISO did you shoot at? It's looking a bit grainy to me. I feel like the person behind the subject shouldn't be overlapping her head. As someone said before, and this also applies to the other two, better backgrounds would be a good improvement.

2nd: A shorter depth of field would make this look nicer. This sheet explains it pretty well:

As for me:

Panama 026 by esa_foto, on Flickr
I was trying to tell a bit of a story here. this was taken in an up and coming beach town in Panama that's still very rustic and simple and I thought this told that story. I just feel uninspired looking at it, maybe because I think it's awesome but it's really not. Should it have been in color?

Panama 045 by esa_foto, on Flickr
I got my butt out at sundown to shoot a picture. The clouds were too thick to get a shot of any warm colors that I was hoping for but I still got this. I feel like it's pleasing to the eye and has good contrast but it could use some sort of a foreground.

Panama 044 by esa_foto, on Flickr
This one, I'm pretty proud of. Let me have it for being so cocky.

huhu fucked around with this message at 16:21 on Aug 28, 2014

# ? Aug 28, 2014 16:16

whsa: Apr 24, 2008

totalnewbie posted:

People in this thread recommended two different books about composition, one a more "artistic" book and the other a more "methodical" book.

I went with the more "methodical" book The Photographer's Eye and it was really, really helpful to me in learning the basics of photo composition.

I'm sure someone will chime in with the other book, but if you take the time to read, I'm sure, either one of them, it will improve your photos dramatically.

I like to think that when it comes to things like whitebalance, exposure, etc., shoot in RAW and you can correct in editing. But when it comes to composition, you've really got to get it pretty good the first time (or have a plan to crop already in mind, though it's dangerous to get into a habit of relying on cropping a photo to get the composition you actually want).

I went for National Geographic Complete Photography which was decent for a beginner and The Nature of Photographs which wasn't straightforward and didn't offer much practical advice to a beginner but does contain beautiful photographs with some critique.

# ? Aug 28, 2014 17:07

sw1gger: Sep 19, 2004; meowcakes

huhu posted:

As for me:

Panama 026 by esa_foto, on Flickr
I was trying to tell a bit of a story here. this was taken in an up and coming beach town in Panama that's still very rustic and simple and I thought this told that story. I just feel uninspired looking at it, maybe because I think it's awesome but it's really not. Should it have been in color?

Panama 045 by esa_foto, on Flickr
I got my butt out at sundown to shoot a picture. The clouds were too thick to get a shot of any warm colors that I was hoping for but I still got this. I feel like it's pleasing to the eye and has good contrast but it could use some sort of a foreground.

Panama 044 by esa_foto, on Flickr
This one, I'm pretty proud of. Let me have it for being so cocky.

I like all three of these shots.
1) Great depth. While I do like the B&W I'd be curious to see it in color. The mid/lower right part of the image seems to have some sort of motion blur going on. Despite being in black & white, I'm getting more of a welcoming/warm vibe. Color may enhance that.
2) Not much to say about this one other than I love the layers and color palette. The little bush poking above near the left edge is awesome and actually looks like a bird at first glance

3) Composition wise, this is probably the strongest of the set (dem lines!) but the processing makes it a bit flat for my liking. With that said, there's just something about the photo that grabs my attention. Well done!

Recent pictures:

# ? Aug 28, 2014 19:09

Medieval Medic: Sep 8, 2011

sw1gger posted:

Recent pictures:

This is great, the lighting gives it a very 'popping' almost 3d effect. Feels like she could come out of the screen at any time.

# ? Aug 28, 2014 21:41

Wooten: Oct 4, 2004

TsarAleksi posted:

I think the issue here is that there just isn't anything to catch the eye -- it's an interesting setting but not an interesting scene, if that makes any sense at all. A case like this can't really be a grab shot if there isn't anything going on, sometimes you have to wait around and watch for the right moment. The lighting isn't ideal either but it's not what's making this not work, to me anyway.

...

Haven't been shooting a lot lately, here's a few more interesting shots...

Your first shot is the strongest of the three and has an interesting subject, I like it, but you are losing a lot of detail to back lighting, and placing the horizon in the exact middle of the frame is not very good form. You should straighten the horizon too. I also think the fact that one camel is directly behind the other making the front one look like some kind of hosed up seven legged camel is a little off putting. Am I crazy or are the camels missing their shadow?

Your second shot is interesting, and I'm impressed that you were able to expose the sun like that and still get detail in the sand dunes. There's some great diagonal lines and texture in the dunes, and the gradient across the sky is awesome.

Your third shot isn't quite sharp enough and the dancer is in the most awkward/unflattering pose ever.

sw1gger posted:

Recent pictures:

These are stunningly gorgeous. I am in love with the processing in both of them. Keep doing what you are doing.

----

Today I broke out my extension tubes.

goliath is vanquished by cclunie, on Flickr

these ants are friends by cclunie, on Flickr

EDIT: Grammar

Wooten fucked around with this message at 00:13 on Aug 29, 2014

# ? Aug 29, 2014 00:10

huhu: Feb 24, 2006

sw1gger posted:

3) Composition wise, this is probably the strongest of the set (dem lines!) but the processing makes it a bit flat for my liking. With that said, there's just something about the photo that grabs my attention. Well done!

What do you mean about processing? Like putting into Photoshop/Lightroom? I didn't modify these photos.

# ? Aug 29, 2014 00:12

sw1gger: Sep 19, 2004; meowcakes

huhu posted:

What do you mean about processing? Like putting into Photoshop/Lightroom? I didn't modify these photos.

Yep, perhaps more contrast or an increase in the blacks. Personally, I'd never release a photo unedited

# ? Aug 29, 2014 02:19

Qtotonibudinibudet: Nov 7, 2011; Omich poluyobok, skazhi ty narkoman? ya prosto tozhe gde to tam zhivu, mogli by vmeste uyobyvat' narkotiki

Arrgytehpirate posted:

I got a new camera - a Rebel t5i. I took it out to a local con to give it a test spin and complete a Photography class assignment. Here are the best 3 out of 114. Please critique and feel free to give advice and also guess which one my teacher like the best! Oh, they are all totally unedited, and if you're curious as to the specs used let me know. (Hint they are all 5.6 because I didn't know how to change my f-stop.) In an ideal world I wish the first photo had no one in the background but alas.

An ideal world is a rare thing; you'll often have to compromise or make the best of what you have. Since you mentioned it, aperture would be a great tool here--opening wide would blur the background characters and let all focus rest on your subject. With that, I think you may find the people in the background may work to your advantage: it can demonstrate the atmosphere of the convention without detracting from your subject.

whsa posted:

house by whsa, on Flickr

I was trying to do something with the diagonal lines leading to the door. I don't think it worked. Black and white because of the terrible sky.

I think it did work, though not so much with the door. The gently curving lines in the foreground lawn converge towards the bottom right and guide me in to the stark, straight, upright lines in the house, from there leading upward to the strong contrast between the crenellations and the sky. However, with that in mind, I feel it's a bit cramped--I'd like the house a bit lower in the frame, with more sky above. I can't say whether it would have been possible to compose the shot that way (having no idea what vantage the terrain further back would offer), but if there were some way to shoot it at several slightly different angles, I'm curious it that would have been an improvement.

----

Slow shutter, handheld photos are always kind of a crapshoot, since even if I manage to avoid camera shake (which I think I did well enough) the subject doesn't quite cooperate, hence 25% crop and no head:

Arts festival thing. Supposedly the balloons would take our wishes into the sky, and the postcards carrying them would be somehow mailed to their addressee. Not sure if my parents got mine. Liked the shapes, anyway:

Previously posted in SAD. Clone stamp abounds to remove a bunch of annoying lights and other clutter I didn't like:

# ? Aug 29, 2014 12:23

totalnewbie: Nov 13, 2005; I was born and raised in China, lived in Japan, and now hold a US passport.

I am wrong in every way, all the damn time.

Ask me about my tattoos.

IPvSH6T posted:

Previously posted in SAD. Clone stamp abounds to remove a bunch of annoying lights and other clutter I didn't like:

The horizon is not level and the sun/road is not centered in the picture.

# ? Aug 29, 2014 12:44

Hokkaido Anxiety: May 21, 2007; slub club 2013

totalnewbie posted:

The horizon is not level and the sun/road is not centered in the picture.

I disagree, if he rotated to put the terrain straight across the bottom, the pole would look skewed and goofy and it is a stronger element in the picture.

# ? Aug 29, 2014 13:05

RangerScum: Apr 6, 2006; lol hey there buddy

totalnewbie posted:

The horizon is not level and the sun/road is not centered in the picture.

I wish this was a troll. Neither of the things you said are necessary for the photo you are quoting. Also the earth isn't flat. hth

# ? Aug 29, 2014 14:54

sw1gger: Sep 19, 2004; meowcakes

Wooten posted:

These are stunningly gorgeous. I am in love with the processing in both of them. Keep doing what you are doing.

----

Today I broke out my extension tubes.

goliath is vanquished by cclunie, on Flickr

these ants are friends by cclunie, on Flickr

EDIT: Grammar

That bottom one is quite the little battle. Awesome! I always thought people who photographed insects did so with dead ones. Freaky poo poo

# ? Aug 29, 2014 19:23

Wooten: Oct 4, 2004

sw1gger posted:

That bottom one is quite the little battle. Awesome! I always thought people who photographed insects did so with dead ones. Freaky poo poo

The trick is crawling around on the ground for a couple hours getting sap all over your body for one or two good shots. Literally any patch of ground outside has a lot of drama going on if you sit still and stare at it for long enogh.

# ? Aug 29, 2014 20:14

Boneitis: Jul 14, 2010

IPvSH6T posted:

I disagree with the poster that said the horizon should be level. I always tend to favor the vertical elements in a picture and give them precedence over the horizontal. And this may be a little nit-picky, but for me, the telephone pole in the lower right is a little distracting from the rest of the picture, unless the motif is the irregular black lines that are all over the place.

That being said, there are already a lot of really interesting preexisting lines, (I always had a photographic boner for those high-voltage wire carriers, which are apparently called Transmission towers. You learn something new every day!) Try and accentuate them

Just got my first new computer in a year, allowing me to actually edit a year's worth of photos. Here are some that I took on a road trip to Utah

I like the composition in this one, but there's something that seems off about it. I tried as hard as I could to get the sky right in it, but I need a lot of practice with skies. Also, I was a lot more happy with the colors while I was working on it than I am now looking back. In addition to any criticism, does anyone have any idea what I should have done with the clouds?

This was taken a mile away and I'm a lot more satisfied with it, though I think the composition seems a little off. Is the water too distracting for anyone else? I was thinking about cropping it out but I'd lose a lot of the texture in the pebbles that I really like. It has the same color scheme as the last one, using the complimentary colors. I love orange on blue but they may be a little too intense. Also, does anyone know how to find the compliment of a color in Photoshop? I applied a blue gradient over the top of this one but I could have made a better choice on the color.

This is the one that I'm most satisfied with. I like the muted colors in it. Originally, I tried to give it a old-timey feeling by giving it a sepia tone, but that looked like utter poo poo no matter the color or opacity, so I settled on lowering the saturation and a few other things that I can't remember now. I like the shapes in it but I feel like I'm missing a lot of texture in the entire picture that I could have had. I feel like this could have been a much better picture with a slightly sharper lens. I think this was with the Tamron 17-50, should have used the Canon 40mm

edit, I'm just now noticing the weird halo and noise in the bottom of the sky on the first one

# ? Aug 30, 2014 17:33

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# ? May 25, 2024 20:34

Wooten: Oct 4, 2004

Boneitis posted:

Just got my first new computer in a year, allowing me to actually edit a year's worth of photos. Here are some that I took on a road trip to Utah

The first has better composition than the second. The river that runs in to the bottom tight of the first one creates a nice diagonal that leads my eye back into the frame. Both of them are way over saturated and sharpened, tone it down a bit and they will both improve. The clouds are a little over exposed, but not enough that I would worry about it. You can try underexposing a little to keep the detail in clouds most of the time.

# ? Aug 30, 2014 17:56

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