Photo Critique (February)

[bootedbear]

Speaking of dogs....

Here's another portrait of Little Bear. Please comment on suggestions for improvement.

 

[Father Jack]

Here's another portrait of Little Bear. Please comment on suggestions for improvement.

Nice little photo, but watch the background. The fence doesn't really add to the picture ..

 

[latergator116]

A couple of long-time neighborhood regulars at an old downtown Portland bar which would soon be closing its doors for good to make way for a fast food joint. I shot it from the far corner of the bar with a bit of fill flash, converted to grayscale.

Canon Eos 630
ISO 100
Canon 100-300
Kodak Gold 100

Nice Photo! Too bad about the all-too-familiar story behind it.

 

[stephensilva1]

Beginner Here

Just started taking photos and am hoping to become more advanced in the future. Took this picture last summer and edited it a bit with Aperture 2.0 Critiques are gratefully accepted. (I had to resize it down for the forum so it's not in full resolution)

 

[Doylem]

Looks a great place to be, especially from the perspective of an English winter).

But there's an awful lot of sea... and an awful lot of sky... and a sliver of land in between. While the mood is pleasantly sunny, there isn't a lot for the eye to rest on. In most good pix, the eye will go to one thing first, then roam around the pic... and then maybe return to the main subject: a 'round trip' that may only take a second or two, but which creates a positive impression.

The subject of your picture is in the middle distance. With a wide-angle lens, that really leaves too much blue, too much empty space. It may sound like a bit of a photographic cliché, but the foreground needs some interest. Imagine a boat at its mooring, or a pier, or maybe a person with their back to us... we could 'see' the view through their eyes.

I couldn't tell, from this pic, what YOU found most interesting in the scene. I just wish I was there, that's all, rather than freezing my b****cks off in England...

 

[stephensilva1]

Thanks

Thanks for the critiques, I understand what you mean by needing to have something to "see" and it having to much empty space. Thanks for the help and I hope I"ll be able to take better pictures next time. Oh by the way, that picture was taken in Portugal and I am also freezing over here in the Americas.

 

[OCBC]

that hubby jenkins sure can ramble

another for critique...
i took this this summer in New Orleans. He's a rambling blues guitarist from NYC who was playing on Frenchman street in new orleans. I like the composition of this one and the expression of joy on his face, but there were some others that were sharper in the face, so i was torn as to which to post. oh yes, as a guitarist also i must say he was a pretty awesome player and really cool guy to talk to. anyway, let me have it.
peace,
Sean

D50
1/25
ISO 400
f5.6
jpeg capture

 

[alecmcmahon]

tryed blowing out the background via a white wall, but only having 2 flashes going through umbrellas sort of made it difficult, still i like the shot....

anybody have tips for background blow out, i know there is a bit of color variation on the white.

( click the pic for the rest of the set )

- Alec

 

[TripleX]

Newbie Photo

I purchased my first DSLR a month ago and I am of course still in the experimental stage. I would appreciate some honest assessment of this photo, especially with regards to composition. Thanks.

 

[redrabbit]

This retired soldier has fought in four of Israel's wars in the past 40 years. He now lives on the Israeli-Lebanon border, where this photo was taken. Born in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1940's, he emigrated, called Aliyah, to Israel when he was around 20 or so years old and joined the IDF. Where he lives is well within rocket range of Lebanon, but he doesn't mind, and is very willing to share his views on Israeli policy and politics.

 

[pdxflint]

This retired soldier has fought in four of Israel's wars in the past 40 years. He now lives on the Israeli-Lebanon border, where this photo was taken. Born in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1940's, he emigrated, called Aliyah, to Israel when he was around 20 or so years old and joined the IDF. Where he lives is well within rocket range of Lebanon, but he doesn't mind, and is very willing to share his views on Israeli policy and politics.

A compelling portrait of an interesting, complex man. The photo reveals the years of struggles he has lived through and his eyes reflect a fierce pride and conviction of purpose. This is a good example of words and picture combining to tell a story better than either could have done alone. 4.5 out of 5. (This could have just as easily been a 5, but I always leave room for improvement somewhere down the road... ) Great photojouralism/feature shot!

 

[appie57]

I purchased my first DSLR a month ago and I am of course still in the experimental stage. I would appreciate some honest assessment of this photo, especially with regards to composition. Thanks.

I like the soft colors in this photo, in combination with the atmosphere of a sunny winter/spring day. I would have removed the black cloth (?) in the background. Was there nobody around to sit in the sun? Or perhaps have some cups or glasses on the table to suggest human presence. It is a little 'empty' as it is now and also the depth of focus you chose is not clear (second chair out of focus). Well, only my opinion.

 

[pdxflint]

Two years (and a different camera) later..

I thought it might be interesting to see these two photos, mainly because they were both taken from the same spot in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur almost exactly two years apart with two different cameras (and to keep the thread going...)

Photo 1: Date - March 22, 2005 - Canon a95 P/S

Model: Canon PowerShot A95
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/80 sec
Aperture: f/4.9
Focal Length: 23.4mm

Photo 2: Date - March 20, 2007 - Nikon D50 w/kit lens

Model: NIKON D50
ISO: 200
Exposure: 1/320 sec
Aperture: f/9.0
Focal Length: 55mm

 

[OCBC]

Hey pdxflint, thanks for keeping it alive. Definitely an interesting study of the cameras and lenses. I actually like the first shot more than the second. The light is warmer and more interesting and i like the way the lens compressed the depth of the image. I'm not too clear on your intended subject or message, but they're nicely composed. Anyway, in the hopes of keeping going with the critique, I'll give the first shot a 3.5/5 and the second a 3/5.

Here's another one I took in New Orleans over the summer. I appreciate all comments and suggestions. This thread has been extremely enlightening, let's keep it up!

Nikon D50
18-55mm lens
1/25 sec
f5.6
iso 200
55mm
handheld

 

[davinche]

I'm just trying to get better at photography, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
This is a picture of two of my younger cousins at Fisher Man's Wharf in Monterey, CA.

Nikon D40
55-200VR
1/320 sec
f4.5
iso 200
86mm
handheld

 

[hector]

Hi all, I think this is the first time I have ever actually posted anything I have taken here... would love to know what you think of these shots I took in Israel last year!

I'm a real novice with photography but it's something I would love to really get into. Any criticism or advice would be great!

Hector

 

[dllavaneras]

I'll post another one to keep the thread going. I'm toying with the idea of creating the valentine's card myself this year. This was my first attempt.

I actually like that one a lot! 4/5, the rail is a bit distracting. Awesome shot! You should be proud of that one.

tryed blowing out the background via a white wall, but only having 2 flashes going through umbrellas sort of made it difficult, still i like the shot....

Very nice! The corners are a bit dark, are you shooting wide open? That could be light fallout from the lens (I don't know if vignetting is the correct term). You can try setting the flash exposure to +1/3 to see if that blows out the white wall a bit more. BTW, have I come across this very pic on DevArt? I remember liking it

4/5, just because I would have loved for it to be a bit more symmetric in the way the cards are flying. I know it's not your fault

Nice, although the composition could be a bit better IMHO. Cropping a bit from the left would make that pic really shine, since you would appear tiny compared to the background and look like you were really, really high. 4/5

Now, I'd like for you to criticize this pic. It's a macro taken a couple of weeks ago. I placed it so I could use it as a wallpaper on my iMac, that's why it's not centered. (click on the pic for a full 1680x1050 wallpaper)

 

[Everythingisnt]

@ Dllanveras

I like the symmetry in that picture but it feels a bit 2-dimensional to me. Also, if I were you I would try to get some more color out of it (or maybe just higher contrast) since the green is very similar throughout the entire picture.



Just my two cents, anyways - it's definitely a great pic.

 

[dllavaneras]

I like the symmetry in that picture but it feels a bit 2-dimensional to me. Also, if I were you I would try to get some more color out of it (or maybe just higher contrast) since the green is very similar throughout the entire picture.

Duly noted It's hard to get more depth in the pic, since I'm working with a narrow DOF, but I'll keep that in mind Thanks!

 

[brendanryder]

Link to March critque