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Photo Critiques
- Thread starter The Bad Guy
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If you don't post process your work then I'd agree that a capture critique is essential. If you're going to process the image why not do it first so we can critique your completed work?
Maybe post a pre and post edit if you're worried about the community critiquing more based on edits than composition? Just my thoughts. Either way it's a nice photo.
Reality4711, I'm in agreement with Nickwell24 that processing/developing is an essential part of presentation, but it sounds as though you want critique only on the composition. So here it goes...
That is one cool sky! The warm/cool transition area is pretty great, and it's obvious that you were trying to showcase that part of the scene. The sky has a lot of depth, color, and texture...all good!
Your composition gives over a huge amount of the frame to the sky, however. While there is some nice texture in the blue areas, it isn't brought out enough to justify it taking up so much of the frame (see, this is where processing is so important). Even if you could get that blue area to sing, you're still left without a strong anchor/subject/primary point of visual interest. The house or whatever it is could serve as one, perhaps, but it would need to carry more visual weight somehow; it could be larger in the frame, more detailed, catching more interesting light, etc. And even if you could get that house to hold the viewer's attention, your composition still lacks a sense of flow through it. Some leading lines in the foreground would help a lot to direct the eye to the house and then let it get carried away by the upward sweep of the clouds.
Now it may be that all of these issues could be addressed in processing; I have no idea because the crushed shadows in the FG obscure whatever lines might be there. I also don't know if you might have another frame with more at the bottom that could provide some leading lines. So perhaps some processing could do a lot for the composition, but as it is, it looks random and unresolved.
Response
Taking on board comments. Here is my produced image.
The foreground has little or no interest or line(ploughed field), but I have brought out one or two highlighted stones and also raised the profile on our local hotel.
The sky colour is now a little heavier than I remember.
I have not sharpened for the web so may not have the punch that the print has.
Regards and keep commenting.
Sharkey
ps. having just seen my post. The foreground appears if anything a little darker to me - sorry 'bout that. Tired now may lighten the whole thing tomorrow.
Taking on board comments. Here is my produced image.
The foreground has little or no interest or line(ploughed field), but I have brought out one or two highlighted stones and also raised the profile on our local hotel.
The sky colour is now a little heavier than I remember.
I have not sharpened for the web so may not have the punch that the print has.
Regards and keep commenting.
Sharkey
ps. having just seen my post. The foreground appears if anything a little darker to me - sorry 'bout that. Tired now may lighten the whole thing tomorrow.
This was actually my thought exactly. I've started threads in the past asking for critique on a particular image. The responses have generally been very helpful (even if they weren't always positive). If you want critique on an image, start a thread! The way you word your post will likely influence the type of critique you receive.
I find it interesting that the last pages of this thread following the first two largely involved people offering up their work for critique. Why didn't you start threads with each of these images asking for critique?
Going to start a thread myself in this vein
This thread has been one big fail really hasn't it. It should have been a simple matter of people posting their pictures and others critiquing them and it has turned into a United Nations summit.
It wasn't that tough a concept people. If you want to critique then do so. If you want to submit then do so. If not, don't join in. I see a lot of talking and not many photos.
It wasn't that tough a concept people. If you want to critique then do so. If you want to submit then do so. If not, don't join in. I see a lot of talking and not many photos.
Point taken! So here is a shot from Wednesday. Two things bother me about it, firstly the blown highlights in the middle, and second the building has not been built symmetrically. What would you have done different? Also I was on a tight time constraint. Busses were stopping every few minutes at one end of the drive. I had to wait for the last person from the first bus to walk out of frame before the first person from the second bus was in it!
_DSC0091 by apple fanboy1, on FlickrAdded an as shot as well so you can also critique the editing.
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Photo Critiques
Good man!
You was always going to struggle shooting into the light with that one. I think you would have got a better shot either zooming in or moving closer so you had the two spiral staircase buttresses at the edge of the frame and that would have given you the symmetry you was after. Also you've got some distortion going on because of the low angle you're shooting from. I also think it needs straightening a bit. If you use Lightroom try the lens correction settings to try and get it looking straighter and proportioned.
It's Waddesdon Manor isn't it? I went there a couple of years ago. Great building. Did you see the crazy cutlery and crockery sculpture or is it not there any more?
Edit: This one....
Taken with my old Panasonic GF1, which had terrible low light performance.
Good man!
You was always going to struggle shooting into the light with that one. I think you would have got a better shot either zooming in or moving closer so you had the two spiral staircase buttresses at the edge of the frame and that would have given you the symmetry you was after. Also you've got some distortion going on because of the low angle you're shooting from. I also think it needs straightening a bit. If you use Lightroom try the lens correction settings to try and get it looking straighter and proportioned.
It's Waddesdon Manor isn't it? I went there a couple of years ago. Great building. Did you see the crazy cutlery and crockery sculpture or is it not there any more?
Edit: This one....
Taken with my old Panasonic GF1, which had terrible low light performance.
I have a few others to post, that are a tighter frame. I'll edit them later today. Also I do have Viewpoint to correct distortion of buildings, but haven't used it much.
Spot on with Waddesdon Manor. I didn't get to go inside as I was only there a short while (due to dropping off and picking up a loan camera at Calumet).
Not was pretty busy and you had to book a time slot to see the house.
thank You
Thank you for your time.
I tried to respond by processing the image but it seems my setup is not allowing what I see here to appear on the 'site' in the same state.
I am sure it is not at the MR end so have decided until I can fix it I shall not post again (not worth it).
Phrasikleia I have looked at your work that I can find; impressive. Not only the photographic skills involved but from my point of view the shear endurance and commitment physically to get to the places you have been. I would love 10% of that inside me, but no.
My photography has always been and probably will continue to be based on "as I see it - so shall I tell it" and as my travelling days ended many years ago I cannot keep up with the glories of the world. So I guess I will stick to the world I see to day.
That particular image was taken a few minutes after falling badly and losing the greenish clouds I originally rushed outside to capture (missed). So a sort of cathartic response to a knackered knee. Make the fall worthwhile.
That I suppose is the real story behind the image.
Many thanks anyway, I shall keep an eye on your future travels.
Regards
Sharkey
ps. - Oh fundamentally different direction as far as processing is concerned. My concentration is approximately 80% capture and the rest. In some cases my prints make me the most satisfied when the raw reader of choice plus a little general sharpening is the only interference between my vision and the print. Of course no longer selling for a living helps but even when I was the images that sold best(unless of an arty type) would be the ones least produced either in the dark room or on the computer. Like I said - 'as I see it'.
Thank you for your time.
I tried to respond by processing the image but it seems my setup is not allowing what I see here to appear on the 'site' in the same state.
I am sure it is not at the MR end so have decided until I can fix it I shall not post again (not worth it).
Phrasikleia I have looked at your work that I can find; impressive. Not only the photographic skills involved but from my point of view the shear endurance and commitment physically to get to the places you have been. I would love 10% of that inside me, but no.
My photography has always been and probably will continue to be based on "as I see it - so shall I tell it" and as my travelling days ended many years ago I cannot keep up with the glories of the world. So I guess I will stick to the world I see to day.
That particular image was taken a few minutes after falling badly and losing the greenish clouds I originally rushed outside to capture (missed). So a sort of cathartic response to a knackered knee. Make the fall worthwhile.
That I suppose is the real story behind the image.
Many thanks anyway, I shall keep an eye on your future travels.
Regards
Sharkey
ps. - Oh fundamentally different direction as far as processing is concerned. My concentration is approximately 80% capture and the rest. In some cases my prints make me the most satisfied when the raw reader of choice plus a little general sharpening is the only interference between my vision and the print. Of course no longer selling for a living helps but even when I was the images that sold best(unless of an arty type) would be the ones least produced either in the dark room or on the computer. Like I said - 'as I see it'.
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So here is another one of Waddesdon Manor. This shot was tighter which gave me the symmetry that was missing from above, and I included a mask in the sky to try and change the image to the shot I wanted to take. However I have rubbish drawing skills, a magic mouse and my Mac decided to show me a pizza wheel every time I updated the brush strokes. Grrrr
Anyway, I prefer this version, but again would value the opinions of you guys.
_DSC0092 by apple fanboy1, on Flickr
Anyway, I prefer this version, but again would value the opinions of you guys.
_DSC0092 by apple fanboy1, on Flickr
Can I suggest, as kallisti has done, that if anyone would like a critique of a photo or set of photos, they should start a new thread? This is turning into a jumble of discussion images and comments and it is getting hard to understand which comments are directed at whom.
A very nice picture, and I hope you don't mind my editing below. Basically I just corrected the perspective and improved the highlights in the sky a bit to bring out the details that were hidden in the original shot:
Sorry, couldn't resist...
Attachments
A very nice picture, and I hope you don't mind my editing below. Basically I just corrected the perspective and improved the highlights in the sky a bit to bring out the details that were hidden in the original shot:
Image
Sorry, couldn't resist...
Er... Thanks?