Some Of my work, let me know what you think :)

Bee Bee · Aug 4, 2009

I think maybe the key thing being missed is that people said they were too set up! Obviously some pictures are staged but with some pictures there is a limit on how far you can take that xxx

kayliana · Aug 4, 2009

Thank you Scotty. Yes most photography is setup. I can see what everyone else means. It's hard taking pictures out here in this small town. It's all desert and very boring. But thank you for all your opinions.

henrycooke · Aug 5, 2009

First 3 are nice, except for watermark. The dawn/sunset one especially. As for the rest, a) that font with those colours looks a bit : / and b) they are not really photography.

kayliana · Aug 5, 2009

I got it. The last two aren't photography ( I didn't realize editing pictues and adding font isn't photography but alright.) The water marks ruined it (even though you should be able to over look that.) And they are "set up" although I bet any picture of jack daniels or a shoe and camera are set up. I seriously doubt you'll find those just randomly in good shape. I'm pretty sure any ad you see people "set up." Is that not photography when they "set up" these ads? I'm pretty sure they are considered photographers and get paid. Thanks for the comments.

kayliana · Aug 5, 2009

Any comments about these?

manaheim · Aug 5, 2009

kayliana said:
I got it. The last two aren't photography ( I didn't realize editing pictues and adding font isn't photography but alright.) The water marks ruined it (even though you should be able to over look that.) And they are "set up" although I bet any picture of jack daniels or a shoe and camera are set up. I seriously doubt you'll find those just randomly in good shape. I'm pretty sure any ad you see people "set up." Is that not photography when they "set up" these ads? I'm pretty sure they are considered photographers and get paid. Thanks for the comments.

Heya. I know a lot of what you're hearing isn't easy to take, but keep in mind you're in a photography forum and many of us are (on some level or another) photographers.

If you ask a bunch of photographers what they think about some images... well, they're going to tell you.

I've noted a lot of your responses are a little defensive... honestly... try not to be defensive. If you can just hear and process, you'll get much more out of this. You don't even necessarily have to agree with all of it... but take it in, really consider it, make your own decisions on it and learn.

Wyjid · Aug 5, 2009

heh, i think they're set up rather well!

i like the first four. i'm not a huge fan of the last though. don't like the repeated head or the added words. also, you seem to like the high high contrast look, but you didn't use it for the first shot. good for you on that count, the softer look suits it. so it's not as though you're carried away with the edit. what set up did you use for the Retro Glam shot? i think it's very cool, and would be even better as an image without the "Retro Glam" the industrial one is good too, but if you're really into photoshop, i'd clone out the little knubby bit stick out onto the frame on the left. the shoe and camera... leave as is. it's great, and the style suits it.

kayliana · Aug 5, 2009

Oh no I like to hear everyones responses. I was just trying to understand why some people are focused on the water mark and not the picture?? And I was asking How adding words and effects to the picture; how that's not photography? I also looked at some other pictures and they seem set up. I was trying to further understand. Thank you. I do like high constrast pictures, but apparently that's the wrong thing to do? The retro glam one was actually on some other program, not photoshop. My computer was down for a while so I used my mom's and was messing around with diferent effects.

henrycooke · Aug 5, 2009

When you chop out the background of an image fairly recklessly then add Retro Glam in a font and colour scheme that reminds me of some 15 year old band poster, yeah i don't think that is photography.
No offense or anything, i like your top images, but yeah.

manaheim · Aug 5, 2009

kayliana said:
Oh no I like to hear everyones responses. I was just trying to understand why some people are focused on the water mark and not the picture?? And I was asking How adding words and effects to the picture; how that's not photography? I also looked at some other pictures and they seem set up. I was trying to further understand. Thank you. I do like high constrast pictures, but apparently that's the wrong thing to do? The retro glam one was actually on some other program, not photoshop. My computer was down for a while so I used my mom's and was messing around with diferent effects.

Sometimes watermarks are distracting and it makes it essentially irksome to look at the picture. Everyone reacts differently to diff watermarks. If yours is reasonably subtle, I wouldn't worry about it too much, but you have to decide yourself what's important.

Adding words to pictures isn't necessarily actually NOT photography, but the more things you have in your picture that wasn't a capture, the more people will debate whether your item is a photographic representation of something... or something else. For me, personally, the words were probably the most prominent I have seen here except for that one high school kid on here who puts up outright graphical designs and asks for critique. Again, you have to decide what's important to you in your work and do what makes sense for you.

There really isnt' a "right" or a "wrong" thing to do, per se. There are certainly some rules about what makes a "good picture", and there are plenty of opinions... at the end of the day, as I have said, you have to decide what's right for you.

My personal recommendation is learn to follow the rules, because that's the best way to learn how and when to break them... but that's me. I personally think putting huge words on your pictures is not making photography, but making more "graphic art", but that's me.

You also have to keep in mind that this is just some random collection of people you don't know and whose credibility and qualifications may be somewhat... variable. Don't necessarily freak out because a bunch of random twits on some random photo board picked something you like apart.

Again... and again... listen to what folks say, consider it seriously, and decide what's right for you.

kayliana · Aug 5, 2009

I understand, and I appreciate that you guys give your opinions. I can see how you might not like the bottom two. In the retro glam one I didn't chop the background out it was a white wall. Thanks for the comments again.

PhilGarber · Aug 7, 2009

My favorite is the second. It has a very Americana-like feel to it. I love the composition. What are you shooting with? The first one is kinda cool but doesn't really make sense. Why is the bottle in the suitcase? The others really don't do much for me.