Beginner's Critique - Pass it on

[TamiyaGuy]

I agree, either flash or a larger aperture (lower F-number) would've helped, it's slightly blurred. Still, the colours are spectacular there.

I'll try to post one that's NOT of a car this time ... here we go.

 

[Bifurcator]

Awesome idea for a thread!

I'll try to post one that's NOT of a car this time ... here we go.

It's just a tad too washed (light). It's not over exposed but some processing could help. Maybe open Levels and bring the center slider to 80 or 85 and then reduce some of the contrast in B&C.

As for framing it's quite centered but the slight angle of the plant helps as well as the uneven luminosity of the BG.

Focus and DOF are nearly perfect - There's something soft happening with his back though. I guess you were working very close and that's the outer edge of your DOF range (?).

For the subject content it leaves us wanting more which is good but maybe it's leaving us wanting just a tad too much. How long is he? Is he eating (it's not readily apparent till you look for awhile), Is that another guy on the other side of the leaf or his butt? Questions that can be answered by thinking but it helps a photo sometimes if they're answered in image by reference or what ever..

I only focused on the possible negatives though. Overall the image is excellent. It there were a number scale to rating these (1 to 10 where 10 was the best) I guess it would be something like a 7.8 ~ 8.2 and the processing I mentioned would IMO easily ensure the higher 8 mark.

OK, a bug for a bug. Here's mine: (be strong, be honest)

Unprocessed Image Of A Semi (in Jap) Cicada (in Eng). Cropped and scaled only.
​

.

 

[Battou]

The incect is interesting and in focus, the bokeh is smooth.

The Horison is heavilly tilded and you did not leave enough space for corping to correct this, The framing leaves an excess of dead space to the sides, Vertical framing may have been a better choice in this one.

full size
Fully processed, exposure information contained within frame
Originally posted 12-02-2007

 

[Bifurcator]

Pretty good critique! You missed where it said it was already cropped though and the camera is actually level - with my house (BG) being at a perspective angle which you can tell from the vertical lines of the window (maybe ). Or I could have misunderstood you.

The incect is interesting and in focus, the bokeh is smooth.

The Horison is heavilly tilded and you did not leave enough space for corping to correct this, The framing leaves an excess of dead space to the sides, Vertical framing may have been a better choice in this one.

This is an interesting and provocative message so it gets points up front for that. The contrast is extreme. Both ends (darks and lights) are severely blown out. A little more on-angle would provide better item recognition but it's not too bad - after a few seconds of looking I can tell it's a shberiken. The throwing dart is obvious and leads to the recognition of that - the star.

Here's mine in return:

Hit me - oh yeah!

 

[Battou]

Pretty good critique! You missed where it said it was already cropped though and the camera is actually level - with my house (BG) being at a perspective angle which you can tell from the vertical lines of the window (maybe ). Or I could have misunderstood you.

Yup I missed that about the crop....

As I use it the word horizon does not necessarily apply to the lines at witch the ground meets the sky as the camera stands, but in relation to the lines where ground meets the sky as the subject stands.

This is an interesting and provocative message so it gets points up front for that. The contrast is extreme. Both ends (darks and lights) are severely blown out. A little more on-angle would provide better item recognition but it's not too bad - after a few seconds of looking I can tell it's a shberiken. The throwing dart is obvious and leads to the recognition of that - the star.

Did you view the full size copy? Resize for forum suppressed the tonal range with that one.

Sadly, I have no insight to sky pictures, I'll leave that to the next person.

 

[Bifurcator]

Yeah, I pretty much never go off forum. Just whatever is posted. I don't look when someone posts a link to off-site stuff either. Not sure why or why not... Just haven't for the most part. I looked at it now tho. It's a tad better on your site mostly I think due to the larger area of the middle-toned film leader.

I really like the forethought and planning that went into creating the message! And the message itself is strong. It's like the end of the argument by force if must be. Hehehe

 

[zandman]

OK, a bug for a bug. Here's mine: (be strong, be honest)

i'm gonna miss those cicadas...
they've been here last year, and be back after 17yrs so.

about my photo, yea i know, it's really blurred, if you're broke and can't afford a macro lens, you just gotta do what you gotta do you know, :lmao:

here's another from me, shot from hot import nights, (KT SO)

i'm trying to learn how to do concert/show photography so the photo is no that kinda good so critiques and comments would help.

 

[Bifurcator]

I like it!

I can't crit the model for sure - too yummy!

Mostly the framing is off for fashion type stuff. This is a mistake I always make too. I get personally interested in the models themselves (for the obvious reasons) and I aim for the face. I hope it means we're less monsters than others naturally aiming elsewhere. But these kinda shots (unless they're modeling a necklace or something) usually need to be full body - including shoes and a little floor.

This isn't your fault but whoever set up the stage wasn't good at their job or didn't have a good environment to work with. There's not supposed to be a shadow catching backdrop behind the models. Right? Don't we usually see them walking out onto a peninsula? (And elevated for proper full-body shots - A good walk usually places the model's waste-line at head level.)

When there are curtains, backdrops, whatever, a good idea is to pick a good place on the back drop, wait for the model to pass through those area(s) and then shoot a burst. A camera that maintains it's tracking points between shots or during bursts might be useful but I wonder how many photographers just use manual and preset the camera for the area they're shooting?

Focus looks good at this size (perfect to me). And exposure looks great too!

So that's it - besides framing and flash shadows, great image!

--
Here's my image in return:

Whoever crits it please be extra harsh and discerning!!!

​

Hit me! Oh Yeah!

 

[zandman]

I like it!

I can't crit the model for sure - too yummy!

heck yea, who wouldn't like KT SO?? i'm gonna go to the nightshift JUST for her, not the cars, lol

it's not really a stage, i just asked her to stand up and take a picture of her, she's on an autograph signing booth that's why i wasn't able to take a whole body shot cuz of the table blocking her knees down.

 

[Bifurcator]

Oh OK, The images makes more sense to me now. The pose looked like maybe it was a stage performance etc.

 

[icassell]

Bifurcator,

I like the composition alot, but the color seems a bit washed-out (building and sky). You might try saturating a wee-bit. Were you using a polarizer?

How's this one?

 

[Bifurcator]

more like this:

​

or different yet?

 

[bullitt453]

@ icassell
I really like the angle and composition of the shot. The sky seems a bit noisy and blotchy, but that could be due to compression at photobucket.

Here's my first image posted to TPF. Was just tinkering in my yard and experimenting with RAW processing. (click image for full size version)

 

[TamiyaGuy]

It's just a tad too washed (light). It's not over exposed but some processing could help. Maybe open Levels and bring the center slider to 80 or 85 and then reduce some of the contrast in B&C.

As for framing it's quite centered but the slight angle of the plant helps as well as the uneven luminosity of the BG.

Focus and DOF are nearly perfect - There's something soft happening with his back though. I guess you were working very close and that's the outer edge of your DOF range (?).

For the subject content it leaves us wanting more which is good but maybe it's leaving us wanting just a tad too much. How long is he? Is he eating (it's not readily apparent till you look for awhile), Is that another guy on the other side of the leaf or his butt? Questions that can be answered by thinking but it helps a photo sometimes if they're answered in image by reference or what ever..

Thanks very much! Very interesting how you thought there was too much contrast in the image; I actually used Unsharp Mask on the caterpillar. Obviously, I was only experimenting, hence the "softness" on his back (bad selection by me ).

I understand about what you mean in the questions part. I actually took a couple of other photos of it, and the almost reflection of the bug is actually another caterpillar. Still, thanks a lot! I might post the original, if you're interested...


To Bullit: A nice image in my opinion. the depth of field is nice: blurs the background well, but you can still see what's going on. The bokeh is a bit ugly, though, in the branches. Also, I think the flower is a little too off-center. I understand what you were trying to do, I just think you may have done it a tad too much.

Alright, enough negative comments ^_^.

From where I look at it, the colour is damn near perfect. The flowers are a vivid purple, and the white edges of the flower (was it the sunlight or the actual plant?) help define the edges. Also, while the background bokeh is a bit weird, the background exposure is fantastic. Well done! I think you've seen enough of my god-awful images, so I'll leave someone else to post .

 

[bullitt453]

To Bullit: A nice image in my opinion. the depth of field is nice: blurs the background well, but you can still see what's going on. The bokeh is a bit ugly, though, in the branches. Also, I think the flower is a little too off-center. I understand what you were trying to do, I just think you may have done it a tad too much.

Alright, enough negative comments ^_^.

From where I look at it, the colour is damn near perfect. The flowers are a vivid purple, and the white edges of the flower (was it the sunlight or the actual plant?) help define the edges. Also, while the background bokeh is a bit weird, the background exposure is fantastic. Well done! I think you've seen enough of my god-awful images, so I'll leave someone else to post .

Thanks for the feedback! I completely agree with everything you said. The bokeh is horrible, but it was taken with the 18-70 kit lens, so I didn't expect too much. The bloom was in total shade and the white edges are just part of the plant. This was more of a RAW processing experiment than anything else. I gotta say, I am now hooked on shooting in RAW. This image looked horrible in JPEG. :lmao: