Bridal

[Mark_McCall]

Available light is always the prettiest light, but even that needs help. Metz 45CL-4 to camera right, set -2 stops to ambient. F5.6

 

[D-B-J]

Why'd you cut off the trail of the dress?

 

[unpopular]

Seems to be a lot of cyan in the diffuse of the dress, some selective correction might help, provided its actually there, I'm mobile right now.

I agree, on the cropping, kind of ruins a very good shot.

 

[cgipson1]

The way the train of the dress (nice diagonal) leads to the edge... it leads the eye... to nowhere. It kills the shot. Otherwise very nice...

 

[Mark_McCall]

In the old days, cutting into the dress would be akin to taboo. Professionally, we've been past that way of thinking for a long time. I love classical photography, but some habits die hard.

 

[cgipson1]

I am not talking about old taboo's... I am talking about how it affects the shot. If the crop on the dress was symmetrical, it wouldn't be so bad.. but the way it is, it severely unbalances the shot. As a said before, great shot other than that.... good color, good focus... just the white dress to nowhere is extremely distracting....

Excuse the quick and dirty edit....

(EDIT)... my girlfriend walked by while I had the original photo up.. and said (and I quote)... "damn... that beautiful dress... looks like it cost a fortune, and they cut the train off... looks terrible! I bet the bride was pissed!"

Female opinion.... lol! Maybe those old "taboo's" still have some value!

 

[GeorgieGirl]

FWIW, I don't have an issue with the train fading out of the photo. I don't think there was any detail of it that was impacted as a result.

 

[Kerbouchard]

In the old days, cutting into the dress would be akin to taboo. Professionally, we've been past that way of thinking for a long time. I love classical photography, but some habits die hard.

That is a cop-out, and no, we aren't past that. Also, like pointed out, there is a bluish tint to the bottom of the dress. The crop is akward, the bride is centered in the frame and there is too much dead space on top. Add to that the lighting barely shows any of the detail in her dress.

Honestly, C- at best. You can, and usually do much better.

 

[cgipson1]

FWIW, I don't have an issue with the train fading out of the photo. I don't think there was any detail of it that was impacted as a result.

other than composition, no detail was affected!

 

[Mark_McCall]

In the old days, cutting into the dress would be akin to taboo. Professionally, we've been past that way of thinking for a long time. I love classical photography, but some habits die hard.

That is a cop-out, and no, we aren't past that. Also, like pointed out, there is a bluish tint to the bottom of the dress. The crop is akward, the bride is centered in the frame and there is too much dead space on top. Add to that the lighting barely shows any of the detail in her dress.

Honestly, C- at best. You can, and usually do much better.

Apologies for the delay in response. Busy time of year at the studio with travel and seminars.
Thanks for comments, George. I think. LOL

For the benefit of those reading, and who are working on their own portfolio, I think it's important not to confuse a personal opinion with technical "correctness".
Many will take what they read online, and apply it as gospel.
At every convention, seminar or public appearance I'm making, someone on the front row will make left field comment, then follow it up with..."I read it online".
Always seek out the input of other photographers to continually raise the level of the work your producing. Oftentimes, someone will catch something you miss. But temper it with reasoning, and seek out multiple sources of input.
This in no way means to imply that online opinions aren't helpful or constructive. Quite the contrary.

George, no copout here.
Cutting into the dress simply doesn't a big deal anymore. Hasn't been for quite awhile. I chose the location, time of day, light placement and composition very carefully.

The image was accepted into the PPA General Collection as one of the merit images every photographer has to achieve to become a Master.
It was given merit scores by 3 panels, SWPPA, TPPA, and SPPPA (of which it received the highest score of the competition).
None of the 17 judges who scored it (11 of which were Masters) mentioned the dress crop.....because it simply doesn't matter.

George, in no way am I disregarding your remarks.
I'm keenly aware that others reading may take cropping the dress as a definite no-no, which of course, it is not.

 

[Kerbouchard]

In the old days, cutting into the dress would be akin to taboo. Professionally, we've been past that way of thinking for a long time. I love classical photography, but some habits die hard.

That is a cop-out, and no, we aren't past that. Also, like pointed out, there is a bluish tint to the bottom of the dress. The crop is akward, the bride is centered in the frame and there is too much dead space on top. Add to that the lighting barely shows any of the detail in her dress.

Honestly, C- at best. You can, and usually do much better.

Apologies for the delay in response. Busy time of year at the studio with travel and seminars.
Thanks for comments, George. I think. LOL

For the benefit of those reading, and who are working on their own portfolio, I think it's important not to confuse a personal opinion with technical "correctness".
Many will take what they read online, and apply it as gospel.
At every convention, seminar or public appearance I'm making, someone on the front row will make left field comment, then follow it up with..."I read it online".
Always seek out the input of other photographers to continually raise the level of the work your producing. Oftentimes, someone will catch something you miss. But temper it with reasoning, and seek out multiple sources of input.
This in no way means to imply that online opinions aren't helpful or constructive. Quite the contrary.

George, no copout here.
Cutting into the dress simply doesn't a big deal anymore. Hasn't been for quite awhile. I chose the location, time of day, light placement and composition very carefully.

The image was accepted into the PPA General Collection as one of the merit images every photographer has to achieve to become a Master.
It was given merit scores by 3 panels, SWPPA, TPPA, and SPPPA (of which it received the highest score of the competition).
None of the 17 judges who scored it (11 of which were Masters) mentioned the dress crop.....because it simply doesn't matter.

George, in no way am I disregarding your remarks.
I'm keenly aware that others reading may take cropping the dress as a definite no-no, which of course, it is not.

The cutting into the dress was merely one of the problems with this image. The fact that it was accepted into your PPA 'club' as Master image only reinforces my reasons for not joining your little club.

Look, I saw what you were doing when you joined this forum. You posted a lot of images that were already judged in your 'club' as 'merit' type images. I just wasn't sure why.

I don't care if 17 judges scored this image well. I have dozens just like it in my recycle bin.

Color balance issues(why is her dress blue?), composition issues(why is her head in the center of the frame?), cropping issues(why is the dress cropped?), posing issues(why is she leaning forward making her look a little heavy?)...she has a window pane growing out of her head. Nothing in this shot is impressive. If your 17 judges couldn't see those issues, I question why they are masters or judges...

Like I said, you usually do much better.

 

[MLeeK]

The clone job-not so hot. I'd re-do. LOVE the shot in general. Not so hot on the composition. Seems dark and a little flat to me.

 

[penfolderoldo]

In the old days, cutting into the dress would be akin to taboo. Professionally, we've been past that way of thinking for a long time. I love classical photography, but some habits die hard.

That is a cop-out, and no, we aren't past that. Also, like pointed out, there is a bluish tint to the bottom of the dress. The crop is akward, the bride is centered in the frame and there is too much dead space on top. Add to that the lighting barely shows any of the detail in her dress.

Honestly, C- at best. You can, and usually do much better.

Apologies for the delay in response. Busy time of year at the studio with travel and seminars.
Thanks for comments, George. I think. LOL

For the benefit of those reading, and who are working on their own portfolio, I think it's important not to confuse a personal opinion with technical "correctness".
Many will take what they read online, and apply it as gospel.
At every convention, seminar or public appearance I'm making, someone on the front row will make left field comment, then follow it up with..."I read it online".
Always seek out the input of other photographers to continually raise the level of the work your producing. Oftentimes, someone will catch something you miss. But temper it with reasoning, and seek out multiple sources of input.
This in no way means to imply that online opinions aren't helpful or constructive. Quite the contrary.

George, no copout here.
Cutting into the dress simply doesn't a big deal anymore. Hasn't been for quite awhile. I chose the location, time of day, light placement and composition very carefully.

The image was accepted into the PPA General Collection as one of the merit images every photographer has to achieve to become a Master.
It was given merit scores by 3 panels, SWPPA, TPPA, and SPPPA (of which it received the highest score of the competition).
None of the 17 judges who scored it (11 of which were Masters) mentioned the dress crop.....because it simply doesn't matter.

George, in no way am I disregarding your remarks.
I'm keenly aware that others reading may take cropping the dress as a definite no-no, which of course, it is not.

There are very few definite 'no-nos' in photography, so you are I suppose correct there, but equally you can't say it 'doesn't matter anymore' as a blanket statement of current best practice - it doesn't matter anymore to you, and i'm sure it wouldn't matter to many others, however i'm also sure to still more others it does have a negative impact on the shot. It's a decent, fairly non-descript wedding shot, nothing more nothing less, certainly not the best i've ever seen, but not the worst either. Comparing this to some of your other work - which is genuinely very very good - this just kinda falls short for me, sorry.

As for the 'masters' with all the letters after their names, i've never been a fan - i'd never consider I know enough about this fantastic artform to call myself a master, and i've been doing it professionally for 20+ years. Student? yes, disciple? possibly, master? never on this earth...

 

[Mark_McCall]

The cutting into the dress was merely one of the problems with this image. The fact that it was accepted into your PPA 'club' as Master image only reinforces my reasons for not joining your little club.

It appears we have different standards for our careers.
Speaking only for myself, the 10 year process of study and learning has been invaluable in creating a lifestyle my parents never enjoyed.
If you don't see the value of the education of the program or the time and effort in creating an acceptable merit print, I'll agree with you that the program probably isn't for you.
It's a daunting, time consuming process. Not everyone has the desire, determination or time it takes to complete it.
I'd certainly fault no one for choosing not to do it.

For the record, you can't "join" the General Collection or simply sign up. The rank and accolades must be earned, and the standards are extremely high. Average time to accomplish the standard of Master is right around 7-9 years.
Study is intense, judging is extremely harsh.
The program isn't about achieving a particular rank, it's about making yourself a better photographer. Some see the value in the program, and some don't. Again, I'd certainly fault no one for choosing not to do it.

Look, I saw what you were doing when you joined this forum. You posted a lot of images that were already judged in your 'club' as 'merit' type images. I just wasn't sure why.

What reason would that be George?

I don't care if 17 judges scored this image well. I have dozens just like it in my recycle bin.

You should have no trouble scoring merits.
Would you mind posting some of them?

If your 17 judges couldn't see those issues, I question why they are masters or judges...

Why not ask them?
DPPA meet once a month at the Hickory Street Annex, right there in Downtown Dallas.
Several of PPA's best judges are right there in your own backyard.

There are very few definite 'no-nos' in photography, so you are I suppose correct there, but equally you can't say it 'doesn't matter anymore' as a blanket statement of current best practice.

I didn't say it was the best practice.
What I DID say was that it's not taboo as it used to be.
If we expect Mom to be happy, we'd better have something from the session that displays the entire gown, particularly the back.
From a business standpoint, beauty is in the eye of the checkbook holder.

 

[MLeeK]

I just don't see this as the best work you have posted at all. You're much better than this in general-without the composition debate even.