Critique my work?

[KmH]

I see exposure control issues, and apparently unschooled use of light.
Light Science and Magic, Fourth Edition: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/
Strobist: Lighting 101

#1 Part of the flower on the right is blown and lost in the blown background. In #2 the background is a gray gradient beciuse it has less exposure than #1, but the flower edges can be seen because of that.

#3 Very under exposed foreground, and the last 3 are all under exposed to one extent or another.

 

[banderson]

Thanks! You're definitely right about the light thing. I just got a second softbox strobe and have been practicing studio lighting, but I definitely have a ways to go. Which is why I posted them because i was hoping for some honesty!! lol

 

[Gazpacho]

Your last image is awesome, it stands out from the rest.
I haven't read through all the posts so I'm probably the billionth person to post this but number your images so we can refer to them more easily.
Good stuff man.

 

[banderson]

Thanks I meant to, but I had so much trouble getting them posted, that I forgot lol

 

[jake337]

I'm digging that Imola Yellow 20th Anniversary Edition GTI! I had one in Black Magic Pearl, but traded it in for a MKVI GTI.

I miss my 337........

 

[MLeeK]

The flowers have potential. Especially the second one. The harsh shadow in the first one and extreme blow out kind of shoots that one out of the water. The second the crop is unfortunate on the flower closest to us. Your editing of the shadows and stems is bleeding into your flowers.
The others are consistently very dark. Is your monitor adequately calibrated?
The cliff... I didn't even realize there was a very glowing blue subject there until I went back to give it individual attention and critique. Your contrast is EXTREME in that one and really takes away from the image. The extreme black in the cliff is going to ruin it in print. Zooming in to the subject to make them a part of the scene and a better exposure would have helped a lot. It's a toss.

Focus looks good on the VW as does DOF. It's rather underexposed and flat. It's also tilted a bit.

The skull-composition makes no real sense on it. . You have a lot of distractions in the background. It's underexposed and you don't have an adequate DOF on it.

Your pier shot is too dark on the pier and water by far. The sky holds not real draw to it, so I'd assume that your pier and water are your subjects...

Your focus on these seems great and on spot. You are trying to creatively use composition well which is half the battle won. Your white balances I can't fully tell as the images that are too dark don't show well, but may actually be right. The VW good with a warm tone as the sun is setting. The tulips look good in color.
Honestly? I expected better quality from you considering you are thinking about opening a studio.

 

[banderson]

Mleek- I am still in school, and am basically trying to pull together thoughts, ideas and what not. Also most of these photos are older. The Pier shot is actually from my very first weekend out. The tulips are more recent- but I am just waiting till it warms up more to get back out with my newer equipment to practice. Have been studying studio lighting over the winter but am really just building a business plan for when I feel that I am ready. I'm hoping that I will be by mid 2013, but i don't plan to jump into it. But ive always been sort of a planner. Lol

 

[banderson]

Not to say that I don't appreciate the critique. Lol guidance is something ive yet to have on my work. Which is why I joined!

 

[MLeeK]

Mleek- I am still in school, and am basically trying to pull together thoughts, ideas and what not. Also most of these photos are older. The Pier shot is actually from my very first weekend out. The tulips are more recent- but I am just waiting till it warms up more to get back out with my newer equipment to practice. Have been studying studio lighting over the winter but am really just building a business plan for when I feel that I am ready. I'm hoping that I will be by mid 2013, but i don't plan to jump into it. But ive always been sort of a planner. Lol

Don't post your old stuff. It doesn't help you. It's not a reflection of what you are doing NOW and the feedback we'll give you may give you a thought or two, but it's really not going to help because it's not what you need.
You don't have to shoot beautiful when you are practicing, you just have to shoot correctly for whatever it is you are working on.
If it's DOF you can shoot your dirty socks if you want to-as long as it shows the DOF you are working on. It doesn't have to be a beautiful photo for us to help you with the elements of photography. Let us know what it is you are working on and your goals with the image. Where you think you went right and wrong and any questions you may have and that will help us to help you in the best possible way.

 

[manaheim]

I'm digging that Imola Yellow 20th Anniversary Edition GTI! I had one in Black Magic Pearl, but traded it in for a MKVI GTI.

I miss my 337........

I have a 2004 R32 in the garage.

 

[banderson]

Mleek- that's true. Well, once I'm off work for enough time to do it, I'll take some, and post them for critique. I really like the Internet for stuff like this, because people tend to be more honest about their thoughts online and I like it lol obviously some things people say have to be taken with a grain of salt (depending on the person) lol

 

[MK3Brent]

Maybe unintentional, but I really like what's going on in the reflections or w/e that is in the windows.

 

[banderson]

Thanks!!! this was on cocoa beach. And It was half intentional. The reflection was on purpose, but the different colors weren't. It just sortof happened lol

 

[MK3Brent]

ahh, here's what I'm seeing:

 

[banderson]

That's sweet!