eye training

Mr B · Dec 23, 2008

Hello all,

I'm new to photography, of course. So far I haven't found it too difficult to learn the technical aspects of my camera. My real challenge is getting my eyes and mind working together. Basically, this means that I want to learn to notice new things about images. I've never had any interest in visual arts until now (I'm 30). I realized one day that my mind greatly simplifies what I see. (I suppose that's necessary for all of us to some degree.) It resists absorbing itself in sensations; it very quickly tosses in concepts like "line," "shape," "color," etc., rather than attending to the images themselves.

Well, ok, all I'm trying to say is that I have a hard time noticing things, and I feel like I've hit a wall. Here are a few of my best pictures (IMO), and I'm real curious to learn what you all notice about them, good or bad. For me, I hope it will serve as eye training so I can learn to see new things. Next, perhaps some aesthetic feeling will rouse in me.

As far as what I notice about them. The colors in photo seem more striking than they were in real life. And I think the exposure and framing are okay. The depth-of-field is too small, but it was all I could do with the light I had. That's about as far as it goes for me right now...

1.

2.

gsgary · Dec 23, 2008

#1 white balance is out #2 is out of focus always focus on the eyes

DavidElliot · Dec 23, 2008

yeah i agree, number 2 would have been a good photo if the focus was on the eyes and not the nose

OldClicker · Dec 23, 2008

1 - I find the background very distracting - the up-down multicolored post things and another dog OOF.

2 Focus (as already stated), the bed post sticking out of his neck and the blown out mirror on the left.

The best way I have found to learn to see is to critique a dozen or so photos every day in the beginner forum. I my also do a critique of some of the non-beginner photos without actually typing them in. Later I see if others saw the same things - they usually don't. I am still very confused but still trying.

TF

ypperin · Dec 23, 2008

For some it can be quite a challenge to train their eye. In all honesty I recommend going for a walk through the neighbourhood, and just allow yourself to experience your neighbourhood, rather than rushing and bustling past. By the end of the walk you will find your mind has wandered, you've thought about photography and things you would like to capture both in your neighbourhood as well as outside your neighbourhood and made little plans or come up with neat little ideas on how you can play with light and situations.

As for the pictures above they seem awefully busy which makes it hard to focus on the subject. That being said, if you love them, then they are perfect

Good luck!

AlexColeman · Dec 23, 2008

1 Crop for pooch
2 Fix focus, or just keep as endearing family photo.

Mr B · Dec 23, 2008

Thanks everyone. That all mostly sounds pretty good to me. But I'm having a hard time seeing how the white balance is out on #1. And for #2, wouldn't it be more proper to say the depth of field is too narrow, and not the point of focus? I feel that even if I had focused on her eyes, still not enough of her would have been in focus.

And on both, as far as the distracting backgrounds, I see what you all are saying. But I think there fine. I was just trying to document life around the house with the dogs. But, maybe I'll come to see better ways of doing that.

What about this one? It's of broccoli growing in the garden.

#3

AlexColeman · Dec 23, 2008

This is nice, abstracting it with a even more shallow DOF would be beautiful.
On 1, see where the door is, it should be white, not that yellowish tinge.
On 2, you could get a larger DOF, focus on eyes, and then enough in focus, with a less detracting background. Overall, you are doing well.

OldClicker · Dec 23, 2008

As a photograph, I would say that it is not as sharp as it could be, the edges of the head are cut off and I would have taken it (in hind sight of course) so that the other head in the upper right was not visible.

"And on both, as far as the distracting backgrounds, I see what you all are saying. But I think there fine. I was just trying to document life around the house with the dogs."

And that's fine, but didn't you post them and ask us what we 'see'? Weren't you asking how to take better photographs?

TF

gob144 · Dec 23, 2008

number 2 is kick ass. i wish it were a little focus but it does good in my books. one is to busy.

Mr B · Dec 23, 2008

Thanks all...

OldClicker said:
And that's fine, but didn't you post them and ask us what we 'see'? Weren't you asking how to take better photographs?

TF

Please keep sharing even if in the end we have different sentiments. You're bringing up what I'm interested in either way.

Mr B · Dec 23, 2008

gob144 said:
number 2 is kick ass. i wish it were a little focus but it does good in my books. one is to busy.

Thanks. There are some aspects of that picture that I really like. But the person who mentioned the bed post was right - It's in a really bad place. It's amazing that I never noticed it until OldClicker pointed it out to me, and that now it's something that really bothers me about the picture. My eye has changed...

mrodgers · Dec 23, 2008

Mr B, where are you located? Do you happen to do any sim racing on the computer?

Just curious....

manaheim · Dec 23, 2008

The first shot with the dogs has some serious composition issues... I understand you're trying to document life in the house with the dogs, but the trick is to get it in a way that is also appealing visually... but then that's what you were saying you were having problems with.

Given that, however, I'd say the very first thing you want to do is to not disagree too much with opinions you get from people here... or at least not defensively. A good way to learn all the little tricks of "the eye" is to post your shots here, get critique, digest it, and try to extract out of it lessons that are useful for you.

If a few people say that the background is distracting, then say "hm, ok... I kind of wanted to make this 'real', so how do I do it without having a distracting background?"

BTW... I would strongly recommend that you put that flash away or point it at the ceiling (if you can... it may not be an external flash for all I know). The flash does bad bad things when pointed directly at a subject, such as the harsh light, overexposure, strong shadows, etc.

Mr B · Dec 24, 2008

manaheim said:
The first shot with the dogs has some serious composition issues... I understand you're trying to document life in the house with the dogs, but the trick is to get it in a way that is also appealing visually... but then that's what you were saying you were having problems with.

Given that, however, I'd say the very first thing you want to do is to not disagree too much with opinions you get from people here... or at least not defensively. A good way to learn all the little tricks of "the eye" is to post your shots here, get critique, digest it, and try to extract out of it lessons that are useful for you.

I understand. Sorry if you all thought I was defensive. I did consider the opinion on the background after it was pointed out, but I hadn't before. Thanks again for that. I was just pointing out that I now notice something new, but have a different feeling about it.

Just hope I didn't come across as some jerk who asks for an opinion and then wants to argue about it. I'm not bothered if you don't like the photo so long as I learn to see what you see.

manaheim said:
BTW... I would strongly recommend that you put that flash away or point it at the ceiling (if you can... it may not be an external flash for all I know). The flash does bad bad things when pointed directly at a subject, such as the harsh light, overexposure, strong shadows, etc.

I hate the flash. Before I even started learning about photography, I developed the opinion that the flash was bad news (or at least hard to use). I swear to you that I did not use the flash in any of those photographs.

I've become real curios of what you said though, since you see the picture whether I used the flash or not. That's just the kind of thing I need to be directed to consider. The more I look at the photo, the more the exposure bothers me. (Although at first I thought it was a nice picture.) I have trouble getting the exposure right. I don't use a digital camera. I just do my best on setting the shutter speed and aperture, but am often disappointed when I go pick the photos up.