First try at critique forum

[toruonu]

So I decided to see how hard I get beaten here for the first time now since I have been here for a week or so

Here's one about which I'm getting confusing thoughts myself. On some days I love it on some I don't know what to think:

What I'd like to know is is it too soft? DOF position? As I said, on some days I love it On the others I'm not so sure :/

 

[eydryan]

ah... it's been a while...

beaten up is not the case here, and don't think that'll help you get rid of the beating

but seriously now, everyone here is here to learn, even the pros (like jonmikal or so on) they're all willing to discuss with all and even learn from them.

i like the shot, it's clear, it has light, contrast, that absolutely perfect background, etc.

now for the actual bad points, the good ones i'll leave aside for now. i don't like the crop:it's asymmetrical but in a messy way... you should just make it a centered shot, you know, like crop some from the right. it's dead space anyway

otherwise i find it really cool, and i usually find the problems in shots and yours is quite problem free.

oh, one thing i noticed while first looking at it is that the subject is a bit cluttered but...well it's hard to say really... it looks good complex like this.

some might also argue that it lacks a clearly defined center of attention but then again it is one.hmm.

well, to end this, i must say that it's a good shot, also no matter what we say if you think otherwise do not hesitate to say but remeber not to do it out of ego, ok?

cheers, mate

 

[toruonu]

thanks mate Just a quick comment on the format, it's straight out of the camera, this is the full frame

 

[eydryan]

ah, well that's just an expression, you know because you don't know if the person did or did not crop it and crop also refers to the way you frame the shot kinda

 

[LaFoto]

Well, Mario, I can see why you are in a love/hate-relationship with this photo, but since it is new to me and I have not a) taken it myself and b) looked at it too often by now, I can say that there is no beating to be done.

Backlighting is always a strong element in my eyes, and you have that here.
So I like that.

DOF is important, you went for a shallow DOF to have the dying plant shrowded in cobwebs in focus ... you might have gone for a slightly less shallow DOF here, and then you might like it better and would not now juggle with emotions over this, if e.g. the whole flower plus cobwebs had been in focus against the blurry background.

As to your way of framing (not cropping), it is perfect. Centred photos - as you know for yourself, I am sure - have this way of getting boring quite soon. So good choice on positioning the flower where it is as counterbalance to the other part of the photo (or much rather: vice versa).

GOOD choice of dead space, I say, since there is very much going on on the side of the flower, what with the "chaotic spread" of the cobwebs. You give the eye something to look at (and I think that you do, so I say, yes, there IS a centre of attention, and very clearly and very obviously so), and some rest from the chaos, too.

This is not a photo that is having an enormous IMPACT, but then I doubt that achieving that has ever been your intention. But it is not one for the bin, that much is true as well!!! It is a keeper!