Getting Better? Photos from today! Please C&C!!!

[king718]

T3i Kit lens


1:

2

3

4

5

 

[Dom6663]

I really want to write something about each one of these photos, but I'm too tired so im going to generalize a bit.

What I notice immediately is that you really pay attention to the rule of thirds, or as much as you can. In general a very good thing to do, more aesthetically appealing, yada yada.

In number 2 and 4 you differ from it a little, but the images still work.

I think you mostly need to work on framing
#1 you have a piece of shrubbery peeking in on the left side, obstructing the images edge.
#2 the very ends of the branches are merging with the edge of the image, these basically act as leading lines and lead your eyes out of the frame.
#4 you have branches meging with the edge, and these smoke stacks peeping in from the side of the frame as well.
#5 the rock is semi cut off on the left edge

I left out #3 because its a poor image, it doesnt have great contrast or truly discernable details, no center of focus and no framing. Just a flop of the set.


The only thing I would say improve on really is framing.

 

[xolauren22]

there really good I love #4

 

[bazooka]

These just aren't good. Unfortunately I didn't see your previous set(s) so I don't know if it's an improvement. The one that comes close is the last one so we'll leave that for last.

#1 It is significantly underexposed. The clouds which are supposed to be white, are closer to mid-gray. The brightest part of the photo (the white clouds around her head) are 237, 184, 142. First this means, they are underexposed across the board. Secondly, it means they have a very warm cast. The warm cast might work with the image, but the underexposure does not.

Why do you have the girl overlapping the dog? They become a blob, and although I can tell that there is a person and something with a tail, I don't know what's happening there. When doing a silhouette, be very careful with overlapping.

Branches at far left. Why are they there? Do they add to the image? If not, they have to go.

#2 The grass is almost exposed well, but the clouds again are underexposed, even moreso than #1 (I'm measuring via the eyedropper tool). Because it's close, it could be fixed easily with some curves adjustment layers or maybe even some raw adjustments.

Past that, there is a lot happening in the image, but nothing seems to stand out as significant. There isn't anything that is grabbing my attention.... no interesting detail, no interesting composition. It effectively communicates the scene, but it just isn't interesting to me.

#3 Again, underexposed, particularly the sky. This one suffers from more of the same as #2, only moreso. I don't know what you are going for here. You want me to see the "pattern" in the brush? Then why include the sky? You want me to enjoy the clouds? Why is half the image brush? etc... The image is organized into half sky, half brush. It's just not appealing to me. With #2, at least there was a tree which kind of "attached" the ground to the sky creating a link. Here, there is nothing. I don't see it, I don't get it.

#4 This is similar to #2 with a better white balance but more distraction. Power lines, fence posts, protruding limbs from the edges of the frame. Make sure to include only what adds to the image. Cut out more from the scene. Simplify!

#5 Now you can probably see why I believe this is by far the strongest image of the bunch. It is simple, including no unnecessary elements. The form of the girl is obvious (standing, looking, hands in pockets). The form of the rock is obvious. I don't see the connection between her and the rock other than it being used as a balancing mechanism which weakens the image, but it shows that you are thinking about balance.

In my opinion, this would have been a better image had you not included the rock and just shot a tight portrait of her silhouette. I know you're going for landscape, but using a person in the image at this scale makes it something else.

Again, the image is underexposed, but the white balance although very very warm and strange, kind of works here. With this specific composition, I'd like to see less ground at the bottom, and more room above her head. She's pretty cramped. Maybe take advantage of that "big sky" with a wider angle and isolate her more?

Keep shooting!

 

[sm4him]

Only thing I'd add to what Bazooka said is that in #4, the tilted horizon and the smokestacks are really distracting to me.

I do like that, with the exception of #3, these look like you have at least really put thought into your composition. Keep working on that, and correct some of the technical issues bazooka mentions (esp. the seeming tendency to underexpose and the white balance issues), and I think you'll definitely be on the right track!

 

[jowensphoto]

As Bazooka, I didn't see the first set, so I can't compare. I too also noticed the exposure issues in all the shots.

I DO like that you were trying to achieve some balance; specifically in the first and last shots. I think the last one could have been shot a little wider. The chopped off end of the rock distracts me.

 

[king718]

OMG! Thanks so much guys for the detailed responses! I loved reading all the criticism and will def keep all these things in mind and try to fix them next time! Here is my old set btw:

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...hoto-gallery/268364-pictures-ny-city-c-c.html

 

[bazooka]

Judging from just that set, I'd say you've improved but it's difficult to judge because of the different genres. In any case, you're attitude is right where it should be so I suspect in a month you'll be making some good improvements.

 

[AgentDrex]

#1 is the strongest composition in my opinion. It needs a crop at the left to remove the branches. I like the rays coming down to the person and the dog. I like the subdued lighting and color for this photo but I have no clue why.

#4 has a crooked horizon....in my opinion...you could leave the stacks in the photo but from a different angle so if feels as if though its a purposeful part of the photo and not a distraction as this currently is...

Keep up the shooting...I look forward to seeing your further progress.

 

[vtf]

Everything has been said except in #4 I believe the smokestacks are the story, too bad there's too many uninteresting things inbetween. Go back and shoot the smoke stacks and make them interesting. It's the one thing about Winter that destroys outdoor shots, the dormant foliage. To take a shot with dormant foliage there really has to be a strong story to the image.

 

[brush]

I agree with all the C&C others have said, and to answer your question yes I do believe these are better than the other thread. As everyone says there's plenty to improve on here, but if you ask me these are photos with a lot of potential, while the other thread was pretty much just a bunch of snapshots. You're definitely movin' in the right direction.

Oh wait, one thing I don't think anyone else mentioned yet (unless I scanned past it in an a.d.d. fervor) is that #5 could be framed a lot better. Try cropping this same shot to the same dimensions, but put the extra space above her head instead of under her feet.