Here is a couger shot showing the window and some new winter storm photos for C&C

[LightSpeed]

to which I say

Meh studio shots are studio shots

I fail to see how you can even compare the two. No likeness at all anywhere to be found.
Two totally different types of photography.

 

[Overread]

to which I say

Meh studio shots are studio shots

I fail to see how you can even compare the two. No likeness at all anywhere to be found.
Two totally different types of photography.

A person isn't a real person when posed and shot in a studio, its an artificial environment and detracts from the person and their natural emotions and actions. If you want to capture that for real you've got to get out on the street, capture them whilst they are unaware, without fake posing and faked emotion -with that true display of human life.


A zoo is no less or no more a place to see animals and to photograph them than any other and whilst some might say its darn sight easier since you don't have to stalk through mud and slim for weeks on a an end its still a valid place to shoot and can still produce some great shots (and I mean beyond both those that show animals being sad with paws at the bars and big eyes; and the shots that try to emulate a wild capture).

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

:facepalm:

 

[LightSpeed]

to which I say

Meh studio shots are studio shots

I fail to see how you can even compare the two. No likeness at all anywhere to be found.
Two totally different types of photography.

A person isn't a real person when posed and shot in a studio, its an artificial environment and detracts from the person and their natural emotions and actions. If you want to capture that for real you've got to get out on the street, capture them whilst they are unaware, without fake posing and faked emotion -with that true display of human life.


A zoo is no less or no more a place to see animals and to photograph them than any other and whilst some might say its darn sight easier since you don't have to stalk through mud and slim for weeks on a an end its still a valid place to shoot and can still produce some great shots (and I mean beyond both those that show animals being sad with paws at the bars and big eyes; and the shots that try to emulate a wild capture).

It's not uncommon to see a human being go into a studio, for a photo session.
It's not uncommon to see models posing for photographers.

It is, however, uncommon to the tune that will you never see a tiger ( or any other wild animal) walk into a studio to have his photo taken, nor is he going to pose for you. He might try to eat you, but posing for you is out of the question.
If a person walks into a studio and poses for a shot in that environment, it is totally natural human behavior. This is what people do. On the other hand, the best people shots that I've seen were of people who didn't know they were being photographed.
By the same token , it's very easy to do that because there is no shortage of people. Or unsuspecting people. Not to mention, if they see you before you see them no big deal.
If a tiger sees you before you see him, in the wild, odds are the next time a photographer sees you, you will be in a pine box surrounded by flowers. Suffice to say your remains are even found.

If a deer, wood duck, egret, blue herring, Hawk, sees or senses you before you see them, good luck because they're gone before you know it. Just like that, at the blink of an eye.
There are exceptions to the zoo shots, as I've mentioned. I might even try it myself. But this was not one of them.

 

[mrpink]

I stopped reading after "cougar butt through a window".

 

[photo guy]

I would have taken better shots of the town with the snow if traffic would have been lighter. I took it between times of vehicles passing. The town that I shot these at may be small but has a lot of traffic.

 

[photo guy]

Evidentally it did little good to post these photos since it is just causing bickering with very little feedback on the photos. Thank you to all of you who actually did post about the photos. I guess it is just a waste of my time to post since I seem to be getting little feedback for the number of hits this post has gotten. Around 250 views and only around 22 posts. Sad. I guess I learned a lesson.

 

[MTVision]

Evidentally it did little good to post these photos since it is just causing bickering with very little feedback on the photos. Thank you to all of you who actually did post about the photos. I guess it is just a waste of my time to post since I seem to be getting little feedback for the number of hits this post has gotten. Around 250 views and only around 22 posts. Sad. I guess I learned a lesson.

22 posts is a lot actually. Not everyone will take the time to write something. The last time I posted only 2 people gave feedback - 2 more people than I would've had if I hadn't posted.

 

[Overread]

We aren't bickering we're - having a differing of opinion

Asides which most of us who have the different viewpoints already aired our thoughts on the photos already earlier in the thread. As for the views - remember those get counted up from lurkers, browsers, people on coffee breaks; I really wouldn't worry about how many worry about the content and the quality. Furthermore give the critique link in my sig a read. If you just post a few photos then what we have to work on is the photos alone - put up more details (examples are shown in the link) and you can quickly improve the quality of the replies you get as people have more to work with and can more easily give advice that is applicable to your situation.

 

[photo guy]

Thank You MTVision and Overread. I guess I didn't look at it that way. Before my reply right now I just heard some bad news that hits my family a little hard with one of our professions so I won't reply much tonight. Thank You.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Evidentally it did little good to post these photos since it is just causing bickering with very little feedback on the photos. Thank you to all of you who actually did post about the photos. I guess it is just a waste of my time to post since I seem to be getting little feedback for the number of hits this post has gotten. Around 250 views and only around 22 posts. Sad. I guess I learned a lesson.

You are repeatedly posting snapshots, and offering up excuses for everything people point out.

Go study composition for a month, employ the theories you learn, and come back and post these images that you took your time , and thought out your composition, with no excuses. Are you willing to accept this challenge?

 

[Tony S]

I can understand the journalistic type shots you are going after with these, but it looks like you missed the mark. Unfortunately the storm photos are underexposed and other than a little bit of snow on the road don't really show that it's storming. There's no real indication of a hard snow fall, wind blowing, or traffic having problems getting around. There's just too much dead empty space that does not show much of anything. Our eyes see much more than the camera can show, add in the sounds, smells, feel of the cold and other things and you have to really work to make the photo show something that you are seeing and feeling so others get the feeling too.

The cougar shot had possibilities, but I don't think you put your work in to get the best shot you could have for a zoo shot or any story to go along with it. At a zoo you expect to see people looking at animals, this shot could have been taken when there was someone at the side of the window looking in. Having seen cougar in zoos many times, I'm betting that one was pacing back and forth so you could have then waited until it was coming at you so you could see it's espressive face with visitors looking on. Shoot, had you waited long enough, you might have even caught the joy of some child looking at a big cat for the first time.

When you are making an image, ask yourself a simple question... Does it tell a story without words? Thsoe are the ones you are looking for. Secondly, if it does not, will it tell a story with a simple cutline of one or two sentences? If it can't hold up to those two questions then you need to look for a different composition, angle, subjects added to or taken from the image to tell the story.

 

[baturn]

@lightspeed - do you need an under water housing to photograph blue herring? And it is common to see all those critters in zoos. Get over yourself.

 

[Ron Evers]

The 2 street shots lean right.

 

[Infinite_Day]

OK - I agree that the cougar shot is not a very good shot. That being said, he pointed out that he posted it because somebody had asked about the location in a previous post. Fair enough. Now, I agree that getting a photo of an animal in the wild is the best way to go about wildlife photography and is what I prefer. However, many people may want to be able to have some shots that they took of an animal. Most people are not going to be able to afford to take a photo safari to Asia to get wild photos of Tigers. Most people also cannot afford the ultra-telephoto lens that allows one to somewhat safely take a photo of a tiger either. I've seen some really good shots of animals in zoos that you wouldn't be able to tell were from a zoo unless you were informed such. There's a story on tigers in the new Nat Geo that just came out. Even many of the tiger photos in that story were of animals that were captive in some manner and the wild shots are not what you'd call perfect photos. Even a top-tier photographer has a hard time getting photos of some animals. This particularly applies to animals that could eat your face off while you attempt to photograph them in the wild and you would have little chance at escape if they chose to do so (see: cougar, tiger, etc.), I say to each his own.

Also, the two city shots. They look as though they were hastily taken. It's a town that looks charming and I think that with a little more time you could have found a perspective that would have been a bit better. The exposure on them isn't too bad, in my opinion.