Is this a good picture?

kusetjuv · May 17, 2011

Picture:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kusetjuv/5628868690/in/photostream

Channel:

Flickr: Kusetjuv's Photostream

Is these pictures good? Ive been photographing since I was a little kid, and even back then people said I really could master the profession..but what do you think about my work so far?

OrionsByte · May 17, 2011

You'll get more responses if you embed the image in your post instead of linking to it. Also, be prepared for some harsh comments, because that's just how things work around here. There's always room for improvement, and that's generally where comments will be focused - not on praising the stuff you did right.

On the shot of your friend, I think it's okay, it's a tad underexposed and I wouldn't mind it warmed up a little. I think it's one of those shots that you and your friend will always be able to look back on and remember what you were doing and where you were when it was taken, but there's not much in the photo to tell us the story, if you know what I mean. If I hadn't read the caption I'd never have known she was watching sunset.

So you ask, is it a good picture, and I ask, in what context? For you and your friend, I think it's a great photo. For everyone else, it's nothing special. That's just my opinion.

I didn't look at any of the pictures in your stream, but if you wanted to pick a few of your favorites and post them here (embedded, not linked) I'm sure folks would have some thoughts for you.

j28 · May 17, 2011

You will get more responses posting a picture rather than just a link. Also, do you mean technically well shot or pleasing images? There can be a huge difference. I saw a couple of technical issues in the three I looked at, but found the first image of the girl visually pleasing.

kusetjuv · May 17, 2011

OrionsByte said:
You'll get more responses if you embed the image in your post instead of linking to it. Also, be prepared for some harsh comments, because that's just how things work around here. There's always room for improvement, and that's generally where comments will be focused - not on praising the stuff you did right.

On the shot of your friend, I think it's okay, it's a tad underexposed and I wouldn't mind it warmed up a little. I think it's one of those shots that you and your friend will always be able to look back on and remember what you were doing and where you were when it was taken, but there's not much in the photo to tell us the story, if you know what I mean. If I hadn't read the caption I'd never have known she was watching sunset.

So you ask, is it a good picture, and I ask, in what context? For you and your friend, I think it's a great photo. For everyone else, it's nothing special. That's just my opinion.

I didn't look at any of the pictures in your stream, but if you wanted to pick a few of your favorites and post them here (embedded, not linked) I'm sure folks would have some thoughts for you.

Thanks, but is it just 'decent', then? I linked it on yahoo answers and everyone said it looked pro done. Maybe ive been expecting too much?
And I wondering how you can say that "for everyone else, its nothing special"..are you everyone else? ^^

Derrel · May 17, 2011

It looks okay. When friend say it "looks pro done", I suspect they mean it looks like it was done by a professional-level camera. And yes, it looks like a professionally capable camera took that photo.

kusetjuv · May 17, 2011

Derrel said:
It looks okay. When friend say it "looks pro done", I suspect they mean it looks like it was done by a professional-level camera. And yes, it looks like a professionally capable camera took that photo.

It was random people on yahoo answers who said so, not my friends;P

OrionsByte · May 17, 2011

kusetjuv said:
Thanks, but is it just 'decent', then? I linked it on yahoo answers and everyone said it looked pro done. Maybe ive been expecting too much?

Well it always depends on who you ask. People unfamiliar with photography tend to over-praise anything that's better than they could do with their cell phone cameras.

When you took this photo, was it a moment of opportunity, where you saw her sitting there and decided you wanted to snap a shot, or was it done as a "photoshoot" where you sat her down, posed her, told her where to look, etc.? I'm guessing it was a moment of opportunity, and as such, it's a very good snapshot, and it shows you know how to control your camera and that you have an eye for composition. If it was a posed shot though, there are a lot of things that could have been done better. So it's all in the perspective.

I've been shooting since I was a kid too, but there's more to improving than repetition. Being shown where your photos are lacking so that you can work on those areas will only make you better.

Village Idiot · May 17, 2011

Sure, it looks like something that could have been produced by a professional. The problem is, I've seen some professionals that aren't that great at photography but are good at business, so they keep themselves a float that way. I've seen some hobbyist that produce amazing work. And unless you're getting answers from pro photographers on Yahoo, I'd take them with a grain of salt.

Her face looks fat because it looks like she's pulling her chin into her neck. That's not exactly flattering. It's also exacerbated by her hand pressing into her chin. Bringing the chin out from the neck gives a more slimming look. The pose is OK. She looks a little underexposed for my taste. A little more light on her and I'd like it a little more.

I like the B&W photo of your niece more than I like this one.

christian.rudman · May 17, 2011

I agree with the Idiot all around

It's definitely underexposed and could use some more intentional lighting (or just more understanding of metering) to be a great portrait, but as far as composition and post work, you seem spot on.

i posted on the photo of your niece too on flickr, check the comments.

kusetjuv · May 18, 2011

Thanks for all the great answers so far!

thomas30 · May 18, 2011

Looks like a pro photo, but the light is definitely not exposed on face as it should be. As village idiot told, I agree with him. Her face looks fat because it looks like she's pulling her chin into her neck. That's not exactly flattering. Some more pics from different angle need to be tried. Otherwise, its fine and looks good.

ghache · May 18, 2011

I think its a really nice impromptu portrait, its really sharp, in focus and has a really nice dept of field.

The_Traveler · May 18, 2011

kusetjuv said:
Derrel said:

It looks okay. When friend say it "looks pro done", I suspect they mean it looks like it was done by a professional-level camera. And yes, it looks like a professionally capable camera took that photo.

Click to expand...

It was random people on yahoo answers who said so, not my friends;P

Random people can be morons with no discernible taste.
Its an ok picture.

If your implied question is 'Am I a photographic prodigy only awaiting the opportunity for my hitherto hidden genius to be revealed?', my answer is 'maybe, post more pictures and perhaps your talent will out.'

subscuck · May 18, 2011

kusetjuv said:
It was random people on yahoo answers who said so, not my friends;P

A member of this forum named Bitter Jeweler said it best in another thread; ignore the 4 F's= Friends, Family, Facebook and Flickr. That applies to yahoo answers as well. When you post on a forum populated by Pros and serious amatuers, you'll get objective, rather than subjective critique. As OrionsByte said, it's easy to "wow" someone who knows nothing about photography, not so easy with people who make their money from it, or devote a large part of their free time to it. I think your pic is a nice candid portrait, and very good on a technical level. The real test is to see what you can do when you put some thought into a formal portrait.

bennielou · May 18, 2011

I like the photo, with two little nit pics. I think it's a tad underexposed which can be fixed pretty quickly with a curve bump. I'm also not crazy about that little piece of hair that is doing a little dance on her forhead, but that's just me being ADD. Her lower arm crop/placement is kinda wierd.

Anyhoo, I'm gonna tell you something completely different as far as approaching feedback. While I gain valuable info from viewing photographer feedback as far as technical matters, it's not always on the same page as my actual clients. It's not that my clients don't know good photography from bad photography. They pay me a lot of money for doing things the way I do things.

However, while asking family members is all well and good, when I first started out, I asked people who didn't know me at all to give me feedback. When I started getting clients, I listened to them. I paid a lot of attention to their after shoot questionairre, their internet posts, and thier referrals. At the end of the day, that is who I pay attention to.

Not to say that you can't learn from other photographers. In fact, you might find that you can learn all sorts of neat tricks and tips. But being different isn't a bad thing. It separates you from all the people running around trying to be just like all the other guys. The hard part is deciding where your heart is, what you like to do, client expectations, and well meaning tips.