night in front of the church

[bribrius]

Tough crowd eh ?

I put this up to "a memory picture for yourself" rather than a composed photo.

I do alot of that myself

Memory of the hill? This needed some tough love. hehe

yeah, slap me around too I probably need it. :lmao:

 

[astroNikon]

Tough crowd eh ?

I put this up to "a memory picture for yourself" rather than a composed photo.

I do alot of that myself

Memory of the hill? This needed some tough love. hehe

Just reference your current avatar lol

 

[bribrius]

Tough crowd eh ?

I put this up to "a memory picture for yourself" rather than a composed photo.

I do alot of that myself

Probably should be. im actually wondering if this is a iq issue. I play dumb but growing up gifted and talented, tested college level in 7th grade. iq tests im in like the top 1%. Doesn't mean i'm smart in fact high iq people can still be extremely ignorant and many of us are. But might explain my perception difference. i've noticed many times I don't think the same way on some things as others do. I wont look at many of the same photos the same as 90 percent of others. A lot of times people actually think im dumb because I don't perceive things the same way when it is actually the opposite. so I come off a little flighty and out of touch. Doesn't make my photography hopeless, least I hope not. I just have a bad tendency to bypass and discount a lot of the simplest things. It's actually a flaw. Even typing or writing if I mis spell something. I just bypass it not because I don't know the difference. so im going to probably have to take a more round about route...
this is why I kept saying I was a slow learner in the other thread. simple concepts are the ones I have a problem with....
more complex the easier I pick up on it usually. course on the other hand, id tend to think most people in photography have above average iqs. So maybe I do just totally lack all creativity.
But if someone looks at something with a 100 iq and I look at something we aren't going to get the same impression of it all the time. As with anything or anyones different perception.

Thanks for the feedback guys, don't give up on me yet...I've got a lot to learn.

 

[astroNikon]

I've learned alot just reading the feedback on this site.

I also took concepts really slowly. like the rule of thirds. Yeah, a photo looks just fine, but the thirds rule makes sense after a while. Then I keep pounding on each topic to learn "why"

such as proper exposure in flash photography. I realized why I don't like, when doing a selfie, properly exposing (litghting-wise) myself ... my gray hair becomes very evident lol

And now I can look at photos and see things I've never seen before. It just takes time .. it's an "art form".


for instance, the big hill you have in the lower part of the photo does nothing for the photo. It's like a big green wall - you could put a sign there "this space left intentionally blank". then if you were to crop it, the church steeple is nice but that tall tree next to it totally takes away from the church steeple.


When I first tried taking portraits I had a friend model for me. We picked a very scenic areas with neat backgrounds. The problem is, the backgrounds took away from what the photo was supposed to be ... a portrait of the person. That's when I first started learning about subject isolationism on certain photo types and why ... then kept going from there.

 

[bribrius]

I've learned alot just reading the feedback on this site.

I also took concepts really slowly. like the rule of thirds. Yeah, a photo looks just fine, but the thirds rule makes sense after a while. Then I keep pounding on each topic to learn "why"

such as proper exposure in flash photography. I realized why I don't like, when doing a selfie, properly exposing (litghting-wise) myself ... my gray hair becomes very evident lol

And now I can look at photos and see things I've never seen before. It just takes time .. it's an "art form".


for instance, the big hill you have in the lower part of the photo does nothing for the photo. It's like a big green wall - you could put a sign there "this space left intentionally blank". then if you were to crop it, the church steeple is nice but that tall tree next to it totally takes away from the church steeple.


When I first tried taking portraits I had a friend model for me. We picked a very scenic areas with neat backgrounds. The problem is, the backgrounds took away from what the photo was supposed to be ... a portrait of the person. That's when I first started learning about subject isolationism on certain photo types and why ... then kept going from there.

Thankyou. the hill, I wasn't sure about. I liked making the people look smaller and less obvious (kind of like the lack of clarity) and looking up the hill, then again up the steeple. IT was actually the hill that first wanted me to take the photo. Looking up then up again. I just liked it and looking up the hill and then up again up the church steeple. but at the same time it is overwhelming the photo so what attracted me to taking it also kind of takes up to much of it.. The tree, I really just don't like but what to do...it was there. My other option is chop it down or just not take the photo.
Thankyou for the feedback it really helps to see how others view what you shoot. Don't be afraid to be tough on me and slap me around either, sometimes as mentioned it is warranted...
"what the hell did you do that for?" would be a appropriate reaction in many instances..

 

[astroNikon]

I always say that one should always have a chainsaw in their camera bag for when a tree attacks you after you ask it to politely move out of the frame

 

[bribrius]

I always say that one should always have a chainsaw in their camera bag for when a tree attacks you after you ask it to politely move out of the frame

well, and the composition issue. which everyone dwells on. which I know more than I use. went through it twenty years back. went through it again recently. start looking for composition my enjoyment of photography goes down hill quick, I start to take photos I don't even like, looking for good composition and not taking photos I want because the composition isn't there. I cant totally ignore it either though that is just a excuse to take bad photos I need to find a balance. But I am SO over being so concerned with composition, like twenty years back. It becomes way to much like work and since I don't like a good portion of well composed photos text book example, concentrating to much on it would just give me photos that are correct that I really don't like or like taking. A balance would be good. I got a book sitting here right in front of me on examples of composition, and I don't like most of the photos that are the examples. No way to get around that. just enough to make myself not have a excuse to produce garbage I say.

 

[SCraig]

what is scary here. Is I already have. And been to many art galleries. looked online at what they show at art museums. been through photography once. started going through a course book a while back one step at a time again, read. Taking one section at a time. Most elements you cant reasonably accommodate in the frame. I got stuck on that for a while because of the push for proper composition. Hardly ever to they all come together. And when they do, it is often of a subject you don't want a photo of anyway so the elements are there but the interest is not. Least not to me. so rather than stressing myself out looking for composition elements for the perfect photo of something I don't like I stopped worrying about it.

it really isn't coming together for me in that sense. Quite honestly, most of it doesn't mean a damn thing to me. But I have a bigger issue. taste. what other people generally like, I often don't. what I don't like, they often do. Even as rudimentary as my facebook page. I get likes on photos I took and I don't even like the photos im getting likes on. Other photos people don't like, I like them. I go in a gallery or something. see people staring at a photograph or painting. I cant figure out why I think that one sucks.
Even my own wife, creative person she is, I take a certain photo, she tells me she likes it. I hate it. I cant figure out why she likes it. usually I take a photo, or post a photo, I haven't a clue what others will think of it. I know what I think of it, but what others think is good, or bad, it is a total roll of the dice for me. I relate zero. I look through art books or examples of composition and half the stuff I don't even like.

Sounds like it's time for a decision to be made: You have to decide who your audience is. If you want to take photographs that others like then you are going to have to buckle down and learn the same tedious stuff that most everyone else had to learn. If you want to take photographs that only you like then you don't.

 

[bribrius]

what is scary here. Is I already have. And been to many art galleries. looked online at what they show at art museums. been through photography once. started going through a course book a while back one step at a time again, read. Taking one section at a time. Most elements you cant reasonably accommodate in the frame. I got stuck on that for a while because of the push for proper composition. Hardly ever to they all come together. And when they do, it is often of a subject you don't want a photo of anyway so the elements are there but the interest is not. Least not to me. so rather than stressing myself out looking for composition elements for the perfect photo of something I don't like I stopped worrying about it.

it really isn't coming together for me in that sense. Quite honestly, most of it doesn't mean a damn thing to me. But I have a bigger issue. taste. what other people generally like, I often don't. what I don't like, they often do. Even as rudimentary as my facebook page. I get likes on photos I took and I don't even like the photos im getting likes on. Other photos people don't like, I like them. I go in a gallery or something. see people staring at a photograph or painting. I cant figure out why I think that one sucks.
Even my own wife, creative person she is, I take a certain photo, she tells me she likes it. I hate it. I cant figure out why she likes it. usually I take a photo, or post a photo, I haven't a clue what others will think of it. I know what I think of it, but what others think is good, or bad, it is a total roll of the dice for me. I relate zero. I look through art books or examples of composition and half the stuff I don't even like.

Sounds like it's time for a decision to be made: You have to decide who your audience is. If you want to take photographs that others like then you are going to have to buckle down and learn the same tedious stuff that most everyone else had to learn. If you want to take photographs that only you like then you don't.

I clearly choose me, that is what matters. That is my primary audience and concern. Did a long time ago, other wise I may as not even pick up a camera as it wont be what I like doing. why do something that seems like work just to make others happy? But i choose me in reasonable enough way I don't want to give myself a free ride and use it as a cop out or prevent myself from getting better. Not the easy way out, the right way out for ME. so im still reading and learning some (very little it has become beating the dead horse), just ignoring half of it, not relating to part of it, and implementing a fraction of it. Others viewpoints still offer a sense of balance so Im not to wrapped up in my own thing to not realize if my stuff totally sucks. :lmao: sometimes I agree with others, I take a photo, they say it sucks, I see why and I agree with them. I didn't see it at first, but after listening, contemplating, yeah, I agree it sucks too. Mostly, either people like it or they don't, they have advice I can use or they don't. It all good. im not sweating it. If they really hate my photos, that's fine. They aren't going on their wall they are going on mine. im old enough and secure enough to not concern myself with what people think and take it to heart, just pull out or be selective of helpful advice I might be seeking.

 

[SCraig]

I clearly choose me, that is what matters. That is my primary audience and concern. Did a long time ago, other wise I may as not even pick up a camera as it wont be what I like doing. why do something that seems like work just to make others happy? But i choose me in reasonable enough way I don't want to give myself a free ride and use it as a cop out or prevent myself from getting better. Not the easy way out, the right way out for ME. so im still reading and learning some (very little it has become beating the dead horse), just ignoring half of it, not relating to part of it, and implementing a fraction of it. Others viewpoints still offer a sense of balance so Im not to wrapped up in my own thing to not realize if my stuff totally sucks. :lmao: sometimes I agree with others, I take a photo, they say it sucks, I see why and I agree with them. I didn't see it at first, but after listening, contemplating, yeah, I agree it sucks too. Mostly, either people like it or they don't, they have advice I can use or they don't. It all good. im not sweating it. If they really hate my photos, that's fine. They aren't going on their wall they are going on mine. im old enough and secure enough to not concern myself with what people think and take it to heart, just pull out or be selective of helpful advice I might be seeking.

Fair enough. Many people don't see that. All they care about are the accolades of others that stroke their ego. They will forego what they like and what pleases them in deference to what pleases others. If one is going to pursue photography as a profession that is a requirement otherwise it just gets in the way.

I worked in camera store when I was a kid and the owner was my mentor of sorts. I learned a lot from him, much of which I've forgotten over the years. One thing that has stuck with me is something he passed along, "If others like what you shoot that's great. If others don't like what you shoot that's unfortunate. If YOU don't like what you shoot then you're doing it wrong." I've stood by that for over 40 years and see no reason to change now.

Even so, every time someone advises me to try something I thank them and I do try it. I may not like the results, I may stick with what I've been doing, but I still try it. I've learned a lot that way, I've changed some of my methods, I've ignored some of the advice given because it didn't work for me, but all in all I feel like I've improved over the years.