Photos from manhattan for CC please!

[Ethang]

Hey everyone, I ant to soho today and took some pictures (I hope) are pretty good for a beginner like me. All shots were taken with my d3000 and kit lens. I understand this may be a lot of photos to do an in depth analysis of, so if you want just CC the ones you feel your CC would really help me and just don't CC the others. EDIT: Also do you guys think these look like well thought out photos or snapshots?
1.
This photo I really liked because I thought it looked cool and was kinda symbolic, the sun shining over a dirty graffiti filled field

DSC_0010 by Ethang13, on Flickr
2.
This shot I just thought was so New York...

DSC_0093 by Ethang13, on Flickr
3.
This shot I really have to description-

DSC_0106 by Ethang13, on Flickr
4.
And I couldn't decide which hat shot is better, please share which you prefer...
Elmo:
DSC_0122 by Ethang13, on Flickr
5.
Blue:
DSC_0123 by Ethang13, on Flickr

Lastly I know this shot isn't the most well composed but I loved the lighting of it-
6.

DSC_0149 by Ethang13, on Flickr

Thanks in advance,
Ethan

 

[photo guy]

Some helpful advice for future referene: try and limit the number of photos to 4 or 5 and also number them. This will make it easier for you to get C&C. The last one is a little dark on the people and on the first one the gate says nothing special to me.

 

[JH100]

There isn't really a subject in #3....possibly #1 as well.

 

[naptime]

i really like 2 and 3.

i disagree that there is no subject. 3 is probably my favorite.

a husband and wife, walking their newborn along graffiti laden streets. love it.

in #2, i love the look on her face... like, i'm about to throw this mccafe all over your camera if you dont stop taking pictures of me.


i'd crop out the purse.

 

[Ethang]

Photoguy: thanks for the advice on numbering. Also thanks for your honest opinion on my photos
JH100: For 1 I was meaning for the see through gate to be a subject- but I understand what your saying.And for 3 it depends how you look at the photo, at first glance I would imagine that they graffiti laden walls would grab your attention, making you think its the wall but upon further inspection I would hope the viewer would notice the family walking in the background- making a hopefully interesting story. Of course as the person who took the photo I can only imagine what people would think when they see it for I had what I wanted the viewer to see so of course I would always see it that way. Thanks for your advice
Naptime: Thanks for your CC. Im really glad a story came to your mind in 3, thats what I hoped to happen when someone sees a photo like that. and I liked the women's expression in 2, Ill maybe post a cropped version tomorrow. Thanks for your advice.

 

[photo guy]

No Problem.

 

[Ethang]

Heres the cropped version of 2.

DSC_0093 (2) by Ethang13, on Flickr

 

[vandal]

What would the effect be if you cropped down more on No. 2 to get rid of the space atop the box? I like the concept of No. 3, but there's something off about the focus that's throwing me. The others, I'm not not a fan of the lighting -- sorry.

 

[MrsLittle]

They are definitely better than most "snapshots" I see.

 

[Ethang]

Vandal: For 2 ill try that, thanks. And I kinda see what your saying about 3, if I were to redo it I would have used a larger aperture for a larger DOF. Thanks for being honest.
MrsLittle: I am confused by your comment. Are you saying that my photos have a snapshot feel? If so please explain further. Thanks

 

[PhotoTish]

I like how you are trying out different shots; looking for different textures and subjects. I think your idea with the first one was good but you mention a dirty field which doesn't really come across - I think the sun shining on the rusty gates is potentially a good shot but perhaps from a different angle? Maybe crouching down and shooting up so the gates are looming above you catching the sun?

I like photo 2 - nice expression on the lady's face and I like the graffiti - I would probably crop out the shoulder/bag on the right side of the photo.

I like photo 3 - a nice balance between the graffiti walls on the left and much smarter looking buildings on the right and the couple with their child gives a nice perspective as to the scale of the buildings. I would probably crop (or clone) out the flag or whatever it is at the top of the photo.

I like the bold colours in photos 4 and 5 - of the two I probably prefer 4 because the yellow car just seems to pick up nicely on the colour spectrum of the hats (if it were my photo I might crop out the silver bumper of the second car). Did you take any with the whole of the hats in the foreground?

The last one is a bit dark but you caught some nice rays hitting the building on the left - which I like.

I agree with you - I think they are pretty good :thumbup:

 

[Ethang]

Phototish: Thanks for the cc! Yea for shot 1 I wish I had more time to experiment but my family was walking away- didn't want to lose them. Someone already suggested cropping it like that. I posted it again cropped, it looks better. I cloned the distracting flag out, ill post tomorrow. It seems more people like 4 than 5. Yea If it weren't for the light rays I would have put that in my other folder of not great photos. Thanks for the compliment.

 

[MrsLittle]

Vandal: For 2 ill try that, thanks. And I kinda see what your saying about 3, if I were to redo it I would have used a larger aperture for a larger DOF. Thanks for being honest.
MrsLittle: I am confused by your comment. Are you saying that my photos have a snapshot feel? If so please explain further. Thanks

I am not trying to be rude. But yes, I do think they have more of a snapshot feel. Like you woke up in the city and decided to take a few photos of the area. I still think they are good snapshots....the focus is good and you did a good job on incorporating surrounding colors in the photos.

 

[bazooka]

GJ on seeing the unique light in #6. You are correct in that it isn't composed well, but still, you benefited from taking this shot. The light is coming from behind the subject at an angle which creates drama. And the subject is juxtaposed with an almost black background which makes him stand out. I'm not saying it's a great shot, just that you did well to "see the light" which is an important concept to grasp. Had it been composed better, it would have been a solid shot.

 

[Ethang]

Mrs.Little: This doesn't just pertain to my photos in this thread but I have an overall question to ask, not just you but anyone else, What is the big difference between a "photo" and a "snapshot"? From my understanding photos are well thought out, composed, and appealing while snapshots are "vacation shots" that tourists take and such. Is this right? I know there must be more to it. If I am correct, then why are my photos snap shots? Are they not composed correctly? Does it look like I did not put thought into my subject matter? Did I use the correct settings or do they look like I just clicked the shutter without glancing and what I was using? Sorry to ask all these questions to all of you, but I really want to know how to make my photos better.
Bazooka: Thanks. I was walking behind my brother and father when I took the shot. I saw that the light looked interesting so I wanted to see how it would come out. I was pleasantly surprised with what the light did (exactly what you stated), but by the time I went to try to take a properly composed photo they were walking ahead, and the sun was blocked by buildings. But yeah, as I go farther into understanding photography I see that it is really almost all about the light. Taking a photo of something on a dark gloomy day and then taking it on a bright sunny day makes such a difference. Not only does it look different (from my experience) but the mood or message of the photo differs intensely.

Also I cloned out the distracting flag in 3.
Before:

DSC_0106 by Ethang13, on Flickr

After the cloning:

DSC_0106 (2) by Ethang13, on Flickr

Does it look obviously cloned? Thanks,
Ethan