Sharing some of my "work" *PIC HEAVY*

[ThaLadyPit]

Okay, so I figured I'd venture out on a limb here, and get some feedback on my so-called work I've produced. So, here goes nothing, lol.

#1.) Starting with some recent shots from this past weekend at Cherokee Dam in Jefferson City (Tennessee)

I find trees and other types of Nature/Still life interesting, though I'm not sure why.

#2.) Walking the Line

#3.) Graffiti Wall at the top of the Dam

#4.) Going down

#5.) Pop Color tool in Photoshop (equivalent to Photobucket's Color Splash)

I guess I've dumped enough pix on y'all to look at and critique. Please be kind, and remember, I'm an amateur at this stuff, lol. I'm excited to see what y'all have to say about my "work".

 

[OscarWilde]

If I had to choose ONE piece of advice to give; PLEASE don't make the watermark so invasive! I understand the purpose of a watermark is to stop people copying your work... but it just detracts from the image so much when it is brightly coloured, right in the middle, angled (attracts attention), etc.

Calm, and off to one side (bottom or top) is usually sufficient... it still achieves the same goal, and doesn't take away from your images!

 

[tirediron]

Way, way, WAY too many image for which to provide effective critique. Good critique takes time to give; please try and limit your posts for critique to no more than four images (and please number the images). As well, do you want critique or kindness? Asking someone to be kind when critiquing images is really rather handicapping them. Critique should never be given rudely, but often people, especially ones new to the hobby who have been told by family and friends how great their work is, are disapointed with the "reality check" given to them by experienced and knowledgable shooters. This isn't done to be mean, but rather to help you improve.

~John

 

[sm4him]

Way, WAY too many photos in one thread if you really want C&C. To get more--and better-- C&C, limit the thread to maybe three photos, NUMBER THEM, and tell us something about them. What were they shot with, what's the EXIF data for each shot, and what do YOU like or not like about each? Do you think they are composed well but possibly over-exposed? Or do you think there is something "off" about their composition? That sort of insight from the OP will help those with more experience give you better C&C.

I'm no pro, and my two cents' worth is actually worth about half a penny anyway. Besides, there are just TOO many photos on way too big a variety of subjects...makes my ADD kick in, and I just can't pinpoint my thoughts about them.

Except for one thing. Out of all those photos, the ONLY one I even remembered by the time I was at the end, was that "Oak Ridge Watts Bar syndrome" green selective coloring shot--Holy Radioactive Slime, Batman!! In my most humble, and often incorrect, opinion, Don't. Do. That. Again.
(And yes, I know it's not a picture of Watts Bar...but that bright green makes me think radioactive...)
Seriously...selective coloring is a touchy subject for many here, and personally I'd suggest staying away from it, but if you must use it, at least ask yourself the question, "Is the thing I'm selectively coloring really what I WANT to be the subject of my photo, the thing that the eye will be drawn to?"

 

[ThaLadyPit]

If I had to choose ONE piece of advice to give; PLEASE don't make the watermark so invasive! I understand the purpose of a watermark is to stop people copying your work... but it just detracts from the image so much when it is brightly coloured, right in the middle, angled (attracts attention), etc.

Calm, and off to one side (bottom or top) is usually sufficient... it still achieves the same goal, and doesn't take away from your images!

Okay, thank you for that bit of advice, and I'm totally working on that. Will do better next time.

Way, way, WAY too many image for which to provide effective critique. Good critique takes time to give; please try and limit your posts for critique to no more than four images (and please number the images). As well, do you want critique or kindness? Asking someone to be kind when critiquing images is really rather handicapping them. Critique should never be given rudely, but often people, especially ones new to the hobby who have been told by family and friends how great their work is, are disapointed with the "reality check" given to them by experienced and knowledgable shooters. This isn't done to be mean, but rather to help you improve.

~John

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind for future reference. In all fairness, I see your point about the critique vs kindness. I'll keep that in mind also, and you're correct that critique should be done as kindly as possible. I'm not necessarily new to the hobby itself, just new to a forum of photographers, and people who take photography seriously. Would it be better for me to delete my thread and start fresh, and smaller?

 

[OscarWilde]

If I'm not mistaken, I think you can edit your post and remove pictures... maybe just leave in your favorite 3-5 pictures and put what you like about each one/ how you took it (If you remember)

It gives the community a more specific area to critique. Plus if they are the ones you like, then they are the images you are "trying" to make when you go out taking pictures. So critique on that would allow you to change the way you try to take pictures in the future instead of just critiquing the pictures from the past!

Its all about improvement!

 

[ThaLadyPit]

Way, WAY too many photos in one thread if you really want C&C. To get more--and better-- C&C, limit the thread to maybe three photos, NUMBER THEM, and tell us something about them. What were they shot with, what's the EXIF data for each shot, and what do YOU like or not like about each? Do you think they are composed well but possibly over-exposed? Or do you think there is something "off" about their composition? That sort of insight from the OP will help those with more experience give you better C&C.

I'm no pro, and my two cents' worth is actually worth about half a penny anyway. Besides, there are just TOO many photos on way too big a variety of subjects...makes my ADD kick in, and I just can't pinpoint my thoughts about them.

Except for one thing. Out of all those photos, the ONLY one I even remembered by the time I was at the end, was that "Oak Ridge Watts Bar syndrome" green selective coloring shot--Holy Radioactive Slime, Batman!! In my most humble, and often incorrect, opinion, Don't. Do. That. Again.
(And yes, I know it's not a picture of Watts Bar...but that bright green makes me think radioactive...)
Seriously...selective coloring is a touchy subject for many here, and personally I'd suggest staying away from it, but if you must use it, at least ask yourself the question, "Is the thing I'm selectively coloring really what I WANT to be the subject of my photo, the thing that the eye will be drawn to?"

Sorry about the distractions I've caused you. The original photo wasn't that much better, lol.

Original photo

 

[ThaLadyPit]

If I'm not mistaken, I think you can edit your post and remove pictures... maybe just leave in your favorite 3-5 pictures and put what you like about each one/ how you took it (If you remember)

It gives the community a more specific area to critique. Plus if they are the ones you like, then they are the images you are "trying" to make when you go out taking pictures. So critique on that would allow you to change the way you try to take pictures in the future instead of just critiquing the pictures from the past!

Its all about improvement!

When you say "how you took it", do you mean the f-stop/aperture etc information? Forgive my ignorance on this statement/question. Just trying to make sure I'm understanding what you're saying.

 

[Frequency]

My suggestion: please post human photos separately..... landscapes etc may be posted separately.... it is very difficult to scroll up and down to comment on each and so i make some few comments only
# all your candid photos are lovely... even the shadows well merge with the shot in the case of Trinity... by the way Trinity is a really cute angel
# I did not like #1. Look at the solid land and the water body.... their shapes are not complementing each other...the tree lies there without much to do
I really liked how you looked down through those steps.......
Seeing your signature i imagined myself walking with "My name is Nandakumar" imprinted on my forehead ...just joking

Regards

 

[DiskoJoe]

#4 is probably the best of what you posted. The leading line from the rail gives the eyes something to follow and framing is decent. The rest are fairly boring and no really nice scenes to begin with.

 

[jake337]

#4 is probably the best of what you posted. The leading line from the rail gives the eyes something to follow and framing is decent. The rest are fairly boring and no really nice scenes to begin with.

I agree. I would also just lose the watermark completely. If some is using your photos you should be flattered.

You should play around with some tight crops in #4, you have some nice shadows going down the stairs.

 

[brian_f2.8]

No offense but there is nothing to them, look like random iphone shots

 

[ThaLadyPit]

My suggestion: please post human photos separately..... landscapes etc may be posted separately.... it is very difficult to scroll up and down to comment on each and so i make some few comments only
# all your candid photos are lovely... even the shadows well merge with the shot in the case of Trinity... by the way Trinity is a really cute angel
# I did not like #1. Look at the solid land and the water body.... their shapes are not complementing each other...the tree lies there without much to do
I really liked how you looked down through those steps.......
Seeing your signature i imagined myself walking with "My name is Nandakumar" imprinted on my forehead ...just joking

Regards

Thank you. I removed the excess photos, due to distractions and will post them separately, at a later time. Thanks for your compliment on my Trinity, but I must say, you don't live with her, lol. She's a Devil in disguise.

Please forgive my ignorance, but I don't get the underlying joke in your last statement in bold. Kinda lost on that one.

#4 is probably the best of what you posted. The leading line from the rail gives the eyes something to follow and framing is decent. The rest are fairly boring and no really nice scenes to begin with.

Thank you for your input as well. It is greatly appreciated. Perhaps with more input and guidance, over time, I'll become the photographer I'm aspiring to become.

 

[ThaLadyPit]

No offense but there is nothing to them, look like random iphone shots

Lol, thank you. I'm too broke to be able to afford an iphone though. I have a straight talk Nokia E-71 with a 3.2 mp camera on it, but I don't use it for many photos. No offense taken. I posted for input/advice, so I will take what I can use, and unless someone just flat out tells me my work sucks in all aspects, then there shall be no offense taken.

 

[ThaLadyPit]

#4 is probably the best of what you posted. The leading line from the rail gives the eyes something to follow and framing is decent. The rest are fairly boring and no really nice scenes to begin with.

I agree. I would also just lose the watermark completely. If some is using your photos you should be flattered.

You should play around with some tight crops in #4, you have some nice shadows going down the stairs.

I'll work on those later. The only person I've found to use my photos is my daughter's father, and he doesn't give proper photo credit (he says he took the photos), that's what prompted me to start using my mark on the photos.