Snapshots or photos - 2 quick ones?

[pauliec]

I took these two quick ones of my gf. I thought they came out pretty good, but I was wondering what you all think about the composition. I hear a lot about people judging some shots as just snapshots as opposed to photos, so I was curious as to where these rank on the quality spectrum (and what I can do to improve). They were both on full auto, no flash.

1.

2.

 

[pauliec]

No comments? Ok, maybe they aren't that good. :blushing:

 

[er111a]

2 isnt bad, it is actually kinda interesting would you like me to try and do some pp on it?

 

[Boomn4x4]

"Snapshot" doesn't mean poor quality... and "Photograph" doesn't mean good quality.

A snapshot is an unartistic capture of a moment... "My son is running with a football, I'm going to take a picture"

A photograph involves putting an artistic element into it. It involves a composition. Like any piece of art, a photograph will communicate something back to the viewer.

Are the pictures you've taken photographs or snapshots???? Honestly, its tough for me to say. They both have qualities of each...

In your first picture, you are certainly capturing a moment, so in a sense its a snapshot, but at the same time... I am getting something from it, specifically her emotion....but the emotion doesn't really tell me much. She's happy... so what?

In your second, to me, its obvious you are trying to communicate something to me, but I don't know what it is. There are no shadows, there is no depth, there is no emotion, there is no clear focal point.

If I were to stick my neck out there, I'd say they were both either very interesting snap shots, or both very beginner photographs.

 

[D-B-J]

"Snapshot" doesn't mean poor quality... and "Photograph" doesn't mean good quality.

A snapshot is an unartistic capture of a moment... "My son is running with a football, I'm going to take a picture"

A photograph involves putting an artistic element into it. It involves a composition. Like any piece of art, a photograph will communicate something back to the viewer.

Are the pictures you've taken photographs or snapshots???? Honestly, its tough for me to say. They both have qualities of each...

In your first picture, you are certainly capturing a moment, so in a sense its a snapshot, but at the same time... I am getting something from it, specifically her emotion....but the emotion doesn't really tell me much. She's happy... so what?

In your second, to me, its obvious you are trying to communicate something to me, but I don't know what it is. There are no shadows, there is no depth, there is no emotion, there is no clear focal point.

If I were to stick my neck out there, I'd say they were both either very interesting snap shots, or both very beginner photographs.

+1

 

[SwissJ]

Best thing you could do is always ask yourself what and why. Both shots look like they were taken by mistake. Neither looks intentional or in focus.
Don't just think about the subject, but also everything else that's in the frame. What's in the background? Does it take away from the subject? Is the composition balanced? etc.

Try this... Slow down. Forget the quick shot. Spend an hour composing one shot and see how that goes. Speed comes with time.

 

[pauliec]

2 isnt bad, it is actually kinda interesting would you like me to try and do some pp on it?

Be my guest -- my photos are OK to edit.

 

[pauliec]

"Snapshot" doesn't mean poor quality... and "Photograph" doesn't mean good quality.

A snapshot is an unartistic capture of a moment... "My son is running with a football, I'm going to take a picture"

A photograph involves putting an artistic element into it. It involves a composition. Like any piece of art, a photograph will communicate something back to the viewer.

Are the pictures you've taken photographs or snapshots???? Honestly, its tough for me to say. They both have qualities of each...

In your first picture, you are certainly capturing a moment, so in a sense its a snapshot, but at the same time... I am getting something from it, specifically her emotion....but the emotion doesn't really tell me much. She's happy... so what?

In your second, to me, its obvious you are trying to communicate something to me, but I don't know what it is. There are no shadows, there is no depth, there is no emotion, there is no clear focal point.

If I were to stick my neck out there, I'd say they were both either very interesting snap shots, or both very beginner photographs.

Best thing you could do is always ask yourself what and why. Both shots look like they were taken by mistake. Neither looks intentional or in focus.
Don't just think about the subject, but also everything else that's in the frame. What's in the background? Does it take away from the subject? Is the composition balanced? etc.

Try this... Slow down. Forget the quick shot. Spend an hour composing one shot and see how that goes. Speed comes with time.

It's true that these were both taken quickly and in the moment -- just hanging out and playing with my camera. That being said, when I looked at them later I really liked them, and considered them to be interesting accidents, as alluded to above.

So I guess it's not a formal photo, and for that I will indeed try to slow down and frame a shot, instead of hoping for a good one. Thanks. :thumbup:

 

[er111a]

ok I will edit it right now for you

 

[er111a]

here you go what you think?

 

[er111a]

decided to make it a little bit more dreamy

 

[pauliec]

here you go what you think?

I actually like this one a lot, thanks. What did you do to it?

 

[er111a]

I first flipped the photo horizontal, then I selected the eye, and I inverse the selection to select everything but the eye, I then cross processed the RGB in curves. once that was complete, I reselected the eye and just the eye this time, I made the eye brighter and changed a few other things in the eye to make it standout a bit more, and after that I finished it off with some minor changes in curves and selective color

 

[FattyMcJ]

Check out little er111a, showing off his PP skillz! I like the "dreamy" edit you made.

:thumbup:

 

[er111a]

Check out little er111a, showing off his PP skillz! I like the "dreamy" edit you made.

:thumbup:

hehe little thank you