Statuettes and Sunset

slickhare · Feb 26, 2006

please give me some feedback on how i can improve! if you don't like them, tell me whats wrong and help me out, it won't offend me!

slickhare · Feb 26, 2006

bump!

why does no one comment on my pics? if you don't like them, you could tell me and help out instead of just ignoring it!

THORHAMMER · Feb 26, 2006

sorry, I can't really awnser your question because its assuming ive ignored something ive never seen before today, but if you really want serious crituques there is a critique gallery

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=32

slickhare · Feb 26, 2006

THORHAMMER said:
sorry, I can't really awnser your question because its assuming ive ignored something ive never seen before today, but if you really want serious crituques there is a critique gallery

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=32

well the critique gallery is for "specific questions" i just want some feedback on what you all think, i don't have a specific plaint i need help with.

and by ignoring, i mean looking at pictures, not liking them, and not offering any insight. it helps to know how you can improve. but if no one tells you, you're in the dark. like right now i have no idea what's wrong with my pictures. and i'll never know unless someone helps me out.

JonK · Feb 26, 2006

The first thing you need to do is pull these in to photoshop (or whatever program you use) and either adjust/correct the levels manually or hit the auto levels button...as is they are very muddy looking. The sunset shot is way dark. I dragged it into PS and adjusted the white point slider and it looks a hundred times better.
Then do a bit of a contrast boost...if you want people to take an interest in your shots then post up a image that has some snap to it...not straight from the cam.
The sunset shot is nicely composed and very minimalist...I like that.

IMHO the first one should be in the snapshot gallery...tho I do like the shallow DOF.
cheers:thumbsup:

John_05 · Feb 27, 2006

first, i like the second shot. i think it would make a real nice background for something else. im not saying by itself it doesnt look good, i have a lot of shots similiar to that, and i even have 2 on my walls. i just take alot of shots like that so i can use them for backgrounds for other shots, but i do like them as-is too.
as for the first, im not very good at photography yet, but to me its lacking something that makes it stand out to me. i like the angle and DOF but it just looks a little too dark to me.

JonK said:
...if you want people to take an interest in your shots then post up a image that has some snap to it...not straight from the cam.

im not trying to start anything here, but why would anyone post edited pictures if they want advice on how to imporve their ability to take pictures? i have posted many pictues that were straight from the camera in order to get advice on how to improve taking them so i had a better original to work with when/if i edit them, and to me thats what it looked like Slickhare was looking for.

like i said, im not trying to start anything, im just asking the question. i have posted a few pictures that didnt get very many replies, and have wondered why myself. maybe when i post here from now on i will only post shots that i have already edited, or just not post any that i dont feel look good enough to me without editing. i know that sounds like im being rude, but im really not. im still pretty new to photography but i do know what i want to learn, and i dont want to learn how to take pictures and have to edit them in photoshop for an hour to make them look good. i would rather be able to take pictures that looked good right out of the camera. i do know that post processing is an important part of photography, but i would like to learn how to achieve shots that needed the least amount of post processing/editing as possible.

i do apologize if anyone takes offense to my wording and question. i cant always put things in the way i intend them to "sound". i was just curious, and i did join here to learn. if i could afford photography classes, i would do that, but i cant so i have to learn what i can from all the great people here. :thumbup:

JonK · Feb 27, 2006

guess I could have worded that better and not assumed that slickhare knows how to make the adjustments I pointed out. I think i did give some good advice as to how slickhare could improve on the sunset shot via photoshop adjustments. it appears slickhare is using gimp by his/her siggy so I assumed he/she may know how to make basic levels adjustments that to me didn't appear to have been made. sorry if it sounded harsh.

The fact of the matter is a lot of pics on here get lost in the shuffle .
I find the best way to get more people commenting on my pics is to comment on everyone elses or as many as I possibly can...that way others feel you are taking an interest in their pics and hopefully will return the favour.

On the other hand if you want serious critique on how to improve your shots this is not the gallery for that...the critique gallery is the proper place to post for serious feedback.

John_05 I think we both gave constructive criticism and pointed out some good things and that is what was asked for.

THORHAMMER · Feb 27, 2006

you said you wanted to know what is wrong with your pictures,

If you dont have a specific complaint about your own pics, then

how do you even know there is anything wrong with your pictures...?

Jeff Canes · Feb 27, 2006

IMO # 1 is lack sharpness and #2 has too mush sky try cropping the top haft off, it also lack sharpness think about using a tripod; i also agree about playing with the level manually in PS on both images

JTHphoto · Feb 28, 2006

slick, this is just my personal opinion, and i can't comment for everyone else, but the reason i might skip over these without commenting is just because of subject matter... the photos just don't elicit any kind of an emotional response for me, good or bad. maybe if you include some info on why you took them, do they have some meaning to you personally?

At any rate, they are both dark, so maybe work on improving your lighting and exposure. If you don't want to correct them after the fact, you will need to use a longer shutter speed, or smaller (bigger?) aperature (smaller number = bigger hole = more light hitting the sensor/film - someone correct me if i am mistaken and i will jump off a bridge) use a tripod to keep your ISO down and still get sharp shots.

i like the comp and DOF in the first, but other than that the subject matter is just kind of blah... as for the second... sunset shots are difficult because they are cliche, everybody does it and everybody has seen them (i'm just as guilty) clouds would help the composition, water in the foreground to reflect the colors, or an interesting subject silhouetted...

don't get discouraged, this is a great place to learn... the more time you spend on here and as your work improves (which it can't help but do when in the presence of greatness :mrgreen

you will get more comments... look at some of the shots on here that get a lot of praise or that you like specifically and ask the photog how they achieved their results...

THORHAMMER · Feb 28, 2006

JTH, I think you said it perfect. Dont get me wrong, I wasnt trying to be short, but I was trying to get at the possibility that maybye there is nothing "Wrong" persay with them, just they dont make you think. Thats all.

JTH said it perfectly, I sometimes cant articulate worth beans....