This or That? Needing a vote of which image to add to my online portfolio.

AmberAtLoveAndInk

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www.loveandinkphotography.com
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I did a couple shoot Saturday for some teens, overall I'm very pleased with all of the images from their shoot. Really feel like I've turned things up a notch. Now I'm having a hard time deciding which of my 2 favorite prop images should be put up on my site. I obviously love these images because of the "Pinterest inspired" look and I am huge sucker for vintage Schwinn bicycles. There are a few technical errors in these images that I'm not happy with and have played with the same image to try to "fix" that. Give me your 2 cents on these and let me know which one you would rather see put up, and why.

Image #1, Errors: Sun flare on her head, whatever you call that weird thing happening with the clouds on the right side is not making me smile, I feel like the backlighting looks a bit "fake", I'm not crazy about the colors of their skin. Rule of thirds is a bit lacking.

What I do like: The hazy/sweet look, The color of the sky, the light catching the bicycle basket.

$preview 1.jpg



Image #2, Errors: A bit dark (had to drop the exposure to get the backlighting "right") the clouds are still doing that annoying thing on the right side, I thought the pink sky would look like a very pretty sunset... not sure now, I don't really have any detail on the couple now since I darkened it.


What I do like: The backlighting looks "right" to me, the rule of thirds is more pleasing IMO, The clouds are still looking funky but I think the pink sky kind of helps to blend that contrast.



$preview 2.jpg
 
I like #1 .. as the sun behind makes it look kinda magical moment vs a perfectly captured/exposed photo.

with that being said, the bicycle tires look flat and need air. lol
 
I don't know what you're talking about as far as the clouds go... they look fine.

Overall, I love the first image.

I could give two sh*ts about sun flare being on anyone. I'm a big fan of sun flare. :lol:

I don't think the backlighting is fake.

I like that you can see them.

I think your composition is fine.

Basically take your self-critique... flip it around to say the exact opposite, and that's what I think about that image.

Use that one. :lol:

You could have used the second, if you had gotten some off camera flash, but I don't think it would have had the same whimsical effect as the first.
 
I like #1 .. as the sun behind makes it look kinda magical moment vs a perfectly captured/exposed photo.

with that being said, the bicycle tires look flat and need air. lol

Lol ya, this was from her Dad's bicycle collection, he has about 10 rusted up Schwinns and 5 working order ones. This one was the prettiest but is no more than a lawn ornament, tires are completely flattened and strips of the rubber are actually curling off lol. I begged him to sell it to me, got a big fat NO, but he did show me all of his vintage goodies in the back loft and I got some pretty awesome "still life" shots for myself.
 
I don't know what you're talking about as far as the clouds go... they look fine.

Overall, I love the first image.

I could give two sh*ts about sun flare being on anyone. I'm a big fan of sun flare. :lol:

I don't think the backlighting is fake.

I like that you can see them.

I think your composition is fine.

Basically take your self-critique... flip it around to say the exact opposite, and that's what I think about that image.

Use that one. :lol:

You could have used the second, if you had gotten some off camera flash, but I don't think it would have had the same whimsical effect as the first.

Well I'm very happy to read this :) I do love #1 for that magical hazy feel, just wanted to get it "right"
 
I like #1 .. as the sun behind makes it look kinda magical moment vs a perfectly captured/exposed photo.

with that being said, the bicycle tires look flat and need air. lol

Lol ya, this was from her Dad's bicycle collection, he has about 10 rusted up Schwinns and 5 working order ones. This one was the prettiest but is no more than a lawn ornament, tires are completely flattened and strips of the rubber are actually curling off lol. I begged him to sell it to me, got a big fat NO, but he did show me all of his vintage goodies in the back loft and I got some pretty awesome "still life" shots for myself.
lol. I used to have a collection of 22 bicycles ... so I notice things like that.
 
As a general rule, I'd say that if you look at a photo and see technical errors, then the photo doesn't belong in your portfolio. You want to display the best of your best, and if you see something wrong with it, then it doesn't fall into that category. After a quick look at your Facebook page, I'd say that neither of these belongs in your portfolio. Do you like these photos because you think they're good or because you tried something new and different?

That being said, if I were choosing between these two photos, I like the second one better. The couple is just flat in the first photo, so I think the more silhouetted photo works better.
 
#1 by far. If I were the client, that is the one I would buy, not the other. Sometimes a technically imperfect shot is the money shot. As a photographer for hire, what people will buy is what is important. I happen to LOVE the first shot.
 
After a quick look at your Facebook page, I'd say that neither of these belongs in your portfolio.

Interesting. Because I think that the first image is stronger than some of the ones she *does* have in her portfolio (although, I looked at her website not her Facebook page, so maybe that's where the difference lies).

Also, Amber, please forgive me if this is out of place, since you didn't ask for critique on your website...

HOWEVER...

Your galleries are very hard to use as a consumer.

When I hover over an image, more than half the gallery disappears. Sometimes when I hover over an image, the image I want to click disappears.

And once you click into an image, the entire layout of your website is gone, so there is no back button, no menus, no tie to the look of your site...

I'd revisit the way you have this functioning, if I were you.

Just my two cents.
 
After a quick look at your Facebook page, I'd say that neither of these belongs in your portfolio.

Interesting. Because I think that the first image is stronger than some of the ones she *does* have in her portfolio (although, I looked at her website not her Facebook page, so maybe that's where the difference lies).

Also, Amber, please forgive me if this is out of place, since you didn't ask for critique on your website...

HOWEVER...

Your galleries are very hard to use as a consumer.

When I hover over an image, more than half the gallery disappears. Sometimes when I hover over an image, the image I want to click disappears.

And once you click into an image, the entire layout of your website is gone, so there is no back button, no menus, no tie to the look of your site...

I'd revisit the way you have this functioning, if I were you.

Just my two cents.


Critique is always welcome if it will help me in any way!
Are you viewing my page on a laptop or mobile device? I designed the site myself and had to self teach over the past year so the mobile versions (there are 3, tablet version, iPhone sized version, mini phone version) are not as reliable since designing a mobile version of a site and attaching the correct links to make the images fit into a smaller screen is more difficult and I am not as polished as a web designer. I really like my photo gallery, again, making it myself and copying the grid design from pinterest.

On a laptop/desktop, when you hover your mouse over a picture in my gallery it casts a white haze over all the other images except the one you have the mouse landed on, I thought it was a nice touch to focus in on the photo you are interested in when viewing, but if you as a user think it is a bit distracting perhaps I should simplify that and remove the haze feature. Like I said, the mobile versions are pretty rough but I update my site as much as I can so hopefully the mobile versions will be perfected in the coming months.

Oh and when you click an image and my site "disappears" that is because it is rerouting you to the image itself, not my actual page. It does this because I am not tech savvy enough to figure out how to display the images bigger when you click and keep it on the same page, so I made the images their own private links.

Is there anything you do like about the site? I'm going for that burlap & lace girly feel.
 
Interesting. Because I think that the first image is stronger than some of the ones she *does* have in her portfolio (although, I looked at her website not her Facebook page, so maybe that's where the difference lies).


My portfolio is dated as of now since I am backed up with shoots and haven't had time to update my social media and website portfolios.
This is only my second season with paid photo shoots, so I'm in the learning ranks, though if you were to view this spring/summers work compared to last year (my first year with an SLR) IMO I think my work has turned a 180 for the better.


As a general rule, I'd say that if you look at a photo and see technical errors, then the photo doesn't belong in your portfolio. You want to display the best of your best, and if you see something wrong with it, then it doesn't fall into that category. After a quick look at your Facebook page, I'd say that neither of these belongs in your portfolio. Do you like these photos because you think they're good or because you tried something new and different?

I love this image because I have been trying so hard to get that "whimsy" feel to my photos and I have managed to do with this one, just full of technical errors in the process. I showed the client both versions of the images and she fell hard for the first one lol. I'll add up some "technically good" shots so you can see how most of the others in her set look.
 
Amber, I like the first one for all the reasons you don't. I love the sun flair. I don't notice anything funky with the clouds at all. I also don't think the backlighting looks fake. For all those reasons, the first picture gets my vote.
 
As a general rule, I'd say that if you look at a photo and see technical errors, then the photo doesn't belong in your portfolio. You want to display the best of your best, and if you see something wrong with it, then it doesn't fall into that category. After a quick look at your Facebook page, I'd say that neither of these belongs in your portfolio. Do you like these photos because you think they're good or because you tried something new and different?

That being said, if I were choosing between these two photos, I like the second one better. The couple is just flat in the first photo, so I think the more silhouetted photo works better.

I agree with curt on everything, except the choice of photos; I prefer the first image.
 

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