Photo Critiques

[boBQuincy]

I have always liked the idea of adding motion to a still image to generate interest and to create a focal point.
Perhaps a little faster shutter speed to slightly reduce the blur on the water wheel (easier said than done) and reframe the image so the wheel is more towards the lower left corner.
That would create a path of water leading the eye across the frame from lower left to upper right and the highlight on the water wheel would be at one of the "rule of thirds" points.

I can see this one working well in a series of images from the Robinson's, or maybe as one of the images on a scrapbook page of the treehouse.
I like it.


boB

Please let me know if anyhting might have helped this one. SHot from the Robinson's domicile.

Aperture: f/13.0
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 28mm (guess: 30mm in 35mm)
Exposure Time: 0.125s (1/8)
Exposure Bias: -0.33

I was trying for the water blur.
No real direction of composition?
Mikeeee

 

[boBQuincy]

I have always liked this one but have always felt something was missing. I tried it lighter and it just looked... lighter. Still something seemed missing.
I'll take any ideas!


boB

 

[jann1033]

would it be possible (or any one object to) any who can "redo" the pics and add what they did? i'd like to see what they would look like the other way. ( ie better or worse)

i have to say this is a great thread and educational as well ( gives me an excuse to come on here other than entertainment value)

 

[JR6ooo4]

I have always liked this one but have always felt something was missing. I tried it lighter and it just looked... lighter. Still something seemed missing.
I'll take any ideas!


boB

1 I love the rich dark rolling smoothness of the water texture.

2. THe rest is dark, like you said. I tried some (realy poor selection. check out the white splotches around the tower. and) levels:

It is a good situation to use different exposures, layers and masking. One exposure for the dark areas and one for the brighter areas and then combining them into one pic.

As far as composition, the horizon is about mid frame which makes the it confusing as to what the dominant subject is. The water or the building or even the sky. I cropped some water away to change that.
I hope you do not mind me trying and posting an edit.
Mikeeee

ps I just remembered the most basic tip. Get there a little sooner (if this is sunset light) for some better light and an easier exposure challenge.

 

[JR6ooo4]

I have always liked the idea of adding motion to a still image to generate interest and to create a focal point.
Perhaps a little faster shutter speed to slightly reduce the blur on the water wheel (easier said than done) and reframe the image so the wheel is more towards the lower left corner.
That would create a path of water leading the eye across the frame from lower left to upper right and the highlight on the water wheel would be at one of the "rule of thirds" points.

I can see this one working well in a series of images from the Robinson's, or maybe as one of the images on a scrapbook page of the treehouse.
I like it.


boB

Thanks for your thoughts bob and jann1033. I can see how the scene does not flow. In my only defense, being on the narrow twisting pathways does not allow much movement for composition. Nevermind the crowds bouncing me as they walk by.

Thanks again,
Mikeeee

 

[jann1033]

Thanks for your thoughts bob and jann1033. I can see how the scene does not flow. In my only defense, being on the narrow twisting pathways does not allow much movement for composition. Nevermind the crowds bouncing me as they walk by.

Thanks again,
Mikeeee

that's what i was thinking...some places you don't have lots of choices of placement or time to think it through..like i imagine a CM might have mentioned it to you if you traipsed off the walkway over to the the far right more looking headlong at the wheel

 

[boBQuincy]

Thanks for your thoughts bob and jann1033. I can see how the scene does not flow. In my only defense, being on the narrow twisting pathways does not allow much movement for composition. Nevermind the crowds bouncing me as they walk by.

Thanks again,
Mikeeee

Lean wayyyy over the railing while DW holds your feet! Have DS and DD lay down on the stairs to stop the flow of traffic! Distract the CMs by saying you just saw Bob Iger on the next level!
*Anything* to get the shot!

No defense needed, it's a good photo as is. Now you have me intrigued as to photographing that spot. Maybe on the next trip...


boB

 

[goodferry]

This thread is awesome, exactly what I need. Here is my submission. I took this yesterday of my fil's dog. This dog ADORES him and everytime he leaves the house sits on the hill and waits for him.

 

[pisco]

Goodferry,

I think you really captured the feeling of this shot perfectly. I really like the haolo around the backlight dog, the lens flare from the sun and the overall exposure of the image. The only thing that I would have changed would be to take the picture with a wider angle lens much closer to the dog. This would allow him to loom much larger as the main subject of the image without having to loose any of the overall scene.

Great shot!

 

[pisco]

Double post.

 

[CheshireVal]

This thread is awesome, exactly what I need. Here is my submission. I took this yesterday of my fil's dog. This dog ADORES him and everytime he leaves the house sits on the hill and waits for him.

That's a really neat shot. I love the lighting around the dog and the overall mood. Great framing, too. The one thing that is distracting to me is the glare of the sun, which needs to be a little bit more subtle. My eyes are drawn to that instead of the dog, and it makes me squint, too. I wish I knew how to fix something like that, but I don't. A lot of my pics have the same thing!

 

[roger_ramjet]

I have always liked this one but have always felt something was missing. I tried it lighter and it just looked... lighter. Still something seemed missing.
I'll take any ideas!


boB

Like: the scene is very peaceful and the composition is generally good

Don't Like: The darkness, as you've pointed out, and I also feel like there is a little too much water.

Ideas: I guess this one would be pretty difficult to take with a hand-held camera. I think a scene like this could definitely benefit from a tripod and a longer exposure, to bring out the light a little more and enhance the colours. Also, crop a little off the bottom.

 

[roger_ramjet]

Photo of my own:

Taken in the N Georgia mountains in November. I like the mood of it but there seems to be too much stuff on the side, and the white line is a little distracting - but cropping it out seems to unbalance the photo. Any suggestions?

 

[OnceUponAStar*]

This was taken in Central Park next to the MET in NYC.

That was taken in the Trail in Animal Kingdom where you can see the tigers.

 

[jann1033]

this is film, not digital and one of those "better in the head than execution"( i seem to get a lot of those) so what could i have done differently( i was going for mood but...)

 

[jann1033]

Photo of my own:

Taken in the N Georgia mountains in November. I like the mood of it but there seems to be too much stuff on the side, and the white line is a little distracting - but cropping it out seems to unbalance the photo. Any suggestions?

this looks like some i have from the blue ridge parkway...

i love the mysterious foggy quality, i don't really mind the lines cause they take you where you want to be...the orange sign i find a little distracting so i might have moved on past it plus that might have given you a little bit closer trees on both sides so a better frame for the road,you can see a hint of them on the right but they are a little to fogged out.

 

[goodferry]

Photo of my own:

Taken in the N Georgia mountains in November. I like the mood of it but there seems to be too much stuff on the side, and the white line is a little distracting - but cropping it out seems to unbalance the photo. Any suggestions?

\

I like this picture, I like the mood of it, and I think the white line is good, it kind of directs the eye through the shot. I would edit out the sign, it is a little distracting.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

this is film, not digital and one of those "better in the head than execution"( i seem to get a lot of those) so what could i have done differently( i was going for mood but...)

I like the composition, it gives a very romantic / nostalgic sense.

what I dislike is that the exposure is neither for the inside nor the outside.

What I would do is straighten the vertical lines, spot meter for the outside exposure and let the indoor stuff turn in to a semi silhouette.

 

[pyrxtc]

I have always liked this one but have always felt something was missing. I tried it lighter and it just looked... lighter. Still something seemed missing.
I'll take any ideas!


boB

Maybe this wil helop your something missing I just didi a levels, contrast and saturation. I also cropped it to 8x10 size.

 

[jann1033]

I like the composition, it gives a very romantic / nostalgic sense.

what I dislike is that the exposure is neither for the inside nor the outside.

What I would do is straighten the vertical lines, spot meter for the outside exposure and let the indoor stuff turn in to a semi silhouette.

can i ask a photo 101 question? spot meter would be done by ????( gotta get my money's worth from this course hehe)