Please critique some of my favorite, most recent urban exploration photos. These photos were all taken in the state of Maryland.

Camera Used: Canon EOS 5D Mark 3
Lens Used: Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L

First I noticed that #1 is crooked...but, they all seem to be soft...? Slightly out of focus...? Do you auto focus or manual?

#1) Did you use the flash? Somehow the lighting looks funky. Not natural, anyways. Some of it's white, some of it's blue. This one would benefit from a tripod and bracketing.

#2) I actually really like this one. It's a cool shot. Again, lighting and especially focus could be better, but the composition is good.

#3) Cool idea, but the lighting is all wrong. Everything is blown out. Sunny weather can make those shadowy shots tough.

#4) I think this one would have been much stronger if bracketed. It would have helped with the blown-out sunny portions. It also could give color to the sky and preserve the detail through the windows.

#5) My personal favorite. Great composition. But again, I feel the lighting could be better. Bracketing would help. And I really wish the shot was focused.

#6) Might want to work on lining up your shots. Keep camera parallel to the ground when you shoot. This one would have really benefited from proper focus, as well as good bracketing. Though, bracketing would not be necessary. The sunlight really just throws everything off in this picture.

#7) Cool shot, cool pose. Great, except for the focus.

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Overall, your composition is strong, but the technical skills aren't all there. Practice using your camera. The focus looks fuzzy in most of these pictures. I don't know if you're using manual or auto, but try something different. Practice getting pictures in focus.

I think some of your pictures would benefit from Bracketing. You can read up on that here: http://www.uer.ca/...d=1&threadid=49601 . Especially #1,4,5,6. Also, if you aren't, use a tripod, and avoid flash if you can.

Lastly, take more pictures than you think you'll ever want. Flash cards are cheap. Take many shots in different angles and exposure settings, and play around with them. Be creative, see what you like and don't like.

I agree about the lighting-- much of it feels unnatural, but I think it works nicely in some cases (#2,3,5).

They all do look a little soft to me, like tiffers said. Are you using noise reduction/downing the clarity in post?

Love the composition of #5.

I'm curious of the focus as well. Or like others have said, was there some sort of NR used? Agree that they all have a soft feel.

Your composition though is great. Love number 2. Keep at it, the best teacher is practice practice practice.