I want to actively improve my photography skills, especially my composition skills. I have a basic understanding of the rule of thirds, symmetry, patterns,lighting. Any advice is welcome and thanks! These pictures are from a recent outing when me and a friend explored an abandoned elementary school.


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Posted by GustavoLeBear I want to actively improve my photography skills, especially my composition skills. I have a basic understanding of the rule of thirds, symmetry, patterns,lighting. Any advice is welcome and thanks! These pictures are from a recent outing when me and a friend explored an abandoned elementary school. click to view Good use of angles, and I love the abstract feel of it. I think a little more focus, or lower ISO might be in order, but I'm a novice myself. 2. click to view You were on the right track with the bowling pin as an offset focal point. I wish I could find cool stuff like that in my explores : ) Again, clearer image, as well as moving in closer on the bowling pin. That would get rid of the magazine on the lower right side that seems to detract from your subject. Maybe a shallower depth of field also. Again, just my subjective opinions here. 3. click to view This one is challenging, since there's not a lot of color or perspective to work with. I would say a touch of exposure bracketing is in order to help prevent the washed out darker edge, and maybe lower ISO. If you're not shooting from a tripod, I would recommend it. 4. click to view There's a lot of cool subject matter you can work with in this picture. The map would make a good subject, since it has a ton of bright color to contrast the otherwise bleak grey and green colors. The exposure seems spot on, with just a hint of overexposure coming in from the windows. You could get rid of that with bracketing(HDR) The photo uploader for this site tends to do wierd things to large pictures if you upload them straight in. I think one of the yokels made a good tutorial on precropping and re sizing to prevent this. 5. click to view Alright, last but not least : ) Having a human subject model is great! It's hard to do shots in abandonments with models, since things tend to veer into two categories; gothic/emo shots of brooding folks wearing black and looking away from the camera, and overly contrasting model photo shoots that have very well dressed, attractive girls/guys posing among the ruins of an old power plant. It looks good when done well, but it might be a little played out by now. Instead of that, maybe snap some candid pics of her while she's looking at something, or otherwise just moving around in the building? that would give your picture a real feeling of authenticity. Again, these are all just my opinions! Otherwise, your shots look great! Keep up the good work!

2-5, square up the shots. It distracts from the image when you cam isn't lined up properly. It's better to bring lines in at the corners when possible and to have at least the closest vertical perfectly vertical.

1. Not sure what you had to work with. Been better if had got two of the cross lines to emanate from the corner of the frame.

2. Cam is slightly too high and angles downward. Loose the cinder blocks in the background or line it up so they're squared off and not angled.

3. You're shooting up; cam height is too low; again square off the shot. Try to get horizontal and vertical like perpendicular to each other.

4. Step back more and square it off the best you can.

5. Cam is angled down. Drop the height of the cam down. If your cam lense dead center is at 5 ft, the dead center of the image needs to be 5 feet to square this off.

Not liking the model position and too much empty space. Maybe shoot more to the right with the model more to the left with the shelves in back/side of her. The white she's wearing s rows up the shot as well. All darker shades of clothing would have worked better. Bottomed up the shirt and use a dark scarf to cover her lower face.
The light source is to her side and that's not working well unless you flash fill it; she should be facing the light more.

The model needs to be the focal point, not the room. Flip the cam on it's side to fill more of the image with her. Nothing wrong with being lower than your subject, but be mindful where the background lines will end up.
That looks better to me, but still not working for me.

i don't mean to be harsh, but here goes my review

the first picture to me has nothing to it, focus the second one more on the pin so thats the only part perfectly in focus and maybe get the pin more in the photo. That shot has potential though, it just could be better. 3 is just a window, can't help you much there i would just make the black even on both sides. 4 change the angle and 5 level the camera

you have potential thoughh