forums
new posts
donate
UER Store
events
location db
db map
search
members
faq
terms of service
privacy policy
register
login




UER Forum > Archived US: South > A Little help and honest critiques if you have time (Viewed 258 times)
darth_operator 


Location: armpit o' Texas
Gender: Female


I don't hate kids...just the tangy aftertaste.

Send Private Message | Send Email | Untersuchen
A Little help and honest critiques if you have time
< on 2/28/2008 4:05 PM >
Posted on Forum: Infiltration Forums
 
OK, I also posted this in the "Photo Critiques" thread, but I trust you guys will help me out and respond quicker!

Hey guys,
I know some of these pics are not UE related, but I'm looking to submit some stuff to a journal of arts and letters...you know publishing purposes and work up credentials for my work and portfolio.

So, anyhoo, I'd appreciate any honest and/or helpful critiques before I submit anything, because in addition to being explorers, we are also photographers.

(P.S. Keep in mind this is an artsy-journal)


#1 The Angry Dress


#2 Bus Station @ Night


#3 Conversational Dumps


#4 Fisheye Alley


#5 Frank


#6 Pioneer Face


#7 Night Chem


#8 Warped


Imbroglio 


Location: DFW
Gender: Male


The glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

Send Private Message | Send Email | Noel Kerns Photography
Re: A Little help and honest critiques if you have time
<Reply # 1 on 2/28/2008 11:42 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
My quick opinion (I'm on my way out the door)...

I would say that you have a fairly good general eye for composition, but need to develop your technical skills, i.e., managing things like white balance, depth of field, focus, consideration for supplemental lighting, etc. These things make the difference between a photographer that simply points the camera at a subject in full auto mode and clicks the shutter, and one who actually understands how to make a quality photograph, and sets the scene and the tools to create something that will have a much more powerful impact on the viewer.

Hope this helps!
[last edit 2/29/2008 7:53 AM by Imbroglio - edited 1 times]

http://www.noelkernsphotography.com
forindooruseonly 


Location: SW OK
Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: A Little help and honest critiques if you have time
<Reply # 2 on 2/29/2008 3:30 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I'm not too familiar with the artsy journal world, but I'll tell you what I think in relation to my experience.

Technically, the sharper the photo the better. The subject ought to be as sharp as possible, and while, for example the glow on the bus portion of the sign (which I have tried to photograph on several occasions, and never to my liking) will make it seem hazy, but the bricks and the coaches portion of the sign really needs to be sharper. I was surprised to find out how much resolution gets lost in the publishing process, particularly in smaller magazines.

Of course, you can play around with the whole Japanese idea of "bokeh" all day too, which relates to how attractive the out-of-focus area is. And that brings me to my critique of the dumpsters. I like the dumpsters, the lighting on them and the sharpness of them and the foreground, but the background on that photograph does not work for me, particularly with the cars peeking out from behind one dumpster. Maybe a worm's eye view could minimize the distraction of the background. Distraction maybe the wrong word. It's not obnoxious, but it isn't complementary either. It is bland and uninteresting, yet still manages to dominate the photo.

Photos that set up a symmetrical view are hard to pull off, and if it pretends to have that symmetry but doesn't, it leads the viewer to search for further inequalities. The purplish one with the chairs does that to me, particularly the tree jutting into the right portion of the frame. Spoiling symmetry can work too, but only if it can be done in a manner that is suggestive of a greater meaning, but just a tree that is inconveniently in the photo doesn't quite suggest it. If half was being taken over by Kudzu, I would probably dig it. Similarly, the not quite perfect alignment draws me to look for other problems in the windows, ect. (Of course, in the art world, the imperfections could be a sign of sophistication. I am no artist, believe me.)

The only other real critique I have has to do with the "pioneer face" photo. I can see the attraction of the mess o' wires, but as a composition, I don't think it works. It's too busy and too layered, without enough direction, for my taste.

I hope this made some sense, and it is just my opinion, so please don't give it some undue weight as a critique.

I am located in the same place you are, if I am not mistaken, and have found it extremely difficult to take pictures here. We ought to compare notes sometime about things here.

darth_operator 


Location: armpit o' Texas
Gender: Female


I don't hate kids...just the tangy aftertaste.

Send Private Message | Send Email | Untersuchen
Re: A Little help and honest critiques if you have time
<Reply # 3 on 2/29/2008 2:21 PM >
Posted on Forum: Infiltration Forums
 
Posted by Imbroglio
My quick opinion (I'm on my way out the door)...

I would say that you have a fairly good general eye for composition, but need to develop your technical skills, i.e., managing things like white balance, depth of field, focus, consideration for supplemental lighting, etc. These things make the difference between a photographer that simply points the camera at a subject in full auto mode and clicks the shutter, and one who actually understands how to make a quality photograph, and sets the scene and the tools to create something that will have a much more powerful impact on the viewer.

Hope this helps!


Thanks for your input. I rarely shoot in auto mode, however the dumpsters and the dress were in auto mode.


Post by forindooruseonly


Thanks as well, I agree with you and yes, I have found it difficult to get a good shot on the bus station at night. It was one of my first digital shots and I was all too excited about trying out nighttime photography.
There were 3 of the Pioneer that I was having a hard time choosing which to run with. The wires are a bit much, but I like the sharpness of the whole mess 'o them.
P.M. me sometime and let me know what you have from around here.

Sailor's Heart 


Location: San Marcos
Gender: Female




Send Private Message | Send Email | Flickr
Re: A Little help and honest critiques if you have time
<Reply # 4 on 3/1/2008 12:13 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
For your bus station picture, try raising your F-stop a few levels so that you can leave your shutter open longer without overexposing the light in the picture. You'll need a tripod to do so, but you will get much more dramatic color out of the shot.

For the haziness around the lights, shoot on a night when the humidity is low, and try a UV filter.

UER Forum > Archived US: South > A Little help and honest critiques if you have time (Viewed 258 times)



All content and images copyright © 2002-2024 UER.CA and respective creators. Graphical Design by Crossfire.
To contact webmaster, or click to email with problems or other questions about this site: UER CONTACT
View Terms of Service | View Privacy Policy | Server colocation provided by Beanfield
This page was generated for you in 78 milliseconds. Since June 23, 2002, a total of 737089952 pages have been generated.