Topic: New photographer; Critiques?

'ey all you photographers. I'm new at this, and I'm looking for some advice/critiques to help me become better. Here are some more recent photos I've taken. If any of you would be kind enough to tell me how I could improve and what you like/don't like, I'd appreciate it.


What Awaits Me



luckyhorseshoe



Look Past the Flaws



gate1



gate2



My Secret Vices



Family Nostalgia



-TC

"It's gonna be loud and beautiful and poetic and dumb. Just the way I like it."
-Billy Corgan

I like "luckyhorseshoe" and "Family Nostalgia" quite a bit, I wish for some of the nice depth of field blur on "Look Past the Flaws". The rest look like snapshots I might shoot (sorry about the insult)

hi, welcome, nice name

First, welcome to the Asylum

I think I'll start at the top and work my way down. I'll be honest and try to give you tips and help.

What Awaits Me: This could be a good photo with a few changes. Get down lower to the road and let the road be the leading line to bring the viewers eye into the photo. Move down the road enough to get the sign and power pole out of hte photo as they don't add anything of value to the photo. I would also try this as a black & white.

luckyhorseshoe: I agree with MK on this one. It's a good photo. I would like the background area to be a little more out of focus. The camera was focused on the flowers so that caused the horseshoe to be out of focus but that's not a bad thing.

Look Past the Flaws : I'm not sure what you want the viewer to see or feel. This photo has no impact and is truly a snap shot...sorry.

gate1: snap shot...wrong angle

gate2: Now you're getting it right. The lower angle works for this photo ! Again, this would also make a good black and white !

My Secret Vices: Snapshot..bring it out only to family that loves you or the in-law you wish would go home early

Family Nostalgia: This could be a good photo op. Just hold the camera straight and don't include things in the frame that don't add to the photo.

One thing I've noticed wtih these is the lighting. You have to wait for good lighting then half your battle is won. Take photos on a overcast day, early morning, late afternoon or use a polarizer filter. That's the only way to do outside photos right. I listed some links to some great photography lesson websites. Maybe check a few of those out

Keep click'in !

Thanks for all the great feedback guys OA rocks.

quote:

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Look Past the Flaws : I'm not sure what you want the viewer to see or feel. This photo has no impact and is truly a snap shot...sorry.

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Hmm...I really liked this one I want the viewer to see that there are obvious flaws in everything, but if you look past them, there are other, better things....dunno, my sappy interpretation I guess =\

Anyway, thanks again for the advice

"It's gonna be loud and beautiful and poetic and dumb. Just the way I like it."
-Billy Corgan

I'm not a good guy to give opinions because I'm just an amateur that likes taking pictures. So, you may well disregard my comment. The one thing I noted and that I disliked in your pictures is your tendency to cut a small part of the main subjects.

For instance: in the first picture, the sign is slightly cut (differently from Shizzam, I like the addition of the sign), 2nd one the horse shoe is slightly cut, secret vices, the knife is slightly cut, and family nostalgia, the tractor is slightly cut.

Not that you can't cut things, but since those things were supposed to be of importance in the composition, cutting them that little much makes me feel that you have composed them wrongly. The problem, for me, is that they are all "slightly" cut. They should be in their entirety or cut in some deeper degree, I mean, cut more.

It's like taking a picture, a portrait of someone, and slightly cutting the top of the head of the person.

If all these slight cutting are due to a cut to post the picture here, then please, disregard my comment for sure.

My first impression is that you are trying too hard.

The odd angles are not a good thing in these cases - they simply seem skewed. I think shiiizam has given some good advice on a picture by picture basis.

I'll try and add some in a more general sense -

Focus - there is a lack of it in these images. You need to pick a definate focus, and you need to have a reason for doing so. All of these images are vague as to what you are trying to portray. they are this way for a number of reasons. One is very simply poor spatial arrangement - things are cut-off, butted up against the edge of the image, arranged without any beneficial composition.

They all have potential.

But they are also all lacking in anything that would make a viewer say "wow".

The gate is a good example: it is a visually interesting peice of construction. It is in a nice setting. The second one is shot from a decent angle.

But....

It has the potential to be a visually astounding piece, and through it's simple physical function - if presented correctly - could lead people to see where such a gate could lead as opposed to just seeing a neat gate.

(my 2 cents...)

Wow, thanks for this advice. I understand what you're all saying about cutting off small parts of the subject.

I'm also having trouble focusing...I'm using this Sony Cybershot P71 digi-cam, and you've got to pick between Multipoint, Center, 0.5m, 1.0m, 3.0m, 7.0m, or infinite focusing...I'm not really sure what it all means and how I should use them each to make my pictures better.

quote:

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The gate is a good example: it is a visually interesting peice of construction. It is in a nice setting. The second one is shot from a decent angle.

But....

It has the potential to be a visually astounding piece, and through it's simple physical function - if presented correctly - could lead people to see where such a gate could lead as opposed to just seeing a neat gate.

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So maybe I should have rotated left more to see what's behind the gate also?

"It's gonna be loud and beautiful and poetic and dumb. Just the way I like it."
-Billy Corgan

I think that comment about "where the gate could lead" was meant more or less rhetorically. Not that you want the viewer to know what's behind that particular gate, but more that you want the viewer to imagine where a gate like that would go.

Focus on the gate itself, rather than the scenery around it...

^ exactly.

Thanks for all the help guys. OA is awesome

"It's gonna be loud and beautiful and poetic and dumb. Just the way I like it."
-Billy Corgan