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A pug, flower, and outdoors- Please critique!


11 years 3 weeks ago #281628 by BRhodes
I'm new to the PhotographyTalk forums. I still have lots to learn about the art of photography as I consider myself a beginner. Please take a moment to critique a few of my photos!










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11 years 3 weeks ago #281629 by atort
I'm not one to love to critique images because if YOU enjoy them then for me that's all that matters. But since you asked I am going to say for myself....your shot of the yellow flower and sunset scene though the grass are stronger than the others for example you posted. With that being said the sunset grass image is the strongest of the bunch for me at least....second is the yellow lily or whatever flower that is. The images of the pug are cute, but not amazing or super special...the dog is engaging in the one image, but still a slight generic for me at least. I shot for dog magazines for a long time if that means anything too such as BARK, Dog Fancy, Animal Wellness, etc. And it's nice you are experimenting with different perspectives shooting low on that one sidewalk shot. I would say keep shooting and experimenting and playing and most importantly having fun. Hope this helps a bit.
To live without risk is to risk not living! Oh...life IS a trip too! :)
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11 years 3 weeks ago #281636 by icepics
I think you're seeing things in an interesting way - I think too that the photos of the yellow flower and the sunset have interesting perspectives and are done in a creative way. You seem to be on the right track with those, and actually the pink flower could work but maybe the depth of field is too shallow - it looks like the center of the flower is in focus but it leaves most of the photo out of focus. Otherwise that's another interesting compostion.

I like the perspective in the photo of the leaves, but you might want to think about how you're using space if you are filling some of it with vignetting. You might have done better to wait til the person in the background moved out of the scene, unless the person is somehow part of the scene (looks like they stopped and were trying to stay out of your way). Before you release the shutter try to notice your backgrounds to see if everything in your viewfinder is what you want in your photo (and I've found that if someone walks thru sometimes I've just had to take another picture!).

You seem to have an eye for this - keep at it!
Sharon
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11 years 3 weeks ago #281644 by garyrhook
I've got $0.02, too. So, for me:

The technical execution of the lily (daylily?) and sunset are quite good. However, they're centered, and for me, that's not interesting. I'm also not a fan of portrait landscapes (if that makes sense) so keep a grain of salt handy.

The rose has a beautiful color. What I have trouble with is, what am I looking at? There's a spot in focus on the left petal, but the center is texturally more interesting yet soft. So I'm not getting it.

I think the first dog picture is the most successful with respect to story. Yes, it's been done, but it's a good capture and good composition with all of the diagonals.

2nd dog picture, not so much. Loses something with that lighting, and the animal isn't looking at the camera.

Finally, the sidewalk/leaves. Couldn't you have found a piece of level ground? Seriously, I'm not a fan of tilts for the sake of a tilt, so more grains o' salt. However, I think the story here is the leaves and the empty bench; the loneliness of am empty place that should have people in it, and the dead leaves implying the passing of a season. The person in the background becomes, to me distracting. Plus, they're centered. And the vignetting seems forced.

None of this is meant to be harsh, but to encourage you to keep the bar high, and to provide alternative perspective on your work. I hope to be, in some small way, helpful. Keep it up, you're off to a very good start.
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11 years 3 weeks ago #281652 by rmeyer7
There are already a lot of good comments here. I guess I'll throw my opinion in as well. :)

Overall, I think you have a good eye and I look forward to seeing more of your work.

Picture #1:
I like it a lot. I'd like it even more if it weren't centered, but it's still a very nice image.

#2:
My favorite of the series. Same thing as #1 about the centered composition though.

#3:
It looks like you're going for a high key look, which is a creative way to shoot a flower. Not my style, but nicely executed. I'd like to see more in focus as others said.

#4:
The dark out-of-focus areas around the top, top-left, and bottom-left are distracting. I'd also like to not have any paws or the tail partially in the shot but partially cut off. The highlights are also a little too bright for me.

#5:
This is a really cool idea with lots of potential. I would revisit this one in post. First straighten it, then remove the vignette and clone out the person in the distance.

#6:
This seems like a dark and contrasty portrait, but in this case it absolutely works for me. Somehow I feel like it's a look that would only work with a pug (and their trademark facial expressions). The only thing I'd like better is if the empty space was in front of the dog instead of behind.
The following user(s) said Thank You: BRhodes
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11 years 3 weeks ago #281663 by Tuscan Muse
Welcome to PT. You've come to the right place. You are on the right track and definitely have a good eye. Keep up the good work!

:welcomeclan
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11 years 3 weeks ago #281729 by BRhodes
Thank you all for your critiques! I appreciate it a lot, as it's just one way that I'll continue to develop my skill. After reading through the feedback, my eyes are definitely drawn to the opportunities of how I can improve the composition of each photo. It's funny because I really liked the photo of pink flower after I first shot it, but just before I posted here for critique I noticed that I didn't do so well with the depth of field.

I am re-posting the photo of the walkway and leaves with a few edits. This photo was taken during the fall of 2011, and I saved two versions of the photo as jpegs , one with the vignette and the other without but with some edits to the color of the photo. Unfortunately, I no longer have the original unedited shot to work with. In this re-post, I straightened the photo and attempted to clone the person out of the photo (which happens to be my now fiancee :) ). I prefer the color of the vignette version of the photo.
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11 years 3 weeks ago #281749 by icepics
Uh-oh, better not clone her out then! LOL if you make copies and crop them different ways you could change the balance and maybe find one that works better with her in the photo. It would be an idea worth trying again in the fall - I don't necessarily like tilting either but what I like about the idea in the original (which I agree has better color) is that it gives a sense of looking up, seeing the leaves from a low perspective.

Some of the photos are centered, but yet they're not - there are lines and pattern to break that up. The yellow flower is primarily three leaves (shapes) and there are 5 tops of stamens so you have that odd instead of even number that can give a more interesting balance. In the sunset photo in the lower right the reeds/grasses are angled; and going thru the center towards the upper left the lines move at a diagonal to take the viewer thru the image.

If you don't have any particular background in art you could try searching Elements of composition in art (instead of photography) and that should give you some resources related to composition. I think there's a lot of potential in what you're doing, good luck with your efforts.
Sharon
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11 years 3 weeks ago #281873 by rmeyer7

BRhodes wrote: Thank you all for your critiques! I appreciate it a lot, as it's just one way that I'll continue to develop my skill. After reading through the feedback, my eyes are definitely drawn to the opportunities of how I can improve the composition of each photo. It's funny because I really liked the photo of pink flower after I first shot it, but just before I posted here for critique I noticed that I didn't do so well with the depth of field.

I am re-posting the photo of the walkway and leaves with a few edits. This photo was taken during the fall of 2011, and I saved two versions of the photo as jpegs , one with the vignette and the other without but with some edits to the color of the photo. Unfortunately, I no longer have the original unedited shot to work with. In this re-post, I straightened the photo and attempted to clone the person out of the photo (which happens to be my now fiancee :) ). I prefer the color of the vignette version of the photo.


I agree on the color of the vignetted version. I think if you straighten that version, you might get rid of enough of the vignetted part in the process to make it nice and subtle. And you might be able to even it out pretty well with the dodge tool. The cloning looks good to me, if I hadn't seen the original, I wouldn't look at this one and say, "that looks 'shopped - I bet there was a person there before..."
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11 years 3 weeks ago #281910 by Scotty
Number one is great. Print it up.
When the last candle has been blown out
and the last glass of champagne has been drunk
All that you are left with are the memories and the images-David Cooke.
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11 years 2 weeks ago #282338 by bluesydude
And so it goes...

I loved the tilt and the person in the first sidewalk shot! It's all subjective.The first two shots are fabulous! The dog shots are good, I just don't happen to be a fan of dog and cat shots.

Coming from a total amateur, I think each photographer has or develops a style that defines them. And, you are well on your way to finding your style. Welcome to the forum and I look forward to seeing more of the world through your lens! :)
Focused on photography
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