The Critique "Wading Pool"

[IABoomer]

As something kind of abstract, it kind of works. You've got this sine wave of net-like material which gives a feel of movement. You've got this circular/angular highlight behind it which kind of looks like something spinning. Then you've got the depth of field moving from crisp on the right to soft and creamy on the left.

If your goal was to capture and document the detail of this, er, whatever this is, then maybe it missed the mark a little. But, as stated above, it's something interesting on its own.


Young girl meets the Three Kings by IABoomerFlickr, on Flickr

Camera Nikon D5000
Exposure 0.02 sec (1/50)
Aperture f/2.2
Focal Length 35 mm
ISO Speed 400

What I like: The focus is really sharp right on this girl's face. I like her interested look. I like that her's is the only face in full view which leaves little question as to who/what the subject is.

What I don't like: The highlight of the jacket in front of her is a bit distracting. Maybe this would have been a bit better to also get the face of the "King" in the frame. The thing that kind of frustrates me the most is, this image never seems to resonate with people. I've got images that I think aren't as strong/interesting but they have more views/comments and I can't figure out what it is that's not hitting home with people about this one.

[SSgtTEX]

I have only been seriously shooting for just a couple months so I am still trying to figure the ins and outs. But I will take a stab at this.

I think people may not connect with this image because, like me, they do not see the context of the photo. There is no "why" is what I am trying to say, But I completely agree how only her face is the only one fully in view lets you know exactly who the subject is. Honestly the highlights on the jacket were not exactly noticed to me. Maybe because the image immediately drew my attention to the girl.

Here is my go. This one was taken to a recent trip to Cedar Point. This was my first time seeing any of the Great Lakes. The hotel was right on the beach of Lake Erie, so some early morning photography was just calling. Also more reason to try to actually use my 70-300mm lens.



Camera Nikon D60
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture f/11.0
Focal Length 270 mm
ISO 200

What I like: This was a candid moment I captured. I really liked how they were enjoying their early morning with a nice walk and conversation on the beach. I also personally like the silohetting of the couple.

What I don't like: The sky is the big thing. It was a clear morning. I think a few clouds would have helped the image. But that was something I can not change. Other thing is that I wish there were a few less birds around. But this was not a planned photo. Just one that I happened to notice and took a shot.

[IABoomer]

I loaded this image and played around with it a bit. I found a couple of edits that were interesting to me.

1. Drop the overall exposure down to bring just a bit of detail back to the sky and make the beach scene a stronger silhouette. Tweak the white balance a bit to make it warmer.

2. Drop the overall exposure a little, but add some fill light and bring out the blues of the birds to add some color to the image.

In either case, you'd have to do a bit of cloning because it looks like the lens or sensor was a little dirty and you've recorded some spots.

Next up from me, another one of my oldie but goodie images.


Greek Orthodox Church - Wauwatosa, WI by IABoomerFlickr, on Flickr

Camera Samsung VLUU L200 / Samsung L200
Exposure 3
Aperture f/8.4
Focal Length 8.4 mm (50mm in 35mm terms)
ISO Speed 200

What I like: The shape, symmetry, and details of the church. I also feel like the lighting is cooler in color temperature which matches the cold winter night when I took this.

What I don't like: The branches in the way on the left side, but to keep things centered, I had to deal with them there. I think there's a couple spots where the blacks clip out and I might have lost a little detail. There's areas that are a touch soft, and I'm not sure if it's a tiny bit of tripod shake from the breeze or it's the tiny lens/sensor of my older P&S.

[Krusty79]

I can't think of much to say that you haven't covered already. It's a very simple composition. I'd be tempted to at least try to clone out some of those branches on the left. Since the composition is so simple, those branches are really noticeable.

I'd be curious to see how this would look if you took the shot when there is still some color in the sky and with some ambient light. That would allow us to see some of the detail in the foreground and area surrounding the church. Right now, it almost looks like the church is suspended in the darkness.




What I like: The interesting rock formations. The foreground rocks and the trail that leads the eye into the image.

What I don't like: I'm not sure if there is a strong enough subject to hold your attention once the trail leads your eye into the image. I shot this from a shaded area into an area that was under a cloud, but still a lot brighter. I made 4 jpgs from the RAW file and blended them to even out the exposure. Does it look pretty even to you, or does it need more work? I wish I had bracketed my shots.

[IABoomer]

I'll agree that my view isn't held in one place, but with this image, I don't see that as a bad thing. There's a lot of really interesting stuff happening here. You've got the people to give a sense of scale, which is really effective. You've got contrast between the reddish rocks and the green brush. Overall, I really like it.

There are a couple areas where it looks like there might be some blending artifacts, but they're minor and not an image-killer for me.


Backyard bokeh flower by IABoomerFlickr, on Flickr

Camera Nikon D40
Exposure 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 55 mm
ISO Speed 800

What I like: It's warm. There's a definite subject. The softness of the flowering bud comes out.

What I don't like: It's a bit centered. The bokeh is kind of crunchy. I don't know that it has any kind of emotional pull to it. I feel like I'm technically capable, but I fail to find emotion in my images that would take them to the next level.

[Krusty79]

C'mon, let's get some new people in this thread! Doesn't anyone else want some feedback on their shots??? Newbies - don't be shy!