Good, good enough, or not at all

[sweetpeajc]

I love photography, yet I lack the confidence in my photography. Here's an image I took that most people seem to love. DO you? Why or why not? What can I improve? Do you think someone might want to buy this photo? why or why not? (need a little validation here)
Thank you
Jil

[milosh]

Ok, to be honest with you...I think this is an image which can be created by any amateur photographer with a bit of will to experiment and an adequate lens. The reason why most people like it is probably because it's slightly above (in terms of composition and aesthetics) the common snapshots people usually see. I think you have some nice compositional elements in this shot, like the curved rods which serve as lines leading to the main subject, but this is pretty much everything about it that I find appealing. Its major flaw (sorry, flaw sounds too harsh to me right now but I can't find another word) is lack of a real subject, something so interesting which will keep my focus in the small pavilion. I wouldn't buy it for the reasons already mentioned.

P.S. Don't take this critique too seriously, it sounded like you want an honest opinion, and an honest opinion is the best thing I can give you. You did a right thing, you asked for an opinion, unlike many people who take their relative's opinions for granted and start advertising their photos right away. My advice to you is, continue shooting, post photos here for critique and try to ask yourself and us some specific questions about your photos (composition, exposure, etc). You'll be better in no time.

[sweetpeajc]

Originally Posted by milosh

Ok, to be honest with you...I think this is an image which can be created by any amateur photographer with a bit of will to experiment and an adequate lens. The reason why most people like it is probably because it's slightly above (in terms of composition and aesthetics) the common snapshots people usually see. I think you have some nice compositional elements in this shot, like the curved rods which serve as lines leading to the main subject, but this is pretty much everything about it that I find appealing. Its major flaw (sorry, flaw sounds too harsh to me right now but I can't find another word) is lack of a real subject, something so interesting which will keep my focus in the small pavilion. I wouldn't buy it for the reasons already mentioned.

P.S. Don't take this critique too seriously, it sounded like you want an honest opinion, and an honest opinion is the best thing I can give you. You did a right thing, you asked for an opinion, unlike many people who take their relative's opinions for granted and start advertising their photos right away. My advice to you is, continue shooting, post photos here for critique and try to ask yourself and us some specific questions about your photos (composition, exposure, etc). You'll be better in no time.

Thank you for your honesty. I will keep all that you said in mind.

[Krusty79]

I agree with milosh that this shot is above snapshot quality. It does look like you took time to think about your composition. It's good that you included some lines to lead the viewer's eye into the image. Usually, the leading line is on the ground, but yours has the twist of being up in the air. I do agree that having a person or some focal point will help keep the viewer's interest.

The one thing I first noticed about the shot is all of those shadows on the ground. I find them very distracting. You could shoot at a different time of day or even a different time of year to avoid that, though.

Nice shot and I hope we see more of your work.

[sweetpeajc]

Originally Posted by Krusty79

I agree with milosh that this shot is above snapshot quality. It does look like you took time to think about your composition. It's good that you included some lines to lead the viewer's eye into the image. Usually, the leading line is on the ground, but yours has the twist of being up in the air. I do agree that having a person or some focal point will help keep the viewer's interest.

The one thing I first noticed about the shot is all of those shadows on the ground. I find them very distracting. You could shoot at a different time of day or even a different time of year to avoid that, though.

Nice shot and I hope we see more of your work.

Thank you for your advice. I know it will help me in my future shots.