My first critique

[*Newbie*]

Hello all,

i posted this in the share your shots section and it seemed to be well recieved

I am keen to learn and improve so would like your feedback on my pic, in particular anything i could do to improve it (we still have snow and i can easily walk back to here to try again)

thank you

Jonathan



Panasonic DMC-G1
F/3.5
Exposure 1/30sec
ISO 320

hopefully this is the right section

[kittles17]

I by no means am professional at this just a beginner as well, but the ends of the branches are being washed out by the sky...perhaps an even shorter exposure time...it would be really nice to be able to capture that detail a bit more...the perspective is nice though!

[bethard728]

I'm not great at critiquing so I'm not much help other than to say I really like this shot. Very intriguing. I think it might make an interesting black and white.

[Known]

What would make this piece stronger is more contrast. Preferably not super imposed in post production, but if you can get that effect in photoshop looking naturally then by all means. (You shoot in RAW, right? If so, bring the exposure down a stop and see how that looks.) Because of the intense wash out of the snow and sky, there really needs to be some deep dark shadows in those brown bricks in order to balance the image. I agree with Kittles17 that a shorter exposure would be good news.

Another element that may have made the work stronger is by moving the camera over to the left a few feet. The perspective is skewed a bit, and while in many works this entices the viewer, I feel here it disrupts the movement of my eye. Throws the balance off.

There are a myriad of positives in this work too, specifically,the content matter and the branches. I almost want a view of inside the thicket of snow and ice covered twigs.

Keep up the work J.

[Wylde007]

By all means no expert here, but agree with the others regarding exposure, also try f/8 - f13 ish to help increase DOF and maybe ISO 100, use a tripod/mono pod if you can.

I wonder if moving your position over to the left nearer to the hedge so you have more of an angled shot and the wall as your main subject leading off into the distance might give a different feel to it, or more close to the ground, just food for thought, also if you can get their with more colour and detail in the sky would help this shot in my opinion, sun casting some nice shadows and bringing the whole scene to life would change this photo immensely.

have fun.

[*Newbie*]

Some food for thought for me there. thanks all for taking the time to comment, it's very much appreciated

i think as a general rule for me i should spend a bit more time shooting from different angles anyway.........my excuse on this occasion was that i couldn't feel my fingers or toes and it was getting dark

thanks again

Jonathan

[kgb224]

I like the lines as well as the Depth of this picture.
Outstanding picture captured by you.

[sk66]

Nice eye. Alot of good here.

The biggest issue IMO is DOF. You have nice leading lines and details to draw you into the picture, but the further in you go the fuzzier the pic gets.
I would consider setting up for hyperfocal distance, or at least F/8 and focus 1/3 into the scene.

[EOBeav]

Something else to consider: A graduated ND filter to help even out the sky and the details in the branches above. As it is, you're blown out there pretty bad. I do like your lines here, though.