all critique welcome

[dmann]

Hi,

Just starting out and I am quite pleased with this picture. However I want to know about the composition, does it add feeling or is the building too distracting? All critique welcome.

shutter 1/160
f stops 1.8
ISO 100
Canon T1i

[Doug Sundseth]

For me, at least the building is a bit overwhelming. The problem, as I see it, is that the details are a bit too contrasty, the colors of the bricks are too close in hue to the subject, and the lighting on subject and background is very similar. The result is that there's not enough separation of subject and background.

That said, I like the concept. Suggestions to improve this:

Move closer to the subject. You can keep the same (almost) amount of the background in the frame, but the larger subject will capture more of the attention of the viewer.

Add a bit of fill light on the subject and drop the background down a bit. This will improve the color of the sky in the background and improve background and subject separation.

Watch out for contrasty architectural elements juxtaposed with the subject. In this picture, you have a pillar growing out of the subject's head. Had you moved a couple of inches to the left, her head would be in the darker space between pillars, which would have been less distracting.

Move the subject out of the center of the image. Photos usually work better when the balance of elements is more dynamic. Since the subject is looking to the left, move her a bit toward the right side of the frame (unless you have some reason to do otherwise).

[dmann]

Originally Posted by Doug Sundseth

For me, at least the building is a bit overwhelming. The problem, as I see it, is that the details are a bit too contrasty, the colors of the bricks are too close in hue to the subject, and the lighting on subject and background is very similar. The result is that there's not enough separation of subject and background.

That said, I like the concept. Suggestions to improve this:

Move closer to the subject. You can keep the same (almost) amount of the background in the frame, but the larger subject will capture more of the attention of the viewer.

Add a bit of fill light on the subject and drop the background down a bit. This will improve the color of the sky in the background and improve background and subject separation.

Watch out for contrasty architectural elements juxtaposed with the subject. In this picture, you have a pillar growing out of the subject's head. Had you moved a couple of inches to the left, her head would be in the darker space between pillars, which would have been less distracting.

Move the subject out of the center of the image. Photos usually work better when the balance of elements is more dynamic. Since the subject is looking to the left, move her a bit toward the right side of the frame (unless you have some reason to do otherwise).

Good Advice! thanks i didn't even notice the pole.

Now for fill lights, I dont have any lights other than my in camera flash. Suggestions?


Also the reason I didnt move closer to the subject was because I wanted the grass to be faded iin the foreground. Any suggestions?

So much to learn.....

[dmann]

38 views and 1 comment, DPS you are letting me down.........

[TNH]

Hey nice photo! Maybe I like it because I play the violin.

For me, the building is not too distracting. However, the rule of thirds would help this picture a bit. Placing your subject more to the side of the fame makes a photo more interesting, IMO.

And since she is looking to the left, she needs some 'space to look into.' I think there's a photography rule about that, not sure though. Anyway, whichever direction your subject is looking, you need to leave more blank space there than on the other side.

She also seems too far away from the camera. Maybe a crop would help 'fill the frame'?

[TNH]

Kind of like this. I cropped it in, so that she is more to the right side of the frame, she has some space to look into, and she is closer.
If you don't like this idea, or the picture, then just tell me and I'll be happy to delete it. I don't want there to be a picture in your thread that you don't like!

So these are my ideas on your picture.

BTW, you've only had this thread up for almost 6 hours. (Ok, that is a pretty long time to get only 2 replies!)
But I put up a critique thread today at around 3:00, and I've had 23 views and no replies. So I haven't gotten any comments yet. Just give it a couple days, you'll get more replies, I'm sure. We don't all get comments/critiques right away.
Maybe everyone on DPS are on vacation in Hawaii today, and haven't been able to get on here.

[Doug Sundseth]

Originally Posted by dmann

Good Advice! thanks i didn't even notice the pole.

Now for fill lights, I dont have any lights other than my in camera flash. Suggestions?


Also the reason I didnt move closer to the subject was because I wanted the grass to be faded iin the foreground. Any suggestions?

So much to learn.....

First, if you did something for a reason and you think it worked and you like the result, you should probably ignore or reduce the weight of comments that don't address that reason. You will always see things differently than anyone else, and since it's your art, you get to decide.

It can sometimes be worthwhile to think about the comments if they're consistent, but I've occasionally said (using my internal voice anyway), all y'all are wrong. I'm doing it my way. (Sometimes that was the wrong choice, but there you go.)

As for fill light, it's about the only thing that a pop up flash is useful for. If you are getting most of your illumination from the ambient, the fact that the fill light is flat isn't much problem. Give it a try. If you hate it, don't show anybody.

[Tito87]

Originally Posted by dmann

Good Advice! thanks i didn't even notice the pole.

Now for fill lights, I dont have any lights other than my in camera flash. Suggestions?


Also the reason I didnt move closer to the subject was because I wanted the grass to be faded iin the foreground. Any suggestions?

So much to learn.....

If you don't have any lights, you can try using a reflector. See if that helps some.

[AngelsFeet]

I really like it - I don't find the house distracting, it is attractive and I am someone who prefers elaborate backgrounds when they're well done as they will tell a story. It seems your colors are enhanced? What kind of post work did you do?

[ccting]

Dear Dmann,

As you know, i am a newbie and currently I am not looking for neither portrait nor landscape / other kinds of photography.

I currently concentrate on the basic - Lines, shapes, etc etc, that I am far not yet mastered.

To reduce my comment, I limit myself to the most basic element of arrangement that I learn first day with DPS - Horizon.

By looking at the horizon of the photo, it is at dead center. Yes, we know that Horizon usually appears in Horizontal Frame, but I strongly believe that it does appear in Vertical frame too. The girl, for instance, is a basic vertical Line that needs a horizontal line to support. Remember my first landscape (critique) Hill view from Dengkil? I kept that in my mind and forced myself to keep the horizon at 2/3. My concious mind was fighting with my unconcious mind on that, but i did it.l For your context, If i am not mistaken, for full portrait length, CONCEPTUALLY, your camera height should be between her neck and her stomach for shoot. Practically, I prefer to shoot lower than that so to gain "Feel of near" and 1/3 Horizon level.

According to the most basic of basics, due to gravity theory, or based on golden section, or rule of third, the horizon line should appear at the lower 1/3. Therefore, I would suggest you to crop your image from the bottom, thus reducing the ground which is far less interesting for me in contrast to the house, which tell more story about your picture.

Be remember that, rule of third is just a conceptual design that follows some assumption. When the assumptions are not meet, then following the rule will lose its harmony of arrangement. For the image that you have taken, the ground has almost same pattern, and for the simple reason of that, you probably might want to further reducing the division of ground to smaller ratio.

Division
If your len has great zoom range, or you are willing to move nearer or farer, I suggest that, you look at the image via viewfielder and visualize division of your frame. Cut the frame into 1/3 for the girl on right, leaving 2/3 for the house on the left. You might want to move the girl nearer to you instead of moving near to girl to get this. Try this and repost and compare them.

Due to my afraid to state too many things at one time, I put a fullstop of my novince comment here, which may full of errors.

Do comment of what you think abaout my pictures. I know that, It is too easy to state theoritically, then conceptual design of pictures. WHen it comes to practicality, technical competency, experience, timing, and many other factors come into play.

Finally, I admire you as you have good photography equipments and times for photography. You are a great photographer.