A few for C & C please

Breezer

Four shots from Paris this weekend...

Breezer

OK I know bumping is frowned upon and I don't often do it, but 101 views and not one comment?

Are they that boring? Please feel free to criticise the crap out of them, since I'm trying to learn that's actually a lot better than being told they're great!

Sorry again for the post bump.

AnimalRights

Hi!

#1 Not often can you take a picture of someone from behind and it will be successful and alas this one fails...can't find anything to even remotely get excited about.

#2 Unusual angle but picture look's a bit flat, do you use any post processing at all?

#3 Picture look's soft/out of focus, even the dog is not interesting.
Here is one from mine with a dog paying attention! Also PP too is quite strong.
http://pix.ie/punkrock/644670/in/album/325531

#4 Would be my favourite of the set, while not perfect and flatish again, the laughter and naturalness carry it through, interesting angle too.

Borderfox

I like the second and the last is a nice catch, nothing really Parisean though stands out to me. Dont get me wrong I dont want every picture to have the Eiffel tower in it.

PonderStibbons

Hi, I've never given C&C before so feel free to disregard this as ill-informed rambling

I like the simple composition of No. 1, although it might work even better if there was a bit more empty space around the subject. There's a bit too much going on in No.2 for me, but I like the way you've framed the building in the background with the arch. I just find the trees and stuff hanging off the arch make it a bit cluttered. No. 3 doesn't do much for me - sorry! I really like No. 4, it's a scene I've seen loads of times (what's with girls and looking at the back of their cameras and giggling madly?!?) and you've captured it perfectly. My only criticism is the vignette - if you added it in afterwards then I'd take it out, and if it's something that happened in the camera then I would crop inside it to get rid of it.


I also feel like they could all do with a bit of contrast - they seem a bit flat.

Phew!

Deliverance XXV

Borderfox wrote: »

I like the second and the last is a nice catch, nothing really Parisean though stands out to me. Dont get me wrong I dont want every picture to have the Eiffel tower in it.

I was also waiting for the inevitable Eiffel Tower shot!

Composition on #1 is good and on #2 you could do with a bit of cropping.

Breezer

Thanks guys!

#1 I agree with PonderStibbons that a bit more empty space would have been nice. AnimalRights, I appreciate your honesty, although I have to say I like the 'cutesy' factor of the subject's pose, dress, the little stick etc.

#2 AnimalRights, no, I don't really do much postprocessing, although I intend learning. While I do have Photoshop, my experience with it is limited to creating web graphics, which are obviously a bit different. Could you suggest any particularly good learning resources for making pictures less flat?

#3 Surprised at the reaction to this. My intention was to capture the subject's absolute concentration on the book. The dog was incidental really, but having seen AnimalRights' picture I can appreciate how having it looking at the camera would have worked nicely.

#4 It looked too boring without the vignette, which was added afterwards. I'll take it out and post the result here. My own criticism of this is that the girl on the right's face is out of focus, but I do like the emotion of the moment.

Borderfox, I guess I wasn't really trying to capture Paris; I'm really still trying to learn my way around the basics of photography. I just happened to be in Paris! When I go back I'll try find a few beret-wearing, cigarette-smoking, espresso-drinking Parisians

Thanks again guys, really appreciate it.

humberklog

I've never c+c'd either. The last picture is excellent. Great snap. But I'm a sucker for nutural laughing portraits. Great angle and well taken.

I've always found Paris a cold fish for scenic city snapping and have only got decent results on decent B+W film and even then I'd generally keep the subject matter to people in settings that may tell the story of where they're taken.

YeahOK

People in glass houses and all that, but here's my tuppence worth.....

I'd consider some post processing, I'm not saying photoshop the hell out of it, but sometimes a bit of PP can help give an image a bit of umph!

Number 2 is probably my favourite. But the trees are a bit distracting. I'd work on composition a bit, it's something I struggle with as well. Always look all around the frame, not just at the subject. Look for lines to draw the viewer into the picture and focus the attention. Remember the rule of thirds!

And most importantly keep it up! Practice practice practice!

AnCatDubh

Ah bump forgiven - someone should have picked up on it. Forums been quite busy in recent times so threads can get lost in the wash.

I like #1 - I think it would have been better in a portrait rather than landscape orientation. Personally, and i'm going through a phase of it at the moment so critic bias warning - i'd do a b/w conversion and add heaps of contrast. It isn't too colourful in any event so you don't actually lose too much going b/w and it gives it a particular style (albiet an older mood). Anyhow - i did a quickie with it on the gimp and I think it would be cool. Still needs a portrait orientation though i'm afraid.

I like the idea of #2 but i think its missing something. I think maybe you've cropped too tight. Also the angle gives an unusual perspective which i'm not sure if i like. Fair play, you managed to keep the sky from being significantly burnt out.

#3 isn't for me. I'm not sure if a tighter crop would help or a b/w conversion. I think the scene doesn't appeal to me. Again the idea is good but I think there isn't sufficient aesthetics in the scene to make it interesting. That could be me though. Others may like it.

I love the scene that you've captured and as it is a moment of spontaneity you get forgiven for the motion blur thats show. In fact, personally at the moment i'm being attracted more and more to pictures of imperfect technicalities that the crisp clear images that we all strive to make - so, I like this a lot. I think your treatment of the image in processing lets the scene down somewhat. The vignette is overpowering IMHO - this coming from someone who is nearly out of his vignetting phase so i can criticise others now I do like vignettes though but i'd pull it right back to bare infraction on the edges.

An interesting set. As borderfox has said, there isn't much that would make you immediately think Paris but that mightn't be an issue if you weren't intending them to be.

Hope that helps.

Breezer

YeahOK wrote: »

Number 2 is probably my favourite. But the trees are a bit distracting. I'd work on composition a bit, it's something I struggle with as well. Always look all around the frame, not just at the subject. Look for lines to draw the viewer into the picture and focus the attention. Remember the rule of thirds!

Hmm, not entirely sure what I can do about the trees. Photoshop job? Or just avoid such things altogether? I thought I could get away with the archway for lines. In my defence, this was taken with my friend roaring at me that the rest of the group had by now disappeared into the distance

EDIT: Without the vignette.

YeahOK

Breezer wrote: »

Hmm, not entirely sure what I can do about the trees. Photoshop job? Or just avoid such things altogether? I thought I could get away with the archway for lines. In my defence, this was taken with my friend roaring at me that the rest of the group had by now disappeared into the distance

Not a whole lot in this case. Maybe some photoshop. Play about with the levels and the black point and see if you can darken the arch a touch and lighten the branches of the trees without impacting the original too much.

My comment in relation to the leading lines was more in relation to the photo of the little girl and the lady looking at the books. There's not a whole lot to pull you into the scene or frame the action per say.

GhostInTheRuins

I have to say I really do like the first one, it just seems a bit flat or something.

TheNorthBank

I'm not in a position to give C&C as I'm only learning myself but my favourite is definately #4, by a long way. Its just a pity that the girl on the right isn't sharper. But I love the whole natural feel to it.

Fionn

No 1 has some merit, perhaps you could have tried different angles maybe a low one often works for a little person with a wide background, as has been said it's not easy to take a good pic when they have their back to ya!!

Last one made me smile, it's out of focus etc. but it's honest I like that!!

Breezer

Thanks again guys. I did as AnCatDubh said and converted #1 to black and white, and added contrast, although I kept the landscape orientation as I couldn't get it to work with portrait, it just looked wrong to me. I also cropped it a bit to try to achieve the effect of more empty space to the side of the subject:

af_thefragile

I like the 2nd one quite a lot!

melekalikimaka

no.3 does it for me... lovely capture, what were you shooting with?

Breezer

melekalikimaka wrote: »

no.3 does it for me... lovely capture, what were you shooting with?

Lol, someone finally likes it! I was shooting with a Canon Powershot G9 on all of them.

melekalikimaka

whoops i meant the last one sorry lol

Breezer

melekalikimaka wrote: »

whoops i meant the last one sorry lol

Meh, I've come to accept the fact that everyone hates the poor old dear and her dog