PebHmong Discussion Forum
Hobbies & Interests => Arts & Photography => Topic started by: Finest on January 21, 2014, 09:07:31 AM
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I think we have a good assortment of artists/photographers in here now, from the very new hobbyist to the professional photographers. And one aspect I've always preached is that "Practice Makes Perfect". But it's much more than that, it's about creating your style, finding your own vision, and presenting how you see the world through your eyes.
Another great tool to help you get there is to offer your work up for critique to help gain an outside perspective of your work. We sometimes get so engrossed in our vision that we sometimes miss some of the basic fundamentals. (Or maybe some of us just have poorly adjusted monitors) :2funny: But whatever the case, critiques are a good way to help refine your work amongst a group of your peers. But be prepared, some remarks might not be what you want to hear.
If you have a piece that you want to gain some outside perspective or get some advice on, please post them here and we'll all give it a round of critiques and advice. You can explain what you were trying to accomplish, what your vision was, and what equipment or settings you used for the work. I'm sure everyone in here is passionate about art, which is why you're even reading this in the first place. So let's keep it civil and help each other out. 8)
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what? are people this chicken? i'll go first. i know some things are missing or needs to be improved in this pic.. Speak your mind.
this picture was actually slightly out of focus.. :-[ Tried my best to revive it.. Trying to save an out of focus photo can be tough.. tips? criticisms? i won't get butt hurt like some people..
(http://hmongphotographers.com/oxw/ow_userfiles/plugins/photo/photo_original_41.jpg)
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i'll take a crack at this.
hi toua, for someone who's just started, i think you naturally have an eye for photography. (whatever that means.) compositionall y, the photograph is great. color looks good, the depth of field is also great. my only critique is to be mindful of things sticking out of her head and on her shoulder it slightly looks blown out so if there's a way for you to fix that, do it.
on sharpness, i think the images is fairly sharp already. do you know how to sharpen using the high pass tool?
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i'll take a crack at this.
hi toua, for someone who's just started, i think you naturally have an eye for photography. (whatever that means.) compositionall y, the photograph is great. color looks good, the depth of field is also great. my only critique is to be mindful of things sticking out of her head and on her shoulder it slightly looks blown out so if there's a way for you to fix that, do it.
on sharpness, i think the images is fairly sharp already. do you know how to sharpen using the high pass tool?
thanks.. quite honestly, i never noticed part of the plant sticking out of her head.. lol. i have the habit of paying too much attention to the subject and lose focus of what's actually behind. i really hate it when i do that. Ah, the shoulder. Blown out high lights added to improvement list. :)
yep, i know how to use the high pass tool.
EDIT:
Did a quick photochop. Got ride of most of the blown out shoulder and left a bit of high light. Adjusting the high light in RAW didn't do much so had to cloned it. Deleted the plant on top of her head.
(http://www.hmongimage.com/posts/Lisa/73-2.jpg)
(http://www.hmongimage.com/posts/Lisa/73-original.jpg)
this is the original image. Over-exposed!
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here is a similiar shot
(http://hmongphotographers.com/oxw/ow_userfiles/plugins/photo/photo_original_42.jpg)
now looking deeper, the top of the plant by the hair (left shoulder) is distracting. how do you guys feel about the plant in front of her chest?. anything else? Looking at some of my other photos, i could've done a better job by paying attention to the background more.
hmmm.. the highlight on her nose... :-\ and the shoulder. need to watch out next time..
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Hey Toua,
What kind of camera you use?
it seem so clear in details
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Here is another picture i tried saving. Took this when i first got my camera last year in JPG :2funny:. O0 i am better with photoshop than the camera, but slowly improving. Photoshop saved my ass again. ;D yeah, the cars in the background..ar rgg..
anything to improve besides the harsh shadow from the flash?
(http://www.hmongimage.com/posts/Lisa/41-original.jpg)(http://www.hmongimage.com/posts/Lisa/41-1.jpg)
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what? are people this chicken? i'll go first. i know some things are missing or needs to be improved in this pic.. Speak your mind.
this picture was actually slightly out of focus.. :-[ Tried my best to revive it.. Trying to save an out of focus photo can be tough.. tips? criticisms? i won't get butt hurt like some people..
(http://hmongphotographers.com/oxw/ow_userfiles/plugins/photo/photo_original_41.jpg)
Hi Toua,
Here are a few items to keep in mind when shooting & editing:
1. The vignette is a bit harsh. Would suggest toning it down a bit.
2. Background & foreground distractions. We all love positioning our subjects next to weeds/tall grass since it creates nice bokeh but sometimes it can become a distraction.
3. Composition and rule of 3rds. Next time instead of having her position in the center of the frame, have her stand more to the left or to the right.
4. I notice you smooth her hair out which I like but maybe tone it down a bit so it doesn't look fake.
Overall I like the vibrant color of the photo and the sharpness. Have fun shooting!
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Here's one of mine for you guys to critique. Shot with Canon 5D, 70-200 F/2.8 @ 200mm, setting is as follow: 1/200, ISO 400, F/2.8.
(https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1382984_269719713152933_782829826_n.jpg)
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You guys are too good for me to critique..... All I can say is great work. Perhaps I can learn from you guys.
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Here's one of mine for you guys to critique. Shot with Canon 5D, 70-200 F/2.8 @ 200mm, setting is as follow: 1/200, ISO 400, F/2.8.
(https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1382984_269719713152933_782829826_n.jpg)
great photo.
my only critique is the tilting of the camera. i'm looking at the foreground and i'm bothered that it's not level therefore making me question whether or not it's an artistic decision to make tilt your camera or an accident.
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great photo.
my only critique is the tilting of the camera. i'm looking at the foreground and i'm bothered that it's not level therefore making me question whether or not it's an artistic decision to make tilt your camera or an accident.
It was an artistic decision to composite/tilt the camera to go along with the "motion/expression." However I do have another shot that is level and I felt that it didn't give the same "feeling" as this shot since the guy kind of lean into her kiss.
Though after viewing it more, I did notice that the grass in the foreground was a bit annoying so I'll be eliminating that in the final photo.
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Here is another picture i tried saving. Took this when i first got my camera last year in JPG :2funny:. O0 i am better with photoshop than the camera, but slowly improving. Photoshop saved my ass again. ;D yeah, the cars in the background..ar rgg..
anything to improve besides the harsh shadow from the flash?
Your first two photos of her were perfect the way they are. This one would be good if she looked at the camera. Or take a full body and have her look away so that we can get a feel for a scene or something.
Here's one of mine for you guys to critique. Shot with Canon 5D, 70-200 F/2.8 @ 200mm, setting is as follow: 1/200, ISO 400, F/2.8.
This one is perfect the way it is.
Do you guys really want critiques? There is a pro lady I follow and she mentioned that she would never ask for critique because even if her photos weren't the best, she liked the outcome and that was what mattered to her. I kind of agree with her (but not 100%). I do believe that as long as you think your photos are of standard to what you are trying to express, that getting critiqued can actually damage your self-confidence in your art. She in a way said this, that the critiques would make her less likely to take photos because she is already hard on herself.
But, I don't know. What do you think?
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I think criticism is helpful, whether you agree with it or not, it's good to hear what other's think about your work. As an artist you have to be open minded and not take it as personal attacks. So fire away... O0
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I think criticism is helpful, whether you agree with it or not, it's good to hear what other's think about your work. As an artist you have to be open minded and not take it as personal attacks. So fire away... O0
Some people do like it and other don't, I suppose.
I just happen believe the pro lady a bit more (but like I said, not 100%) because I've been in that situation where the critique damaged rather than inspired. But, it's one of those things where you have to actually have gone through to understand.
Carry on. :)
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Some people do like it and other don't, I suppose.
I just happen believe the pro lady a bit more (but like I said, not 100%) because I've been in that situation where the critique damaged rather than inspired. But, it's one of those things where you have to actually have gone through to understand.
Carry on. :)
I agree with you, not all people like criticism so you have to tread carefully when making remarks. You have to learn how to be 75% honest. ;)
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Your first two photos of her were perfect the way they are. This one would be good if she looked at the camera. Or take a full body and have her look away so that we can get a feel for a scene or something.
This one is perfect the way it is.
Do you guys really want critiques? There is a pro lady I follow and she mentioned that she would never ask for critique because even if her photos weren't the best, she liked the outcome and that was what mattered to her. I kind of agree with her (but not 100%). I do believe that as long as you think your photos are of standard to what you are trying to express, that getting critiqued can actually damage your self-confidence in your art. She in a way said this, that the critiques would make her less likely to take photos because she is already hard on herself.
But, I don't know. What do you think?
hi guys, i'm not a commercial photographer but i do make a lot of photographs. i'm a strong believer that critiques are what makes us (photographers) stronger and better both visually and when talking about our images. like any criticism, you just have to take everything with a grain of salt.
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Yes, you both are right, I suppose. But, just be aware, if you are on the boat to want critiques.
Btw, because I tend not to share too much about my artistic side, I'll humbly share that I've always loved critiques. It's in my nature. But, I tread carefully now since the damage. It was a hard lesson, but I've learned...and I'm not new to the field (I'm an oldie). ;)
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I agree, the hardest critic is ourselves. But if you really want to break out of your normal routine, then let others in on your photos and let them give an outside perspective. We can sometimes fall into this steady state of taking the same photos, the same styles, the same subjects, etc etc. We're comfortable with it, so most times we won't think outside the box anymore. But being creative and exploring other areas will only work to add to your overall unique style, taking from each criticism and perspective and improving upon the "unimprovable". We can sometimes miss even the smallest things (like the background distractions or flowers and trees sticking out of the subject's heads, for example) because we're so concentrated on the subject and getting that one central focus down.
If the criticism is too harmful, then as a collective we can all work together to ease the tension a little bit. I think we're all mature enough in here to give our most honest opinion, a worthy critique, and not have to resort to harmful criticism. Think positive and positive things will happen. Help the next person improve, don't cut them down. O0
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Oh no. You all are getting the wrong impression. Yes, there are two or three things going on here, I realize. Critiquing is okay, in this case.
I'm talking on a whole different level, I noticed. Sometimes, I forget that this is simply a beginners. I'm talking about years of experience here. Just ignore me. 8)
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Your first two photos of her were perfect the way they are. This one would be good if she looked at the camera. Or take a full body and have her look away so that we can get a feel for a scene or something.
This one is perfect the way it is.
Do you guys really want critiques? There is a pro lady I follow and she mentioned that she would never ask for critique because even if her photos weren't the best, she liked the outcome and that was what mattered to her. I kind of agree with her (but not 100%). I do believe that as long as you think your photos are of standard to what you are trying to express, that getting critiqued can actually damage your self-confidence in your art. She in a way said this, that the critiques would make her less likely to take photos because she is already hard on herself.
But, I don't know. What do you think?
. i agreed for the most part, but i always have room for critiques. thanks for sharing. O0
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thanks for the critiques guys.. appreciated. O0 O0 O0 O0
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Critique is important in any art form, whether starting out or professional. You need to know how to take critiques as well as how to give them. Of course not all critiques are equal, so take what you like and leave the rest.
Toua, I'm not a professional photog, but I know basic stuff. From looking at your pictures, there's an easy way for you to improve quickly, and that is with framing. Since it seems you're into human/portrait photog, here are some pretty simple rules for how to frame people. Give it a try:
http://petapixel.com/2011/09/29/crop-guidelines-for-portrait-photography/ (http://petapixel.com/2011/09/29/crop-guidelines-for-portrait-photography/)
These are just basic rules. You should also Google "head room" and "nose room" (or aka "look room").
thanks for link. bookmarked. :) i have to admit, my framing sucks balls.. lol.. :2funny: :2funny: ;D
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(http://i.imgur.com/Bgtsskp.jpg)
Here's my take. Overall I feel like the balance is off. The red is trying to hold off the falling blue. It's structured well (triangular; the strongest basic shape) but because of the tilt I get the impression that its about to collapse. You then have the purple beams that act like a structured beam trying to hold everything in place.
Then you take into account the subject matter. It's a woman kissing a man. It looks lighthearted but because of the unbalanced frame it doesn't fit the theme well. Instead of it being a more solid base it looks like its struggling. Their holding hands looks more like grasping for a hold than holding hands. Yellow is something in the background that I find distracting.
I day try it without tilting and omit the suitcase and lantern.
I understand this is just a test but that's just my opinion.