More beachy stuffs, been trying to mess around with DoF a lot lately. Crits would be loved long time.
*pretty pictures*
I love them! One minor quibble: The horizon on the 2nd shot is fairly crooked, but not enough so to make it look like you chose an abnormal shooting angle. There's enough to the image that you could straighten it without losing any important bits - I would really love it after that.
And yes, my last three pieces of advice have been to straighten the horizons - I really notice slightly off-kilter horizons and wish they were straighter.
I have a few more shots that I took recently that I was hoping to get criticized. I've been trying to follow the advice of "more defined focal point and less busy images." Hopefully I've been somewhat successful!
I don't know why I like this porch shot so much - it seems a bland subject, but I can't stop staring. Perhaps I'm mad?
I agree on the porch shot: during the daytime I don't think it would have quite so much impact but because of the lighting and the way it picks up all the texture in the wall, and ceiling. Then the added touch of color in the center through the door draws your focus to it.. I think its pretty good photo. I would have tried a shot straight on though as well see how that looked.
Face in the window is a bit creepy though
Also your first and fourth picture are very good, including the foreground elements as a part of the landscape shot makes it a lot more interesting then ones where you only have the horizon.
Also Pros: I like the pictures but I imagine a small amount of post processing would add a lot to those images and make them pop. 2 and 3 also look a tad underexposed.
Just realised I've never actually posted anything here. I think the bottom one is my favourite, hopefully you really want to know what they're looking at! I know the bike is slightly over exposed but I like it that way. I tried "rescuing it in PS and it took the mood away completely. It's taken in India this year, and that's how it felt - a bit too bright.
Anyone recommend any DSLR books that give advice on all the creative aspects of the camera? Understanding shutter speed, film speed, filters, aperture etc?
Sheri : Thanks! I had no idea it was even related to Disney. It was pretty, so I thought I'd take a shot. I wasn't sure if the high exposure would work, but I guess it came out alright.
MEADONE: Heh. I actually prefer the tea table shot over the rest. Again, I wasn't sure if the post processing would work. I really like brown, for some reason.
I'm also really starting to take a liking to urbex kinds of stuff. My head kept jerking around to the old abandoned warehouses downtown everytime I would pass by.
The second one there is your best. Beyond the great colors (light blue with hints of white, brown, and red), and the soft lighting, the subject matter is compelling.
I'm here becomes I'm looking for a recommendation. I'm getting into photography as a hobby, something I can do to pass the time, and learn to see the world around me (aha, so corny). I'm a film student, so I think it'd be great practice to learn and see "through a lense" while I'm out and about on my daily excursions, when I can't take my camcorder.
I'd probably use the camera for everything from location scouting to photo blogs to drunken party pictures (woooo). The only problem, though, is I'm a tightwad at the moment, as I'm saving money in order to get back into college.
I've been eyeing the Canon Powershot A series (the A560, and more specifically, the A570 IS, as it has an image stabilizer and manual focus control) as a starter camera, with a digital SLR in the back of my mind for a future purchase.
Yay or nay on the Canon A series? Many thanks guys.
I think, and I could be wrong here, that he is trying to say that this is not an unusual case.
Point is that unless you're actually giving a reason then just saying something is silly is just dumb. There's hundreds of ways to mess with exposure (well, ok, there's two) and get a great shot.
The second one there is your best. Beyond the great colors (light blue with hints of white, brown, and red), and the soft lighting, the subject matter is compelling.
Out of all of the cemetery shots I took that morning, it was by far my favorite. I read the age of the child and a chill went down my spine. The cold colors perfectly complement the mood of the early morning - it was creepy as all hell.
And talkng about the urbex/abandonment stuff - I do have some shots from an old/abandoned schoolhouse that I came across in the VA countryside. It had been abandoned since the early 90s at least, and we found reciept books that dated back to the early 50s
One more (and last) of Amanda: Love those eyes.
She does have nice eyes, but they do seem a bit flat and dead to me. In a shot where the model is looking right at the camera (and hence the audience for the picture) it's important to get a stunning look out of the eyes. I think here too it may not just be the eyes, but the lack of emotion in the face that isn't selling a stunning look. I'm sure you understand that, but the pics are up here for crits so...
My friend Josh: Practicing with strobes and portraiture
I like the fast shutter getting the ball frozen in mid air with no motion blur, the effects is surreal the light also lends to this surreal effect. It's a creepy photo. I hope you were going for that, if not i'd say you need to worry a bit more about the shadow your flash is causing across the face. Right now the left eye is completely dark. This makes the photo sinister.
My comments are the same for this one, and also in this on the right highlight the body feels a bit unnaturally hot to me. The face is fine, but the white and light colored clothes are reflecting the flash quite a bit, be very weary of lighting when shooting a subject wearing white.
Me
We're pretty terrible at coming up with poses
With all that said about the flash stuff, I am rather interested in the look you are creating with the hard single source (though it seems you were working with a bounce of secondary light as well) lighting in lower light. It has a resonance with me in that it is expressing this look of being caught in the headlights (literally). I wish the subject matter of these photo fit with the mood the light was creating, or created an interesting contrast.
She does have nice eyes, but they do seem a bit flat and dead to me. In a shot where the model is looking right at the camera (and hence the audience for the picture) it's important to get a stunning look out of the eyes. I think here too it may not just be the eyes, but the lack of emotion in the face that isn't selling a stunning look. I'm sure you understand that, but the pics are up here for crits so...
I like the fast shutter getting the ball frozen in mid air with no motion blur, the effects is surreal the light also lends to this surreal effect. It's a creepy photo. I hope you were going for that, if not i'd say you need to worry a bit more about the shadow your flash is causing across the face. Right now the left eye is completely dark. This makes the photo sinister.
My comments are the same for this one, and also in this on the right highlight the body feels a bit unnaturally hot to me. The face is fine, but the white and light colored clothes are reflecting the flash quite a bit, be very weary of lighting when shooting a subject wearing white.
With all that said about the flash stuff, I am rather interested in the look you are creating with the hard single source (though it seems you were working with a bounce of secondary light as well) lighting in lower light. It has a resonance with me in that it is expressing this look of being caught in the headlights (literally). I wish the subject matter of these photo fit with the mood the light was creating, or created an interesting contrast.
Yeah I can see some of what you were saying, while I don't exactly associate the shadows as being sinister I see what you mean. I was using two lights, a Sunpak 383 with a 1/4 CTO gel fired into an umbrella and then another 383 shot bare. The bare flash, was mostly being used as a sidelight but in the very hot one he had moved too far forward and the flash caught him full on, However the effect wasn't unpleasant so we ended up keeping it. As for the eyes in the first picture, I suppose I can see that, yeah she has no expression in that shot but I think it might be a stretch to call it lifeless, I was thinking serene but I could be wrong. We were mainly just playing with the strobes in using natural backdrops for photos. I was in particular overpowering the daylight to get the darkened skies and backgrounds but I think for a normal portrait shot I would bring up the ambient light for a more natural look. Also I am currently doing a few DIY projects to diffuse the bare flash lighting and make a few reflectors for bringing out the shadows where I don't have a 3rd flash to fill in.
She does have nice eyes, but they do seem a bit flat and dead to me. In a shot where the model is looking right at the camera (and hence the audience for the picture) it's important to get a stunning look out of the eyes. I think here too it may not just be the eyes, but the lack of emotion in the face that isn't selling a stunning look. I'm sure you understand that, but the pics are up here for crits so...
I like the fast shutter getting the ball frozen in mid air with no motion blur, the effects is surreal the light also lends to this surreal effect. It's a creepy photo. I hope you were going for that, if not i'd say you need to worry a bit more about the shadow your flash is causing across the face. Right now the left eye is completely dark. This makes the photo sinister.
My comments are the same for this one, and also in this on the right highlight the body feels a bit unnaturally hot to me. The face is fine, but the white and light colored clothes are reflecting the flash quite a bit, be very weary of lighting when shooting a subject wearing white.
With all that said about the flash stuff, I am rather interested in the look you are creating with the hard single source (though it seems you were working with a bounce of secondary light as well) lighting in lower light. It has a resonance with me in that it is expressing this look of being caught in the headlights (literally). I wish the subject matter of these photo fit with the mood the light was creating, or created an interesting contrast.
Yeah I can see some of what you were saying, while I don't exactly associate the shadows as being sinister I see what you mean. I was using two lights, a Sunpak 383 with a 1/4 CTO gel fired into an umbrella and then another 383 shot bare. The bare flash, was mostly being used as a sidelight but in the very hot one he had moved too far forward and the flash caught him full on, However the effect wasn't unpleasant so we ended up keeping it. As for the eyes in the first picture, I suppose I can see that, yeah she has no expression in that shot but I think it might be a stretch to call it lifeless, I was thinking serene but I could be wrong. We were mainly just playing with the strobes in using natural backdrops for photos. I was in particular overpowering the daylight to get the darkened skies and backgrounds but I think for a normal portrait shot I would bring up the ambient light for a more natural look. Also I am currently doing a few DIY projects to diffuse the bare flash lighting and make a few reflectors for bringing out the shadows where I don't have a 3rd flash to fill in.
Well Im glad you can take some of what I was saying a just opinion, because for a lot of things its prob best to see it that way. I generally pleased to see you using lighting equipment though however the result is. I more of a movie maker than a photographer, and I love what can be done with lighting!
Well Im glad you can take some of what I was saying a just opinion, because for a lot of things its prob best to see it that way. I generally pleased to see you using lighting equipment though however the result is. I more of a movie maker than a photographer, and I love what can be done with lighting!
Thats cool, I just recently got into lighting so I'm still figuring out the best ways to do everything, practicing until I get the look I want I guess. The only thing I know for certain, after learning how to light.... it would be hard or near impossible to go back to shooting available light alone. Very fun, and arguably cheaper than get new, and faster lenses.
I'm here becomes I'm looking for a recommendation. I'm getting into photography as a hobby, something I can do to pass the time, and learn to see the world around me (aha, so corny). I'm a film student, so I think it'd be great practice to learn and see "through a lense" while I'm out and about on my daily excursions, when I can't take my camcorder.
I'd probably use the camera for everything from location scouting to photo blogs to drunken party pictures (woooo). The only problem, though, is I'm a tightwad at the moment, as I'm saving money in order to get back into college.
I've been eyeing the Canon Powershot A series (the A560, and more specifically, the A570 IS, as it has an image stabilizer and manual focus control) as a starter camera, with a digital SLR in the back of my mind for a future purchase.
Yay or nay on the Canon A series? Many thanks guys.
Yay! I have a PowerShot A570 IS and it is a wonderful little camera. The manual controls really quite well thought out for a compact, and I find I spend all my time in manual mode. The optical viewfinder is a bit rough, but at least you have one. Image quality is fantastic as long as you don't go above ISO 200, and the IS works very well (I can shoot at 1/20 standing and still get perfectly crisp images, 1/10 if I can lean). Just don't expect to do any strobe lighting - the flash takes ages to recharge with even the best batteries, but then you can't really do strobe lighting with a compact anyways. With that said, with a good set of NiMH batteries and liberal use of the LCD and you will still get 400-500 shots on a single charge.
The only trouble if you really get into it you'll find yourself wanting a DSLR rather quickly. I'm already eyeing a Pentax K10D and will probably buy one on Boxing Day even though my A570 will only be 4 months old. It'll still be handy to have a compact camera around for when I don't feel like lugging the camera bag around, though.
Tmccool - I really like those collections. I applaud the experimental (at least it's new to me) method here a lot. I think the second group is my favorite - I like what you accomplished by reusing the same parts (eyes / mouth) with different expressions.
I think you could improve the last two collections by controlling your lighting more stringently. The vast variation in lighting on the long, twisty arm is distracting to me and I think it weakens the total piece. I also think (specifically in this same piece) lining up the arm shots a little more precisely would enhance the piece, too.
Still, that said, I do REALLY enjoy these! Great work!
EDIT: I totally didn't discuss the middle piece (one row, back facing us, HUGE HANDS). This is super-rad. Totally great.
TMccool: I agree with pope on the "big hands" one. I absolutely love that one, top notch I say. The others I also like as but, my two favorites have to be the second and third (Although I do like the 4th as well).
also Veritas: I don't think I agree with Meadone on the eyes being flat, they're what really gets me in all your pictures of her (the lighting of her eyes is excellent, doesn't seem too overdone like a lot of face shots you see nowadays). Although it could just be that I'm a sucker for girls with beautiful eyes.
On the other photos I really like the contrast in light between the subjects and the background.
Oh man, that is a great photo. Excellent detail on the spider, great composition, and the background doesn't take away from the subject of the photo either, which would be tough to do. Bravo.
thanks for all of the critiques, I really appreciate the comments. I totally agree about the lighting, it did turn out pretty inconsistently. I tried to take the photos with the same shutter speed to ensure consistency but I had to make a couple of sacrifices there. What I did was really bootleg, because I actually just took my roommate's desk lamp and stood it on his bed and shined it at my subject, so there wasn't a great deal of control there.
Overall, I'm really glad people enjoyed the pics.
Also, to answer Forbes question, I took shot them from left to right, then the next row starting again on the left, and then cut them into strips of five and put them in a typical negative holder sleeve. I really liked all of the technical information that comes along with this process, especially when you can get up close and read the numbers in order... it's just like technical evidence of the hard work I went through to get them. Some kids cut up their negatives and removed the tech info which resulted in some really interesting photos, but that also means that you can't print any singles from that batch, you know?
Anyone ever work at one of those "studios" that cater to retail studio photography? I need to pickup another part time job to supplement my design work and I was thinking something like that might work in the interim but if the place is just a McPhoto or something I don't know. I figure worse comes to worse I can go in and check it out, see how the pay is, and what they are like.
Thing is I know I would get paid a lot more on my own terms and setups but at the same time I don't have the exposure (hehe) or experience that I would be comfortable with for charging clients or to ensure reliable continuous work just yet.
Posts
#2 and #4 :^:
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I love them! One minor quibble: The horizon on the 2nd shot is fairly crooked, but not enough so to make it look like you chose an abnormal shooting angle. There's enough to the image that you could straighten it without losing any important bits - I would really love it after that.
And yes, my last three pieces of advice have been to straighten the horizons - I really notice slightly off-kilter horizons and wish they were straighter.
I have a few more shots that I took recently that I was hoping to get criticized. I've been trying to follow the advice of "more defined focal point and less busy images." Hopefully I've been somewhat successful!
I don't know why I like this porch shot so much - it seems a bland subject, but I can't stop staring. Perhaps I'm mad?
Face in the window is a bit creepy though
Also your first and fourth picture are very good, including the foreground elements as a part of the landscape shot makes it a lot more interesting then ones where you only have the horizon.
Also Pros: I like the pictures but I imagine a small amount of post processing would add a lot to those images and make them pop. 2 and 3 also look a tad underexposed.
Tumblr Behance Carbonmade PAAC on FB
BFBC2
Just realised I've never actually posted anything here. I think the bottom one is my favourite, hopefully you really want to know what they're looking at! I know the bike is slightly over exposed but I like it that way. I tried "rescuing it in PS and it took the mood away completely. It's taken in India this year, and that's how it felt - a bit too bright.
I totally agree, usually it looks like shit.
Sheri Baldwin Photography | Facebook | Twitter | Etsy Shop | BUY ME STUFF (updated for 2014!)
Only book that's caught my eye so far is http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Camera/dp/0817463003/ref=pd_sbs_b_img_3/026-3080115-6359632?ie=UTF8&qid=1194707898&sr=1-1
Or perhaps any internet websites that do the same as these books but are free?
Thanks.
Sheri Baldwin Photography | Facebook | Twitter | Etsy Shop | BUY ME STUFF (updated for 2014!)
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Wish it were mine, I lurv it.
MEADONE: Heh. I actually prefer the tea table shot over the rest. Again, I wasn't sure if the post processing would work. I really like brown, for some reason.
I'm also really starting to take a liking to urbex kinds of stuff. My head kept jerking around to the old abandoned warehouses downtown everytime I would pass by.
Your Current Signature Picture[/SIGPIC]
Raptr profile
I'm here becomes I'm looking for a recommendation. I'm getting into photography as a hobby, something I can do to pass the time, and learn to see the world around me (aha, so corny). I'm a film student, so I think it'd be great practice to learn and see "through a lense" while I'm out and about on my daily excursions, when I can't take my camcorder.
I'd probably use the camera for everything from location scouting to photo blogs to drunken party pictures (woooo). The only problem, though, is I'm a tightwad at the moment, as I'm saving money in order to get back into college.
I've been eyeing the Canon Powershot A series (the A560, and more specifically, the A570 IS, as it has an image stabilizer and manual focus control) as a starter camera, with a digital SLR in the back of my mind for a future purchase.
Yay or nay on the Canon A series? Many thanks guys.
http://www.berniecode.com/writing/photography/beginners/
is quite a good beginners guide. It covers all the real basics in a single, very concise article.
and try going here after http://luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/
Out of all of the cemetery shots I took that morning, it was by far my favorite. I read the age of the child and a chill went down my spine. The cold colors perfectly complement the mood of the early morning - it was creepy as all hell.
And talkng about the urbex/abandonment stuff - I do have some shots from an old/abandoned schoolhouse that I came across in the VA countryside. It had been abandoned since the early 90s at least, and we found reciept books that dated back to the early 50s
>.>
My friend Josh: Practicing with strobes and portraiture
Me
We're pretty terrible at coming up with poses
Tumblr Behance Carbonmade PAAC on FB
BFBC2
With all that said about the flash stuff, I am rather interested in the look you are creating with the hard single source (though it seems you were working with a bounce of secondary light as well) lighting in lower light. It has a resonance with me in that it is expressing this look of being caught in the headlights (literally). I wish the subject matter of these photo fit with the mood the light was creating, or created an interesting contrast.
Your Current Signature Picture[/SIGPIC]
Yeah I can see some of what you were saying, while I don't exactly associate the shadows as being sinister I see what you mean. I was using two lights, a Sunpak 383 with a 1/4 CTO gel fired into an umbrella and then another 383 shot bare. The bare flash, was mostly being used as a sidelight but in the very hot one he had moved too far forward and the flash caught him full on, However the effect wasn't unpleasant so we ended up keeping it. As for the eyes in the first picture, I suppose I can see that, yeah she has no expression in that shot but I think it might be a stretch to call it lifeless, I was thinking serene but I could be wrong. We were mainly just playing with the strobes in using natural backdrops for photos. I was in particular overpowering the daylight to get the darkened skies and backgrounds but I think for a normal portrait shot I would bring up the ambient light for a more natural look. Also I am currently doing a few DIY projects to diffuse the bare flash lighting and make a few reflectors for bringing out the shadows where I don't have a 3rd flash to fill in.
Tumblr Behance Carbonmade PAAC on FB
BFBC2
Well Im glad you can take some of what I was saying a just opinion, because for a lot of things its prob best to see it that way. I generally pleased to see you using lighting equipment though however the result is. I more of a movie maker than a photographer, and I love what can be done with lighting!
Your Current Signature Picture[/SIGPIC]
Thats cool, I just recently got into lighting so I'm still figuring out the best ways to do everything, practicing until I get the look I want I guess. The only thing I know for certain, after learning how to light.... it would be hard or near impossible to go back to shooting available light alone. Very fun, and arguably cheaper than get new, and faster lenses.
Tumblr Behance Carbonmade PAAC on FB
BFBC2
Yay! I have a PowerShot A570 IS and it is a wonderful little camera. The manual controls really quite well thought out for a compact, and I find I spend all my time in manual mode. The optical viewfinder is a bit rough, but at least you have one. Image quality is fantastic as long as you don't go above ISO 200, and the IS works very well (I can shoot at 1/20 standing and still get perfectly crisp images, 1/10 if I can lean). Just don't expect to do any strobe lighting - the flash takes ages to recharge with even the best batteries, but then you can't really do strobe lighting with a compact anyways. With that said, with a good set of NiMH batteries and liberal use of the LCD and you will still get 400-500 shots on a single charge.
The only trouble if you really get into it you'll find yourself wanting a DSLR rather quickly. I'm already eyeing a Pentax K10D and will probably buy one on Boxing Day even though my A570 will only be 4 months old. It'll still be handy to have a compact camera around for when I don't feel like lugging the camera bag around, though.
all of its done in the dark room:
I think you could improve the last two collections by controlling your lighting more stringently. The vast variation in lighting on the long, twisty arm is distracting to me and I think it weakens the total piece. I also think (specifically in this same piece) lining up the arm shots a little more precisely would enhance the piece, too.
Still, that said, I do REALLY enjoy these! Great work!
EDIT: I totally didn't discuss the middle piece (one row, back facing us, HUGE HANDS). This is super-rad. Totally great.
My Website | My "photo-a-day" 2010
also Veritas: I don't think I agree with Meadone on the eyes being flat, they're what really gets me in all your pictures of her (the lighting of her eyes is excellent, doesn't seem too overdone like a lot of face shots you see nowadays). Although it could just be that I'm a sucker for girls with beautiful eyes.
On the other photos I really like the contrast in light between the subjects and the background.
Edit: can't wait till I can afford a good strobe.
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It looks like he took them in that order, I'unno though.
Took over 1000 pictures on my trip to NC woo! gonna be dumping hardcore this week.
Don't look sheri
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Oh man props, Props. That's an awesome composition!
My Website | My "photo-a-day" 2010
Oh man, that is a great photo. Excellent detail on the spider, great composition, and the background doesn't take away from the subject of the photo either, which would be tough to do. Bravo.
thanks for all of the critiques, I really appreciate the comments. I totally agree about the lighting, it did turn out pretty inconsistently. I tried to take the photos with the same shutter speed to ensure consistency but I had to make a couple of sacrifices there. What I did was really bootleg, because I actually just took my roommate's desk lamp and stood it on his bed and shined it at my subject, so there wasn't a great deal of control there.
Overall, I'm really glad people enjoyed the pics.
Also, to answer Forbes question, I took shot them from left to right, then the next row starting again on the left, and then cut them into strips of five and put them in a typical negative holder sleeve. I really liked all of the technical information that comes along with this process, especially when you can get up close and read the numbers in order... it's just like technical evidence of the hard work I went through to get them. Some kids cut up their negatives and removed the tech info which resulted in some really interesting photos, but that also means that you can't print any singles from that batch, you know?
Finally, I printed two more:
and prosp-- two words: awesome spidermandude.
Thing is I know I would get paid a lot more on my own terms and setups but at the same time I don't have the exposure (hehe) or experience that I would be comfortable with for charging clients or to ensure reliable continuous work just yet.
Tumblr Behance Carbonmade PAAC on FB
BFBC2