Need constructive criticism of photos...

[Nate P.]

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/loverspoint057800x600.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/loverspoint024800x600.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/loverspoint0522800x600.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/loverspoint007800x600.jpg

Whaddaya think? Constructive criticism is appreciated. Likes? Dislikes? How can I make my shots better?

Shot with a Canon 20D and a 50mm f/1.8 II prime lens. Slight touch-ups in Paint.NET afterwards (such as cropping and sharpening).

All shot with fine, large JPG's.

[Llwyd]

photo 1: nice composition but an impossible scene to meter correctly. In situations like that you want to either use a gradient filter to lower the light from the sun or learn how to take HDR shots. Personally I wouldve done that as an HDR
photo 2: again a nice layout, I wouldve maybe moved in a bit closer and made more of a feature of the bench and its shadow. Thats the sort of photo that lends itself to high contrast black and white
photo 3: nice idea but the clutter in the background detracts from the picture a little. Maybe move closer to the wall and lower the aperture for a greater DOF effect
photo 4: lovely scene, wouldve maybe cut it down to the first two rock outcrops / houses and used a UV filter to cut down on the UV haze. Also a good candidate for an HDR shot

Good to see youre welcoming criticism :) keep up the good work

[Scubar]

Im not an expert photographer but i dont really like the last photo, there really isnt any lighting or anything happening in it. It looks like a holiday shot.

I do like the second photo though, the angle of the bench with the flowers underneath and the shadows just make it look more professional to me.

[Nate P.]

thanks for the tips guys, really appreciate it!

[Nate P.]

Few more:

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/whitemountain0682better800x600.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/whitemountain05221024x768.jpg

[MaxxxRacer]

the bench shot would be nice if it wasnt for the shadows mucking up the subject (the bench). If it was a single gradiant shadow that would be one thing, but the shadow in the picture does not fit.

Cant really see anything in the first once. Essentially that is just a shot you dont take becuse you know it will come out jacked up unless you are doing HDR

Dont have much to say on the other ones.

[fungry]

Yea I think I concur with an earlier post about disliking the 4th picture on your first set. Though I must say, the 2nd picture is pretty neat.

Not really a photographer myself and not knowing what your intentions were, i think the 2nd picture in your 2nd set was a little odd. With the ramp focused however the biker blurred. Unless that was your intention. :)

Overall, I liked the photos :up:

[alexio]

1: Impossible light conditions. I'd have also used a composition in which the sun is in the top left and I'd have cropped away a part of the sky above the sun.
2: The shadows of things outside this pciture screw-up the shadow of the bench. I also recommend to use a bigger aperture to get the water in focus.
3: I kinda miss a real subject in this picture.
4: An okay shot, but I miss a subject. You could crop away part of the sky for a panoramic effect. Try Lightroom to fill in the shadowy area on the right. In my opinion this dark part only distracts and adds nothing to the composition.
5: Nice picture. I do recommend to crop away the tree on the right and to make the picture brigher so the person's face stands out better.
6: The person is out of focus. You should use a faster shutter in my opinion.

Furthermore I recommend to always shoot in RAW format, because it's just great for post processing in Lightroom (which I also highly recommend).

Keep it up :)

[Nate P.]

More from today, please critique:

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/loverspoint2059800x600.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/loverspoint2069800x600.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/loverspoint2078800x600.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/loverspoint2082800x600.jpg

Thanks!

[Metric]

The third one looks good - the shallow depth of field seems to have helped and looks like the framing is pretty good as well.

Man, the mass amount of those pink flowers in the rest are funky looking...o_0

[Nate P.]

yep, it's breathtaking to be there in person... but looks kind of goofy in the pics.

[WesM63]

Is it just me or does some of them look Out of Focus?

[Nate P.]

Is it just me or does some of them look Out of Focus?
Which ones? The whole photo looks out of focus?

[WesM63]

Set1: None are OOF, that I can tell.
Set2: Both pics look OOF. The pic with the bikers back to us, looks like you focused on the dirt, not the biker.
Set3: Pic1,3 and 4 should be focused elsewhere, or use a larger DOF. Pic2 is ok.

I will admit thou, they just don't do a whole bunch for me. The 50 is a great lens, i have one as well.

Here is one I shot with the 50. Link. (http://www.needmoreboost.com/wes/sns/spink6.jpg)

[Nate P.]

Not sure if I posted these already, but I took them when I went out mountain biking a few days ago...

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/trailbuilding008.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/trailbuilding005.jpg

I really appreciate the tips and advice you guys are giving me, it's been extremely helpful. Thanks!

[Serpentarius]

this is purely my opinion, Nate P.

ur images protray solitude and emptiness ... i seems to find sadness in it ...

that's my opinion ... maybe u can work it out?

[Nate P.]

OK, more from today... I'm having trouble making my pictures "pop"... they don't stand out. How do I give it that 3D feel?

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/024-1.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/025-1.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/050-1.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/047-2.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/051-1.jpg

Thanks guys!

[[XC] 2long4u]

Stop taking pic of dirt? :shrug: jk I like the dirt in Monterey. Take some pics of all the seals there. Or is mating season in the fall?

[Nate P.]

HEHE, good one! Ya, I think my subject matter is a little dull. I might go on a hike or something this weekend and take some photos. Seals are a good idea, but generally you need a telephoto, and the only lens I have right now is a 50mm prime.

[MaxxxRacer]

biggest problem is that your pictures dont really have easily defineable subjects. The best photos have a subject that POPS out at you the second you look at it, as well as a pleasent, preferably blurred, background.

[Nate P.]

But how do you do that when you are trying to do landscapes? Obviously these are not landscapes, but I was just wondering. I just realized the WB is wrong as well.

[Soulburner]

With landscapes its more about a wide angle view, completely in focus (large depth of field) with thought-out composition. When you hone in on a subject you aren't doing a landscape. And when that subject is dirt well...it can be hard to work with ;)

[Nate P.]

Replaced pics with ones with correct WB.

[Yoxxy]

I like the shot of Seaside it looks nice.

Always a nice place to live, we have a vacation home out in Carmel. Go get some pics of the golf courses that is where the action is :).

[MaxxxRacer]

But how do you do that when you are trying to do landscapes? Obviously these are not landscapes, but I was just wondering. I just realized the WB is wrong as well.

I really dont do landscape photography so I cant help you there. TBH I generally delete most of my landscape photos because I dont like how they turned out, but there are some amazing landscape photographers.

[berk]

TBH i just find them meaningless.
Try this place for some inspiration,http://www.redbubble.com/
I have been gobsmacked by the photography of the contributors there.

[Nate P.]

TBH i just find them meaningless.
Try this place for some inspiration,http://www.redbubble.com/
I have been gobsmacked by the photography of the contributors there.
Wow, excellent linkage. Thanks for your input!

[Magnj]

Yea you need some interesting subjects. Keep going with the mountain bike stuff, that could get interesting. Landscape is hard, I'm not very good at it so I can't help there.

[Nate P.]

Don't ask me why, but this is one of my favorites... even if it was meaningless. :D

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/005-1.jpg

[MaxxxRacer]

I think the "issue" with your photography is that you have a different perspective on what is interesting compared to most people. I'm not trying to insult you in any way, just stating that your point of view is "unique".

[Nate P.]

I think the "issue" with your photography is that you have a different perspective on what is interesting compared to most people. I'm not trying to insult you in any way, just stating that your point of view is "unique".
Awesome, I actually take that as a compliment! Now I gotta find a way to cater to the masses...:p:

[[XC] 2long4u]

That pic reminds me of a pot of gold.
Say the brick sidewalk was a rainbow and the bush was at the end.
And no I'm not gay. lol

[Nate P.]

2long4u;3005779']That pic reminds me of a pot of gold.
Say the brick sidewalk was a rainbow and the bush was at the end.
And no I'm not gay. lol
LOL, I was able to get the weird angle by hanging out my bedroom window and looking down at our front walk.

[Nate P.]

I borrowed a 24mm f/2.8 from my friend, it's way better for landscapes (it's wider)....

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/eliandloverspoint004800x533.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/eliandloverspoint007800x533.jpg

And other random crap.
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/eliandloverspoint101800x533.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/eliandloverspoint039800x533.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/natephillips/eliandloverspoint021800x533.jpg

[Cold Fussion]

What ever corrections that were done the second picture you just posted were done poorly because there is an aura around the trees, as if they were glowing. The big problem i see with your photos is that you seem to be standing while taking them. This is fine for a nice landscapes but creates boring pictures for everywhere else. We all live with the perspective of being a human, take us somewhere else please :)

Also, the 24mm lens on a 20d is actually 38mm, which really isn't wide enough for landscapes at the distence you chose, so you have stand back a bit more.

[Nate P.]

Wow, excellent suggestions Cold Fussion, I'll keep that in mind when I next shoot!:up::D

[MaxxxRacer]

The big problem i see with your photos is that you seem to be standing while taking them. This is fine for a nice landscapes but creates boring pictures for everywhere else. We all live with the perspective of being a human, take us somewhere else please :)

Thats an excellent point. I really enjoy being able to capture something ordinarry in such a way that it becomes new and interesting.