Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/01/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Alfie wrote: >>> > This week my PAW is at: http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=468422<<<< Hi Alfie I'll get to you down the page slightly. First a note to people who will undoubtedly get their shorts tightened by my critique. So lets set the parameters before I start. Relax! Been doing critiquing of basic rookies and the finest of professionals, commercial, news/wire services internationally and everything in between for 40 years. Have I ever had an argument about my comments? ....... of course! Quite simply because, no critiquing person, photo editor, art director or critique by committee is perfect. However! One thing that must remain constant if the photographer is going to truly learn, they should be prepared to accept the good, bad and ugly of truthful comment and accept, sometimes with and without question, the remedies. And without question the commentator "must give reason" how to improve! Or why it's a good photograph. Too many people forget telling why it's a good picture as that's just as important as telling someone it's a piece of crap. This following type of critique drivel is stupid, "I like it, wow great picture!" So what! tell him or her why it's great! Then they'll understand what they did right. Unfortunately what we see on the LUG is so many critiques and then challenges by one critic of another critic and what was said, that gets completely out of hand......... particularly with one critic whomping on another! How in heavens name can the photographer learn anything when there are two? Three or more? Jawing at each other for and against what they're saying rather than sticking to "teaching and assisting" the original poster. If critics stayed off each others backs it would be far more beneficial for all! Damn and a hell of a lot less non entity traffic. :-( It's because of this argumentative confrontation one critic of another critic that keeps some experienced "judges,critics and teachers of photography" from making any effort in public. Don't forget when a critique is offered in public everyone may or may not have the opportunity to learn. And that is a bonus! Whereas those who go private to the photographer........."only" the photographer learns, which on an international list seems rather unfortunate when so many could gain by the critique information. Now Alfie mon ami it's your turn. ;-) >>> > This week my PAW is at: http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=468422<<<< First, lets put this photograph into what one might call a 'fine art type picture." Sort of no reason for it other than creating an extremely fine technical print, but well executed nevertheless. What caught my eye first was the out of focus handrail on the left foreground and crooked. I think if the camera were held absolutely straight, possibly on a locked down tripod with a slightly lower angle, the lens stopped down to create a massive depth of field to include the hand rail sharply in focus with the depth of field carrying through to infinity would've been an improvement for starters. Exposure: I'd have printed this down until the ground level and background trees were darker, almost creating a semi-silhouette for the railing and other elements along the sides in the foreground. Composition: And this is offered without standing there knowing how much space there was to the right as we view the picture. Possibly some camera repositioning to the right to move the tree to the left would help providing the rail top wasn't dropped out. So you see there isn't much to play with there, maybe none at all. And always my biggest complaint where we have buildings, rooms and solid unmovable lines running vertical, please keep the camera absolutely correct vertically and horizontally!!!!! UNLESS!! The leaning is done on purpose for an effect and not by lousy camera handling. Look at the window hanging on the left edge of the frame? That's so obviously crooked it should've been corrected in the viewfinder or certainly in scanning or printing. Which leads me to believe even the out of focus handrail would've been far more effective if sharp, straight and darker. Not to forget the out of focus wall on the right side edge of the frame as we view it. Darker and sharper.... AND straighter!! And it wouldn't have been so eye catching disturbing. So with out going on I trust these comments will assist you in the future and or if you have the opportunity to return to the same location and re-shoot, that would be wonderful, as that's always the best learning experience when it can be done and images compared. If you have further questions I'd be pleased to try and answer them, not only for you, but the complete crew. So post openly ted Ted Grant Photography Limited www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html