Just an experiment -- Your thoughts please
jandrewnelson
Registered Users Posts: 300 Major grins
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jandrewnelson
Registered Users Posts: 300 Major grins
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you should post it bigger and maybe crop some off the top but the colours and light are wonderful!
You have several types of images in the People forum without a clear indication of the feedback you seek. Please clarify.
.
Moderator of: Location, Location, Location , Mind Your Own Business & Other Cool Shots
Well, just like the title says...thoughts. Is a shot "good", "bad", what could be done to make it better...etc.
Thanks for asking though.
Jerry
#1 Nice, but it feels tilted. The image doesn't go 'wow', though.
#2 The facial expressions kill this one for me. The lighting is very even, which also doesn't help make a focus.
#3 I like the environment, but the image isn't going anywhere. Perhaps something tighter -- just hands and the paint-dappled work space?
#4 I like the best of the bunch.
Who is wise? He who learns from everyone.
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My thoughts:
1. Not much of a story and not visually engaging. Tracks like that need some visual drama like shadows and angled lighting. People (like kids) or trains too.
2. Like you were hanging with friends and the woman in the center is telling you something. They look bored, so I should be too.
3. Great potential here, but your shooting perspective is too far away. Art and artists, like no. 4 shows, are best captured in a more intimate setting. You could have gotten closer and shown us his hands creating some palettes. Lighting is uneven too.
4. Most interesting of the bunch, I would have preferred the hands being captured in a more delicate interaction with the clay, with the angle of the shot lower and thiner DOF. I don't like the artist's crotch in the background.
ME
Thanks everyone for the input.
I've been posting pictures on dGrin for awhile...seeking help and critiques. I've started to notice that the "guidance" has usually been all over the map. The picture that one person gives a thumbs up too with very valid reason is also shot down by another...again with valid reason.
So who do I listen to if I want to get better? What advice do I follow and what advice do I leave behind?
I'm not a studio photographer. All of my pictures (including these four) were shot "on-the-run" or "from-the-hip". Granted I probably shoot 20 or so photos to get one I like well enough to post on my gallery, (www.meesoon.smugmug.com), but I'm having fun...but again,
Whose advice do I follow?
I always figured I'd "go with my gut" on what makes a good picture. After all, maybe if I like it...then there'll be one other person who may like it. Hence, my little experiment.
It was interesting to see the different thoughts and feedback these pictures have gotten. I can see the wisdom and validity in each of your comments/ thoughts/suggestion. I'll keep posting pictures here and keep listening and learning...but I'll continue to let my gut tell me what works and what doesn't.
By the way...here's the background on these four pictures.
In June I shot an artist's event here in Asheville called "Studio Stroll". It wasn't for pay...just a cool way to spend an afternoon and add more shots to my portfolio. I shot the photos, emailed the link to the artist's and told them that these were a gift, but if they ever had a paying gig to please keep me in mind.
About two weeks ago, I got an email from the Director of the Stuido Stroll. Apparently someone here in Asheville is writiing an article for the US Airways inflight magazine and these four pictures were selected to accompany the article. No cropping, no tweaking...they're gonna use these four shots as they are here.
There's no money in this gig for me though. I'm just takin the shots and setting them free to see where they go...maybe they'll turn into a paying gig somewhere along the line. But in the meantime, in the September issue of the inflight magazine will be these four shots with the photo credit: Photos by Jerry Nelson/www.JourneyAmerica.org.
It'll be interesting to see what comes of this...if anything.
Thanks again for everyone's help and advice. Like I said, I'll continue to submit photos for your thoughts and ideas...but I'll still let my gut feeling rule the day.
Blessings
Jerry Nelson
Oh yah, you can see all the shots from the Studio Stroll at: http://meesoon.smugmug.com/gallery/8550147_qACYq/1/563122565_pDcUA
Blessings
here is what is thinking about the third image; cropped the top off and posted it a bit bigger (off course all detail is gone now.. since i only had your medium size picture) so you can see the effect of posting a photo larger. posting small can take away the wow effect
Well at least i think its cool
if you want me to remove the photo, no problemo!
I'm a little surprised that you are not getting any payment, especially for that kind of a publication and client, but the credit is nice and it can help you in the future.
M
UPDATE Got an email a little while ago from a local non-profit. They wanted to know if I'd be interested in taking a few shots of their Director in "action" photos and "suit-and-tie" stuff. They're paying $200 for the gig. I'm not sure if this blessing is connected to anything, but I tend to believe it is.
Blessings and thanks for everyone being there for me!
Jerry Nelson
www.meesoon.smugmug.com
I wasn't asking; I was trying to nudge you into understanding lumping four seemingly unrelated images in one thread might not garner you the best feedback, especially absent indication from you about what you were seeking. (I still don't quite understand how #1 relates to the others)
Since you titled the post an "experiment" I decided to let it ride to its hopefully meaningful conclusion.
Photography being an art the images produced must satisfy the creative intent of the photographer - assuming he is not performing PJ or editorial work for a client.
Asking what is "good" or "bad" will garner as many subjective responses as their are people willing to take the time to type.
In my book there is only one hard & fast rule to photography; push the button!
All sorts of people will argue about exposure, composition, rule of thirds, DOF, blah, blah, blah and so on. But for every one of those negative criticisms one can find images in the historical record that breaks the "rules" to win awards or at least accolades from the art community.
So, stick with your "gut" and enjoy the experience
Congrats on the publication of your images but you should've been paid!
.
Moderator of: Location, Location, Location , Mind Your Own Business & Other Cool Shots
#2 is just snap shot and is underexposed
#3 is somewhat interesting due to the colors ..I think the the best of the bunch
#4 if the lighting were more dramatic this might have some potential
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Jerry, I'm going to assume you want an honest critique, so here goes - None of these begin to touch the photo of the old car or the henna painting shot.
Photo 1 isn't. There's nothing there. It's a snap shot of railroad tracks.
Photo 2 is a snap shot of two women, interrupted in mid-conversation, both looking awkward. If you'd wanted to do something with this you should have tried sitting down, or standing to the side, until they ignored you, and then captured them engaged with each other.
Photo 3 has the most possibilities, but it's shot from too far back. I would have moved to the right, toward the paints, gotten down low with the paints in the foreground, and shot toward the artist.
Photo 4 is a fine shot of hands on a potter's wheel, although the color balance seems off a touch. It's a perfectly nice shot, but might have been made more interesting by getting much tighter in on the hands, so that they filled the frame.
I hope this helps - keep shooting!:D
"He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
"The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
Great way to get noticed! I don't want to make photography my full time gig, but shoot for my church all the time, and have landed a few weddings because of it. Nothing I would go looking for, but they have showed up and I have paid for some of my gear with the $$.
I can imagine if you could "re-walk" you would probably have given more thought to the composition of all the photos, I do like #4 the best although #3 could be a winner with a different perspective. I have kicked myself again and again for not approaching a "gee-whiz" opportunity with a little more focus (no pun intended)
You can't beat free publicity!
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Congratulations, Jerry, that's fantastic!
"He not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
"The more ambiguous the photograph is, the better it is..." Leonard Freed
$250.00/pay plus expenses. I'm a firm believer in setting my photos free (as I did with the Studio Stroll which turned into the US Airways gig) and I believe the photos will "return home" with multiple blessings.
Thanks again everyone!
Jerry
back ground is not exciting- could have narrowed the depth of field. maybe get closer to the rails for a more interesting angle. the partial concentric circles of the turn is an interesting notion.
Photo #2
i think you were a second late on capturing this. looks like person 2 is talking. a little bit different framing to capture the girl in the chair with the statues behind her could have been interesting. like the colors.
Photo #3
i want to be in closer. in hindsight, use the row of cans to create lines and depth in the shot as an option?
wormer.smugmug.com
Good job!!!
Our favorite Thai place is opening a new location. I offered to take some photos in trade for noodles. We will see if I get my noodles!