Are these interesting?

Went to my local "zoo" today, although not much of a zoo as they only have llamas, goats and peacocks.

I also took some MORE photos of the local landscape.

It was rather difficult to capture them due to the snow background, I would have preferred grass.

What do you think? Are any of these actually interesting shots? If not, what would you do to make them interesting?

The first one could have been pretty nice, but it looks like your focus point was somewhere on his neck. Should've been right on his eye. I think the blues and greens look nice against the white snow. You could play with the colors even more in processing. And there may be too much yellow wing in the bottom left corner.

The first landscape (with telephone poles) is also nice... though you've got a collapsing vertical there with the first pole on the left. I like the feeling it gives me. Contrast is not bad, esp. on the left side of the photo, but you may want to play with it even more. May also want to consider cropping it to the left of that last building on the right -- get the sun out of the frame. Most of the interest is on the left side (IMO) anyway. That would just be to my taste.

Laetitya said:

Went to my local "zoo" today, although not much of a zoo as they only have llamas, goats and peacocks.

I also took some MORE photos of the local landscape.

It was rather difficult to capture them due to the snow background, I would have preferred grass.

What do you think? Are any of these actually interesting shots? If not, what would you do to make them interesting?

Click to expand...

--
http://followabbie.blogspot.com/
http://abbieroad.smugmug.com/

Laetitya,

Don't you think that you should be learning to judge your photos for yourself?.
--
Chris R

I thought that one of the benefits of these photographic forums were that people would give their comments and constructive criticism. If you are a beginner skier, how can you know by yourself what you are doing wrong without people telling you...same with photography? I apologize if I have flooded the Beginners Questions board with my photographs but I just started this as a hobby and was possibly overly enthusiastic and I wanted opinions. If I spent my time trying to judge my photographs with no previous knowledge of photography, how would I ever improve?

First of all, there are technical issues with some photographs, e.g. "why is the sky totally whie in this shot?", and this forum is certainly the place to get answers to that kind of question. Learning the technical side of photography starts to become very important if you want to photograph difficult subjects (e.g. low light photography).

I get input on my shots from a number of sources:

• I ask my family and friends what they think of my shots. I have one friend in particular from whom I can get "artistic" feedback.
• I belong to a local camera club and there are several members from whom I can get technical feedback, particularly on wildlife shots. I also submit photos to club competitions to get feedback from the judges.
• I subscribe to a UK photographic magazine which has a very good section to give feedback on readers shots. I don't submit my own photos, but I learn a lot from reading the magazine.
• I have found that putting some of my prints up on my wall is a very effective way of judging my own photographs.

Looking at the shots in the competitions on this site is also very useful. Try to analyse why you like one shot and don't like another.

Some of these may not be available to you (I don't know whether there is a photo club in Gstaad), but some will be.

Keep shooting, but be more self critical of your shots.
--
Chris R

Laetitya said:

Went to my local "zoo" today, although not much of a zoo as they only have llamas, goats and peacocks.

I also took some MORE photos of the local landscape.

It was rather difficult to capture them due to the snow background, I would have preferred grass.

What do you think? Are any of these actually interesting shots? If not, what would you do to make them interesting?

Click to expand...

I don't consider myself an expert on composition but I'll give you my opinions, for what they're worth.

1: Pretty good. If I were to improve it, I'd move around to try to remove whatever that is behind the peacock's head.

2: Interesting. I like the weird out of focus parts. I might have shot several, putting the eye off-center or including part of the ear, something else.

3: Less successful for me. Too many animals in pieces. Also that bright snow loses detail. Crop out, leave the right side. You have one looking at the camera, the wheelbarrow, and some nice shadows behind for depth.

4: Essentially, I like it. I'd strive to for some pure whites and pure blacks, with everything in-between. For me, it's too grey to "pop." I like the telephone lines leading the eye through the picture.

5: I'd like more detail in the snow, sharper bark, and bluer sky. I feel drawn to that space in the center where the trees are clear, but I'm disappointed when I get to a white sky. A polarizer may help.

6: I like the placement of the building in frame. I think again, blue sky please. The focus or depth of field could be better. I don't mind that it's small---that increases a feeling of isolation, if that's what you wanted. But larger might give interesting detail on the wood, what's under it, and so on.

General comments: You might also revisit these places at different times of day. You may find a different cast to the light, get better shadows to help give a 3-D feeling, and so on.

Also, shoot more pictures than you think you need. Bracket exposures, exposing for the snow, for the shadows, in-between. And try moving up/down/left/right, zoom in, zoom out.

Hope that helps!

Laetitya said:

what would you do to make them interesting?

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The last (6th) image has room in the HSL luminance curve to bring out shadows, hence 3D, in the snow, as well as in the trees. Emphasizes the precariousness of the shack.

No EXIF for us?

I’ve looked at most of your other images you posted as well. My advice is to continue shooting and learning. I think it’s great that you have this early passion, try to keep it! Look at my response to an earlier thread on “what makes a good photograph”. You’ll see I gave three things you should think about before you press the shutter. Specifically for these images:

1. The eye should be the main focus point, it seems soft.

2. There’s not much happening at the focal length for me. Maybe with a macro it might work

3. Again, look at my previous post you’ll see that a good photograph must a clear subject. There are too many distractions. What is the main subject?

4. For me, it works, nice job

5. 5& 6 Ask yourself how can I use the elements within the frame to draw attention to my subject. What do I want to convey to my viewers? What is it about this scene that makes me want to press the shutter? Maybe it was the light, try the same scene in early or late light with some saturation it could be really nice.

Lastly, I responded in an earlier thread to your people portrait question. Take a look at the link provided. IMO he is very good at people portraits in the street.

Good Luck

None of these are poo, but the eye and the telegraph poles are on their way.

Have a look at the last shot; clear evidence of compositional effort. But the hut has to carry too much of the photograph. Cover the hut with your hand and judge what you have left.

--


The FZ50: DSLR handling of a bright Leica 35-420mm lens that's this good: http://www.flickr.com/groups/panasonicfz50/pool/ (slideshow always good)

Laetitya said:

...what would you do to make them interesting?

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I'll comment on one pic...

Laetitya said:

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You or your camera exposed on the overall scene, which is heavily snow. It/you made the white snow a grey color (that's what exposure meters do...make the average brightness 18% grey). You should have exposed a bit differently. Make the snow white (but don't make it "blow out", which means overexposed to the point that detail is lost).

This scene has high contrast and high dynamic range (DR). If you have a tripod, try a simple HDR sequence and use whatever photo editor you have to combine them so that it looks more realistic.

Here is a quick and dirty edit. You should aim for something like this, only better:



--
Charlie Davis
Nikon 5700, Sony R1, Nikon D50, Nikon D300
HomePage: http://www.1derful.info
“We have always known that heedless self-interest was
bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Absolutely. But in the first few days of owning a camera the sensors bias to 18% grey can slip through for PP correction later.

I see the road lead the eye along into the valleys beyond with the counter of the telegraph/power line drawing the eye to the distant right. Under the line lies habitation that is very well composed to an overall very pleasing result. The knack here is ultimately to draw more detail from the mountains.
--


The FZ50: DSLR handling of a bright Leica 35-420mm lens that's this good: http://www.flickr.com/groups/panasonicfz50/pool/ (slideshow always good)

The perfect response. May your enthusiasm never die.

Laetitya said:

I thought that one of the benefits of these photographic forums were that people would give their comments and constructive criticism. If you are a beginner skier, how can you know by yourself what you are doing wrong without people telling you...same with photography? I apologize if I have flooded the Beginners Questions board with my photographs but I just started this as a hobby and was possibly overly enthusiastic and I wanted opinions. If I spent my time trying to judge my photographs with no previous knowledge of photography, how would I ever improve?

Click to expand...

--
Richard

L,

Chris is right, you should judge yourself. If you don't do that as an artist, then it is empty and soon you follow.

I like the B&W.

What really interests me is the way the roof tops echo the mountains.

There are four mountains, and four roof areas, the main area on the left with the many roofs, the minor mountain with the barn-like structure, the right-mid mountain with the three roof tops and the far right dark mountain with the one roof illuminating the dark area.

The balance between the large mountain on the left, and the three mountains to the right is not bad, either; the road and the fence act like a fulcrum, while leading my eye into the village.

The shot shows a community snuggled into the mountains and in harmony with its environment.

I think you know this, but don't have the confidence to acknowledge it to yourself or declare it to others. Buckle up, be brave.

I'd reach for either a chain saw or my clone tool to get rid of the power line, though. I don't think the clone tool would get you in trouble with the local authorities, though.

RB
--
Enjoying life one moment at a time.

John Miles said:

Absolutely. But in the first few days of owning a camera the sensors bias to 18% grey can slip through for PP correction later.

I see the road lead the eye along into the valleys beyond with the counter of the telegraph/power line drawing the eye to the distant right. Under the line lies habitation that is very well composed to an overall very pleasing result. The knack here is ultimately to draw more detail from the mountains.
--


The FZ50: DSLR handling of a bright Leica 35-420mm lens that's this good: http://www.flickr.com/groups/panasonicfz50/pool/ (slideshow always good)

Click to expand...

Yes, this is exactly why I made my comment to this photograph as well in my OP. It's not that it doesn't have problems but it has many good compositional elements in it. I too messed with a bit (feeble at best) and tried with and without the sun as Chuxter did. I ended up leaving it in. I'm only including it so that he begins to understand what others are trying to teach him. Ultimately, he will have to choose what he wants to convey to his viewers.