Shutterstock Photographer Forum :: View topic - Rejections I do not agree with. What do you think? yes or no

mikeledray · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 8:28 am

Bobby had a great idea
put these rejections in here for you all to critique
please feel free to give me your opionion yes or no if you would accecpt them or not
thank you
Here are a few select images
if you choose to respond it might be easier to use its number
.....................................................
image #1

Not Approved: Focus--Your image is not in focus or focus is not located where we feel it works best.
100%

......................................................
image #2

Not Approved: Poor Lighting--Poor or uneven lighting, or shadows. White balance may be incorrect.
100%

.....................................................
image #3

Not Approved: Poor Lighting--Poor or uneven lighting, or shadows. White balance may be incorrect.
100%

......................................................
image #4
[img]
http://upload2.shutterstock.com/uploads/thumb_large/426/426,1181779776,15.jpg[/img]
Not Approved: Poor Lighting--Poor or uneven lighting, or shadows. White balance may be incorrect.
100%

......................................................
image #5

Not Approved: Poor Lighting--Poor or uneven lighting, or shadows. White balance may be incorrect.
100%

....................................................

Thank you for your critiques and suggestions
I now leave it up to you guys
mike

curtpickens · Joined: 14 Sep 2006 Posts: 1142

Hey Mike.
Looks like a White balance issue to me. All look dull on my monitor. The watermelon also look soft but might be able to be salvaged with just a tad of sharpening.

JMHO

mikeledray · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 9:16 am

thank you curt
on my monitor
it all looks bright and crips
maybe my monitor needs to be reset?
dont know how to do that
hmmmmmmmm
thank you again

hhltdave5 · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 9:19 am

Ok Mike, here are my thoughts.

#1 - I think the slices of watermelon are too thin which then makes it imparitive that you get the focus spot on. It looks like the focus is pretty good along the top ridge of the center slices but the front points are soft. The bigger piece on the right brings your eye to that because the piece of melon seem bigger and the front of that is OOF. I think the problems with this is because of the DOF. With food work a shallow DOF is fine but you need to have a specific spot that needs to be first big enough to bring the eye to it and that spot then needs to be razor sharp.

#2 - I don't think this is all that bad but a reflector to the upper right I think would have brought up the shadows a bit. The transition between the nice light on the left and the darker light on the right seems to be to severe.

#3 & 4 - These just seem to be flat to me, no dimension

#5 - I think this could be a good shot but this appears under exposed, the colors just don't come out. On a side note I would have used sand that looks more inviting. This just kind of seems a combination of sand and dirt giving the sand that is on the base of the glass a dirty feel to it. The towel also looks a bit worn and faded.

It's all in the details. Those small little things really give the images that something extra. We all know you are a shooting machine and that you are very dedicated to your craft. But you know what? Sometimes I just wish you would slow down a bit. Spend just a little more time with the shots. I honestly think that the number of rejections like this would be reduced if you did. Think of it this way. You are on vacation through a beautiful part of the country. You are driving 90 MPH to get to the next place you want to be. Sure you will get there quick but what beautiful things are you missing that you would have seen and enjoyed if you just drove a bit slower? Just take that breath before hitting that shutter to make sure you have that shot just right.

I hope you take this in the spirit it was intended. You know I love you brother and will shoot with you anytime!

mikeledray · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 9:25 am

Hi Dave
Thank you very much
all good points
I see what you are saying
I apprecitae you using the #'s and the your explinations
this does help alot
Dang and I was so happy with these shots at first!
ha
oh well back to the drawing board or kitchen and outdoor table for this matter
:)
thank you again
talk to you later
mike

triceratops · Joined: 15 Nov 2006 Posts: 6647 Location: The other Nevada

Mike,

I have to agree with Dave. Couple of additional observations.

1. Is it possible to get a slightly greater DOF on this one? OOF slices in the background are fine, but I'd like to see a bit more of the front slices in focus.

2. Highlites on the left of the front slice appear too blown out. Really contrasts with the shadows on the right.

3&4. Not bad. As Dave says, a bit flat. But I haven't had breakfast yet this morning and I do feel like eating these two. LOL

5. I think you can salvage this one. I haven't been able to attach a file for a few days now, so can't show what I mean. But try bumping the levels slightly, particularly the right side of the histogram (input 15 and 222), then set match color luminance and color both to 120. That seems to work on the thumbnail. Should be reasonably close to this with your original.

Best,
Russ

anphotos · Joined: 27 Apr 2007 Posts: 357

my opinion:

#1, 2, & 5: I don't like because of background and composition. I don't feel to eat those water lemon.

#3 & 4: MUST BE OK. They should accept them.

podius · Joined: 29 Apr 2006 Posts: 299 Location: Spooner, WI

mikeledray · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 1:55 pm

Photoshow · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 1:56 pm

Well Mike, I don't think there is much I can add that Dave one of our resident food shooters here has not already said.

On #1 I do think the biggest problem was simply composition. Had you changed the angle of the plate to bring the slices more broadside to the lens, say at about 30 - 40 degrees then I think you would have been able to make the watermelon seem larger then life.

Also just a tad more saturation will help make it pop but before you can do that you really MUST calibrate your monitor. No one who is shooting as much stock as you are has any business doing so on an uncalibrated monitor. So carry your self on down to Fry's and pick up Colorvision's Spyder (in the software department) and come home and follow the easy directions to calibrate your screen for true color. Then do it every couple of weeks to ensure your color profiling is accurate.

About 3 & 4 if the isolations are clean at 100% and are not cut outs using automatic selection tools then I think these 2 images should have been accepted as the truth is an isolated image should appear flat. If an isolation is not done with flat lighting then the designer is limited in their application of that image into their design. On the flip side when the lighting is flat then the designer can model the lighting of the object to fit their design rather then designing the lighting of their design to fit the object.

#5 this shot is a good concept but the composition and execution of it fall short. Not only is it a gray and dreary day but the angle really through this one off for me. Selecting a flatter rock and shooting toward the water would have given the shot a lot more appeal IMO. Better yet would be to be pulled back from the beach far enough that you could see a stretch of sand with a couple of people silhouetted and having fun in the OOF background

francesa · Joined: 14 Jul 2006 Posts: 433 Location: Florida

Oh, I am so pleased with myself. I looked carefully at your images and thought my little thoughts and... I had the same things in mind as other photographers I respect!
I must be learning more than I knew before.
Thanks, everyone who posts helpful suggestions on these forums!

mikeledray · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 2:58 pm

rachaelr · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 4:00 pm

3&4 seem to have some colour at the edges that hasn't been erased properly?? or is that just me?!

kenny123 · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2007 5:30 am

Mike,can't see anything wrong with 1,3 or 4; I personally believe that point of focus and white balance should be the choice of the photographer,(but then I am rather controversial)
#2 has blown highlight on left/heavy shadow on right,and whole of plate isn't shown
#5 better against a white background

Regards, Ken

bichon · Joined: 19 Aug 2005 Posts: 11329 Location: Canada

brilliant. it's so obvious, but i never think of looking at the big-thing-which-attracts-attention-to-the-eye-first regarding the importance of being in focus ! if you have a food-product shot section in the book, don't forget to mention this.
thanks dave !
a fan of yours forever (i need one.. its hot here)
steve