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makyland · Joined: 18 Dec 2010 Posts: 9

Hi!

I've been following the forum for long now and I think, apart from learning from others, it will be good for me to listen to your critiques on my own work. After my first submission attempt almost a year ago I didn't dare to try it again, as I'm yet seeing "problems" most of the time, and start doubting if this is an obsession or not...

I probably don't see these pictures "clean enough" yet (no noise, super sharp...) but still would like to hear your honest opinion.

Thanks in advance for your time!

makyland · Joined: 18 Dec 2010 Posts: 9

I continue submitting some more

ruxpriencdiam · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 10:02 pm

Forget B&W for a first ten.

Palm tree not sure the crop is right the others are OOF and the building will need a property release or will be hit with copyright/trademark.

The chairs will get hit with lighting, not because of shadows or anything else but more so from the chairs having two different blues on them when they should be the same.

robhainer · Joined: 03 May 2010 Posts: 2744 Location: Dallas, GA, USA

I wouldn't do the tree in black and white. Better image and better sales in color.

The other two aren't sharp. Reducing might help, but they're easy shots to get sharp. They aren't moving. Get a good tripod and try again. The building might make it as editorial. It looks like a landmark that you could write a caption for that would pass. I wouldn't do it on first ten.

Chairs are out of focus, and you have some red-cyan CA that's pretty visible at 100 percent.

mikenorton · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 10:38 pm

I would like to see the palm tree in color. The building is nice but you need to back up or zoom out a little, you are cutting the left side off. Also if you reshoot it arrive before sunset and shoot while the light is low and shoot again after the sun has gone down but before the sky gets dark. It's called the blue hour. Check out this web site: http://jekophoto.eu/tools/twilight-calculator-blue-hour-golden-hour/
Don't give up!

jeffbanke · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 11:53 pm

I have to first say I like all three shots, however the convention center and the beach blue both look soft, probably movement since it appears that it is not a DOF issue.

Beach blue also has some Chromatic fringing.

As the others have expressed B/W is generally inadvisable for the first 10, but you may have an exception to the rule here. We would still need to see a closeup of that image to determine for sure.

zxl · Joined: 11 Jun 2012 Posts: 6

semmickphoto · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:11 am

The chairs are out of focus, you need to be able to see that.

hhltdave5 · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 7:01 am

ruxpriencdiam · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 8:09 am

copidosoma · Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Posts: 3783 Location: Canada

[quote="hhltdave5] The chairs are slightly OOF.

Look at the edges of the white frame. Notice how they are not absolutely crisp and sharply defined? You can see a blurriness to them.

In focus means completely sharp in the area of importance. Not kinda sharp, or pretty sharp. They need to be razor sharp. There is a slight softness to them in this shot.[/quote]

x2 but I've had worse accepted (recently). Still I wouldn't submit themfor a first 10.

jeffbanke · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 11:35 am

I also agree, the chairs are not sharp when viewed in the closeup you gave us, and as I stated earlier have the chromatic aberration of fringing.

On this focus issue, it is apparent from the crop you gave us that nothing in the image is really sharp, not the edges of the chairs, nor the sand beneath them, this is indicative of someone hand holding a camera and inducing some shake or movement. For this reason we always recommend using a tripod, and it is extremely unwise not to, especially when shooting a still life such as the chairs.
Do I use a tripod ALL the time, absolutely not! However, I ALWAYS look for some methodology by which to get a firmer support, which may be the back of another chair, anything. Plus I have been shooting with SLR cameras since the mid 1960's and have learned how to hold a camera correctly providing the greatest support a human body can provide without assistance, something that most newbies do not understand.

mikenorton · Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 12:36 am

zxl · Joined: 11 Jun 2012 Posts: 6

rinder99 · Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:55 am