i posted some photographs on my blog and got this comment and i'm not sure what exactly he means..... i'm definitely amateur and yeah... " Nice energy. The lead ins to the pics are long and plain - a lot of space in front except for e.g. the 2nd last one. Maybe work with a longer lens?" how would working with a longer lens create less space in the front? if you want to look at the pics i posted them in the hip photos too, here's the link: http://www.hipforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140134 i didn't post all of those on the blog either, just the ones i liked the best... anyway, i'm using a digital camera so i doubt i'll even buy a longer lens... but i kinda liked the longness of the pics, the space in front. but maybe they're too boring. hmm. guess i could try cropping and see if they look better.
i think i can see where the comment is coming from...hmm..not sure i like that photo...sort of bare and simple with no fuss to it. doesn't overcome the senses with too many features
do you prefer busy shots? anyway, you didn't answer my question about the long lens. and what about balance? is the photo balanced? what about the other ones? i felt that they were even with the space in front.
okay, thanks dirk. in that one you mentioned, i was trying to create a quiet serene atmostphere... the subject was really the entire scene, emphasizing the water and the cool blue colors. do you think photographs are more effective if there is one specific subject?
Photography is based upon the artistic principle that the eye should be led to the subject by way of foreground or side inclusions. if there are no inclusions to lead the eye to the subject, the photo looks open and sparse ~ for instance check out the common family holiday shots of people on a beach, which usually consist of vast beach and subject, or close up people blocking out beach. The solution is for the photographer to locate herself behind a rock, sandcastle, or on a promenade so as to include these into the foreground, with the main subject a little further back, so that the photo is comprised of a beautifull forground which reveals the subject, and also fills the frame with interesting details and information about the location. In your example, neither the tree nor the bridge are the subject, yet each is meant to be seen. Were you to stand further back and use a telephoto lens (as already suggested), you could include more of the surrounds, and the eye would be led into the pic if you took it from ground or water level so that becomes the lead-in. Telephoto lens' also compress perspective, so that the distant objects become apparently closer, thereby creating a more eye-pleasing scenario. I Just want to cut the tree down so I can see!! LOL PS ~ you're looking down at the water ~ try looking along the water/ground to the bridge. Rule #1 is NEVER look down on your subject. Always look from slightly below. & ~ PPS ~ use a polarising filter ~ they bring out colours superbly, take the bright shine off the water and beautifully blue the sky.
I agree with Dirk on his lens suggestion and seeing more of the background emphasized, but I do think you have good diagnals. The main problem with the photograph is the composition is non-existant. If your main focus was the tree you should have put it on the right so the angle of the road and bridge would lead to it, and if your focus was the bridge, a different angle would be more appropriate as well to take the tree to the bridge with a full view of the background by possibly getting at an altitude above the tree. Less water would probably be a great improvement as well because it is seen as negative space instead of an attention grabber. In some occasions it is necessary for this kind of lack of movement, but seeing as how your picture only holds two concrete objects that could possibly be the subject, more needs to be going on. I think you have the right ideas to go forward with photography, but I would try to learn a bit more about composition.
As a highschool art teacher I find it useful for beginning students to scan their artworks and photos by considering the main principles of design. One thought about your photograpg barring all the positives and hoping you are looking for criticism is that when I look for balance, I do not see any. Your photograph is off balance and that makes viewers uneasy. You have background and open/negative space on the right side and a solid foreground on the left side. and nothing to balance the two out. I hope this helps.
You know I have to make an amendment to my last post because rules are will be broken in the pursuit of creativity and going further. Being off balance can be just as effective. If you want the viewer to feel uneasy as in my signature picture it is very off balance, but for the most part it has to work and look intentional or conscience and not just random.
the picture i posted is definitely not my favorite.. it's just the one the guy said was the exception to what he was saying.... mrRee, i was going for desolation... to focus wasn't on the tree OR the bridge, they were framing that water that leads to nowhere on the right side... or that's what my intent was. perhaps i could try cropping like i mentioned earlier.. i tried to make my photos balanced without being completely symmetrical i'm going for a little emotion, and something visually appealing... here are some i actually liked from that little set... the colors, the shapes. they were all landscapes, documenting the park.... this one was my bf's favorite.... i'd appreciate (if any are still wanting to) if you'd critique these, since i do feel better about them than the other one posted.
well i understand where you're comming from, but you seem to misunderstand the intended subject. neither the bridge nor the tree we're supposed ot be the subject but infact it looks more like they comprise the detailed frame you were describing. the water came across as more the subject to me, which would also make looking up from under the subject a lil harder
I find the contrast between the highlight spot on the water and the dark area in the upper left to pull one's eye away from the details of the image. However, I am only an amateur.
thank you, that really means a lot to me (as long as you're not being sarcastic?... hehe) i have to admit i've been very discouraged about all this, but i think i'm going to keep trying, thanks everybody for your comments and i hope you can continue to critique my other work. (constructively of course ) thanks again
I wasn't being sarcastic. you shouldn't be discouraged by criticism though. sometimes it hurts, but it helps you learn. everyone has pieces that are not the greatest. good work.
