For this next critique, we want to see images that use blur to create a mood. This includes blur created from movement or depth of field.
Standard portraits taken at f/2.8 probably won't cut it for this critique. We want to see unique photos that are enhanced by your decision to add blur. Remember, to write a quick paragraph about how you took the image and how you chose to use blur to create the final image.
Each photographer is allowed to upload at least 3 images and images without a description will be disqualified. The highest-rated, and one random image will be given a free tutorial from the Fstoppers Store.
Featured image by Raymond Hoffmann
wow...what is wrong? I don't see people complaining about rating of 1 or any suggestions for the next contest...anybody out there?
Haha I'm sure it's coming
actually, let's hope not!
Ironically, it does seem like the 1 star raters are out in more force during this one. I'm seeing a lot of images that clearly have some skill and effort behind them which have average ratings below 2.
my pictures are always blurry!
It’s all just in good fun. I think some people take it way too seriously. I’ve had good ratings and bad ratings. It’s all good.
real artists dont care for the ratings here
Hooya!
nd1000? :D
Doing so is a waste of keystrokes. Integrity can't be taught nor applied through guilt.
lol got almost universal one-stars on my submission and one message. hilarious
i never get message....your lucky'
"Honestly, this photo really doesn't seem like there's any intention behind it. The composition and subject matter are pretty bland, and the motion blur looks more like an accident than anything else, and the colors look kind of muddy."
As the person who made that comment, I'll add this. The purpose of a critique isn't to make you feel bad, it's to point out specific issues with an image so that the creator can rework it or make better images in the future. I saw a new photographer who lacks the experience to know why this image doesn't work, and I thought a critique would be more useful than a deluge of 1 star ratings. If you want a more detailed response with specific suggestions, I'll provide it. Or, if you disagree, you're free to ignore my suggestions.
That said, this is Critique the Community. Users here so occasionally critique each other's work, but selected images get critiqued in front of a YouTube audience of usually about 30,000. If you're not comfortable having your work critiqued, then this is not a good venue to post it.
Edit, mostly in response to the person who replied and then deleted it: I'm not going to pretend that my work is above criticism, even from people less experienced than I am. I've gotten critiques on here before that I used to improve my work, and I'm grateful to the people who took the time to do it. However, the key to a good critique is that it's actionable.
Pretty funny that the comment was devoid of any of those critique qualities but regardless... I have to admit that I submitted that image (which was a total misfire) to be purposefully antagonistic in this context, with the knowledge that it was going to get only one star in the "contest" despite the fact that I think it's perfect for the brief and the winning images would likely be smooth water long exposures or a car with a spinning wheel.
I think it's pretty funny out of all the lacklustre images that totally ignored the brief that mine was somehow provocative enough to get a comment from your good self so I appreciate that the image at least provoked a response. I understand why that image doesn't work for you and I understand why it totally works for me. I imagine that a lot of the photography that I find moody or intriguing you would also find offensive to your tastes due to the poor technical execution. That wasn't the point of the brief.
Anyway, thanks for your time Alex. You're free to jump on my page and see some of the other stuff I shoot before making value judgements about my lack of experience.
I probably could have been less harsh in my phrasing, and I'll take that into consideration in the future. However, I did point to 4 specific areas with a lot of room for improvement: composition, color, subject matter, and intentionality of camera movement. I will add that you can take good photos of boring subjects, but it's an uphill battle. And also that I intentionally withheld mentioning that the windows are blown out, because that is a much more difficult problem to fix.
I also did look at your site prior to making the comment about you being inexperienced. According to your site, you've been shooting for 8 months, which in the grand scheme of things, isn't that long. I'll say that your other work is leaps and bounds better than the image you posted here, but I think does basically track with your experience level. I will say from my own experience, and I've talked to other photographers who went through the same thing, the first year or so tends to be when you're improving most rapidly. At that point, I was doing a lot of experimenting, posting stuff that was different and that I thought was great at the time. But, I came back and looked at it a year or two later and wondered why I thought it was worthy of making public.
All good man. Keep on rockin' in the free world
Cool. And sorry if I came off as kind of a jerk. I did realize last night that, in an attempt to keep my Facebook and Reddit accounts clear of arguments, I've wound up channeling a lot of that pent up argumentative energy onto FStoppers. I'm going to work on that.
Personally I didn't think you came off all that harsh and agree with your critique. I'm much more appreciative of any comment at all than just dropping a 1 and running away. If you or anyone else wants to leave any CC on any of my entries, profile pics, or group post my shoulders are more than wide enough to handle it.
Puts no time or effort into the photo but demands others to provide detailed critiques. Yeah, nah.
yeah think you've misunderstood here, but also don't know if you realise we're into the 51st day of second enforced lockdown (after already having three months in the first phase) where i am where it's illegal to leave the house for anything other than food or exercise for 1 hour a day (certainly not photography) and totally illegal to leave the house after 8pm. the only thing you can get away with without being harassed on the street by the cops or dobbed in by your neighbours is to walk around in the dark just before it's too late to be out, shoot from the hip and hope for the best. when i look back on this terrible photo, that's what i'll remember.
people have died. toughen up.
Can we use ICM photos? That would be blur, strictly speaking.
I assume “yes”
I've seen a few already.
A blur is a blur no matter how you look at it.
...
I think that it makes more sense to reveal the ratings of the images only after the contest is over (instead of after voting). This way people will be less likely to "rage 1-star" other photos (or be prone to emotional bias) and will be less likely to change their vote after observing the community's avg.
I think they could also try revealing the names of the photographers after the contest is over. Create a little mystery.