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Justin Lanaman's picture

Advise please!

I love abstract and black and white photography but I don't know if i'm any good at it. I'd love some feedback on anything you can.

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4 Comments

I think you should just keep doing it if you love it, Justin, and you'll get good at it. Your portfolio show a good eye for graphic imagery and a degree of abstraction already.

To be honest, these images show potential rather than quite "being there", in my opinion.

The first lacks a strong enough composition or focus, somehow looking like simply an image of stairs, too literal, perhaps. And it's hard to tell from the posted image, but I think it's not quite sharp. (It's shot at f/4.5, whereas it needs to be f/11 or smaller to be sharp enough, front-to-back.) It might be better if it were shot looking straight along that right-hand wall, and if a stronger shadow cast diagonally across it.

The second would need to be from further away, or using a wider angle, to "abstract" the cityscape; if you wanted to convey vastness, there are too few buildings and they're a bit big, so it looks more like a shot of buildings, or as if you wanted to illustrate a suburb.

The last is closer in terms of abstraction, but the composition isn't quite harmonious to my eye, e.g. the top of the arm is a bit too close to the edge of the frame, looking cramped. Here, the background is obviously out of focus, the foreground sharp, as if it's clearly meant to be that way. It's not-quite-sharp that rarely looks good.

These are purely subjective reactions from me; others may disagree - violently! Your portfolio suggests to me that you are developing a style. I think practice, and careful technique will lead to satisfying results - soon!

tell Josh to me if you love doing photography and it's in your heart truly then keep doing it no matter what anyone says follow your dreams but as to your abstract I think you're doing great man keep up the good work I'm not one that gives in-depth feedback unless I really know what I'm talking about I've only been doing photography for about 3 years myself

I agree with Chris. You are not there yet but you have started in the right direction. If you continue you may get better. If you stop you definitely wont.

Get a book on the history of photography. Study everyone from Lartigue forward.