Hi everyone, I'm pretty new to photography, but over the past year + I've been trying really hard everyday to get better.
I think I'm at the point now where I'm really starting to like what I'm producing, but I'm too attached to what I'm shooting to give myself objective criticism. I would really appreciate any feedback you can give me (positive or negative) so I can continue to grow as a photographer.
I have thick skin so don't feel like you need to walk on egg shells :)
Thanks - Nate
Glad you said you have thick skin, otherwise I'd feel bad about how much I'm pointing out here. Overall I think you're doing pretty good for your early growing phase, and good for you on reaching out for critique.
#1: I think if the cross/weathervane/thing was centered in the cloud opening, you'd have a good starting point for making adjustments in software. Even so, you can make that change in software and cover your tracks. If you up the exposure of the image a little bit and bring down the white spot a little, you might get some better balance. And the beam sticking out from the bottom left is distracting and easily removed. This image can definitely be made into something cool for the moody vibe.
#2: I think the main thing the image needs is a subject on the water.
#3: You have a subject on the water, but it would look better if the boat was centered under the sun's reflection like a spotlight. I think either there needs to be land on the left to balance out the bottom, or the land on the right needs to be digitally removed.
#4: I would rotate the image so that the log is level. Two clicks will get rid of the green fringing (chromatic aberrations) on the sticks against the background. Crop to taste.
#5: I don't think the half a house on the right is contributing to the image. If you could have shot a wider angle, or backed up further, or if not then repositioned to just get the lighthouse then the scene might be improved.
#6: I like the framing, just not the angle of light. If you could have shot this from a different position or at a different time of day, the light beam could have had more of a 3D look. Bonus points if you found dust in the air. Also as the light coming through seems a bit blue, maybe use an adjustment brush to adjust the white balance of that spot (I am using a cheap monitor right now that isn't calibrated so I might just be seeing things)
#7: I like this, though the colors are a bit bold for my taste. If you could have gotten a lower angle so the hanging sign was completely against the sky, it would have been better.
#8: Most of the birds look like dirt on the lens rather than birds, I'd probably remove them. I do like the color, although some spots seem a bit too warm.
#9: You have great color to work with, but there's too much saturation. The white balance is also on the cooler side. I think if you could have gotten the base of the tree in the frame too, and then addressed the above and brightened the shadows a bit this could be a good image.
Matt,
Thank you so much. I will revisit the pictures and play around with them in the software (i think thats where i really struggle right now).
What do you mean by shooting the dome picture at a different angle to gain more of a 3D feeling? Maybe shooting it from a vantage point to show the light going overhead and not looking so flat? I just want to make sure i understand that point.
Great advice and thanks again!
You're welcome! That is roughly what I meant about the dome photo. sometimes if you adjust your position, including rotating around to keep the frame identical but reposition the light, you might find that the light looks better. As is, it seems to hug that one side almost like it's not really coming through the skylight. Since it's natural light coming through, you may find that a different time of day/year, like midday in the summer for example, is the best time to catch the light. If you can go back there regularly, see how it looks at different times of day and different times of the year.
Ok cool I see what you're saying, thanks again.