Get honest feedback on your shots

[Rosie]

Here is your critique section. Use it to upload images that you would like people to comment on. If you do not want advice on how to improve your image, then do not use this section.
Post your images in the Readers Gallery instead.
Some things to remember....

- A critique is an honest opinion
- If you don't like something, then suggest ways you would improve it
- Please ensure your critiques are helpful and friendly
- This section aims to help improve each others work
- If you are easily offended / precious about your work then don't use this section!!

[db1]

Here's one for starters

Cheers David

[ALwin]

There are a few ways to look at this photo.

1) You certainly have the horizon and the sky exposure correct. I assume you were trying to make a dark silhouette of the trees.

2) However the issue lies in the trees: messy is the word I would use.

a. The small tree on the left looks nice, simple, and it has a sort of regular shape (triangle)
b. but as the eye travels towards the right, the trees become irregular. Irregularity in itself is not a big issue.
- From one perspective you could say that as the eye moves left to right, it builds from one tree to a group of trees.

Consider these things:
1) How would the image look if only the small tree on the left was there, all the others did not exist?
2) How would it look if the progression (left to right, right to left, side to middle, etc) there was a flow of size of the trees (small to big, similar sizes, small-big-small).
3) Or if there were fewer trees, let's say only 3 trees evenly spaced in the photo?
4) Instead of a panoramic composition, how about a tall portrait composition of only the small tree on the left?

[Rosie]

I love the tones in this image and the graduation to dark at the top of the frame.

I agree the tree on the left is a perfect little tree and would look great as a standalone shot, however I also like your panoramic shot of the collection of trees. I like the strong solid outlines of the trunks and the softer feathered silhouettes of the branches.

Personally, I would give the trees a little more 'breathing space' by including a touch more foreground (probably about the same depth as the dark portion of the sky) and a little more space to the left and right of the trees. It would help isolate them in the landscape a bit more.

Overall, though I think this is a very pleasing photo - a perfect sky for a sihouette. Thanks for sharing!

[ALwin]

I agree the tree on the left is a perfect little tree and would look great as a standalone shot, however I also like your panoramic shot of the collection of trees. I like the strong solid outlines of the trunks and the softer feathered silhouettes of the branches.

Hmm I didn't notice that before, you're right that the trees sort of provide a perception of solid to softness. But the bunched up set on the right should not be part of the frame to bring about a stronger sense of this perception.

Another suggestion I wanted to make was: zoom out a little, and push the trees to one side to provide 'vast' space.

[db1]

Thanks for the inputs Will have a play with the original file

Cheers David

[andy-68]

here is a couple of my attempts at silhouettes ,i welcome any ideas

[ALwin]

On both the exposures are nice. The first one, the pose of the person and the shape of the silhouette just doesn't speak to me. On the 2nd one, I feel the Sun is either a bit constrained on the right or it should be moved vertically off center (up or down). Of course this is only stating what I feel from looking at the photos.

And remember the devil is in the details, there seems to be a strand of hair or something near the top area (where the 3 stems join) in the plant silhouette. Maybe it's a strand of plant fiber or some dust on your sensor, I can't really tell, but I feel it should be cloned out.

[andy-68]

ok your right , never noticed that hair the 1st photo is an ornament and i have different views i just liked that 1 , as for the 2nd it was all done indoors with a lighting and box studio just altered the temperature in raw to give it the sun feel , and thank you for your views , you can look at something a thousand times and not spot that someone else spots 1st time

[db1]

Any thoughts on this guys?

Cheers David

[Rosie]

I can't say this shot does much for me for a couple of reasons:

Lighting - I think it looks quite flat. Shooting at sunset or at least the later part of the afternoon would provide a much warmer light and give the shot more depth

Composition - Watch out for distracting elements like the lampost on the righthand edge of the frame. You'd also benefit from using a wide lens to incorporate the whole of the circular water feature - alternatively you could merge two shots together to get round this.

Exposure - The contrast is very harsh, making the shadow areas too dark especially in the foreground. You could try taking two exposures - one for the highlights and one for the lowlights and merge them together for a more balanced shot. A polariser would also help make the clouds much more defined.

It has the makings of a great shot, I think you just need to balance a few elements to help bring it all together.

[db1]

Good points thanks Rosie

[andy-68]

db where was that taken ?, looks like a night shot there would be good

[db1]

Centre of Bradford Andy. Was only there for a couple of hours

Cheers David