Brutally honest critique thread

I like this generally. The balance of the opposite curves works for me and the focus being on the instrument rather than the player.

Things that bother me:

It feels too weighted to the left of the frame. I'd try cropping some off the right to achieve a little better balance. Also I'd crop a bit around the left and the bottom to get rid of the curled edges, they are a bit distracting. I know some people feels this lends some sort of "authenticity" but I'm not among those.

Also it's so easy to spot and clean up a photo digitally, why don't people do it? Photoshop (or whatever) healing tool. Dust is distracting.

Generally this feels like it has some energy to me.

De_Corday said:
OK. Love the idea for this thread, but gotta say it makes me nervous to post. But thats a good thing, right? Here goes--a capture I've been back and forth on myself:

16193243816_afa8d67dd1_c.jpg
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f16sunshine said:
This is an image I have posted in the past.

It was a mistake to begin with. I had a loose roll of 120 in my bag that I thought was 25. In fact it was ortho 25 😱
This image was taken on the tripod with an R25 Filter (red). I'm lucky to have an image at all.
I struggle with working with it or abandoning it completely.
I have since spotted the scan which had many dots from poor devoloping conditions.
What would you do?

Run Away! by Adnan W, on Flickr
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it's a good moody shot. Not with a deep meaning but it transmits a feeling i think. You did a good job recovering the mistake.
What would i do, dunno, post it on rff i guess 😀
 
Frank,

I like your image but a few things come to mind the first moment I look at it.

-The subject is difficult to understand due to the processing. It takes a while until I see clearly what it is about.

-The angle. I think that 45 degree angle shots on the street reveal a passive and scared photographer, generally. I think it would have worked if you were bang on in front, at 180 degrees.

-The bicycle protruding is a bit annoying. Yes I know, it's almost impossible to see and to control. Once you try to get past the bike, the subject has changed position. But still, it's there and I'll mention it.

-The wide angle is too distorted and angle too high. You are a tall man, yes? Sometimes it's good to change perspective, get down a little.
too often we forget to do this. We see everything from where we stand and from our height. If our height shows on all the pictures, it will end up distracting the images. In this case, the combination of proximity to the subject, your height and the wide angle sums up as a bit distracting. Your presence is felt and, to me, overempowers the shot.

I love wide angle photograpghy but it's very, very hard to master. I believe that wide angle works well when one succeeds in making it look like a 50mm shot. And when a 50mm shot is used as a wide angle lens, that's when it becomes magic.

All in all, interesting shot.


Also, it lacks a moment. It's only a salesman burried in his clothes.
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Excellent critique. Ned, what if RFF members send photos to the ''Ned's Critique'' thread and you select a small number of photos to critique, let's say once a month?
 
I enjoyed Dirk's photo and thought the harsh criticism was off-the-wall. To me the picture was 'speaking' about the stark contrast between the depressive appearance of the old man and the brightly-colored background. And to me, the empty expanse of all-alike cobblestones helps to express the mood of the man.

Kirk
 
photomoof said:
What are you searching for?

Are you hoping for a one man show at the Whitney someday?
Are you thinking of approaching galleries?
Are you considering quitting your day job and making photography your career?
Are you considering of applying to Yale?
Are you thinking about another hobby?

And why that particular photo? Where, why, when, do you like it? Too little information for a proper crit.

Well if you were in my photo class what would you answer? And don't give me some kind of "Yoga Studio" answer about improving your practice, so you will be a better person - just for the sake of art and your soul. No one wants a blunt critique for that. 🙂
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Hi photomoof,

The picture I posted was just a sacrificial lamb to get the ball rolling. It seems like I was correct in thinking that there was a pent up need on RFF, for more brutal honesty in responding to photos posted. Most of us are too polite and either respond positively to a weak image because we try to support one another, or if it's too bad a pic, we just don't say anything at all. People who post get a false sense of how others perceive their work. And that is fine for casual photo hobbyists. A hobby is just meant to pass time in a pleasant endeavor.

But there are many more serious hobbyists here, and both commercial and fine art pros, who aren't getting the brutally honest critiques that better match their more serious intentions. The option of a tougher critique forum is what I am hoping for, and as side from just one unfortunate personal attack that was handled very well by members, I'm very happy with the result and hope we can continue.

The need for a reset became evident to me when Ned gave a brutally honest critique that was so different from the typical milk toast critiques on RFF, that it appeared to some as being rude. But it wasn't. It was what some of us really want, but its not for everyone, hence the disclaimer and the new "brutally honest critique" designation.
 

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thompsonks said:
I enjoyed Dirk's photo and thought the harsh criticism was off-the-wall. To me it was 'speaking' about the stark contrast between the depressive appearance of the old man and the brightly-colored background. And the empty expanse of cobblestones seems to be part of the moody portrait of him.

Kirk
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+ 1
 
FrankS said:
But there are many more serious hobbyists here, and both commercial and fine art pros, who aren't getting the brutally honest critiques that better match their more serious intentions. The option of a tougher critique forum is what I am hoping for, and as side from just one unfortunate personal attack that was handled very well by members, I'm very happy with the result and hope we can continue.

The need for a reset became evident to me when Ned gave a brutally honest critique that was so different from the typical milk toast critiques on RFF, that it appeared to some as being rude. But it wasn't. It was what some of us really want, but its not for everyone, hence the disclaimer and the new "brutally honest critique" designation.
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This is a good move, imo. A place where fluff is left at the door - it's the only way we learn/improve.

David Harvey used to use the term "hot tub moment" referring to the feel good, back patting that can occur during critiques or image presentations. He never gave "hot tub" critiques.
 
Thanks to everyone who took the time and mental energy to deal with my image and provide such detailed and constructive criticism. I appreciate the suggestions and have gotten something from each one of them. Now incorporating them in the heat of the moment and the rapid flux of the street remains a challenge. I also found it interesting how different the viewpoints were. This is a lot of fun!
 
FrankS said:
Hi photomoof,

The picture I posted was just a sacrificial lamb to get the ball rolling. It seems like I was correct in thinking that there was a pent up need on RFF, for more brutal honesty in responding to photos posted. Most of us are too polite and either respond positively to a weak image because we try to support one another, or if it's too bad a pic, we just don't say anything at all. People who post get a false sense of how others perceive their work. And that is fine for casual photo hobbyists. A hobby is just meant to pass time in a pleasant endeavor.

But there are many more serious hobbyists here, and both commercial and fine art pros, who aren't getting the brutally honest critiques that better match their more serious intentions. The option of a tougher critique forum is what I am hoping for, and as side from just one unfortunate personal attack that was handled very well by members, I'm very happy with the result and hope we can continue.

The need for a reset became evident to me when Ned gave a brutally honest critique that was so different from the typical milk toast critiques on RFF, that it appeared to some as being rude. But it wasn't. It was what some of us really want, but its not for everyone, hence the disclaimer and the new "brutally honest critique" designation.
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It's been like this for years, why such shocking discovery now? 🙂

If I can express my opinion on a subject, critique of one (more successful or less successful) picture means zip, zilch, nothing. Single picture by itself is useless. It lack the stem, on which author can hang his vision, his signature. One picture cannot convey the author's signature, simply cannot. I can find many pictures by, for example, Alec Sosh (one of the most interesting author TODAY), that would probably mean nothing if looked it separately, one pic. But combined they translate his vision of a certain idea or his message. That’s why showing random single pictures is pointless. They may resonate with somebody (then it “very good!”) or not, but it does not matter.
Idea comes first.

Furthermore.. critique means nothing anyway.
If he is a newby then yes, you can suggest him a better means to express his idea like better tools, lens, whatever (although then it’s your idea or your vision).
If person already set in his ways, what is the point of telling him to dodge here or cut there? If he wanted to do this he would do it on the first place. Just accept what he presents or not. Proposition “critique me so I become a better photographer” is logically wrong on many levels, really…
 
thompsonks said:
Having commented here for the first time, I guess I'll put up a couple up, myself. Yes, they're taken with RF camera.

Back to the Grimm's fairytales theme by thompsonkirk, on Flickr

Mini-bridge and stairway by thompsonkirk, on Flickr

Having posted them, I see they look very 'crisp.' I guess that comes from reducing large files for posting – they're unsharpened.

Kirk
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I like the overall mood. It has that melancholy fall/winter feel that brings up so many memories.

In the first shot, the reflections and gnarled roots give a feeling of mystery and perhaps ancient myth. In the second one, I like the S-curve and path leading into the picture, providing depth. The slight haze in the background adds to that depth. The picture looks better on Flickr, due to the issues with posting here. I think it works well. Ideally, a human figure walking into the picture would make it even more interesting. But then, such ultimate control over an image is of course, rare.
 
MIkhail said:
It's been like this for years, why such shocking discovery now? 🙂

If I can express my opinion on a subject, critique of one (more successful or less successful) picture means zip, zilch, nothing. Single picture by itself is useless. It lack the stem, on which author can hang his vision, his signature. One picture cannot convey the author's signature, simply cannot. I can find many pictures by, for example, Alec Sosh (one of the most interesting author TODAY), that would probably mean nothing if looked it separately, one pic. But combined they translate his vision of a certain idea or his message. That’s why showing random single pictures is pointless. They may resonate with somebody (then it “very good!”) or not, but it does not matter.
Idea comes first.

Furthermore.. critique means nothing anyway.
If he is a newby then yes, you can suggest him a better means to express his idea like better tools, lens, whatever (although then it’s your idea or your vision).
If person already set in his ways, what is the point of telling him to dodge here or cut there? If he wanted to do this he would do it on the first place. Just accept what he presents or not. Proposition “critique me so I become a better photographer” is logically wrong on many levels, really…
Click to expand...

No worries. If it doesn't work for you, simply choose not to participate. :angel:
 
MIkhail said:
It's been like this for years, why such shocking discovery now? 🙂

If I can express my opinion on a subject, critique of one (more successful or less successful) picture means zip, zilch, nothing. Single picture by itself is useless. It lack the stem, on which author can hang his vision, his signature. One picture cannot convey the author's signature, simply cannot. I can find many pictures by, for example, Alec Sosh (one of the most interesting author TODAY), that would probably mean nothing if looked it separately, one pic. But combined they translate his vision of a certain idea or his message. That’s why showing random single pictures is pointless. They may resonate with somebody (then it “very good!”) or not, but it does not matter.
Idea comes first.

Furthermore.. critique means nothing anyway.
If he is a newby then yes, you can suggest him a better means to express his idea like better tools, lens, whatever (although then it’s your idea or your vision).
If person already set in his ways, what is the point of telling him to dodge here or cut there? If he wanted to do this he would do it on the first place. Just accept what he presents or not. Proposition “critique me so I become a better photographer” is logically wrong on many levels, really…
Click to expand...


i think i agree with this!
 
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