Critique: Northern Spain

[OskaarF]

Hi all,

I bought an Epson R-D1s in April last year as my
main camera. Also got a CV 21/4 and a Jupiter 3,
which I both enjoy very much. I want to show
you some of my pictures here.

All of the images were taken during a two week
journey through the cities and landscapes of northern
Spain this year.

I get very few critique to my photos, as I don't
show them anywhere, so I would love to know what
you guys feel and think about my pictures.

Feel free to share your honest opinion with me!

Kevin



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[davidnewtonguitars]

Kevin, I can't be critical because I'm not a photographer, but I can tell you how I feel about your photos.
I've never been to Spain. Your pictures make me see a place I've never seen, that I would like to see for myself. The only picture that doesn't look "other world" is the birds by the pole, that one could have been shot down the street from me. I like pictures that show me something new. Thanks for showing.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I like image quality, rendering, processing.

Last two are repetitive of each over. One above them has pisa effect.
One BW among all in colors looks distracting.
And it looks like nobody survived in this territory, except few guys in jail yard.

 

[cz23]

I won't "critique" them, but I will say that I like them very much and consider your composition and processing to be excellent. Your camera produces a clear, crisp rendering that I find particularly pleasing. I'm with Ko.Fe. on the BW; it does not fit.

They look a little light to me, but I'm at work with a new monitor, so I'm not sure.

I really like the muted palette of the last two.

It looks like a wonderful adventure. Thanks for bringing some of it back to share here.

John

 

[OskaarF]

@davidnewtonguitars:

Thank you very much for your response, that's a
great compliment for me. The photographer's
opinion is as important as everyone else's. In the
end I often find non-photgrapher's opinions more
interesting, which yours is a perfect example of.

I had a hard decision with including the birds by
the pole picture, but in the end I felt it adds to the
feel of the series.



@Ko.Fe.:

Thank you! Had a hard time editing. I think I had
like 4–5 different edits of all the images from
that trip. Highlights with the Epson are kind of
tricky sometimes.

I think you are right with the single BW. Actually
there were two BWs, but I dropped one for the
upload, now it's just out of place. Added the whole
series, with 2 more pictures and higher res below.
Maybe tell me what you think of it that way (and
the added meat pic). Liked the Pisa though. And
I just couldn't decide which to leave out of the
two last ones.

Haha, I know there are very few people. I just don't
like how most of them (us?) look nowadays.

Thanks anyways for your response!



@johnwolf:

Thank you very much. Pleasant to hear what you
think about my composition.

The Epson is indeed a very excellent machine. I was
astonished at the first results. Added higher res /
less compressed images below.

It's a pleasure to share.



––

Here is the updated series with less compressed images.

Note: When printed I intend to use white sheets
separating the first part from the second, with the
two BWs in the middle.

Oh, it's more than 15 images now, that appears to be
the limit. But I uploaded them, please have a look here:
https://imgur.com/a/7VI5B

 

[rfaspen]

Fine images.

Birds and pole is not terribly interesting to me.
Riviera has motion blur that doesn't help the image. I'd omit that one.

A lot of limestone in this area. See any caves?

 

[leica M2 fan]

Kevin, I followed your link to imgur and like those more than the ones pictured here mostly because the colors are somewhat better. The compositions of most are very good and the color is good. I can see you are trying hard to excel and I say more power to you. In a few months you will get even better! Keep shooting!

 

[Richard G]

Nice work. 2,5 and 9, the black and white, I liked. And some of others. As Tony said, it is evident that you are engaged with the business of composition. That alone is half the battle. The sea beyond the cliff had too much foreground and the rock had too little. I agree with the everyone else about the nice colours. Post some in the Gallery here.

 

[bluesun267]

I echo the comments above in that I like and appreciate seeing some place I've never been before and it's an added positive to be in contact with the maker of those images.

Since you asked for critique, I'd just say (as non-brutally as possible) that while I see well- composed photos, I am feeling a lack of something like a "mental superimposition"--or impression--maybe best described as a meshing of elements of the personality of the maker with the personality of the place, if that makes sense. I feel all great (documentary) photos possess this duality.

At home, or in travel, it might be best to take a step back from thinking about camera, lens, (composition even) and search deeper into your psyche, asking things like "how do I feel about this place"? or more basically, "what are my circumstances/what are these people's circumstances"?. Which will ultimately lead to photographic decisions...like how light and subject matter can best reflect, or make apparent, those questions.

That being said, I find it very hard to take meaningful photos when traveling, unless I can stay in the same place for longer than a few weeks. Once I get 'used' to a place, and the newness wears off, I start to become more open to seeing deeper. I'm getting better at going to that place faster, but it has taken 30 years of shooting for a very, very incremental improvement.

 

[icebear]

Here my $0.02, take them with a grain of Spanish salt.😉

I don't always recognize why you took the picture. You might be better off with a longer focal length. To work with wide angle and fill the frame with content isn't easy.

The second image has too much going on. The bottom with the pink colors of the little holes in the wall resemble a face to me. Did you take the picture because of the electrical wire and the bricks or the graffiti or the bottom with the tiles? Look, make a decision, find the best angle of view and work on the composition to make that part interesting. Walk around and "milk the scene". I.e. take a couple of shots, at least three, from different angles and heights.

I personally like the bird and pole image the best. I wouldn't mind editing the bird at the bottom of the frame out so that the line of the others continues stacked to the background and right. This is the cleanest of all your images.

The others are crowded. There is a lot but nothing important that tells me something. Chopping off the roof corner of a house or the mountaintop is a no go for me.

The meandering little creek is nice, it would be much nicer with some sky and horizon, get to a lower point of view.
That should give you some starting points.And keep in mind, you ask 3 different people , you get 4 different opinions, because at least one is changing his opinion half way.😉

Keep it up!

 

[:: Mark]

An interesting set of pictures, Kevin. Aesthetically, I like the snaking partially dried up stream the best, and it gives a sense of environmental fragility.

However, with the set as a whole I find it difficult to find a coherent theme. The football pitch next to the empty basketball court looks as if it is trying to say something, but I am not clear what. The other images appear to show an empty, almost abandoned land aside from the sports pitch - is that what was intended?

Other than for personal memories, I think that pictures either need to tell a story or need to be nicely aesthetic (both, if possible). A single image can managed that, but it is usually much easier to construct a narrative via a sequence of related images. The hard part is usually understanding what the story is and how to tell it - and often this is very difficult without spending a lot of time somewhere. Once you understand what you want to say, it becomes much easier to decide what subject, style and aesthetics you think are important.

Out of curiosity where was this? The mountains in Asturias are really nice!

 

[OskaarF]

Thank you all for your messages. I read everything and will take all your suggestions and advice into consideration. Every little word helps me better understand my own picture making and a viewers thoughts. I will not answer in more detail right now, but be sure to know that I much appreciate your effort!

Kevin

PS: @rfaspen (& @Mark): Didn't see any caves there, but there might be. The last four pictures were taken in the area of Alfoz de Santa Gadea, which I found out to be the least inhabited municipality in the whole of Spain.