Please critique these photographs.

venchka

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Is it ok to submit 3 photos for critique? If I am wrong I will delete this thread.

Thanks for looking. Please tell me what you think and how to edit them and hopefully improve them. I really appreciate your comments and critiques.
 

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On a first glance I like the middle one best. It could be interesting to "repair" the blown out highlight in No2 with the coresponding part in No1.
The sparks in No2 are better than those in No3, they look more like a waterfall.

Personaly I prefer a wider framing, i.E. including the engine on the left.
 
No other opinions?

No other opinions?

Thanks, Socke. You are right. Combining the good bits of each frame might yeild a better photo.
 
Wayne, I agree with Rich and Socke that #2 is the best shot of the three. Industrial shots like these can be very dramatic. The really good industrial shots that I have seen have a monumental quality to them. But composing them can be very difficult. If you want my opinion, I think that the composition in your shots is a bit messy. The moment is very dramatic. But the composition you have chosen does not really convey that drama as effectively as you might have liked.

I don't know how free you were to move about the construction area. So my suggestions might not have been practicable. But, practical limitations aside, I might have tried a few different compositions here. One would have been to shoot from directly behind the base of the orange lift. You could have used the arm of the lift to lead the viewer's eye into the frame. Alternatively, you could have positioned yourself so as to place one dominant object in the foreground of your image with the welder and the sparks in the background.

For shots like this to succeed, they need to have very clean and strong compositions. They need strong lines. I think that your image is definitely good. But the lines could have been a lot stronger. You need to "monumentalize" all that steel. Hope that helps.
 
Rafael, that's it! I was not sure what was missing, thus my feeling that it should be framed a bit wider.

Thanks for the tip, I'll try that the next time I shoot at the local harbour.
 
Keep the comments coming please.

Keep the comments coming please.

Thanks, Rafael! I was somewhat limited by the radius of the molten fallout. :eek: I wasn't able to catch it, but the fallout was definitely about halfway along the body of the manlift. I was about 20' outside that radius. Any closer and I got very nervous.

I am treating this as a practice, warm up for the REAL photo op in about 2 weeks when the whole thing is dismantled. I think I learned enough with this 1 roll 30 minute practice session to do better next time. Framing suggestions noted and appreciated.

Lessons learned so far:

#1 NEVER EVER take another photograph with any variety of Kodak Gold film. YUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!

#2 Meter off the underside of the yellow skid. Trust your meter!

Thanks everyone!
 
Wayne,

I agree that it's between two and three, but I like three a bit better. First, the sky is a bit darker, which brings a little more life into the sparks, and adds a greater depth to the photo. Second, the tourch flame has a nicer light to it. Third, I tend to like slighly darker images, they lend a mood. Considering your framing constraints, I think you did a good job, especially where the boom cuts a diagonal into the focal point of the image.
 
Thanks, Rey.

I'm becoming more fond of #3 as well. It was taken before the generator & lights were cranked on. A true available darkness photo. :)
 
Wayne
Like the photos
I'd suggest a tripod and remote release, as welding spall can go a long way if there is a flaw in the material being welded. A camera insurance might be desirable, but personal insurance does not really cover the 'free' white stick you would get with the dog.
Noel
 
Xmas said:
Wayne
Like the photos
I'd suggest a tripod and remote release, as welding spall can go a long way if there is a flaw in the material being welded. A camera insurance might be desirable, but personal insurance does not really cover the 'free' white stick you would get with the dog.
Noel

Thanks for looking!

I was using a tripod. I own a Canon EOS body, an Elan IIe. It dates back to the 90s. I'm guessing that Canon quit making the remote release. I've been meaning to look for a remote release for a variety of situations.
 
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