Critique for TV

This is a photograph from TV(Her Initials).

Here is my critique on the photograph.

Well Done!!!!!

I really like this shot.  The smile is nice and the pose is good. The only issue I can see is the girl has her wrist bet upward.  I looks a bit awkward. Change that and you have a winner

Good Job TV.  

If anyone else wants to leave a critique for TV, Please leave a comment.

I will be doing more critiques soon.  Thanks:)

Three things every photographer should have in their bag.

So, I was thinking about my equipment and thinking some more about what to write about.  It has been a while since I have done a post and I really am sorry about that.  Life gets very busy some times. Hopefully it will slow down soon. Anyway, here is a list of a few items I feel every photographer should have.

1. Tripod

This is a necessity for every photographer.  If you are at all serious about photography, get a good tripod.  I have a bogen tripod that I got in 1990.  It has been a life saver.  If you are photographing landscapes you will want to use a small aperture and this means a slower shutter speed. To avoid blur, use a tripod.  If you shoot portraits a tripod is great. You can put your camera on it and then go pose your subject.



                                                                
2.  Polarizer filter

Do you want blue skies and better color in your photographs?  Put one of these babies on the front of your lens and you will almost always get better shots!  Make sure you get a circular polarizer if you use an auto focus lens.      
 

                                              

3. Neutral Density Filter

For the landscape photographer a neutral density filter is a must!   You might want to get a split neutral density filter also.  You ask what is a neutral density filter.  Simply , it is  a filter that blocks light coming into you lens. This allows you to use longer shutter speeds to get shots like this:

Of course, you will also need a tripod for this shot;)

Critique #1

So, here goes....

First I would like to say that TV (initials for the artist) is a brave soul. To put your work out to be critiqued is tough and probably a little nerve racking.  Also, it has been a few days since she sent me the art. TV, I am sorry I did not get to it right away. Thanks for being patient.

On the photo above :

1.The sky is good; looks like you burnt it in. I like that it's not pure white without detail. Do remember, though, that the eye usually goes to the brightest spot in the photo first. My eyes go right past the girls and into the bright sky.

2. It's flat. The photo needs to have more contrast.  Too much grey.

3.The angle is good. I like how you are looking up at them.

4.The posing:  Arms down to the side are not good. You should have them put their hands on their hips and their weight on one leg- preferably the back leg (weight on the front leg will make the hips look big).  Maybe they could be leaning on each other. There is no connection or triangles in the shot. Work on the posing.

5. The ladder and the thing in front are distracting.  I would get rid of them. If you're trying to incorporate an architectural/ environmental element into the portrait, you need more of it. In this shot, I can't tell what it is so it just takes away from the girls.

6. Great smiles. I can tell that they were comfortable with the photographer because the expressions are nice.

7. Nice job on the flash.  Not overdone.

 Over all this pretty good.  One thing I have learned in the last 18 years as a photographer is that a subject set against a sky is a hard thing to pull off, but you also don't see a lot of portraits from this angle, so if you can make it work, it will be original and show your creativity.

How to make it better: Work on the posing and get the distractions out of the way.

On the photo above:

1. I like the pose, but wish I could see more of the subject's face, even if it's not meant to be a full-on portrait.

2. Like the last photo, this one is also flat. It needs a bit more contrast.

3.  The subject's left hand is not in a good position. I would move it behind the subject and hide it or put it on her left knee or clasped with her right hand.

4. Good job at burning in the sky.

Over all: I like this one more than the other one.  My main beef: I want to see more of the girl's face.

How to improve: more contrast.

TV. Thanks for being the first and if you want, send them to me again after you have worked on them.

If you think I am wrong in my critique, let me know. Whatever you do, keep shooting!

To all of my other readers out there, please let me and TV know what you think about these shots and keep an eye out for Critique #2 coming soon!

Do you want a professional opinion on your photography?

Have you ever wanted to enter a photo contest but you were unsure which print to enter?  I have.  Well, here is your chance to have your photo critiqued by a pro (maybe it will help you win that contest). It's always a good idea to get an objective opinion on your work, and here is your chance to see what I think and, through the comments, what others think as well.

Here is how it will work. You send an image to me at my email address: ayresphotography@yahoo.com I will critique it and then post it on my site so others can leave comments.  I promise you I will give you my sincere opinion.  If I don't like it I will tell you. If I do like it I will tell you.
You then will have the opportunity to fix it and send if back to me for a second critique (if you want).
I believe this is an excellent way to learn and become a better photographer.  Making your photography better is the reason I have started the site, so send me  your work and see what I think about it!