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#4772
cameraclicker
Participant

I’m not fond of tilted images.  Some people seem to like them and I know a few pros that recommend tilting the camera when they do seminars or blogs.  I know others that eliminate anything tilted from submissions to contests as the first step to choosing a winner.  If there is nothing in the image that can be used as a reference, tilting or not is not relevant, otherwise I generally prefer not tilted, although I have seen a few images that tilting probably helped.   When I looked at your images I wondered why so many were tilted.  One might be OK, even two perhaps, but three is too many.  John & Katie, 16 of 21, for instance… Nice looking chandelier, but odd looking when it should be hanging down and instead everything is listing.

The image of the children holding the frame would be a lot stronger if the couple kissing were also in focus.   Even the little girl does not seem sharp.  If that scene were shot with a really hard lens, then in post processing, another layer was given lens blur and masking was done so the children, frame and couple in the frame were sharp and everything else was blurred, I think it might look cool.  I just found another with the couple in focus and the children and frame blurred!  Same message as for the first image I found.  Try combining the two in Photoshop to see the effect of sharp children, frame and couple with everything else blurred.

Thomas and Sarah 1 of 13, almost the first thing I saw was that huge downspout drain at the bottom of the pillar.  If this was reportage, it would have to stay, but these are wedding photos, so I think it would be safe to take a few seconds and clone it out, there are lots of pixels available so it should be very fast to do.  Watch the shadows though.  This is one that may have been better with less depth of field to blur out the doors in the background?  In 2 of 13 the brides smile looks tentative and the bridesmaid behind her looks worried.   That picture might have been stronger if they were all in focus, as might 4 of 13, the guys.  In 4 of 13 the groom’s expression is better than the bride’s in 2 of 13, and he really stands out.  It is the better of those two photos.  In 11 of 13, there is that tilt again, it looks like a mistake.   The tilt is there in 12 of 13, and definitely it was on purpose, but why!  And we move to 13 of 13, where suddenly we are at a 24th of May or 4th of July party, or a birthday party or bar mitzvah?  It certainly looks like a totally different event!

 

Not sure how to identify the image.  “cary-wedding-photographer-09.jpg”, on your web page, B & W, might be a father, tight check pattern suit, grey hair and beard, looking out a window.  Except for the position of his right arm, I really like that photo.  I just can’t figure out why he has his arm up like he is going to block someone.  It does not seem that he is leaning on part of the window and I doubt there is a latch to open a door at the height his hand is.

 

In the engagement photos, of the guy in a green shirt, I like the “Danger” signs!  I think I would have removed them with Photoshop.

I would bury the photo (engagements/11w.jpg) of the black couple on the red chairs where the only thing in focus is the foreground weeds.

Why, when the guy is already a head taller than the girl in the white dress and blue jeans, would you pose them with her standing down slope from him for a kiss, it looks awkward.   If they were standing in opposite positions, it would be easier to kiss and it would look more natural.

Enough of that.  “cary-wedding-photographer-07.jpg”, the B & W with 3 bridesmaids looking over the fence and the bride turning back to look at the camera is nice.   It would also work well with a softer background.    “cary-wedding-photographer-17.jpg”, black bride looking at new husband, they fill the frame, I like that one.