Well here goes nothing

[wilsj89]

I’d like some help with my photos. I grew up shooting with film and developing my own photos so making the move to DSLR’s has been a semi difficult thing. Please any critiques you have feel free to tell me, whatever I can do to improve I will do my best to. http://www.flickr.com/photos/105028056@N07/

[Worst Case Scenario]

I like them, but you need to learn to merge them in Photoshop. You have 4 shots of the lightning over a bay, each has good bits – but merged together they would be awesome. Same with the fireworks. Love the seagull and sign. The girl by the tree has some colour issues and the two chairs is way to bright.

[cameraclicker]

I’m pretty much in agreement with WCS.

I think you might be able to put 3 of the lightning photos together, the fourth has a different angle.  That would give 3 strikes fairly close together, on the far shore.  They may be too close?   I like the cropped lightning shot.  If you live there, next lightning storm, try the same camera angle with more focal length.  There are probably targets on that shore that attract lightning.

The first fireworks photo looks like the tripod was bumped.  The same scene with no fireworks is over exposed.  The chairs scene is too bright and the chairs look pasted in.  There is quite a strong reflection off the foliage, too.  Try a CP filter when shooting with lots of plants, it cuts the glare.

 

[ebi]

I’m going to go in order of the images in your flickerstream.

I’m going to try something new here that I don’t usually do just to see if the approach is more helpful in determining tone. Feel free to tell me if it isn’t. I’m going to say a lot of bad about your photos. This is not to say that I don’t think you don’t have potential. In fact, I think that fact that I am taking the time to critique every image speaks to the fact that I see potential in you. For those that I don’t see potential in, I tend to say very little.

Anyways, onwards:

Dark and Noisy, especially on the right side. The problem with many DSLR cameras is that you have a sensor that generates heat and heat generates noise and that is why you end up with so much noise in your image. Better top of the line DSLR’s do better with this and MeFO backs do an even better job.

Right side of image vignette is not nice. It basically cuts off the image.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/105028056@N07/10207561765/ better color but same issues with noise right side vignette.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/105028056@N07/10207470814/ more of the same

http://www.flickr.com/photos/105028056@N07/10207583913/

Why is this important? What is good about this image? Why is it anything other than a poorly focused shot of a field at dusk? delete

quite gorgeous but looks very flat. You should expose a touch longer in hopes of burning a tad bit of detail in the buildings because it looks very flat otherwise. Also the bird is doing you no good in this photo. If that bird had been smaller and further back in the image. Like say above the sign to the right, it would be much better.

I quite love the composition of this shot, but it has some noise issues that you need to deal with by shooting at a lower ISO and/or getting a better camera. And again, the edge of your image goes dark, this time on the left side. Sadly it really takes away from the image. You don’t need vignettes on these type of images. You already have the contrast in the difference between foreground and background.

More of the same from above. The idea that CC and WCS had is good. Do bunch of exposures and merge. Could be quite beautiful.

Focus, noise, not an interesting composition.

Focus, blur, movement. Are fireworks shots interesting? Probably not. Maybe if it’s in an interesting place but this is what? Disney land? There are already a million shots of this place or places like it. Move on try something different.

This is a cute shot. Great shot, love how your using the tree for framing and she’s got a cute look on her face, although slightly smooshed face. I think you need to try some more portraiture work. Easy on the skin tones.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/105028056@N07/10207202713/ more of the same from the last fireworks shot. Are you on tripod? You really need to be.

blah…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/105028056@N07/10207223853/

WTF is this? aside from being a noisy, pixelated digital looking shot. It’s just a couple of chairs in the grass.. Not interesting. delete.

To summarize, you probably don’t have the best camera for long exposures, but if you can bring the speed up on the camera it might help. You need to avoid vignettes on these type of shots. You should shoot or post some more portraits because you might have a good eye for that. Also, drop the watermark. It’s huge, annoying and distracting and can be removed from most images in a matter of a few seconds. Everyone is overly paranoid about their photos being stolen. Focus your energy elsewhere..like on taking good photos.

[wilsj89]

Thank you to all who have commented and helped so far! I don’t put any kind of vignettes on the images unfortunately that’s the way this camera shoots. I used to shoot with a Nikon D90 but that was stolen and had to downgrade to a D3000 due to money issues. I am doing the best I can with what I have. Also, the only reason I have the watermark is because my film photos would get stolen all the time and I was tired of trying to find the original roll to prove the photo was mine, so to save the trouble I just add them into the digital. If someone would like to take the time to unwatermark them and steal then that’s fine but I do it for my own mental well being. Again, thank you for all the tips and all the help I will try to improve upon everything commented and hopefully post more when I upgrade cameras again.

[wilsj89]

On a general side note for ebi 2 things I would love to see the work that you do because I didn’t see any in your profile or elsewhere. Secondly if you have the time google Disney World Fireworks and Fireworks from the Contemporary Resort all the images are pretty much the same but the ones I did were from a different perspective. I realize that the tripod moved because it was an extremely windy night and I didn’t want to bring weights up  10 flights of stairs. Again thank you so much for everyones help I am just trying to improve in as many ways as I can.

[Bill]

Well here goes nothing….Not Really!

The fact that you came here open-minded looking for true honest critiques on your work is not nothing, don’t sell yourself short.
As for CC, WCS and ebi, they all offer good insight and advice for improvement, trust me we can all use a little improving.

Lightning is tricky, down here in Southern California, we don’t get much in the way of lightning. Combining them into a composite photo, whats the worst that can happen, it looks like crap and you wasted an hour or so trying it out. At least give it a try to see what it may become.
I’m not going to add anything on the lightning shots, because it’s already been said. The main thing for me was the noise, it had looked like to me like you were trying to increase the exposure in post, not sure if that is the case or not or it being the combination of the camera or what.

I liked this image:

True, the vignetting is killing it, as ebi pointed out, but I like the silhouette verses the contrasty background.

As for the camera and tripod, you learn to deal with what you have at your disposal. If you have a shitty camera and gear, make the best of it from what it can do. We all have been there, I still have 3 of my shitty cameras and 4 crappy ass tripods, why, I don’t know, but I still have them. If you have a lower grade camera, you know what it’s limitations are, you then adjust your shooting technique to make the most of it, don’t make excuses for it. I mean that in the best way possible.
One of my old shitty cameras only went up to ISO 800, shows you how old it is. Limitation – Dark scenarios are not good. Solution – find a way to light the scene up or lengthen the exposure time or both.

[Author]

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