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DPChallenge Forums >> Individual Photograph Discussion >> Constructive Critique Requested
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12/17/2012 12:10:00 AM · #1
I would appreciate some constructive critique of this image:


PS I am not asking why it scored what it scored, I am interested in pro and cons opinions of the image. Thanks.
12/20/2012 05:10:32 PM · #2
I love the picture itself but I am wishing I could see a bit more texture in the water to the left of the pier... I also kinda wish the pier was lower in the frame... My eyes are literally being drawn away from the pier (which should actually be the focal point) into the white void immediately to the left of it. I just feel like the balance should be reconsidered.

I love it though, soft white glow, excellent soft contrast, the crisp focus in all the right places. Great picture.
12/20/2012 07:55:24 PM · #3
Left you a comment.
12/20/2012 08:29:49 PM · #4
Left one too :)
12/20/2012 08:33:25 PM · #5
Thanks for the comments. My conclusion is that what attracted me to this "off balance" composition actually didn't work. Also, too much and too little of the detail on the same imagemakes it inconsistent and undecided, hence does not work. Still it was very interesting to try something different :)
12/20/2012 09:32:59 PM · #6
Originally posted by MNet:

Thanks for the comments. My conclusion is that what attracted me to this "off balance" composition actually didn't work. Also, too much and too little of the detail on the same imagemakes it inconsistent and undecided, hence does not work. Still it was very interesting to try something different :)


Seems like that pathway may lead to an interesting image. I think the undecided aspect you are referencing comes from the composition although off-balanced compositions can work very well. I say keep experimenting, there is nothing wrong with making the viewer uncomfortable with your decisions but you need to like it! ;)
12/20/2012 10:13:37 PM · #7
Perhaps as a reference here might be a place of interest for a comparison of what you are trying. I can only point you there as I don't feel I have the necessary experience to critique your shot, but as a reference, these people are the cream of their community. It seems to me the images at that site are examples of an exquisite and intense attention to detail gained from vast experience in producing images in that genre, maybe a cultural standard of theirs as well. You are more than capable of achieving the same, though remember they are allowed higher resolution in their submissions than dpc. hope that helps.

Message edited by author 2012-12-20 22:14:19.
12/20/2012 10:39:01 PM · #8
Hey I will be honest with you..

It sucks.

The rule of thirds is no where, you have something sticking out of the right middle hand side of the frame to high up to make it visually pleasing, you would have been better to have had it centered even, so that the top of the frame, gave it more depth.

There is no depth in the pier, you have so much haloing on the pier posts it looks weird.

That could possibly be a pigeon at the end of the pier but it is so out of focus and such a blob that it is almost a distraction and it's arse is blended into a pier stick so it looks like it is part of it very distracting.

You have over smoothed the water under the pier where it looks like you have actually gone in on Photoshop and smoothed it out and or denoised it to distraction.

The pier sticks are certainly in focus but the eye is drawn to the white straight lines that lead to nothing but a pigeons arse, there is no texture in anything in this picture. You have some splendid water worn pier poles and they just look like sticks with no history.

As for the ocean that has no basics drama, any life, any character, a story or history , even a Ripple or a thought that life could be within it or even looks like anything other than a flat boring beige attempt at art work, but wait, there is that tiny flutter of fluff at the non descriptor pier pilings. But wait there is a nice bright white splodge in those pilings that pull the eye to it. Wait, the two bits at the end pull the eye as well. Very white.

When doing a black and white study, you have to realize that there are actually black and whites and a whole bunch of greys that make a black and white photo work. In this work of 'art' you have 3 colours.

Black and white studies are just as colourful as colour photos and it honestly takes a good , an excellent, a master, to bring colour of a black and white , so that there is just not 3 colours.

But what the heck, knowing you, you are going to take this as me being all bad and mean to you, when in fact, as I usually am with you, telling you some honesty to get further in this world.

12/20/2012 11:44:27 PM · #9
Originally posted by daisydavid:

Perhaps as a reference here might be a place of interest for a comparison of what you are trying. I can only point you there as I don't feel I have the necessary experience to critique your shot, but as a reference, these people are the cream of their community. It seems to me the images at that site are examples of an exquisite and intense attention to detail gained from vast experience in producing images in that genre, maybe a cultural standard of theirs as well. You are more than capable of achieving the same, though remember they are allowed higher resolution in their submissions than dpc. hope that helps.

Thanks, John. Great link, my kind of photos. I should try to reproduce some of them as a learning exercise.
12/20/2012 11:46:55 PM · #10
Originally posted by JulietNN:

Hey I will be honest with you..

It sucks.

The rule of thirds is no where, you have something sticking out of the right middle hand side of the frame to high up to make it visually pleasing, you would have been better to have had it centered even, so that the top of the frame, gave it more depth.

There is no depth in the pier, you have so much haloing on the pier posts it looks weird.

That could possibly be a pigeon at the end of the pier but it is so out of focus and such a blob that it is almost a distraction and it's arse is blended into a pier stick so it looks like it is part of it very distracting.

You have over smoothed the water under the pier where it looks like you have actually gone in on Photoshop and smoothed it out and or denoised it to distraction.

The pier sticks are certainly in focus but the eye is drawn to the white straight lines that lead to nothing but a pigeons arse, there is no texture in anything in this picture. You have some splendid water worn pier poles and they just look like sticks with no history.

As for the ocean that has no basics drama, any life, any character, a story or history , even a Ripple or a thought that life could be within it or even looks like anything other than a flat boring beige attempt at art work, but wait, there is that tiny flutter of fluff at the non descriptor pier pilings. But wait there is a nice bright white splodge in those pilings that pull the eye to it. Wait, the two bits at the end pull the eye as well. Very white.

When doing a black and white study, you have to realize that there are actually black and whites and a whole bunch of greys that make a black and white photo work. In this work of 'art' you have 3 colours.

Black and white studies are just as colourful as colour photos and it honestly takes a good , an excellent, a master, to bring colour of a black and white , so that there is just not 3 colours.

But what the heck, knowing you, you are going to take this as me being all bad and mean to you, when in fact, as I usually am with you, telling you some honesty to get further in this world.

Thanks for taking the time, Juliet. I agree with some of what you said.
12/21/2012 10:22:07 AM · #11
I think it is the smoothness, I think if there was a just a tiny amount of ripple it would make this photo a top ten. If this had been a negative space challenge you would have won hands down. It is a brilliant use of space
12/21/2012 10:45:46 AM · #12
If there was a buoy or something in the upper left it would make sence to me. The pier leads my eyes to the left into nothing.
With all the negative space it just doesn't tell a story.
Maybe more pier and less water would have made this a better shot.
I think you have the right idea just the capture could have been better.
12/21/2012 12:05:42 PM · #13
Without sounding too harsh -- this is exactly what popped into my head...

"It's a beautifully executed picture of nothing."

Technically, it's beautiful. And well executed. And boring as hell.

Hope that helps.
12/21/2012 12:34:44 PM · #14
Thanks for continued feedback. It is an interesting collection of opinions. I would be interested also in the critique of my outtake from the same challenge:
12/21/2012 12:46:13 PM · #15
Originally posted by JulietNN:

It is a brilliant use of space

I agree with this, and it's also why I think your prior criticisms of all the details that could or should be there hits all the right chords, but they work together to support the brilliant use of space, not detract from the photo.

My first impression when I saw this is that it blatantly disregarded some "rules," yet it had been put together by someone who clearly knew what they were doing. So to me it was a statement, or maybe a question, or questions; but in any case it wasn't a simple photo of a pier leading into the distance following the rule of thirds and all the other predictable check boxes ticked off. I find the photo quite interesting and there are many aspects to it that I can easily use as springboards to thought about composition, light, contrast, use of space, etc. (and that's just me looking at it as a photographer). There are plenty of other things to ponder as well.

There is of course nothing wrong with your criticisms, but many of the points you made are actually precisely why this photo works for me.
12/21/2012 03:43:49 PM · #16
Whether or not the result is successful (define that as you wish), I think it is important to experiment. Most importantly for this image, however, is the context of it in a challenge. I don't think it had a clear connection to the challenge, and thus confused voters. Unless the smoothing is considered "over the top", LOL!!!

Personally, I'm impressed with your willingness to try new stuff, but the image itself doesn;t work for me. In my case particular case, I feel the balance is off.
03/14/2013 10:51:33 PM · #17
Originally posted by JulietNN:

Hey I will be honest with you..

It sucks.

But what the heck, knowing you, you are going to take this as me being all bad and mean to you, when in fact, as I usually am with you, telling you some honesty to get further in this world.


It's tolerable that you don't make any consideration of the effort the artist went to, but you are really going out of your way here to be mean. Unless you are the artist's mother, I don't think it is your role to 'teach' by nastiness in the way that you've worded this reply. Nasty criticism like this would certainly deter me from putting up my photo for comment.

The actual content of your reply was quite useful by the way; I'm only addressing the way you seem to have deliberately worded it.

Marc

Message edited by author 2013-03-14 22:53:19.
03/14/2013 10:57:32 PM · #18
As a newbie who is still learning a lot, what makes the imbalance not work *for me* is that my eyes don't really know what to look at. I want to look at the dock, but the huge white space keeps screaming 'look here' - but there's nothing there except really blinding white. Take my advice for what it's worth since I don't have the photographic skills that many of these others have. But from someone looking at it and giving my first impression, that's what I've got to offer. Maybe it will help in some way...

Message edited by author 2013-03-14 23:05:22.
03/14/2013 11:06:34 PM · #19
Originally posted by marcopolis:


It's tolerable that you don't make any consideration of the effort the artist went to, but you are really going out of your way here to be mean. Unless you are the artist's mother, I don't think it is your role to 'teach' by nastiness in the way that you've worded this reply. Nasty criticism like this would certainly deter me from putting up my photo for comment....
Marc


Marc, picture this:

A DPC oldie (that's me) takes a DPC newbie (that's you) gently by the shoulder and leads him away from the crowds to have a private word.

In that private little corner, the oldie welcomes the newbie, and tells him a few secrets about the way this crazy DPC family works.

Afterwards, he walks away with a smile on his face and already starts feeling more involved.

End of my little story.

What I'm trying to say here is that I understand why that remark by Juliet may upset you as a newcomer, but there are so many dynamics going on this place, that only time and familiarity will help you understand why it is perfectly fine.

Many of us have been here for a gazillion years, and there is much teasing and joking going on in between the arguments and fights.

Don't worry too much about comments like that - chances are you just don't understand the story behind them yet.

Enjoy the journey of finding out.
03/14/2013 11:11:27 PM · #20
Originally posted by marcopolis:

Nasty criticism like this would certainly deter me from putting up my photo for comment.


Juliet and Margret have been on the site a long time, they know each other. I am usually polite to people I haven't known long, but with my close friends, we can say rather harsh things to each other with out giving offense. If I know you well I will be much more blunt about my feelings on a shot of yours than I will if we don't know each other.
03/14/2013 11:37:35 PM · #21
Well said as always, Brennan, but I am not friends with Juliet. Although the image does suck so let it be.
03/14/2013 11:47:18 PM · #22
I agree with Johanna, I want the photo to work because I like the idea of it but this one just doesn't. It is off balance and I think for me it has to do with the angle at which the pier is coming into the photo also it seems cut off. If the pier came in at a shallower angle and was longer I think the balance between it and the negative space would be better.
03/15/2013 12:02:26 AM · #23
I volunteered this image for the Ken's epic job at making the visual and audio experience of the DPC poem. I am OK with that. It truly sucks :)
03/15/2013 02:54:32 AM · #24
Originally posted by MNet:

Well said as always, Brennan, but I am not friends with Juliet. Although the image does suck so let it be.

Not friends, but you know her spirit, what she said was not ment to attack you, but to give fill voice to her reaction to a single photo you took, at least that is how I read it. I just wanted to assure our new arrival that we can be blunt, but telling someone that a picture sucks is not rare, not is it ment to crush their spirit. Well, not always ;)
03/15/2013 06:12:33 AM · #25
Originally posted by kgeary:

Without sounding too harsh -- this is exactly what popped into my head...

"It's a beautifully executed picture of nothing."

Technically, it's beautiful. And well executed. And boring as hell.

Hope that helps.


wow, you sums up my thoughts perfectly.
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