"Taking Aim"by
GolferDDSComment by Silver Fox: Critique by Silver Fox.
Really nice photograph Lawrence.
I'm going to go to a few things that I know about billiars first and then about photography second. I've never seen a purple cloth before, it adds a nice color to the table. The cue ball is not in focus and it should be, as it is always the main ball to be hit with the cue stick.
On the "Leading Line Theme" Are the balls starting with the orange one from the railing, to the 14 to the orange to the yellow - the Leading Line - Or is the Pool Cue to the white ball the Leading Line to the Pocket? And as such, why wouldn't you have the pool cue sitting on your thumb and fingers or your fingers against the railing as opposed to just the pool cue just sitting on the railing?
You have a nice "sighting" on the cue stick, but just a bit more to the right with your lens would have given you a more "true" sighting as if it were your "eye" looking down the cue. And I think the cue ball should have had a bit of "whitening" to it, just a little touch to it to brighten it up more than the other balls, to show that it's the "master" ball.
I'm not sure what you've done with the lighting, normally, there are three light sources over a correct pool table, and I can see three light sources on most of the "balls", but on the ball closests to the table, there are 4 more light sources - and there's another heavier light source over top of the cue stick which causes all the heavy shadow on the table and gives off either that blue or purple lighting.
Now that orange ball close to the rail, it's also showing some yellow, which it should not be doing, what's happened to it? And the same with the Nine ball against the Black ball - it's got a bit of an orangy to it but it should be white and yellow if I'm not mistaken.
Did you notice the yellow and red reflectiions off the pool cue? Notice the white ball reflection on the tip of the pool cue?
Okay, sorry to be negative right off. I think maybe less balls would have been better, less light a little less harsher.
you've got great colour as it is, but I'd get rid of the Black ball and stay with the colored ones instead.
See the White on the 14 and 9 Balls - Turn the White around and shoot with the colors instead. . .
I like your black background, keeps everything simple around the table.
Keep up the good work,good imagination with the billiard table and the way you've got it set up.
Regards,
Ed
Focus a little sharper, bring the whole picture in sharper.
And always remember that on billiard tables, the balls always reflect the lights above it, if you're going to use more lights for some kind of effect, take a look around at the whole table (at the balls) and watch the reflections in them, be prepared to move your lighting if you have to.
I think you have a good photograph, I don't know why you got low scoring on it, Lawrence, Iwould have given it a 7 or 8 at first looks.
Photographer found comment helpful.
