Honest Critique - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

10/24/2002 04:18:33 PM · #1

I'm thinkning about submitting this photo to an art magazine, and I wanted to have a constructive critique of it. If anyone has the time, it would be massively appreciated.
-jen

alanfreed

Nikon Z9

10/24/2002 04:20:59 PM · #2

I may get slapped silly for being honest... but I have to say it honestly doesn't impress me. It just doesn't strike me as being particularly artistic, I guess.

Specifically, I don't quite know what I'm looking at. It appears to be a window with something hanging out of it.

My personal taste is that I like *something* to be in sharp focus in most cases, and there isn't anything sharp here... and it goes from blurred, to more blurred as the image goes down. I guess there's just not anything to focus my attention on. My eyes just kinda wander around the shot, wondering what I should be focused on.

On the plus side, I do like quite a few of the other shots on your site :)

Allow the slapping to begin...

* This message has been edited by the author on 10/24/2002 4:23:45 PM.

Jak

Fujifilm FinePix S602Z

10/24/2002 04:29:46 PM · #3

I don't care for it at all, to be honest. I don't see any point of focus (for the viewer, not a "technical" focus), the colour values are not that exciting, and I would have to ask what is the image trying to say?

As Alan said, I too like some of the other images on the site.

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

10/24/2002 04:33:02 PM · #4

Originally posted by SatelliteSpeck:
I'm thinkning about submitting this photo to an art magazine, and I wanted to have a constructive critique of it. If anyone has the time, it would be massively appreciated.
-jen

Maybe if you tell us the story associated with it and what the photo means to you, it will have more impact :)

10/24/2002 04:38:26 PM · #5

said bluntly .. I do not see the point at all either.
I might miss qa HUGE thing in it .. but I would give it a 3 in the challenge ...
Nothing in focus ( I like to have something as well), no real interesting shape or textures (when you do not get it that could have been appealing). Maybe some tone of green are nice .. but that barely save it.
I do not see any interest at all in the picture
sorry ....
Lionel

Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD for Nikon

10/24/2002 04:39:31 PM · #6

Thanks from this quote from a french guy John :-)
Lionel

jimmsp

Canon EOS-60D

10/24/2002 04:49:34 PM · #7

Originally posted by SatelliteSpeck:
I'm thinkning about submitting this photo to an art magazine, and I wanted to have a constructive critique of it. If anyone has the time, it would be massively appreciated.
-jen

Unless there is a meaninful story associated with it, I would just turn the page. I can make guesses at what I am looking at - but that's all. The lack of focus, both subject wise and optically, leaves a lot to be desired. The color selection is also not inviting.

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

10/24/2002 04:53:18 PM · #8

On the other hand, images like this do particularly well in the 'art' world... especially if there is some cool story behind it. As far as photography is concerned, I don't care for it. I have seen plenty of 'art' that I don't care for either, but these pieces have huge followings :)

10/24/2002 04:54:09 PM · #9

nobody's gonna get slapped silly, so i posted the original and some modifications i made here

it's an old servant's quarter that i stubled upon while hiking... thought it was interesting, so i took some shots of the interior.

-jen

JeB

HP PhotoSmart 945

10/24/2002 04:56:42 PM · #10

This picture here isn't in perfect sharpness and focus either... :)

Just curious Jen, is it being submitted to an art magazine as just art? Or is it being submitted for a specific purpose, topic, type of art?

JB

10/24/2002 05:06:02 PM · #11

nope, just as art... they're looking for "artsy" shots to use on the back page.

if anyone here wants to submit a photo go to the chronogram

-jen

10/24/2002 06:43:43 PM · #12

Originally posted by JeB:
This picture here isn't in perfect sharpness and focus either... :)

Just curious Jen, is it being submitted to an art magazine as just art? Or is it being submitted for a specific purpose, topic, type of art?

JB

well .. to my eye it is in focus, the paint is in focus even if the subject paint is not very defined.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

10/24/2002 06:44:45 PM · #13

Originally posted by SatelliteSpeck:
nobody's gonna get slapped silly, so i posted the original and some modifications i made here

it's an old servant's quarter that i stubled upon while hiking... thought it was interesting, so i took some shots of the interior.

-jen

Somehow I find the original one more interested , but still not that much. I would try to submit an other one. :-)

catpixel

Nikon Coolpix 4500

10/24/2002 07:35:49 PM · #14

I wouldn't expect to get a favourable review for an "artsy" photo on PD challenge. people like things they can understand in the 30 seconds or so they can give to each picture. From an artistic point of view - in terms of interpreting the world in an original and expressive way the bottom ten are often superior to the top ten submissions, or at least more interesting. (Obviously this is not always the case).

I liked your picture, and I knew exactly what it was of right away.

CP.

Originally posted by SatelliteSpeck:
nope, just as art... they're looking for "artsy" shots to use on the back page.

if anyone here wants to submit a photo go to the chronogram

-jen

HBunch

HP PhotoSmart 315

10/24/2002 08:47:57 PM · #15

Originally posted by lionelm:
Originally posted by JeB:
[i]This picture here isn't in perfect sharpness and focus either... :)

Just curious Jen, is it being submitted to an art magazine as just art? Or is it being submitted for a specific purpose, topic, type of art?

JB

well .. to my eye it is in focus, the paint is in focus even if the subject paint is not very defined.

[/i]

Lionel, I think if you had clicked on JB's "HERE" Link, you would see that he was making a positive point for the photo. I think he was trying to say, that just cause it's not in focus, doesn't mean it can't be a great picture.
Click on JB's Link, then read the comment again. I think you will see.
~Heather~

stephan

Casio QV-4000

10/24/2002 08:51:18 PM · #16

Jen, I like the colouring and how everything looks old and in decay, e.g. the paint peeling off the wood. I almost can smell the mold ;-)
What confuses me (as the viewer) is that the paint is in focus and not "the box". I think when you would have focused on your subject the photo would be more effective.
Regarding the artistic value I can't say much other than that it would have fit for the "something old" challenge quite a bit :-)
I like the first of the three crop versions most. But maybe try to crop out the back wall on the bottom of the photo. Something like this:

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

10/24/2002 09:10:38 PM · #17

Originally posted by SatelliteSpeck:
nope, just as art... they're looking for "artsy" shots to use on the back page.

if anyone here wants to submit a photo go to the chronogram

-jen

Thanks for the reference; always good to know about places which accept submissions! To bad it's on the other side of the country...
I recognized "the box" but agree it would work better if the box were more the focus of the image. You could maybe try an oval vignette...

* This message has been edited by the author on 10/24/2002 9:16:03 PM.

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

10/24/2002 09:51:03 PM · #18

Originally posted by hbunch7187:
Originally posted by lionelm:
[i]Originally posted by JeB:
[i]This picture here isn't in perfect sharpness and focus either... :)

Just curious Jen, is it being submitted to an art magazine as just art? Or is it being submitted for a specific purpose, topic, type of art?

JB

well .. to my eye it is in focus, the paint is in focus even if the subject paint is not very defined.

[/i]

Lionel, I think if you had clicked on JB's "HERE" Link, you would see that he was making a positive point for the photo. I think he was trying to say, that just cause it's not in focus, doesn't mean it can't be a great picture.
Click on JB's Link, then read the comment again. I think you will see.
~Heather~[/i]

Well .. I had clicked on the link. I saw the painting. And my exe can focus on something, maybe I did not expressed myself correctly. To me that painting is not 'out of focus', it just paint something that is out of focus .. ok .. I will not be able to explain myself ...
Everybody has the right to like or dislike everything ...
I looke again at the original picture .. and I still do not find it interesting ... the fact that it's kinda-labeled 'art' does not change that much.
ANd I do prefer the painting in term of color and again .. to my eyes the painting is not out of focus ... if you look at it actual size (well the picture in the link), at the lower lever it is not blurry. It's not because shapes are not cleaer that it's blurry. When you see something in the fog, it's not the same as seing something through a lens out of focus (I am not talking about the original picture anymore now).

Good luck with the picture anyway :-)

HBunch

HP PhotoSmart 315

10/24/2002 10:03:43 PM · #19

OK, I get it now. I thought you were talking about the paint in "The Box" picture. It's my mistake. Sorry about that.
~Heather~

undieyatch

Olympus E-10

10/24/2002 10:23:08 PM · #20

I can appreciate your picture in the sense it being a document of your trek, which you where on. The discovery of an abandoned building is always an exciting photo opportunity, especially if you have the nerve to enter it and explore what lies within. The image which you present from your trek represents to me an electric code violation - for which a fire marshall would cite you if you happened to own the building. Your knowing that the interior actually housed servants, would lead me to think that maybe there were other possible visual images in the building which would reference that association. Was the building a house for slaves or for Jeeves the butler? Does the servants quarters have a local historical association? For an artistic image - have you explored all the possible visual themes presented in the building? Like - interesting light and shadow entering through; or architectural detail. These are just a couple of questions which could possibly be answered in a photo of the place you explored.

Zeissman

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

10/25/2002 12:40:33 AM · #21

Does not work for me.

lisae

Olympus C-720UZ

10/25/2002 01:42:09 AM · #22

OK, this may sound like typical me, but I like the original photo. The narrow depth of field creates a real sense of space and airiness to me. I LOVE the textures of the paint on the wood and the bricks, but that's something from my 3d CG background, I look at things like that very closely and go all gooey when I see nice, aged textures. The perspective on the ceiling also adds to that sense of space, and the skylight expands it even more somehow.

I really love the way the supports for that white object hanging from the ceiling bend around. The lines there are gorgeous, and they accentuate the sense of age and decay. The whiteness of it, also, gets me somehow. It compiments the starkness of the light coming through the skylight, and sets off the aged, yellow look of the paint.

I have a thing about old buildings and spaces like this, so I really do like this photo :)

10/25/2002 09:36:42 AM · #23

thanks to everyone that critiqued the photo. i learned a lot from all your obervations. (yes, even those of you that hated it!)

-jen