Does this evoke the critic in you?

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

03/02/2009 02:41:14 PM · #1

I built a simple picture viewer (kind of a web gallery) using LightRoom.

I wonder if you would be interested in criticizing the pictures on there? All of the current ones are from a recent visit to the zoo.

I would welcome any critical comments.. including scene composition, exposure levels, post processing, choice of subject etc.

I also invite comments on other free web gallery building software.

Thanks for your time!

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

03/02/2009 02:46:03 PM · #2

One thing I notice immediately is that with few exceptions the animals aren't making eye contact with us, the viewers. Eye contact isn't required in action photography of wildlife, but in the "portrait" images it's very difficult to a striking image without it. Not impossible, mind you, but much more difficult. Some of the most striking images in your group are of the pelican, and sure enough the eye is dominant in those images...

R.

pedrobop

Canon PowerShot SX100 IS

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

03/02/2009 02:48:07 PM · #3

ooops...i criticized the gallery, not the shots. Which are great by the way...

Message edited by author 2009-03-02 14:49:04.

03/02/2009 02:58:25 PM · #4

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Thanks Bear. Good point. I will look for that in future.

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

03/02/2009 02:58:51 PM · #5

Originally posted by pedrobop:

ooops...i criticized the gallery, not the shots. Which are great by the way...

Heh.. np... I wish you had kept that criticism. Please continue...

jrtodd

Nikon D850

03/02/2009 03:28:35 PM · #6

Some good photo albums would include Gallery and Coppermine

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

03/02/2009 03:42:27 PM · #7

Thanks for sharing those links!!!

Melethia

Canon EOS-80D

03/02/2009 04:15:51 PM · #8

I think the photographs display very well, but it's impossible (that I could see) to comment on an individual photo. For instance I really like the pose you captured on one of the birds, but I'd have to go back and find the number, then come back here to comment. (21/28 is the one I'm talking about, and 11/28 is a good one of the peacock.) In general, I think you did a very nice job with the shots - good close crops, well composed, good color!

fldave

Pentax K5II

Pentax DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6ED AL [IF] WR DC

03/02/2009 04:56:49 PM · #9

Hi Prash, well - you asked for it!
A - As

Bear_Music mentioned, all in all there is not enough eye contact. I think that is very important in animal photography.
B - Profiles are fine, but several photos were of animals' backs or nearly facing away: (the Zebra, lioness and koala as examples)... not usually attractive.
C - The peacock shots (11-13) look as shot against asphalt. Something green would look better.
D - You got great eyes in bird shots 15 and 16! Love that.
E - I love the selective focus in the penguin shot #14
F - Your bird shots show excellent feather detail. Very nicely done.

My favorite photo is #21 (bird eyes and feathers.) It is a very strong composition (imo) and adorable. Nice work.

03/02/2009 05:56:45 PM · #10

Originally posted by Melethia:

Thanks Deb.

Yes I am looking for a better way to organize the pictures. Thanks for the comments.

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

03/02/2009 05:59:27 PM · #11

Originally posted by fldave:

Hi Prash, well - you asked for it!
A - As Bear_Music mentioned, all in all there is not enough eye contact. I think that is very important in animal photography.
B - Profiles are fine, but several photos were of animals' backs or nearly facing away: (the Zebra, lioness and koala as examples)... not usually attractive.
C - The peacock shots (11-13) look as shot against asphalt. Something green would look better.
D - You got great eyes in bird shots 15 and 16! Love that.
E - I love the selective focus in the penguin shot #14
F - Your bird shots show excellent feather detail. Very nicely done.

My favorite photo is #21 (bird eyes and feathers.) It is a very strong composition (imo) and adorable. Nice work.

Thanks a lot. I take all of it towards improvements:-)

A/B: very good suggestions regardging how to frame the picture or pose the subject.
C: Its funny because this peacock jumped out of its perimeter to knock a piece of chocolate cake off my 4 yr old nephew's hands... then finished the cake idly on the concrete pathway amidst all the kids threatening it.. and casually flew back in:-)
D/E/F: Again, thank you for the encouragement.

pedrobop

Canon PowerShot SX100 IS

03/03/2009 12:34:42 PM · #12

Originally posted by Prash:

Originally posted by pedrobop:
ooops...i criticized the gallery, not the shots. Which are great by the way...

Heh.. np... I wish you had kept that criticism. Please continue...

I think i said that maybe you should offer another tool for us to see the photos. This layout is really cool and beautiful, but sometimes i want to see 1 shot of a tiger, and 1 shot of a gorilla, and by the way the shots are organized i can't jump from the first shot to the last one.
But i was wrong, because i didn't see the "view" option at the upper left! Hehe!
Nice gallery! Sorry!

Yo_Spiff

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

03/03/2009 12:54:21 PM · #13

#16, the closeup of the birds eye, was the first one that stood out and grabbed me. Fascinating detail and very sharp. I liked #17 a lot as well. I'll bet in hi resolution it would be even better. The killer of the group for me, however, was #19, the shot of the bird peeking over it's wing. I see you also uploaded it here. I faved it. I did notice the copy in the slideshow seems to have just a touch more brightness and detail in the feathers.

03/03/2009 02:45:07 PM · #14

Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:

Thanks Steve for the comments! I honestly didnt think #19 would catch your attention. But now I understand what appeals in an animal portrait:-)

Thank you.

03/03/2009 02:46:13 PM · #15

Originally posted by pedrobop:

Originally posted by Prash:

Originally posted by pedrobop:
ooops...i criticized the gallery, not the shots. Which are great by the way...

Heh.. np... I wish you had kept that criticism. Please continue...

I think i said that maybe you should offer another tool for us to see the photos. This layout is really cool and beautiful, but sometimes i want to see 1 shot of a tiger, and 1 shot of a gorilla, and by the way the shots are organized i can't jump from the first shot to the last one.
But i was wrong, because i didn't see the "view" option at the upper left! Hehe!
Nice gallery! Sorry!

Thank you for the comments.

Jason_Cross

Nikon D50

03/03/2009 03:52:14 PM · #16

I think those are excellent. I think you nailed them.

How much post did you do for these? My camera takes no where near that quality of a shot directly from the camera and I am trying to gauge if I need to invest in new gear.

03/03/2009 04:09:44 PM · #17

Originally posted by Jason_Cross:

I actually have ~200 shots from that day. Overall, about 175 of them are usable directly right off the camera, JPEG with vivid style, aperture priority.

So if there is anything missing in those pics (I am sure there is a lot), it is because of lack in knowledge.. not due to the camera itself.

Jason_Cross

Nikon D50

03/03/2009 04:28:53 PM · #18

My camera sucks. The images I get strait from the camera are blury, washed out and they suck. It takes me hours to make them something useful.

That does it, I am in the market. I might get that Pentax if they come back and offer me a great deal like I think they will. If not I might go for a D90 or something.

03/03/2009 05:41:22 PM · #19

Originally posted by Jason_Cross:

But you have some amazing portraits!! I cant imagine what you will do with a beauty like D90 or D300 or a Canon 40D for that matter:-)

Jason_Cross

Nikon D50