Greetings from the Critique Club
On the plus side here, the image meets the challenge perfectly. The exposure and focus are accurate, and you've kept the camera squared vertically so the geometry of the framework is not distorted.
Unfortunately, there are a handful of negatives as well: the framing of the shot is awkward (the top of the structure is cut off), the lighting is very bad (too flat), and the post-processing lacks punch. On the framing issue, I realize you probably had to cut off the top to keep things squared up from where you were shooting. The answer would be to zoom out to a wider angle or move the camera back. If this gives too much foreground, then you's crop that.
As far as the lighting goes, this appears to have been shot near high noon, and that's just not working. If you look at the light-colored block lower left, see how it's as bright on the top as on the front? See how the cylinder behind it is totally flat-lit, no modeling? That's hurting you throughout. If the light had been low and to the left or right, it would have been much better. One of the major keys to becoming a "better" photographer is coming to the realization that you are not "photographing subjects", you are "photographing light".
Yes, that's right. Without light, there is no photography. In a very real sense, the "subjects" exist only to reveal the light. So I would recommend cultivating an awareness of light and how it interacts with the environment as a major element in making stronger images.
As far as post processing goes, I don't know what software you use, but to the extent possible just learning to burn and dodge with that software will allow you to darken foregrounds and skies and open up shadow areas where you want to maintain detail, and touches like this make an image carry more visual impact.
Robt. |