Couple more pictures

[Peter]

I went out of town and we stayed in the nice area of the city (San Jose) and I got a couple of shots. There was enormous potential in the area but I just couldn't turn them into good shots. If you want to see some nice cars though, I got a few good pictures of them :P. Going there next weekend again though, hopefully I will come up with something more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was just an attempt at a still life with a flower and phone in the hotel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was on a wall in the area.

[knives669]

Very nice! I really really really like the picture of the flower. ^_^ Very interesting.

[caskade]

I love that still life man. However, i think that the black and white phone kinda of threw of the warmness of it all. Kinda is like "warm flower, warm wall, warm brown shelves...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!! DARK EVIL PALE BLACK AND WHITE PHONE!!! :shock: i think if you would've just taken the phone out completely...it would've been a more successful shot. GJ on that though...really love it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That wall one.

 

 

 

Interesting to say the least. Lovin the chalky/pastel colors all over the wall on teh shudders and such. Pretty much all warm colors all over z place. The black behind the barred windows makes the colors stick out more, so that actually helps a bit in this shot. Lovin lovin lovin the random tree branches in the corners. Makes everything seem to come downwards in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great shots peter...can't wait to see some more. :D

[unFaith]

Yea, I'd agree with the man above me that the phone takes away from the color somehow. Still a nice shot though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That second one really pleases the eye. There's wonderful rustic feeling with the chipping paint, and the colors just all seem to mesh real well. (though I'd like to see the shot panned a bit more to the right for some reason)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You've got some great potential, and can't wait to see more.

[Timmaaaay]

That picture of the wall is amazing. Perfect lighting, perfect colors, almost everything about it is perfect. Awsome picture, Peter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the still life, I don't really like how the colors clash, also it seems as if the quality isn't too good.

[Aussie_King]

r these photos, or did u draw them? coz if u drew them u must be like the best in the world...man..they look so real....

[Greatsilverwyrm]

I want to say I like them, but, I really don't.. sorry..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first one seems good at first, but then you start to notice there's really no composition to it, no focal point, and shoddy contrast..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second one is better, but, I think it's too busy, and the type of shot has been overdone, I'm afraid.

 

 

 

My other problem with it is the lack of scale.. there's nothing to compare it to. A person or car in it somewhere would do wonders for it, I think.

 

 

 

Not only for scale but to place it.. if you know what I mean. At the moment it could be some random wall floating in space, it's not grounded..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that I think about it, I think the first one suffers from that problem as well, though not as much. It's too detached from anything..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sure you'll get some better ones next time. :-D

[johnathont01]

Both shots have what it takes to be called good, but they both suffer from problems. The first shot is quite a nice concept but i think the phone looks a little out of place and also the white balance is off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second photo is better technically but as gswyrm said its a bit cliche. But that doesnt stop me from liking it.. :oops:

[Keiphus]

The problem with the first one that I see most predominately is that there is no white balance. I have a feeling that you didn't really edit that picture in post too much, did you? If I were you I would attempt to use a color filter on it, maybe a cool blue and see how that works. Also think about getting some whites in there and possibly some blacker blacks. Overall not a bad picture, kinda cool as a still life but it's one of those things I wouldn't necessarily look at again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second picture is cool but there is one problem that if fixed will do wonders for the photograph. And that is your composition. Although I agree that a sense of scale would help it out as well, I'm going to be a bit more original and try and offer a different critique. (don't get me wrong though, I think GSW's suggestion is the next thing to do for sure)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you set out to photograph something, you have to remember that you are taking a box and putting it around whatever you are looking at. Alot of times our eyes ignore certain things and exaggerate certain things. Cameras don't have that luxury. When looking at this, you probably saw the street or driveway, and everything else around it and thought it would be a good picture, so you took it. However you have to remember that most of us (if not all of us) have never been there, nor do we know anything about that objects surroundings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My point being, I'd like to see you either a) establish the immediate foreground a bit more or B) crop it out entirely. Right now I can see just a tiny sliver of ground/sidewalk and it just doesn't look good. A good rule of composition is that you should either stay a good amount inside the border or completely break it; don't surf that edge line so closely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You should feel honored I posted such a lengthy critique. :P I figure that if it would help anyone it would be you. :o

[Peter]

Thanks a lot for the honest opinions everyone. It helps a lot. Maybe I'll go back to the same spots and try to redo the pictures. I really am interested in learning to do unique compositions, so that's the biggest thing I think I need to work on as it appears obvious. The camera I have, however cool it is, still won't ever be as versitile as a DSLR, but I can't stick a DSLR in my pocket, so it's a compromise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for the first shot, since it wasn't staged at all and it was just in the hallway at the hotel, there wasn't much I could do to it other than the post editing (which of course can be changed). The colors do clash, but a red and yellowish phone wouldn't work well there :P.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Believe it or not I do have the second photo a little zoomed out with a Mercedes in front of it, but it sort of kills the mood. I got three or four shots of this wall and could come up with some unique shots with a little bit of cropping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think next time I'm going to try some shots with the signage around there. There's also a lot of orchids and other flora as well as some unique architecture, but I can't really work with that too well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks again for anyone who posted lengthy critique ( :wink: ), I'll definately consider it next shots I go for.