*Official* Post Your Pictures Thread

NikonGuy

banned
Thanks... care to say why? After all, I feel that part of being a good photographer is to leave constructive feedback when you say you don't like work. ;)

Horizon is not straight, Majorly over exposed in the most important part of the picture, Vignetting should have been fixed as it is quite strong and does not do the photo a favour, it is correctly composed, should have stood maybe 3 ish yards or so to your left so you still get the rocks but remove the distracting buildings on the left side of the photo. Appears to me that in the very front is out of focus, for a photo like this f/22 would be considerably better. The colors are considerably off as well.The vignetting really screws with the photo.

Now if you are just a hobbyist who likes to go out do some snapshots than they are just fine. But truth be told that particular photo would be highly improved if you went manual or at least AP priority so you can get f/22. Basically since you have the D3200 you should've tripod-ed it, make sure the horizon is straight ( My camera has a built in horizon meter ) and since you shoot raw and process everything, I think it would have been vital too do some auto lens corrections to drop out that discoloration. I can see how over exposing the middle can look nice if keeping it in limits. But it just washes out the photos and causes far too much distraction. I remember you told me you prefer to spend time composing your shots rather than messing around with manual. That's fine manual isn't for everyone, but then really compose you're photos. One thing to try to get more sense of depth and wow factor is get lower to the ground. Anyone can see when you just stand and snap the picture, and people can also tell when you get in position and really compose the shot in angles others don't shoot. Also for this shot going vertical also would have help. When I have photoshop re installed I will do some processes and just show you round about what I mean. I cannot really do anything with the images I save because they are low res jpegs but i'll give it a go anyway. And I'm not being a dick, i'm telling you what I find done wrong in the photo if you ever want to be taken as a serious photographer. I'm no saint myself but i've been going to school dedicated in photography for some time now and I have learned a lot. Next classes will be on Lightroom lol, right now I can only use photoshop..
 

Geoff

VIP Member
I thought it was pretty awful.. :confused:
This isn't a photo critique thread, it's simply a thread for people to share photos they took. I don't believe he was looking for anyone to critique his photo, and even if he was there is a difference between constructive criticism and being rude.

Horizon is not straight
While true, this is minor, it's maybe off by a couple degrees at most.

Majorly over exposed in the most important part of the picture
Do you have a color calibrated IPS display? I do, and while bright it's not "Majorly over exposed", there are just a few hot spots on the water near the beach and in the lower part of the sky.

Vignetting should have been fixed as it is quite strong and does not do the photo a favour
Vignetting was added in post processing, as you can tell this is not a camera artifact. The use is completely in the mind of the person editing the photo, there's no right or wrong reason as to why it can't be in this photo.

Appears to me that in the very front is out of focus, for a photo like this f/22 would be considerably better.
You do know that the highest apertures of lenses do not have the best IQ, right? Most lenses have their peak IQ around f/8-f/14, and tapers off when wider or narrower. Besides, using an f/22 aperture may not work if he does not have a tripod and would rather not have a high ISO.

The colors are considerably off as well.The vignetting really screws with the photo.
It's slightly cool, but I wouldn't say the colors are considerably off, the vignetting only darkens area, it doesn't mess with the colors.

Now if you are just a hobbyist who likes to go out do some snapshots than they are just fine.
Again with being rude.

But truth be told that particular photo would be highly improved if you went manual or at least AP priority so you can get f/22.
How do you know he didn't shoot Av?

Basically since you have the D3200 you should've tripod-ed it, make sure the horizon is straight ( My camera has a built in horizon meter )
So does my Canon, but this photo can't be more than a few degrees off, and it's easy to make that mistake during the physical action of depressing the shutter button.

And I'm not being a dick, i'm telling you what I find done wrong in the photo if you ever want to be taken as a serious photographer.
Yes you are, it's one thing if he asked for you to critique him.

I'm no saint myself
This is obvious from your astrophotography photo thread.

i've been going to school dedicated in photography for some time now and I have learned a lot.
That's great, except photography is an art, there's nothing right or wrong about how someone chooses to shoot and edit a photograph.
 
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NikonGuy

banned
This isn't a photo critique thread, it's simply a thread for people to share photos they took. I don't believe he was looking for anyone to critique his photo, and even if he was there is a difference between constructive criticism and being rude.

was just a impulse shock to what you said, didn't have time to write a lengthy post, look at the one correct one.
 

Ramodkk

VIP Member
should have stood maybe 3 ish yards or so to your left so you still get the rocks but remove the distracting buildings on the left side of the photo.

I don't think standing to the left 3 yards would've made any difference in this picture.
 

voyagerfan99

Master of Turning Things Off and Back On Again
Staff member
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Fatback

VIP Member
If your photography instructor hasn't taught you that there is no right or wrong a photo is edited or taken then they have failed their job. Every photographer has their style of shooting and editing and if you have seen any of Jason's photos before then you would know this goes along right with his style. I don't have a problem with critiques but there is a wrong way and a right way to go about it.
 

voyagerfan99

Master of Turning Things Off and Back On Again
Staff member
If your photography instructor hasn't taught you that there is no right or wrong a photo is edited or taken then they have failed their job. Every photographer has their style of shooting and editing and if you have seen any of Jason's photos before then you would know this goes along right with his style. I don't have a problem with critiques but there is a wrong way and a right way to go about it.

Well said :good: Just take a look around 500PX. Plenty of people overuse HDR and makes photos look like absolute crap. I personally have no specific style for photos, but sometimes I can get in that bad HDR niche with certain photos and blast out a few overdone HDR's.
 

Geoff

VIP Member
Well said :good: Just take a look around 500PX. Plenty of people overuse HDR and makes photos look like absolute crap. I personally have no specific style for photos, but sometimes I can get in that bad HDR niche with certain photos and blast out a few overdone HDR's.
I used to think I didn't have a style of photo either, until I looked on Instagram where I post my favorite photos and seeing them all side by side, and I can easily see how my photos differ from many other photographers. Many love to have high saturation in their photos, while I tend to have mine give off a more natural look, which goes alone with a more subdued contrast.
 

spirit

Moderator
Staff member
Thanks guys. :good:

it is correctly composed, should have stood maybe 3 ish yards or so to your left so you still get the rocks but remove the distracting buildings on the left side of the photo.
I think NikonGuy meant standing three yards to my right (not left) to cut the houses out. And yeah I agree with him on that. But I shot this with my lens at 10mm which is extremely wide - wanted to capture the view, so I think I probably would've still got them in anyway.

Basically since you have the D3200 you should've tripod-ed it
Huh?

OK so your D7100 has a horizon meter. That's excellent. Yes, I do struggle with holding the camera straight, that's me - not the camera. Saying that because I have a D3200 (that doesn't have a horizon meter) I must therefore always use a tripod when shooting is ridiculous.

Horizon is not straight
Photo looks straight enough to me. Did straighten it in Lightroom but squinting and looking hard it is perhaps a tiny bit off.

Majorly over exposed in the most important part of the picture
Exposure looks fine on my monitor and also Geoff's by the sound of it. Might be that your monitor is quite bright? Slight overexposure is often good on these kinds of shots - makes the water look smoother.

Vignetting should have been fixed as it is quite strong and does not do the photo a favour
Vignetting was added in post. I usually tend to add vignetting to slightly darken the edges. Just my style. You might not like that, but I do.

I think it would have been vital too do some auto lens corrections to drop out that discoloration.
There is no discolouration. You weren't there on the day but honestly (hand on heart) that shot was taken at about midday and the light was starting to go dark. It was also taken on a beach and the cliffs were blocking the sunlight, so the light was a similar 'cool' tone as you see in the photo. Granted, I altered the white balance a bit and added some blue tones to make it a little cooler, but it did look a little like that.

One thing to try to get more sense of depth and wow factor is get lower to the ground. Anyone can see when you just stand and snap the picture, and people can also tell when you get in position and really compose the shot in angles others don't shoot.
Clearly you didn't because I was crouched on the ground. Look at the rocks. Think they'd be that low if I just stood up and shot? I usually tend to crouch down.

10mm focal length may also be making you think that I stood up - makes the rocks look a little higher than they perhaps were (I guess?) but unless you think I'm about 3 feet tall then I think it's obvious to see that the rocks are quite low so I might have been crouching, right? ;)

Also for this shot going vertical also would have help
I don't think going vertical would've helped at all. This is a landscape shot after all. Also not a huge fan of shooting vertically. Just me I guess, maybe you like shooting portrait/vertical.

I'm no saint myself
Evident from the fact that I seem to remember you telling me on the Camera Forum that you got rid of your D3100 and upgraded to a D7100 purely because you didn't want to edit? And also having a huge go at me because I edit my photos? But it seems like you're editing now which is good - a sign of progression. :)

Now if you are just a hobbyist who likes to go out do some snapshots than they are just fine.
Thanks mate. I think that's how everybody, including you with your FujiFilm if I remember correctly, started out. ;)

And may I remind you that the difference between an amateur and a professional is that a professional gets paid. There is no difference in the quality of the work they do - just the money.

I could be wrong but you are not a professional and therefore you are also a 'hobbyist'. And I am guessing that because you keep on asking people to buy your work on 500px you aren't selling as many as you'd like to?



Anyways... Some of these might be repeats, but they are my personal favorite photos that I've shot recently.

Morning on Mt. Washington by Geoff Johnson., on Flickr

Above the Clouds by Geoff Johnson., on Flickr

Geoff, these are two are lovely! :good:

If your photography instructor hasn't taught you that there is no right or wrong a photo is edited or taken then they have failed their job. Every photographer has their style of shooting and editing and if you have seen any of Jason's photos before then you would know this goes along right with his style. I don't have a problem with critiques but there is a wrong way and a right way to go about it.

100% agree.

Clearly Dale has seen over the years that I like to add vignetting which makes my photos recognisable to him. And I've seen that Dale has his own style too which I really like but thanks to that I can recognise that they are his photos. I have a friend who tends to add quite a lot of magenta tone to his photos. Most photographers tend to have a certain style.


Right gonna buy a Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 tomorrow - time to replace the kit lens (which is not always auto-focusing now) and get a lens that's good in low light. Watch this space for some slightly wonky, low light photos shot hand-held with vignetting added in Lightroom taken in auto mode! :good: :rolleyes:
 
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Punk

Moderator
Staff member
Hey Nikon, you have to remember that photography has no rules, just like any other art. While you can use them, these rules often leads you into creating the same postcard photos.

While I didn't like Jason's photo that much I love how each of his photo have something that only him has. The way he shoots them, process them, that's Jason. That, to me is the most important part of the photography.

And this is also why I didn't study photography, I hate how you're taught to produce something within rules.

Geoff on the first pic I would have had less sky, I think you went for the 1/3 2/3 rule?
 

NikonGuy

banned
I don't think standing to the left 3 yards would've made any difference in this picture.

Thanks guys. :good:


I think NikonGuy meant standing three yards to my right (not left) to cut the houses out. And yeah I agree with him on that. But I shot this with my lens at 10mm which is extremely wide - wanted to capture the view, so I think I probably would've still got them in anyway.


Huh?

OK so your D7100 has a horizon meter. That's excellent. Yes, I do struggle with holding the camera straight, that's me - not the camera. Saying that because I have a D3200 (that doesn't have a horizon meter) I must therefore always use a tripod when shooting is ridiculous.


Photo looks straight enough to me. Did straighten it in Lightroom but squinting and looking hard it is perhaps a tiny bit off.


Exposure looks fine on my monitor and also Geoff's by the sound of it. Might be that your monitor is quite bright? Slight overexposure is often good on these kinds of shots - makes the water look smoother.


Vignetting was added in post. I usually tend to add vignetting to slightly darken the edges. Just my style. You might not like that, but I do.


There is no discolouration. You weren't there on the day but honestly (hand on heart) that shot was taken at about midday and the light was starting to go dark. It was also taken on a beach and the cliffs were blocking the sunlight, so the light was a similar 'cool' tone as you see in the photo. Granted, I altered the white balance a bit and added some blue tones to make it a little cooler, but it did look a little like that.


Clearly you didn't because I was crouched on the ground. Look at the rocks. Think they'd be that low if I just stood up and shot? I usually tend to crouch down.

10mm focal length may also be making you think that I stood up - makes the rocks look a little higher than they perhaps were (I guess?) but unless you think I'm about 3 feet tall then I think it's obvious to see that the rocks are quite low so I might have been crouching, right? ;)


I don't think going vertical would've helped at all. This is a landscape shot after all. Also not a huge fan of shooting vertically. Just me I guess, maybe you like shooting portrait/vertical.


Evident from the fact that I seem to remember you telling me on the Camera Forum that you got rid of your D3100 and upgraded to a D7100 purely because you didn't want to edit? And also having a huge go at me because I edit my photos? But it seems like you're editing now which is good - a sign of progression. :)


Thanks mate. I think that's how everybody, including you with your FujiFilm if I remember correctly, started out. ;)

And may I remind you that the difference between an amateur and a professional is that a professional gets paid. There is no difference in the quality of the work they do - just the money.

I could be wrong but you are not a professional and therefore you are also a 'hobbyist'. And I am guessing that because you keep on asking people to buy your work on 500px you aren't selling as many as you'd like to?





Geoff, these are two are lovely! :good:



100% agree.

Clearly Dale has seen over the years that I like to add vignetting which makes my photos recognisable to him. And I've seen that Dale has his own style too which I really like but thanks to that I can recognise that they are his photos. I have a friend who tends to add quite a lot of magenta tone to his photos. Most photographers tend to have a certain style.


Right gonna buy a Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 tomorrow - time to replace the kit lens (which is not always auto-focusing now) and get a lens that's good in low light. Watch this space for some slightly wonky, low light photos shot hand-held with vignetting added in Lightroom taken in auto mode! :good: :rolleyes:
The ONLY reason I said tripod is because A, easier to get straight, but the main reason I said tripod is because I said f/22. Your shutter speed was already at 120th. at f/22, the ONLY way you would get to HOLD your camera is by bumping iso way up, and the D3200 does not have the best noise handling. So If you would have used a tripod you could have possible been straighter, AND you could have used f/22 at iso 100 keeping noise way down. Dont be going through what I say and taking it out of context please. Also, I have not asked for people to buy anything for sometimes, look at the date of the photos where that is. Also, Yes I am now a " local " professional in your terms because yes I am getting hired for all kinda of shoots. Also, yes I'm looking where the rocks are, and when I mean low I mean like camera tilted up a little and being just inches of the ground. And i NEVER said ANYTHING EVER about EVER selling my 3100 and getting the 7100 because I didn't want to edit, WHAT? Are we now going with lies? And no, it is quite over exposed. A lot of people purposely lightly over expose, but in a way that you can still see details. Also yes there is discoloration caused by the vignetting. It goes quite far to the middle of the photo because it is so large. It creates a blue tint over most of the image. When I say colors are messed up its because between the vastly over exposed sky and vignetting, you have 2 very strong tone changes. I could give 2 craps less how any shoots and their style. I'm saying this over the stand point that if you ever wanted to sell a photo such as this, it would never ever get to any professional company. They have strict guidelines as to have a photo has to be, and this photo would most likely not even be accepted on dreamstine.com. I know there are no " rules " to photography in general. But in the professional business there is. And Jason on his flickr saying photography is his passion but yet he seems to refuse to make any effort to better himself, but rather keep thinking hes doing great with auto mode, raw, and lightroom. He can like it that's all good and fine, anyone can like it that's good and fine. But i'm pointing out what I would change if I would have shot it and used it for professional use. Oh, almost forgot. You should SERIOUSLY consider going and checking how may landscape photographers go vertical semi often. There are so many way vertical can help. And in that scene I see at least 5 vertical shots that would be amazing. Shoot how you like, but whether people like the style or not, if you really want to move on in photography and want to ever move to a professional audience, well that's a while away at the rate you don't want to change. The photos on my 500px btw are coming down because they were tablet edits and I'll have PS soon again where I can drop the noise.
 

Punk

Moderator
Staff member
I could give 2 craps less how any shoots and their style. I'm saying this over the stand point that if you ever wanted to sell a photo such as this, it would never ever get to any professional company. They have strict guidelines as to have a photo has to be, and this photo would most likely not even be accepted on dreamstine.com. I know there are no " rules " to photography in general. But in the professional business there is. And Jason on his flickr saying photography is his passion but yet he seems to refuse to make any effort to better himself, but rather keep thinking hes doing great with auto mode, raw, and lightroom. He can like it that's all good and fine, anyone can like it that's good and fine. But i'm pointing out what I would change if I would have shot it and used it for professional use.

You really sound like a jerk there. What tells you he wants to be professional? Follow guidelines, that's not art. His composition have gotten better, that's what we've been saying.
Most of us hobbyist here are not taking photos to sell, rather for the fun of it. I just hate people like you that only think $$$, photography is not about that. And don't give me the crap about getting better if we follow those "professional" rules.
 

spirit

Moderator
Staff member
So you are aware, I don't shoot in full automatic. I shoot in Program Auto which allows me to have more control and change the ISO to suit and the exposure EV too whilst automatically setting the shutter speed and aperture (as I'm sure you know). And I will shoot in a manual mode if I have to, usually if I want to use a set shutter speed [often for a long exposure].

I have also been shooting more in full manual lately too and beginning to experiment with changing the aperture and selecting it myself and so on but I don't shoot in full manual 100% of the time, and nor do most of the photography enthusiasts on here. See my shots here: http://www.computerforum.com/29533-official-post-your-pictures-thread-694.html#post1952028 most of these were shot in a manual mode whether it be shutter priority or full manual. But just because I don't shoot in full manual all of the time doesn't mean that I don't have a (fairly basic) understanding of the effect that changing camera settings can have. I'm still learning after all! Not going to deny it for a minute!

When I get my 17-50 f/2.8 I'll probably be shooting in aperture priority a lot more to try out using f/2.8 which is an aperture that I've never been able to use before due to hardware limitations of my lenses. :)

But shooting in manual modes all the time doesn't make you a good photographer. There's more to it than that and photography doesn't end when after you've pressed the shutter, as you know. What I do on the computer you might not like, and I accept that, but there you go. Looking on your 500px there are things about your photos that I'm not mad keen on, and there are some things I like about what you have done and that is the way it is.

But I'm not attacking you for it or telling you what you are doing is necessarily 'wrong' because at the end of the day if you didn't like what you were doing or if you thought it was wrong or you thought you were going to receive blunt and insulting negative feedback, you wouldn't be doing it or putting it on the internet to show other people.

And when feedback is asked for, it needs to be given in a constructive way. If you want to go into great depth about photography critique we have a thread for it.

Think about it like that. :)

(For the record the photo was taken at ISO 100 by the way, you can look at the EXIF data on Flickr to see the settings).
 
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