Getting critique?

eyetrip

eyetrip

eyetrip

Soldato
Joined
8 Nov 2006
Posts
9,237
Posting on flickr, you can get exposure from posting to a bunch of groups, but it seems that you either get favourited, a nice comment or no comment at all.

I suppose the number of views to number of comments or favourites can be an indication of how good or "nice" your photo is, but nobody ever seems to give advice on how things could be improved.

I use Flickr for a wider variety of photos, even sometimes deliberately including some that I think are bad, stating as much, but that's not only in the hope of getting some advice, but I also use Fickr for posting to my blog (where I criticise my own work, from the angle of hopefully learning from it)

500px... Well, I have taken to using this as a personal "favourite" photo sharing site, and am far more selective what I post, but again, I would somtimes like some feedback, rather than a virtual "high five".

Have noticed that nobody ever uses the "dislike" feature. It's like everybody is scared of being labelled as nasty or something, when there are some truly bad photos (again, including my own, but I shall be removing those I am less happy with form here).

Only other place I really use is this forum... and again, it's hard to get any feedback. Unless it's to say something nice, nobody says anything at all usually. I am guilty of that too I guess, but that's only because I don't consider myself good enough to criticise others.

So what's the best way to go about getting feedback?
 
Learn the technical side of composition and light, and you will mostly be able to self critique what works and doesn't in your photographs.

If you start your own thread here, people will often give critique if asked.
 
problem with critique a lot of the time its down to personal taste. for example i cant stand the vast majority of hdr pic's but im sure others will think they are the best thing since sliced bread.

as long as your happy with your snap's thats all that matters unless your trying to sell them, then its more a case of working out what everyone else wants rather than yourself.
 
I guess starting up my own thread is an idea.

I understand that a lot of it is down to personal tastes, but sometimes there are definitely things that can be improved, with only a slight change.

For example, this photo:


Sunflower by chris_rabe, on Flickr

I do feel like it should be in portrait, but something just feels off about it.

I am quickly learning that always having a plain black background will get old real quick if it's all I do, but I got some idea's on how to tackle that.
 
As you mentioned it's the black background that kills it for me. Sunflowers should never be on a dead artificial background it just doesn't work. Wanting to light it yourself I can understand but if it's going to be anywhere other than in its natural setting - a garden or growing naturally, then flowers I find need context. It can work as a potted plant but it would need to be a photo showing it as a potted plant, and preferably not on a black background as it just tends to scream "This is a staged photo" which doesn't always work.
 
One thing that a lot of photographers don't consider that 99% of other art forms would immediately consider is the issue of palette. A jet black background doesn't have the same feel as a bright yellow flower and so the two clash if you leave them as such. It's why cross processing is so popular nowadays (as opposed to just being a nostalgia thing) as it forces people into being conscious of their colour composition in their images in a way that photographers who don't have an artistic background rarely would.

I'd go with a neutral pastel yellow colour or a light gradiated grey for the background of a shot like this, or maybe even a wallpaper pattern. Black just clashes with the feel of flora photography imo.
 
Thanks for the input guys.

I knew something was off, and what you say makes sense.

I definitely need to be more selective on using black backdrop.

Of course, photographing these things in natural environment is always best, but when there's rubbish weather, and just feel like learning, indoors it is!

Perhaps I will keep this thread as my critique thread.
 
I use Flickr and 500px for showcasing images mostly, images that have gone through self critique first and I'm 100% happy with the result. I've realised people tend to do as op has said on these sites, just comments and favourites so when I want critique I post on other communities like here or on a couple of FB groups.

Hmm, thinking about it, I tend to critique my own images more than other's, as in, I'm more harsh on my images. Is this a good thing? Not quite sure :o
 
Do a black and white conversion... The composition seems a bit odd to me, the dead space above the flower feels awkward.
 
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