Critiques

aspiringamateur (151) 2009-06-01 7:55

Hi Krzysiek,
Let me be the first to welcome you to TE! I like your idea here of juxtaposing the gray gothic-style church and the yellow contemporary "BUS" sign. It is effective, but could be improved by adjusting the tilt just a little (look at the pillars of the church-they are not straight vertical). Good shot, though!
There is one thing that we should get straight right from the start: Please write a note! Photographer's Notes are what makes this website different from other photo-posting sites; we are all here because we are curious about the parts of the world we haven't seen. Notes allow us to learn about the world; a photo without any backstory or explanation may be nice to look at, but it doesn't tell us much. Don't feel like I'm singling you out; I tell this to nearly every new member :)
Thanks for sharing,
Whitney

aspiringamateur (151) 2009-05-19 6:55

Hi Mariusz,
I love your "challenge": to show people what they normally wouldn't see in a country so they can really understand the place as a whole. I think that's the mark of a truly passionate traveler :) The photo is, of course, stunning, a lovely little church, not really typical of Ireland in its style, with gorgeous colors and (gasp!) a sunny blue sky! Is it true that the midlands are the place to go for sun? I've heard that; wonder why more people don't take advantage of it.
TFS,
Whitney

aspiringamateur (151) 2009-05-12 7:29

Hi Dimitri,
This is a very moody, zen-like photo and works especially well to show us Irish coastal weather (at first I thought it was B&W!) :) Good classic composition in thirds. The only thing I wish for is a note; since the goal of TE is to learn about the world, I just can't give 2 points without a note. That said, nice post and TFS!
Whitney

aspiringamateur (151) 2009-05-07 10:44

Hi Jimmy,
I really like this graphic shot! The strong light and patterns make this a great one in B&W. And your note is very interesting (if I'm not mistaken, in nature you would not find saguaros so close together, so it's a great explanation). I notice you took this iin 1998--if it's a scan, it is certainly well done technically!
TFS,
Whitney

  aspiringamateur (151) 2009-05-05 7:34

Hi Keith,
Hm, good idea for a composition and great colors, but it's too small! I agree with Winifred, except that I would get rid of that huge overwhelming frame altogether and upload a much larger pic so we can actually see the gannets. Maybe you could also crop some of the cliff so the gannets are off-center and then resize so they have more prominence. Some sharpening after resizing wouldn't go amiss, either :)
Whitney

aspiringamateur (151) 2009-05-05 7:29

Hi Trev,
Yes, the light could have been more interesting, but at least the colors are not washed out in bright sun--count your blessings :) As it is, I think the colors are good and the composition is perfect, very engaging. Hope to see more bluebell shots, if you did indeed go back! Incidentally, I just learned yesterday that it takes several hundred undisturbed years for a forest to develop the right conditions to produce bluebells naturally--which means this forest must be quite old!
Whitney

aspiringamateur (151) 2009-05-05 7:25

Hi Kate,
Clever idea--this reminds me of the famous M.C. Escher stairs print! Unfortunately the amount of movement made this a bit blurry; maybe a faster shutter speed would have been better. But thematically, I really appreciate that you took photos of things besides City Hall and the sectarian murals on your trip to Belfast :) Great note too!
Whitney

aspiringamateur (151) 2009-05-04 8:42

Hi!
I like to see quiet everyday places like this! This photo was a good idea, but your composition could be improved--the tree looks like it's falling off the edge, and there is not much in the frame to keep the eye moving around. I think a vertical composition would be better because it would allow you to put the line between the two fields about 1/3 of the way up, but the tree wouldn't be so close to the corner. It would also emphasize the diagonal lines more, which would be more interesting.
TFS,
Whitney

  aspiringamateur (151) 2009-05-01 6:14

Hi Saadet,
Sorry, but I have to say this shot is disappointing. 1) The horizon is crooked (and would obviously be so because of the patterns in the ocean even if you did crop out the sky). 2) The light is dull and colors are unimpressive. 3) The composition/POV is nothig special. This is a much-photographed shot, the most recognizable place in Northern Ireland (just look at the amount of Giant's Causeway shots in the TE gallery alone). You need to find a more creative way to shoot it, at least if you want to post it on a photography website. I'm sure it's fine as a memento of your trip, but it's just redundant here, given the lack of creativity and how many other photos there are of this place. This is not me claiming to be an expert, just giving advice that I have received and attempt to follow myself!
Whitney

aspiringamateur (151) 2009-04-29 6:01

Hi Doug,
I have to say, I'm not usually a fan of selective coloring. But in this case I think it works well with the distortion to give an unorthodox shot of a much-photographed subject. The dynamic clouds help with the sort of impressive/powerful feel, too. Excellent choice of composition and POV--it seems exactly symmetrical!
Whitney