Lessons

Lesson Info

Image Critique

Sometimes it's it's, hard tio kind of comprehend that without kind of seeing live examples and before and afters and so I want to thank everybody for submitting images we got a ton, so, um, I'm so I'm going to go through some of the images and I started going through civil last night and then I was looking at them, hey, this image has a lot of potential, and then I was in like room already, so I just oh, yeah, they cropped it here and it and did some stuff, so I started eddings editing show the photos and I go hey, why don't I just show this in class? Some of the basic things? I mean, I didn't go crazy and bring it into photoshopped anything but just simple things like cropping and, um, you know, maybe dark nixon areas, and I think you'll find that just some of the small things can make a big impact, and when it comes to editing, I kind of feel like when you add it, uh, it's editing is all about making many, many, many, many a million minor adjustments versus those big, sweeping hit on...

e button effect bam! You know, uh, I think it's more about it's just kind of like the lighting, you know, how you finesse it slightly moving it to get that shade and things like that and I think really that's what editing is about sometimes it's not about making some big sweeping changes but when you got a good image is just kind of like massaging it and and fine tuning it better and better and then you just at the end you kind of end up with this great masterpiece that you can really be proud of esso anyways let's get right into that and uh let's ah get into some of the images that you guys sent in and they were really great so let's do it up way going all right great. So I like to this image right? I like how they drag the shutter and they used to flash their and I especially kind of liked how they weren't looking at the camera and one thing I noticed that if you're going I mean it's just the rule that I kind of do andi I think it works well is if you're going to show a full length picture don't make him look at the camera because when people look at the camera you want to see their face and then a and then grandma is going to see that picture for services don't face right? So when you look at the camera it begs someone to look at them and then when it's so far away you know, like uh I can't really see it and you just have this yearning to want to see their face on dso when it's so small then it's kind of hard to do so when you when I do full length I kind of like to create a story and this kind of creates a story I did think though if I don't think I edited this one but let's try to go in there and do some stuff I do think if you kind of just cropped it remember I talked about creating impact and getting away like taking away distracting images what's the main point of this story right anybody maria the couple and the bears and the weight thing right? And so I know he liked he wanted to show that is using like a fish eye lens or whatever but oh he I don't know if it's two years I'm sorry, but I just think that it for me I mean of course this is just my two cents so I'm just you know, I'm here to give you my opinion so but it doesn't mean that's right or wrong I think it just a little bit stronger if you just cropped it because now you get straight to the point also I don't know is the monitor was not his bride or something like that but also the then they get back away control I just learned this control shift l for lights okay, um just a dark and down uh that whiteness there, right? So just even bringing it down and then you can adjust the exposure over here, right? How much you want? I live on those little fading tools right in the sea doesn't that bring the face out more if you squint at the image, squint at it and you see the brightest parts that's those are where your eyes going too? So you're losing intact you what you want them to look at that the person right the people so if you kind of dim that down, they come into focus more same thing with the top, right? I mean, I'm doing this really quickly that you can do it several different ways, but I just want a dark and down maybe you can you mean just take the whole exposure down? I was thinking so you could kind of get that detail better and that so I would have liked to see more detail here because that hot spot is is taken my eye away from them. So it's all it's losing its a great image but there's all these things that you're losing impact losing impact with it and so I think if you kind of go in and massage this one, I think even think taking down this side a bit over here would be better to see that um and so you can really see them come out a bit more all right but I really like the image I think has really good potential so good gel on that okay so let's do that will man I'm I'm getting to be a pro at this stuff man short cuts scott robert doing shortcuts well okay um now I think this is kind of impactful image I kind of liked it you know the eyes and all that kind of stuff but to me when you're doing close up on the eyes I don't know if they could see I'm cool can you guys see me I feel like I'm not used to standing sitting behind something but if you're going to do a close up on the eyes and eyes to me is more of a symmetrical shot you because you in your mind I think you know what you want that turned so you can seem straight on because that's the way you talk to people that's so when you're going to do a serious portrait shot I kind of like it to be a symmetrical kind of everything in the middle kind of thing so it to me if they kind of re cropped it would be a bit more powerful um and maybe shot why I don't know if this is the original if they crop this picture what but if they kind of turned it I think that's more powerful like that I don't know what you guys think anyways I like that and then also ok squint at this image what bright part comes out at you schools on around her nose right? So see how I took that down? Um so if it was going to develop so again very easily I just see that and I take it down guys come out simple thing and it's the subtle things again it's the subtle things that you do that's going to make a difference that's going to give you that kind of classic enduring um image where a new image done right is an image that you khun looked at forever and not get tired ofthe and that's what this these small editing things do it makes it easier in your eyes it's simple it's effortless to look at the picture because when you have all these distracting elements your mind is going what do I look at you there's two it's too much too tired looking at this image make it easy for me that's what you're doing is that make this image easy for me to look at so it's obvious of what is the focus point? Ok, I really like the emotion of this picture and the composition of it but I think this would be a killer image if they had it kind of looks like they just have on camera flash here um and if they had our reception lighting technique that we did yesterday can you imagine it with that better lighting and the back light coming back and maybe if they turn this into black and white I think this would be a powerful image I'm not too keen on looking at tops a head's um a lot but I can live with it because I could I could see these people back there having a great time so I think this image has great potential but I think the lighting needs to be better on it on dh may be the editing turning to black and white when I see extreme emotion and that is the key so I'm always think thinking to myself what's the key element in this picture right to me it's about the emotion so you want to get straight to the emotion why don't you turn everything to black and white because then that's what people are going to be focusing on so when I see extreme emotion and or really solid composition than black and white works okay and if you got both then you've got some something really special um this one I like I've seen this picture before I don't know if I was it another critique or something like that but I really like it it's more of a it's not about creating light but it's using natural light and I like how they're using those um you know, rules nose to the light right? So and so that's what she's doing and they're not looking at the camera I think this picture we totally be ruined if they just both we're looking at the camera and so they're kind of creating a story there on I like it here again a full length picture subject looking at the camera right? And I like what they're doing there this the lights and the smoke and and all that and, uh that seems kind of circus thing I'm not sure exactly sure what's going on down there on the bottoms of juggling balls or whatever I'm not sure, but, um, you know, it's kind of dark and when the subject is looking at the camera, aren't we don't we want a like, in our in our heart going like, well, what's going on in there right way feel like doing that hit the zoom buttons that in looking at her because he's but if you're going to do like I say silhouettes look best when you're kind of doing a shape or you know, if she was doing this and stuff are holding a cooper, I don't know whatever I think it would translate better with the silhouette, but when you're looking straight at the camera like that, we want to see that face and that and there's a lot of darkness in there um so it wasn't kind of clearly presented but I really appreciate you appreciate the fact that this person is trying to do some cool things with smoke and different colored gels and all that kind of stuff so I was gonna encourage this person to keep at it's it's not easy to do all this and put all this together but keep going forward with it don't get discouraged ok? I think this image has, um good potential to I'm not really sold on his expression ah but I like hers and how relaxed it is and I was thinking about this image of that you know, I think they're kind of doing like I don't know it almost feels like they're in a train station or something like that um I would like to see a little bit more detail um in the dark areas a bit more just to let you know what it's kind of doing on their uh and so that's you know whenever you post process something that's kind of landscape sometimes you want to let some of that detail in there but depends what's back there it's like a big old air conditioning unit or something you don't want that but how I'm thinking to myself you know okay and then the posing is not that strong to me but in regards to just lighting I was thinking ok, maybe if they did this more than a black and white mode and then they took that video light and they put a strip across that and then they created some sort of shadowing on their face to create some mystery on it. I think that that kind of feel would translate a little bit better um with this image because I think the light here's the case where the light is too obvious it's just bam there it isthe I want some mystery to it, man. So the the thing is if you have a lot of drama in the back and what drama means it's like darkness and contrast, okay, then you have the subjects and you don't have a lot of drama on them, then it doesn't match to me. I like the lighting situation to met now see he's kind of sort of got some drama going in his jacket, but if you kind of carried that over to the same it to the entire image and you had, you know, like just kind of coming through their eyes and subtle shadows around them in the background drama would match the lighting of the foreground drama, I think we're translate a little bit better, okay, so this is another situation that I see that people do and I call this the background background mistake what do you think I mean by that background background? Well, here they're showcasing the background like you know those mode elisa and all that kind of stuff and they're also putting the subject in the background so I'm confused what do you what do you think you know but I like the potential of this image the you know the lighting's kind of cool and whatever and you know she's got the rich shoes and get the legs there and everything but there's too much a goal man what's going what am I supposed to look at first it's the background background people do that that ok so I will probably be a lot better if they just cropped it tighter ok I also went to the liberty to editing this picture to a little bit so let's get back when you see what I did here control shift l o so happy for myself okay so let's take uh let's see if I do exploit okay see what I did it's squint your eyes and look at her what's obvious the dress I want the face so see how I took the fader to bring this down so her face is that actually you probably if I were really to get in there I would take this down to then take this down so her face would just show him pop because that you know you got to ask yourself because I know it's photographers we go oh I'm just going to try to show it all about wrong approach what's the main thing here what's your main impact of your image make everything supplement bork and hats that main image around it okay and so line I brought back to see how this is brighter here brought back that down yes I bringing everything and down so just her face shows but then still kind of keeping detail you do want to bring get too down too much so you don't see detail but it's just those little subtle things I think that makes a huge difference okay so let's get back out of that groups not supposed to see that stuff uh ok um oh this okay again I really liked the backdrop of this image you know and that and the drama of it but the lighting and the pot's doesn't match match the background right? So it's a very playful pros but the background is very sophisticated with light and darkness and then it and then they just seem like they just blasted it with flash right so I could put this has potential so if I wanted to do this I mean I would have that background and maybe I would just like the since there's kind of dark and light maybe I would just do side lighting on my subject ever look this way or something go forward bam light right there I would do something more like that to match the background because it's got trying to do something playful and fun with something kind of mme or dramatic in the background, and it just doesn't match and see how. See how that light is? Just obvious is just bam, right? There is no shadow to it, but then there's tons of shadow in the background so I like that to kind of match uh, you know, work a little bit better, okay, I like this picture, but again, to me, this is a I'm just going to get it all background background shot so always there a couple of and then if you're going to do a background background, yeah, they're not looking at the camera, which I like, but the posing eyes not good enough to pull this off to do background background, okay? Because when you're opposing a subject, the one thing that I don't like, especially the further away you get from the subject, you can't have two. This is called the two sticks post just together two sticks, right where I'm going to trust when you posing, try to create an angle, right? And so maybe they're leaning in like this you should get my wedding posing, david I mean video because I talked about this a lot about posing, but anyways it's two sticks that does nothing for me, and then the further away you the camera is the worse it looks because it literally looks like just one stick after that point but so you're trying trying to create some triangle or something like that in there maybe if he was leaning against that post they're like that or something and then she was kind of coming in like creating more of a story like that it might have worked on the background background that so in this particular photo I think that control shift l yes um that's more powerful. What do you think? I like that that's bam! You okay? I know you want to show everything but what's your main point here. What are you doing? Oh, yeah I got to show this fountain but really it's about being in love that's the beauty that I like the way that he's delighting bill they're using that back like that catch the water and that was great and then the kind of the coloring on the skin um you got to keep it natural right? And so it looks a little bit too yellow for me here's another way to do it but I made it blew her right and that's my kind of and that's kind of works too, right? So that way that way works but that way doesn't work because I'm loose with my little looking out here okay, just a simple crop I think and make it much more powerful here um she looks pretty and everything and um the lighting looks nice but uh you know, for pictures to submit into something for review I just need something more if you're going to do kind of simple clean lighting like this than the expression on the face and the portraiture needs to be more engaging if not then you need to add more sophisticated lighting to it or something but it's just kind of it's good clean but it's a dead but I need some more connection with her face you know you know I mean you're getting like excited when I do that, huh? But yeah so you know so it's good it's nice but it's kind of robotic you know on and I know I know I know asians are hard to work with sometimes right? But but hey, that was what makes you better write but bring it out come on, give me something not just but right there right and maybe try to do something a little bit more sophisticated lady okay, um I like this in this right? She looks very pretty she's shooting down on the model it looks like it's natural lighting here uh marley who's in paris right now he's been to my paris workshop let's see what do I do hear a tab and controls you have l okay, so let's see yeah that's the window light right so that's natural light but squint at the image well you see you see this area you see her shoulder right so I think if they were to just kind of like the same thing uh tab you just kind of almost brought that down a little bit right I think that would make a difference just that subtle change to focus your eye right good job marley all y'all happy right now I showed one over images okay c c also plans my parents workshop for me so I got to give her some love all right so let's see let's go back here tab tab oh with control surveil very okay who see that damn that I like that that hits you hard right even though it's probably natural light but I really like the light and you see do you see some short side shadow with that right his face you know even though it looks kind of engaged to write so kind of like that feel to it but I really like this photo good job okay I saw this picture and go you know what this ason potential I like this but I just think there's a lot of distracting elements I don't know if they're in the meat market or computer room where they're shipping stuff I don't know they got stuff on a bunch of track await lighting. This is the lighting of the wedding, right? They're probably setting up yeah, this is a deejay there that's the speakers there that's the anvil crate there but there's just a lot of kind of distractions going around. So what is the focus of this image? Them squint what do you see? Yeah, you see that down there all taking away from the impact right? And I think it's composed so well I think if you just did that he would have much more impact you dropping down the this right here you're um kind of focusing more on composition because it's a nicely compose shot by turning it to black and white that's that's kind of like a signal to you that if it looks good in black and white a lot of times it's like, well, I must have did something well composition because it's living off of not using color so I think that's much more stronger and now we have more of a diagnosed here where you're looking across the frame this way I think I just added some more light in there just for the heck of it did I yeah, I did that do it the radiant tool just to make it seem like there's more back like coming in there was I had fun kind of entity was imagining it was my picture or something yeah, ok let's do this do it okay I like this. This is very beautiful. Look at it. You just want to keep looking at it, right? And it's nice. Um I think about it. I think the the for me, I think it's, um, the lighting is a little bit obvious down there, because doesn't this look more sharper? And, uh, it kind of takes away from the face the way this is down here. So maybe I would drop this a bit here, and I would probably prefer some or catch light in her. Aye. Or something. Maybe if they just had a video light toe make the eyes pop out. I mean, this could be an outstanding image. I feel, um but this so I just some minor changes on that, but I like image is using a lot of backlight, but just a little bit, just a cat slide in there. Okay. Let's say you're submitting for competition, okay? The judges want to know that you know about lighting. Okay, so the mere fact that you put it catch light in there that the judges go. Okay, that picture probably would look good, you know, with that side lighting it on the back, but I know he knows about lighting because he wants to put a stronger catch light in there. Demonstrates that he just didn't get like now he or she I'm sorry I don't know who this is that not I'm not specifically talking about this person that somebody just didn't get lucky and got some backlight they want to know that everything is intentional that you do so they look for those minor details like that and say oh yeah ok persons got short side chattel they're supposed well, this person was intentional about this I can buy into it I could see he has talent and the one award you okay? I like the, uh this good picture I like the density of the cut of the color of the contrast, you know and how they pop the flash. Um and, um, you know, from exposure point of view and from a lighting point of view, I kind of like that, but I just don't think the posing lies, they kind of sold itself. I kind of see, like maybe if the suitcase was on the ground and, you know, maybe if she was just holding your son glass isn't looking and waiting or something like that, it would have more of a high fashion, I kind of feel to it, and so I'm not really and then maybe you know, what she was wearing is not really translating in this type of shot either uh so it's like maybe she's running away but then she's got this light flowery sundress you know, unhappy or whatever right? I don't know I maybe it'd be different if she was in weather or something I don't know maybe that's just my desire but anyways I just don't think that post selling it but from a lighting point of view I kind of like what they did there and so keep it up keep working keep working the posing I think also if they cropped the image it would be much more power don't you think like that crop right there bam who we're focusing on here right? Get rid of that extra space right there's extra space in there I don't need it you're losing impact okay, here I I like the lighting idea here and this lighting looks very kind of essential and sexy to me, but the posing doesn't match it. So again here's a case where the lighting looks great how they're using that natural light in there but the posing is kind of block to me. So maybe if you had a you know, leaning against that wall or something and looking back this way longingly or I don't know but it just let me feel the polls yeah, you know what I mean something give me something they're right instead of just right but if she was against that wall right come on big like take me now that hey that would sell it I think you and dana you know thirty by forty on the fritz I love this right so I like it but it's a symmetrical shot okay, this is a symmetrical shot but it's not quite symmetrical right? The lighting is not quite symmetrical uh it's a little bit off to the side the opposing is not quite symmetrical so it kind of loses something with me is like you go like oh, almost for excellence you know it's like oh wow man you could see that picture on the wall or something in a museum where whatever right like almost right uh so it's really cold so you could you know, so you maybe maybe you would submit this in the competition and I you know like oh that's a great triad probably seventy nine and then you're going home and go I got it's every day I wait those other pictures were like not as good as my yes, this is an impactful picture but you just didn't demonstrate to me that she could finish it off you're so close but like not quite keep working at it, right? Okay, um I kind of like this, but I think here uh we've got some competing elements here uh and so I like her there see how they're exaggerating background and foreground so you know what the look at first, but I think if we move the couple into this dead space over here, then you can see this and then you can see that that would be better and to me, the lighting on the subject is what I like to say again is too obvious it's too I need some subtlety to I need to see some shadow on him and I need to see some shorts latch sort short side shadow on his cheek hair they would sell it more because that background has what high light and darkness so I got to see some highlight and darkness there, so if you're creating drama in the back with their lighting, you need to create drama more drama with your lighting on the subject, and you didn't need to learn how to position the flash better, right? So you notice a lot of these pictures it's like, hey yeah, exposures right on what it always comes down to the position of the lighting that's hardest part and so that's, why it's like it doesn't matter to me I'm getting tons of e mails about like my triggering system can you control the flash power on, you know, like that's the major thing of it, but you all know, because I'm changed if my assistant is changing the lighting position I could just have him change the power very easy. So it's not that much of a big deal to me, but it I like where this person is going with this image is just need to be looked worked a little bit more, even if you did that, I think if you made the drama on the lighting and you could probably turn this picture to black and white and even and I think that would look powerful too. Yes, yes. Questions. Oh, yeah, sorry. Questions that clip stand so I mean, this is great and thanks to everyone that submitted the photos yeah, and I hope they don't take it personally because this is, you know, it's a rewarding experience, and they should see that the great tips that you're getting so and I really like how, you know, you're teaching us how to crop I mean, obviously you probably don't do much cropping because you see it on camera, but I do a lot of cropping. Yeah, I am, not perfectly so that was my question because I think I think beginning photographers to they like to think a little bigger, so if I have to go only morning, my best images you want to be my hard drive no, yeah, no, I mean, yeah, so, um I kind of like sea this is stuff that I would shoot that's why I had to get in to edit it because I kind of feel like all of these could be my images to write so um yeah definitely I mean, these I wouldn't be shown it if it didn't have potential okay, so I'm just okay so when you submit the images okay, this is like, welcome to big boy's club you're going to go ahead and submit I'm going to judge it as if you want to be world class I'm going to be your daddy and I'm going to ride you okay? And so if you don't if you don't want to, you don't want that don't step into the big boy's club because now I want this is what I want for you I want you to be world class so if I if I sugarcoat it, what good is it to anybody but I want everybody to know that yes it's it's these are really good efforts and I wouldn't be showing it if there wasn't potential so that's why I want everybody to know all right great so here's another one up marley's pictures I like it I'm not sold totally on the posing I like the triangle between the eiffel tower and all that kind of stuff and again, if you squint at it, what do you see yeah you see the light down here and then you see the light on here with the flash wass was so if you kind of just when that isn't that better just that one little thing like that makes it better right um and you know everybody is doing this now the lot the flash behind the couple and doing the rim like that is like that and lighting thing right now right which is cool you know but I just want to let you know everybody's doing it so when you do it it's cool but it's looking a lot like everybody else's stuff to so and so you know I'm just warning you that everybody's doing it too so just realized that not that it didn't work here because I do need to see some separation between them but you're going to see a lot of images like that that's kind of like that in vogue style right now we'll get the backlight and do a silhouette right which is cool but just gold but and I think you know and the posing could be worked a little bit has that two sticks feeling to me two sticks put together on so I think that could be worked a little bit better ok um this I see is a lot of potential okay that's kind of working with this image a little bit right? Well wait wait this has potential what what's not quite hitting me right? Well one rule in graphic design is is that you never put a parallel line next to the edge of the paper see the l read paper safe that tells you how old I am enter the of the frame shop so you see this parallel line here parallel they're parallel here it wasn't shot in the correct way the crop wise okay, also this lamp to me is distracting so you know, I was s so I dropped down the lab but I was a you know, let's take the lamp out of there and then if this person had a video light and made them not this is more of a dramatic pose instead of a happy post because when you make somebody happy grandma wants to go let me see your faces I would say you're so happy right? But it's more of a story to me so I wouldn't make them smile that much and I would take out this light and I would take one video light and I would shine it there so I could get some shadow on them to make it more dramatic okay on and then re crop it a little bit so here's how I kind of re cropped it sort of something like that I think but I know that but if I know they want to show the whole um you know, stares and all but because I didn't I wasn't their toe reposition while shooting it you know I just had the crop out a lot of the information but you see how that this line on the banister is not parallel with this top of there that's a general rule in graphic design teo don't do that okay and then see how I took down that uh lamp but I'm just imagining okay yeah, they did that and then they had more dramatic lighting and maybe they weren't smiling that they were just enjoying the presidents of each other and you just happened to be there and looked down and seeing them in love there just just totally within themselves right? Oh, wow got some potential here okay uh this picture here I brought it up because I like it because remember, I says some of your pictures just have to have an element of surprise to it or humor and I think that's what kind of this one does to me is like all right, you know a lot of these photos that I select you know um in fact I selected a lot of them but it has to hit me in some way past like, right? So when I put down this with this photo I started laughing must have hit me if it made me laugh right? And so I just you know, it's just one of these photos that it it's you know I like how they're matching the sky when they're doing the lighting and stuff like that but it's kind of funny you know, maybe they could have cropped it in a little bit more but it's just one of those photos take it you know as it is um I don't I don't think I would give it an award or anything like that but it's just something that moves me emotionally I like this shot right it's kind of doing the being yang thing there and with that back light there and it's showing a couple in a very artistic way I really like it was like wow man like it captures you you know and it's something that's unique and creative right and that's another thing that the judge is going to look at because they have I seen this before so the judge sees the same photo with the silhouette with the flash behind the couple lighting up the edge of the couple which we've I've seen a million times it's almost like you get a negative because it's a give you something more creative we sent we've been we already awarded that shot three years ago right that's passed I need to see something new fresh were you doing fresh? Anybody concede last year's winners and then look at it and copy it I want you to be a leader don't be a follower be a leader ok you understand that concept it's like and I like that this is this is something that's unique and it's like wow, it makes me want you know what I want to copy that right? Which is cool. Okay, I like this photo to uh it's got some drama to it and the lighting but squint and look at it. What do you see? Address? Yeah, so they could kind of you know, the straightness of the armed bothers me a little bit right here when you have when? Whenever you have for me when you're posing ok, if you have your arms all the way out tension right? It was just when you get into this photo here like right? If you were just kind of bending the alarms back a little bit instead out like this this could be like superman and flying right? But this is more right soul tree, right? So just take that down a bit right? Bring that eye up to your subject. I also opened up the back area here because it was getting closed off a bit so so that I opened up the corner because that's too dark down there right? The judges they want to see detail in the dark areas too, so if you could just open that up a bit you can see more of the photo. This is a little bit closed up here to me, too, I would probably like to see some detail in here to whatever's. There. It's. Probably a nice picture, because this is in a very nice place, because I've been here. Two this's. Embarrassed. Ok.