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Viewer's Photos Critiqued: Part 1

And like I preface everything with when it comes to critiquing people's work it's one person's idea of what a photo could be it doesn't mean that it's right or wrong and it doesn't well, it doesn't mean it's right or wrong it's my opinion and that's what it's about so take it for what it's worth it could be worth something so what? We're going to go through a hundred of these images of people have submitted and do that the first thing I'm just going toe go into it right off the bat I can tell that this is a flash photo you can see the flash miss of it right here on these liquid leather pants oh, and she has a nipple piercing if you look close enough, you can see right through the shirt so whoever picked this you can see right through the mesh shirt it it's a flash photos so it doesn't really fall under the low light situations in my opinion composition wise, it's fine it's just it just doesn't fit the situation, eh? So we've got this is interesting they're trying to get the one, two, t...

hree, four people in there's five people in the shot because one person's blocked by the music stand right here, I just wish we didn't cut off the person's head up here I wish that we we didn't do that is the focus the person that's closest to us or is it the people in the background that's one thing we have to try to figure out because the people in the background look better exposed is that correct? You guys agree they look like they're better exposed in this person is too hot like the spotlight is on them so maybe I love the fact that the you can see the notes and everything and then the lights that are bent over that detail right there is awesome I wish they were closer to it it's ok it's not far off but it's not the best and the and the recommendation would be just start with getting that exposure a little better maybe get that vertical in there if you can which may block out the stuff that I like in the photo but I don't know what else we could do with it that that's what I feel about that one all right um the face isn't in focus and this one it's it's I think the ring filled finger is where we're close to it uh this is a classic example of what it looks like when you use noise reduction in my opinion no not my opinion in my opinion you can see how not sharp he is I think think what they're trying to do and this is me putting words in their mouth is trying to get him in focus but missed and then trying to hide the fact that he's not in focused by not overdoing the contrast by sliding back with the clarity to make it glow in the glorious in a little bit it's a cool shot I would like to see him and focus I think that is the main thing or if the idea is to get the fingers in motion and get that because that could be what's going on here with a slow shutter speed that the hand isn't focused then we need less of the face in the frame distracting from the image that's what I get out of that david it's a david bowie shirt this is cool it's a nice composition it's a nice framing it's a little on the yellowish side at least based on my screen I would try a black and white personally for this and and make it a little brighter and then make it a little more contrast which is obviously what I do with a lot of stuff that's what I would do with it because I don't think that there's enough color in here that it's going to hurt the image to go the other way especially that the david bowie shirts printed in black black and white that's what I think I like the shot I do like the frame I don't mind that the elbows cut off I'm sure some people would question well is it all right that the elbows cut off yeah because the microphones in their the faces in there I think it's a good composition and I think it definitely works okay guys got pretty good abs on the right this's this has to be some kind of flash, doesn't it? I mean it's just too it's theirs there's way too much light going on down in this area for it not to be but but composition wise cutting this guys speed office is a no no right there I'm losing it it's a little bit of a dutch angle you can see that his neck is a different color than his face his face was in shadow and what they looked like they did is they dodged his face but then the rest of it doesn't match that's what I feel it's a cool shot it really is a cool shot I think we need to be just framing a little bit lower I don't this I don't know what that is right there but it's a cool shot but just something about it isn't just right you think so just not right. It does look like a hand up there too, so I'm curious if it's a flash shot because of how contrast in thick everything is especially because of the depth of field if this was shot it to wait I wouldn't be seeing that guy in that you know these guys and this guy's holding the camera wrong back here how not to hold a camera one no one is to do that you know this thing underneath? Uh yeah so sorry guy in the background ok, what can we do here? Well it looks like the light is coming from the other side of the face so it looks like we need first to rotate to the other side of the stage if possible if not possible then don't take the photo at all because there's no light on this side of the face which doesn't make this a usable image it all terms of composition zoom in a little more step in a little closer bring the framing and composition down because just there's way too much headroom but first and foremost you got to get the light in the face and if it's on the other side you have to go that direction that's a kitty is really nice shot it I can't tell what it's sitting in but that's interesting sometimes when it makes you think the things that make you go are the ones that are the most interesting I love the eyes I love the fact that it's a white cat and there's not a lot of color in this and it's pretty muted and I think leaving it in color really benefits this image it's making me curious the cat's looking up out on this direction, which is good because there is a lot of head room here but it's leading us there. What is it what's the cat looking at love the eyes here and I love the I I like the shot I like that it's muted and it's not over contracting an image like this if this was over contrary, see, you lose a lot of things in the background, so it just doesn't work in this image. But I like this image fully this is a flash, slow exposure rear currents sink or something like that. I'm just going to skip because we're talking about really natural light stuff wide shot like this. Where is the lead singer? We got a left handed guitar player. Maybe there is no lead singer, maybe it's just a three piece because you got I like the shot. I like the color. I like the field uh the angle I can live with it, maybe in the center could be better, but maybe there's some distraction that they couldn't do it. I don't dislike this, I think it's a shot that I would keep no matter what but as a correction maybe slide over, get more straight, everything even left to right get the mike stand here even with this mic stand here and go from there. But other than that, the exposure is cool. The lighting's cool. We have everybody in the band. I'm pretty sure and I do. I like the shot. Yeah, it's. Obviously, the exposure is is obviously off. And then it's tried to be trying to be brought back. And it's not working, framing perfect composition right on all of the other stuff. Except the exposure is off. And obviously, if the exposures often makes it hard to bring this image back inside. It's obviously under expose and they're trying to pump more light in there. But there's, no light on the face. So it's just not gonna happen, but everything else about the image is right on. You agree with that one, russ. In the meantime, are there any questions or just keep going through? I'd say let's. Keep going through. Yeah, I just needed some water. That's fair talking a lot. Talking a lot. That's a ballerina guy school on background isn't distracting. It's kind of it's, obviously it's it's a silhouette it's thick. The contrast is thick here. Is it a ballerina? Are they wearing? Valerie isn't just a person in a window? I don't know. I can't tell, but it doesn't matter I like it, I like the mysterious nous back to it we have a watermark in the bottom corner didn't notice it not really a big deal here d for big deal but it's not a distraction I like this image I like what's going on it that's really all I can say about it something like this is not a keeper it's not a keeper because there's no light in the person's face part of the problem here is the lights look at the lights there led lights they don't work too well when it comes to lighting up a stage the cans that we had yesterday were much better because they put out more light the's a leads either pulsate or just put out a harsh single color and I don't I don't personally like them but this shot really it's just not a keeper based off of the fact that you can't see the person's face it doesn't work uh is this a scan of a four by five negative probably not nayef graphic ten but it could be it could be a negative scan of whatever that says up there I mean it's just this is open toe artistic interpretation there's not much else for me to say from that you agree? Ok I like the exposure I like that the focus is right there on the subject color looks cool black and white for this may look good as well the only thing is the microphone in the cheek part it's not so much the eating the microphone in this case it's the cheek step into the side just a little bit gives us a little more it's not it's, not a throwaway shot I don't think it's the worst thing in the world I just feel that we have room to step if you have room to step to the side, you're going to set yourself up better when they moved from the mike so it's not so much in their face on what is that sticking in through the guitar? Oh it's a it's a metal guitar very interesting exposure it's a little hot if you want to talk about hiding an image in black and white this is probably one that I would try to hide in black and white teo, do something with it justcause the color doesn't do it for me it's just it's pretty plain maybe focusing in on the middle guitar could be a better idea. But this shot it's not really it's. Not interesting for a music shot, but in terms of exposure, getting the low light, right, they absolutely got it right. Convert this to black and white and maybe it saves it yeah, couple clarifications for people who are who are asking uh, no, you did not see these beforehand no, I have wondering, did you pick these? Our producer aaron picked them out of all the ones that were submitted picked a selection that we're going to get through as many as we can. And these air your raw reaction to him. This is the these are the role reactions you're right now. They haven't seen him and it's cool seeing this and this shots cool. I like the light that's popping off this guy's head. Look at that that's a spot I love shooting with spotlights. There is a distraction here with the oh, these are people, but I can tell. I couldn't tell that and I didn't hate the fact that there was this thing here. And maybe this is shot from a soundboard. I like the exposure. The exposure is perfect. You don't get anything better. This is I think this is contrast. He love the dust or whatever the particles are in the in the air. Of course, I wish that these people weren't here being a distraction. But if this is where they were shooting from, I think that it's spot on for for low light. Yeah, this is good. This is good. We talk about not cutting the guitar off, but this isn't a shot that the guitar is integral to. We get the point, we know that he's holding it are good tar he's holding it down low. Perfect. I like where the microphone is. I like the look on the guy's face. I like the processing for the color that it is nice exposure. I don't give a crap that the background is grainy and noisy. I don't care. I'm looking at this image it's, grungy, it's, grimy it's cool composition is spot on whether it's cropped or not. I can't tell you that what I guess that it's cropped, probably based off of just based off of the composition because I know we're focusing points are and stuff like that. I don't know that it's fully in focus, but if I'm zoomed out to here, it looks fine to me on the screen right now on and I like this I like I like this image. I'm just looking around seeing some things you wearing, my responds? Nope. Okay, this is another one of those flash shots. We'll just talk about it. It's ah it's ah! Rear curtain sinker front curtain sink type of thing where you're popping the flash off this works absolutely does I would pull back on the exposure a little bit I think it's a little too bright pump up the contrast and it's already contracting it's a cool shot for what it is or is it just a flat out double exposure let's think about it it's probably not a double exposure it's probably just ah movement shot I like it I like it it's not something you're going to do with just not using a flash but this is a cool shot I like this one too it's talk about having to get the exposure right? Because the background wouldn't be good enough if the background was, uh you see how bright this is if you're doing if you're not in manual exposure there's no way in hell that you're going to be able to get this exposure right that's because of how much light is bright lite bright light, right? Remember that commercial? Yeah, I don't think you'd be able to get this that well loved the fact that the confetti is dropping love the look on this guy's face I like the sale or looking guy to the left I think this is a cool shot don't really care so much that the feet are cut off because it doesn't distract me I just think it's a cool shot. So nice job uh uh too much hair spoken poet not enough of the face that's it it's just the angle exposures cool it's a little on the mild muted backside but we need some of the face for context here and then that other microphone is pretty distracting on the left so I think we just need to to get the angle right but composition wise if we could see the face and that hair wasn't there so much I think it would be a better shot and it's pretty darn close I said who is that? It looks like the guy from live but it's not ok first off this guy in the pit with his iphone it's not zooming in so it must be already fully zoomed into the resolution. One thing I like the composition like that we see the crowd and the people in there I think we need to pump up the contrast. I think that will take away the green and noise that's in this a little more if you pump this up just a little bit can I do that better? Yes. Just tweaking that just a little bit made it made it better so I like I like that shot but we need to know that that was my only thing that I would change on that that's cool um shooting bigger ladies singing on stage is always harder you don't want to do the tightest of tight shots all the time exposure wise cool I think this works it's not to contrast e it's pretty flat but that that may be what they're going for but the expression on the face may not be the best because it's just off to the side I'm not it's not grabbing me fully there grabbing anybody out there it's ok the composition wise exposure wise that's right where it needs to be but other than that it's not grabbing me and it's just a single image yeah composition wise I feel like her attention is drawing you to the left and when she's so central already itjust that doesn't work for it throws it off yeah, sure and rule of thirds of probably wouldn't end up working either because the way that the hands are on dwi don't know like we're not in the situation to sit here and say what you should do. We could give suggestion because we don't know that she didn't just turn and they were composed with her just looking singing that way I love the fact that the microphone isn't in her mouth and it's off to the side it's just that it doesn't work in this situation hey now that's got to be that's all very powerful light I guess we stated he really has fangs really um okay, we're gothic I've got a ring that's made of metal will be on dh fangs uh I want to see more context in this it's a cool shot but I want to see more context I just think it's overpowering in the face uh I'm not a big fan of ah adding color in black and white images, but if there was ever to be one to be had, it would be this one you know where you pull it to black and white and you just put the eyes out there it's already got thick enough so maybe that works I'm not a big fan of doing that I don't know it's too powerful in the lighting here so I'm not really drawn to that one too much I like these I like this type of photo journalistic shot I like the fact that we have a guitar in here that's giving us context we've got the person lying on the floor singing, reaching that now it's a woman thing other guitar player here maybe a horizontal is going to be better getting the person laying here but this is a winning shot to me I think it works very well I like it wow this this has to be hard equestrian indoors or or at night that's endorse because there's a roof that has to be one of the hardest things to shoot I think that this is a pretty solid image you take everything in in into play here that you know it's indoors it's equestrian you're not using a flash definitely for something like this it's that's a that's a great shot I can't tell you anything other than that I'm not going to knit pick this one because it's pretty good that works I mean, that works right color black there's not a lot of color so it would work in black and white it's pretty grimy with the edit but now that I look closer it's possible that they're not in four yeah, they're not focused so it doesn't work the arm and hander and focus and the face isn't so the on ly thing that I have to say is that you just have to work on getting the focus to the face for something like this because it doesn't work with it on with on the hands and nothing that you do in post processing all the sharpening and clarity that's been added to this in the world is not going to bring back the focus it's just not yes moving on okay, I'm a chick lit head I mean it is what it is getting the exposure right into the beam of light is cool but it's a chick lit head I don't know what I could add to that um why? I don't think just because their head is not straight. I don't think this images straight at all. I think it needs to be straighter, very harsh lighting. So I think getting exposure right they did a good job with, because it looks like this is a low light venue, very low light. We just have to fill the frame or there's too much dead space up at the top, and the crookedness of it is off.