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 I've been trying my hand at some street portraits. Something seems a bit off about this image but I can't really put a finger on it. The first thing that pops out in my head is that he is slightly off-center but that's just a crop error I didn't catch until I was looking over the image one last time. I should also have asked him to move slightly to the right so his shoe isn't right on the border where the concrete ends. His posture as a whole seems wrong, almost like his legs are too short for his body. His red hat also seems to stand out like a sore thumb, is there something that can be done about it in processing? I'm thinking it may have been because I was a bit too high when taking the picture (as in the physical height of the camera) making his body look awkward. Here is the original. What could I have done differently? 
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Feb 14, 2012 22:04
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 03:11 |
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QPZIL posted:Here are my critiques: Fortunately, I did think to take some different shots and ended up with this one. I should have pulled back a little further because the frame is way too tight especially on top.  Here's another version.  I love a well needed critique because it's the only way I'll improve. I'm always going through my pictures and critiquing the hell out of them. Give it to me with both barrels! 
Bioshuffle fucked around with this message at 22:17 on Feb 14, 2012 |
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Feb 14, 2012 22:14
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xenilk posted:Love that one, could you try rotating it so the lines in the background around tilted?  I like it better already and it took all of 5 seconds! Then again, I did shave off a lot of the space around the top of his head, maybe I'll settle for a compromise between the two. After all, the building in the background is on a downsloping hill. All things I'll keep in mind. Thanks for all your input so far, guys!
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Feb 14, 2012 22:29
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xenilk posted:It's kind of throwing me off that both lines aren't aligned in the background, it's hard to tell which is the dominating one (I'd guess the bottom one? But maybe someone can give better feedback on that one). McMadCow posted:Bioshuffle, what do you want those shots to say about your subject? As I said in my reply to xenilk, I want to learn to walk before I run so I'm still preoccupied with trying to master the basics, like good composition and proper exposure instead of trying to convey a message or anything grandiose like that. To answer your question though, I just found his shirt and woolcap really interesting and I wanted to get a picture of it. I hope that answers your question.  I guess a lot of these pictures are a bit boring, especially compared to some of the pictures posted here, but I figure if anything, they will be interesting to me in a few year. Bioshuffle fucked around with this message at 13:34 on Oct 13, 2020 |
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Feb 15, 2012 00:57
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McMadCow posted:Well, it's not really what I meant, but it does illustrate the point that you're looking to record something when you could be using a camera to say something. Case in point:  I think this is an interesting picture, but when you look at it- it's still someone just kind of standing there doing nothing interesting. Then again, I have absolutely no idea how to direct someone. I guess the best solution is to continue studying pictures and critiquing my own stuff. Got any book recommendations for me? Thanks for your advice everyone!
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Feb 15, 2012 01:15
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McMadCow posted:Anything by Avedon or Cartier-Bresson. Might as well start from the top! mysticp posted:Two of my favorite "people doing nothing interesting but still being interesting" photographers are Garry Winogrand and Tony Ray Jones (who pretty much specialized in this type of photography). For either one their books are kind of hard to find, try Amazon Marketplace though. Can't believe I didn't think of this before but I'm finally going to set some time aside to read through The Zeltsman Approach on the OP. The length had scared me away initially. Thanks for all the help. Edit: VVV That was it! Thanks! VVV Bioshuffle fucked around with this message at 02:02 on Feb 15, 2012 |
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Feb 15, 2012 01:57
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xenilk posted:He's also awesome at giving critique. Great guy and I'm glad I was paired with him for the print exchange, love to have some of his work here While I was marveling at the way your models are posed (especially the one where she's walking the dog), I had some more time to think about McMadCow's advice for me regarding my portraits just recording when they could be saying something- and I'd love some more feedback on my thoughts. I feel like one of the charms of street portraits is watching how someone reacts to a complete stranger walking up to them and asking for a picture. I've noticed that some people smile, some grimace, some clam up while others to enjoy hamming it up. I almost feel like by directing them in order to convey a message, I lose touch with my favorite part of street portraits, which is to capture people as they are. I feel like the moment I start telling them what to do with their hands or what kind of facial expression they should have in order to convey my message, I'm starting to assert too much of myself into their portrait. Then again, Ansel Adam once said that you don't take a photograph, you make it. I would love to hear what people think about the difference between street portraits versus studio portraits. I was watching a recently uploaded video of Eric Kim doing street photography and I was surprised to see that he has now gotten much bolder, even directing people, flat out asking people to stop smiling as he was taking their pictures, basically changing him from the role of observer to director. Thoughts on this? For instance, I see the picture by Auditore and I'm left wondering if the person was naturally sitting there or if he was directed to pose that way. It's a great picture regardless of how the results were achieved but I had a chance to sleep on all the great critiques I received and this was what came up.
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Feb 15, 2012 16:18
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xenilk posted:First off, thanks Bioshuffle fucked around with this message at 13:35 on Oct 13, 2020 |
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Feb 15, 2012 16:49
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Clown posted:I tried some portraiture. I'm not very good at it, but I'd like to learn properly... I'm more interested in people than buildings and rocks.
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Feb 19, 2012 00:19
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Santa, those shots are fantastic! Did you have to lower the camera to waist level to avoid the "dwarf leg" effect?  DSC_5676 by rustyshackles, on Flickr  DSC_5683 by rustyshackles, on Flickr I was walking around with my camera and came across someone working on their car. Asked them if I could get their picture and they agreed. I'm less than pleased with how they turned out. I can't say I really had a message I wanted to convey, I just wanted to capture someone working on a car. Give it to me with both barrels! I really want to improve, and I'm afraid in order to do that I've got to put my ego aside and clutter this thread with my mediocre shots.
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Feb 26, 2012 20:34
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Santa is strapped posted:Thank you! I don't think I'm at mannequin level yet though haha. Where has he been lately anyway? For the newbies (like myself) could you possibly talk us through what goes on when you meet them? Do you pose them? Do you move them to a better location? Does it all depend on the circumstance and location? Give us the insider scoop!
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Feb 28, 2012 02:03
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Any thoughts on this guide for cropping portraits? I know it's bad to crop off at the joints, but that's about the extent I know. Green lines are good crops and red lines are bad. It was my understanding that it's bad to crop right at the neck?
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Mar 7, 2012 20:00
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 03:11 |
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xenilk posted:What he said... plus in fashion you can cut hands/fingers... but people here (including me) will probably whine like people whining about my picture with the girl having a hand between her legs. Paragon8 posted:haha, I was just giving you poo poo because it was good.
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Mar 7, 2012 23:04
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