Your photos (108)


Hints and tips
by Philip Grosset



If you'd like to submit photos for criticism,
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with comments from Philip Grosset




"I've just seen your great web site...like many others I am a beginner who is keen to improve. Can you see the very english scene, (Teffont in Wiltshire) attached and let me know what you think. I hope the file isnt too big? Thanks." (Graham Briant)
Church cropped
Church
Your photo on the left looks attractive, but I'm not too sure just where you intend the main point of interest to be. Presuming it is the church, I've tried moving in closer in my version on the right, keeping the church just a third of the way across the picture. I've also changed to a more vertical format that seemed to better match the shape of the church. In the process, I've lost the buildings on the far right, but these were really too far away to show up at all clearly. It was a good idea including the shadow and the cow to provide foreground interest.

Reply from Graham Briant: "Fantastic site, thanks for such a quick same day reply, the foreground detail was deliberate & I think your right the vertical format does allow more focus on the church without detracting from the picture. Cheers - Graham."




"How could i have composed this in order to have got more impact from the display behind?. As it was I took this from the top of ladders! The picture was to show the winners receiving first prize for the flower show entry shown." (James Debbage, Norwich)
Flower show rearranged
Flower show
Your photo on the left is a good attempt, but I'd be inclined to cut out what looks like the top of a black backing cloth running along the very top of the picture. The way to get more impact from the display behind would be to show more of it, and this would involve repositioning the prizewinners. I've experimented with one way of doing this on the right. (I've had to cheat by copying flowers into the display as I've no way of knowing what was hidden by the people in the original version. I realise this falsifies the display!) You'd probably prefer to show the whole shape of the display, and to do this it might have been better to have positioned the prizewinners on both sides of it, arranging them alongside or even behind it.




"Here is a picture I took of the Statue of Liberty And Downtown circa 1995 This picture is unretouched it's exactly how it looked after I got it developed." (Joseph Butindari)
Statue of Liberty cropped
It's certainly an amazing sky in your photo on the left, but we're rather a long way from the shoreline. On the right, I've tried coming in closer so as to see the Statue of Liberty more clearly. I've kept in the twin towers and most of the storm cloud in the top right, so as to suggest approaching danger. I realise that this was no part of your intention when you originally took the photo. It's just one of those things that can suddenly occur to you when you look at a picture.




"My names Linc i'm 17 years old and plan to study photography in the future. Heres a photo i took of a vase I think in Black and white. Tell me if its any good." (Linc Gerstung)
Vase
This is a photo that might look more arresting in color. As it is, it's good that you've got the vase so pin sharp, although the picture might be improved by choosing a more interesting background (perhaps more of the library rather than all that emphasis on the side of one bookcase - especially as it's leaning over so alarmingly). I like the reflection on the vase - perhaps this could have been made a photo in itself if we could have seen it more clearly. But. although I think the total effect is a bit muddled (why are the flowers cropped off on the right?) it's an unusual picture, promising interesting things to come.




"Heres two more. The apple was in the kitchen window at my house in CT. I kind of like it. It was with my Nikon N80. I recomend that camera. The other is a Flower in my Aunts garden. I really liked the colors so I took a picture with my Digital camera (canon power shot A20) Thats it. Hope to see my pics again on your sight." (Linc Gerstung)
The main problem here is that everything's out of focus - even the apple. It's a pity too that its shadow didn't extend towards us, rather than disappear off-screen right. It might have helped fill in the large white area in the foreground.
Apple

Flower
Flower cropped
This is a much more pleasing photo - and it really is sharp! I like your version on the left, but I like it even more if you move in just a little to concentrate more on the main flower, as on the right. I've positioned it slightly to the left of center, so that its petals are balanced by the petals in the top right background. A very attractive picture in both its versions.

Reply from Linc Gerstung: "Sorry the apple was out of focus. Must be my scanner. Its in focus in the original."
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