Your photos (149)


Hints and tips
by Philip Grosset



If you'd like to submit photos for criticism,
click here.

with comments from Philip Grosset




"These pictures are all taken without the subjects knowing they were being photographed. I have a Sony DSC-F707 and never go anywhere without it. I have had other digital cameras, but have had this one only a few days and am learning. The last pic was taken with a different Sony digital. I mainly take pictures of people and then compile them in computer made albums or books to commemorate the occasion (mainly for grandkids.) Picture taking is relatively new to me. I could never get a good shot with a regular camera. After getting into computers, digital cameras were the next step. (I do not work and have established this as my hobby). I use PhotoShop 7.0, PaintShop 7.0 and some other minor photo editing programs. I do a lot of "made" pictures for humorous cards etc.
Pic 1 Wedding picture of bride and groom dancing.
Pic 2 Bride and Groom stealing a kiss on the dance floor.
Pic 3. Father of Bride as he watches his 'little girl'.
Pic 4 Daddy comforts younger daughter while older sister is having surgery.
I welcome your comments and any help you can offer." (Cherryl Wiltse - Wichita, KS.)
Pic 1
Your wedding photos are lively and interesting. You've done very well to secure such natural looking shots. All I would question about this one is whether you could do with just a little less space above the couple.
Pic 2 cropped
Pic 2
Another happy picture, but ideally it might be even better with fewer shapes of people in the background, as on the right.
Pic 3 Pic 3 cropped
An effective photo, but, as we don't see all of his hands in the bottom right of the picture but just enough of them to distract our attention away from the direction in which he is looking, I've tried excluding them altogether in my version on the right. It's a pity that his dark jacket melts into the background, but at least there's less of it to notice when you come in closer!
Pic 4
A moving picture, You've got both pairs of eyes near intersections of thirds, and this works very well as a photo, let alone for all the personal meaning it must have for those involved.

Reply from Cherryl Wiltse: Thank you for your comments. I agree with the changes that you made and points that you felt would make for better pictures. Is it possible to send additional photos at another time for more help? I appreciate the time you have taken to do this and think this is a wonderful website."

In response to many requests, I've changed the system so that there is now no limit on the number of photos you can send me - but there is a small charge for all but the first one. Please see my submitting photos page.




"The pic below is a friend of my neice. The shot was taken using a Sigma SA-7, 28-80 lens. I kick myself over and over for changing from the 100-300 lens, but the camera was brand new, and I wanted to try both lenses, which came with the camera for under $380. It was outside the dance studio, where they were having picture day. Direct sunlight, with a Culmann slave flash sitting on the ground. Terrible conditions.The bright yellow outfit, and midday Florida sun didn't help. I added the background in Photoshop.  Do you think it is decent? Continued Success." (R Craig Pitman) 
Dancer
I like the background you've added to your photo on the left, but am not so keen on the stones she seems to be standing on. They are so prominent they distract attention, so, in my version on the right, I've tried darkening them. The main problem, though, is that the girl's face is blurred. This is the one part of the picture that has to be really sharp.
Musician amended
Musician
I don't know why you chose to distort your photo on the left except to make it look unusual. On the right, I've tried to return it to nearer to what it must have originally been, and I've also tidied up the background by straightening it up and removing the little black dots. I prefer this straightforward version.

Reply from R Craig Pitman: "Miraculously you touched on exact concerns I had with the shot(s). I left the sidewalk bright in the dance photo to keep the apearance of the sun coming from the young ladies right shoulder, which left drastic shadows that I tried to hide using a gausssian blur (1.2 pixels) on the face. After applying the blur on 1 layer, erasing over the eyes & mouth give somewhat of a soft fx filter effect. The sun is so great it really hurts this shot. The Neal Schon shot is in tribute to him. The guitar looks a little distorted, but Neal has dropped a lot of weight since the Journey comeback, and it did not show in the horizontal version. I actually have another copy, in which I removed the curtain buttons. I would never put the best pic on the web for one to pirate. I guess I'm learning."




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