Some Of My Amatuer Photographs I would appreciate some feedback Thanks

[lilmizkat 0]

Thanks, guys!lilmizkat

[punkpig5 0]

I'm sorry but i don't think they are very good they're something a tourist would be taking or something.No offense.

[loganbest 0]

I'm sorry but i don't think they are very good they're something a tourist would be taking or something.No offense.

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Please keep in mind that she did say that they were "Amatuer."

[Neverseen 0]

yes they look like amateur photos. but I liked teh cat on the 2nd photo ))))

[Cassandra1405241487 0]

Hmmm. It looks like everyone here agrees that 'amateur' means 'bad'. Of course, the artists and art critics of the Song Dynasty in China prided themselves on being amateurs (and even sometimes pretended to be amateurs when they weren't), and their opinion formed the main stream of Chinese opinion until Mao decided that it was a no-no.. And quite a few of the most famous artists in the West started out as amateurs: if my memory is holding up, Van Gogh and Gauguin started out as "Sunday painters", and the douanier Rousseau remained one all of his life. I like some Gauguins and Rousseaus, but if the learned gentlemen say that they're no good, who am I to argue?As for being touristy, I am also unenthusiastic about Canaletto, even if I have all of the museum curators and critics against me. I do like the Early Christian and Byzantine "pilgrims' bottles" which were originally tourist dodads, and now fill the world's museums, but once again, if the learned critics on the board say that they are no good because they are amateurish and touristy, who am I to argue?I'm sorry that I can't really say anything about your photos themselves, MizLiz, but in order to make sense out of that kind of photograph I have to know something about the context, and in this case I don't.

[comateen 0]

obviously the first one has been digitally retouched, and you should avoid doing this (in my opinion) photoshop filters has been used and overused.it's always better to look at a real photograp, good or not.

[miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG 0]

I'd go along with comateen in saying that - IF, you're shooting for the mere pleasure of photography, you shouldn't retouch the pictures. Using on-camera filters is a different story, but retouching it the way you did, no longer makes it an authentic photograph. All the details of your composition is spoilt.As for the third photograph, there's some excellent play of light & shade going on in the close background. You should have taken a closer-shot of upper torso, placing the subject in such a place that the same light & shade plays on her features - rendering the effect of light falling through venetian bilnds to some extent. That'd make an excellent composition.

[iGuest 3]

I'd go along with comateen in saying that - IF, you're shooting for the mere pleasure of photography, you shouldn't retouch the pictures. Using on-camera filters is a different story, but retouching it the way you did, no longer makes it an authentic photograph. All the details of your composition is spoilt.

 

As for the third photograph, there's some excellent play of light & shade going on in the close background. You should have taken a closer-shot of upper torso, placing the subject in such a place that the same light & shade plays on her features - rendering the effect of light falling through venetian bilnds to some extent. That'd make an excellent composition.

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Looks like we have a pretty sharp photography teacher here

 

But yeah, those are some excellent ideas. I remember my old photo teacher tellign me about some of these. I guess others found it handy in teaching it to others too haha. Yeah, light has to do with lots of pictures. With the perfect lighting, you can get the perfect effect that can be filtered more easily to your liking, and hopefully others.

[miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG 0]

Looks like we have a pretty sharp photography teacher here 

 

But yeah, those are some excellent ideas.  I remember my old photo teacher tellign me about some of these.  I guess others found it handy in teaching it to others too haha. Yeah, light has to do with lots of pictures.  With the perfect lighting, you can get the perfect effect that can be filtered more easily to your liking, and hopefully others.

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Hehe - don't forget that Photography is like second nature to me. While nobody ever taught me, my dad's a big enthusiast and spends like a bunch on different kinds of camera equipment. He's a natural and doesn't bother with learning all these tricks - he just lets his instincts take control.

 

As for me - his enthusiasm got hold of me very early on - and I taught myself a whole lot starting from the basic of Black & White to Color.. and as much as I could about the various tricks - using light to your advantage etc.. Also in the process I taught myself B&W film and print development. Back home, I have my little but complete B&W lab with a nice enlarger, development tanks, all the developer/fixer chemical.. You can just walk in and start working on your prints

[organicbmx 0]

i dont know what camera you took these with but i guess it was probably a digcam. i also guess that it was on auto function. it would probably help you if you could use it on manual - if you have manual - then you could set a faster shutter speed. if you look at your cat photo it is not sharp. to get a sharper image you need a quicker shutter speed, but may need more light.

shutter speed/aperture/exposure

give those a read and hopefully you can dramatically improve your images quite quickly.

hope that helps

[Divya1405241516 0]

Well, photos are really not prof. But they`re very nice, though I like a cat the most, lol

[bangalore 0]

I think that the first thing you need to look for, before taking a picture, is composition. Composition's purpose is to position the subject at the desired space in a manner that will contribute to the message of your picture, or at the least to make it an interesting/intriguing thing to look at.

 

When choosing a subject and a background to photograph, think first what you the picture to portray - a message, an idea, a concept. When you have that figured out, think about the composition which will best contribute to conveying that concept. Practicing composition is always useful. Try not to place your subject in the middle of the frame; it is rather banal/boring - I try to avoid that unless it is necessary for conveying my message.

 

A little bit about composition variations from what I've learned:

- a subject placed in the center conveys balance, something pleasant and not threatening.

- there are extreme angles which could portray tension, threat

- cutting the subject to only show a part of it at a particular side could say something serious, hard, etc.

 

Try to play with that, and you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

Also, as mentioned in a previous post, if you're using a digital camera, work on AVOIDING the 'auto mode'. It's so much more fun to play with the manual settings; shutter, aparture, all kinds of mode your camera might offer, you'll see the difference in the quality of your photos. Learn your camera to its last pixel, it's great!

 

I like the cat picture the most, I think that it's a pretty cool composition. That cat seems to have a rant floating in the back of its mind I think the blurriness contributes to the manner, but you could work a bit on the colors, to make them a bit more vivid.

 

That's all for now. Keep up the practice.

[miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG 0]

Going off topic here - but I must say, good points bangalore - very good discussion indeed. Keep it up

[Vyoma 0]

Come to think of it, I have been playing around with a bit of photography these days. But I am having serious trouble with the composition.I know that to have manual controls is of flexibility and that brings out a good photograph. But, at present, I have access to only digicams, and that too the simple ones. That means I have to do about with the auto features of those with very little other controls to play with. But, what I think, I can play with is the composition.Looking at the three photograhs attached, the same thing came to my mind. I mean, in terms of light and dark, or the exposure and colour levels, they all are pretty decent. But what makes it look good or not was the underlying composition. Though, it does not seem like much in the output, it does make or break the photograph.That means, I got a lot of work to do on composition. Other than what 'banglore' has provided, does anyone around here know somelinks that can help me with this. Links that would lead me to pages on photograph composition - not the general photography site. (OK, I am a bit lazy to look around, but if you already have links, that would greatly help).

[Seonaid 0]

Yes, i have to agree with Cassandra, I don't think amateur means bad. I consider my work amateur and if I posted a pic asking you all to say what they think I would certainly not want people refraining from any criticism because I'm an amateur. These are pictures that you could perhaps positively pass comment on, but it would be not for their photographic merits. That said, I don't actually believe that was the purpose of them when took. I think the reason why it was said they were touristy is because they look like fun snapshots taken while on holiday. Perhaps they have memories, or perhaps they are just particularly flattering, either way, but these aren't things that we (we being the collective people of a photography forum) can pass comment on, especially as light of the fact that Lilmizkat did not give any background behind the pics.

obviously the first one has been digitally retouched, and you should avoid doing this (in my opinion) photoshop filters has been used and overused.
it's always better to look at a real photograp, good or not.

I definitely agree that Photoshop filters have been used and abused. THAT SAID, i don't think you can completely disregard any form of post production on a photograph. I mean, when done well you don't even notice. Obviously the best thing is to try and do it right when you take the photograph. But I definitely digitally alter photographs to compensate for lack of features on my current digital camera. When I get enough money I am certainly buying a digital SLR (I have my greedy eyes set on a Nikon D200) but until then...the only option of depth of field is through Photoshop. Not the best...but it does suffice. There are many other things you can do in post that are really creative and interesting things you can do in post-production and I don't believe you can complete discount using any of these, especially in lieu of all the many possibilities the digital revolution has enabled. Actually, that would make quite a good thread topic...What are the creative possibilities of digital alteration, what are examples that people have done in post that are effective but don't go over the top. I think that is key, not to go over the top.

Filters are something that I think are quite addictive when you first start to use photo programs. Or maybe that was just me but either way, they can be used to create a desired effect. Halftone can be used to create a comic book or newsprint effect...like the covers of those old pulp fictions. Or diffuse glow can be used to give things a very ghost like effect. I am unsure what effect the filter Lilmizkat used on that photo (like paint daubs or something??) has, perhaps it wasn't best for that photo. I don't know, I'm honestly struggling to think of a photograph where that filter would be particularly appropriate. I must say, I'm not terribly fond of filters. It's not...really...art. I guess you're just telling the program to do it for you. I think when you alter areas personally the results are more interesting, and definitely more original.

But I definitely agree with Bangalore that composition is extremely important. Ultimately, whether or not you use a compact digital camera or not, the composition is what makes it good. I actually think the composition of the first photograph is good, and quite nicely follows from what Bangalore suggested, that a subject placed in the centre conveys balance, something pleasant and not threatening. The composition of the other two are not as good, both needing to be cropped. The 2nd one cropped at the bottom, and the 3rd definitely having to much space at the top, as well as the sides to be honest. It's also not very good that the shadow falls directly over her face. Anyway, that's my two cents