mawest

Please Critique and/or leave Comments as to what I could do better. All ideas (or questions) are welcome. This is a multiple exposure shot. It is the first in a series of three that I uploaded recently. I would appreciate comments on individual shots and on the series as a whole. Thanks,

-West

Its better in the Large view. Comments and Critiques are welcome...on this picture or the series in general. Please also take a look at the other two scrints in 'The Letter Series': | The Letter I. | The Letter III. |

 

Look at this one in the Large view. Comments and Critiques are welcome...on this picture or the series in general. Please also take a look at the other two scrints in 'The Letter Series': | The Letter II. | The Letter III. |

Look at this one in the Large version. Comments and Critiques are welcome...on this picture or the series in general. Please also take a look at the other two scrints in 'The Letter Series': | The Letter I. | The Letter II. |

This one was just kind of for fun...please also take a look at the three primary scrints of 'The Letter Series': | The Letter I. | The Letter II. | The Letter III. |

I like how he is framed by the two shoulders in suits. I think that the shot would be stronger (IMO of course) with him glancing up at the camera/two people (just with his eyes, not with his head)...but in this type of work I'm assuming you don't get to direct his pose [grin]. Well done!

This shot isn't really all that interesting, IMO the subject is too far away...

Thank you for the critique...I appreciate your taking the time to look at and write [thoughtfully] about my picture. I also think that the framing/composition with respect to the background is somewhat awkward...I set it up assuming that Ionly wanted vertical shots and then spur of the moment tried out this one. I like having that extra watch tower on the upper right, but I think I should have shifted the setup around to account for the deadspace on the lower right.

As for the terrecotta soldier...he does look to be a sort of guardian (at least I hope so...) I was going for an image that might convey the amount of time that the Chinese civilization has been drinking and cultivating tea...and thus alluding to their expertise. The name of the tea translated is Chinese Famous (direct translation) Tea. Thus I wanted the soldier and the Great Wall...two of the most famous cultural/historical sites in China to figure into the composition. The ad's caption/copy could be something to the effect of, "Zhong Guo Ming Cha, The finest green teas are heir to thousands of years of careful cultivation and ceremony"...

See what you think of the new version I uploaded...I've now softened the background and reduced the effect of the wrinkles in the cloth. Ithink, as you suggested, the product stands out significantly better in this version and I will keep this in mind for my next shoots. Thanks again!

-West

well, if it was in the picture...rather than post exposure problem then I guess I would tend toward leaving it in...especially if it makes more sense on the print. As for the screen version, you might try some dodging to see what happens...it migh tbe worth a shot. If you get time to try the dodge or the crop upload it...I'd enjoy taking a look...

-west

We used to call eating meals, 'going in for some Liu Feng goodness' [grin] after a long and sometimes loooong day of teaching Chinese middle and lower schoolers it was a welcome break. He is a great cook considering what he had to work with, but mainly he's a funny, goodhearted man. Thanks for the comment.

[grin] yeah, I tried the tea-picker-upper-thingy the problem was that it was a western one...also it was metal and that didn't really work with my composition...THe chopsticks wouldn't be with the tea, but they are not out of the range of manners being that the tea could be served with a meal in addition to being part of a 'tea service/ceremony'...I was using them to move the dried tea leaves around in the picture and decided that they worked well as a lead-in to move the eye around...Thanks for the comment!

re: Bert (from below...)

wow...I didn't even see the shadow on the cloth...it makes sense in the pictures I shot that capture the entire scene, but I think you're right, it is distracting this close. As for the reflection of the cup, if I were to have the chance to reshoot this I would probably shoot a bunch more of thi smore minimalist shot and try a bunch of different positions for the chopsticks...thanks for the comment...

-West

I agree completely with Jim Daily...I looked at the thumbnail and thought that it was a gameboy/nintendo game. The composition/cropping is nice considering that timing was not really part of your options...the layout was and there is good space on all sides of the court. I am AMAZED that people are that clear being from so far away, held looking down (did you use some sort of tripod...I assume?), and with a 300 mm lens. Well done! I am attaching my own version...meant to show what I first thought of...not as an insult or anything like that...the photo as is is great...contrast and all.

-west

The hot reflections/sun (IMO of course) detract from your composition. I like the lines/repeated shapes in the tower and I like their faint reflections in the glass. YOu might also try a crop that levels the two crossbars at the bottom.

-west

I like the repetiotion in the trees, but in my opinion the exposure is too dark...this could be a result of the scan if the print is different...Do you have another shot at a different exposure?

-West

Thi sphot seems to draw my attention to her right foot...the bright red and the hot-white edge of the bench take the attention off of the woman herself. Also (IMHO of course) The lighting seems a bit low...her face/body is in the shadows...On the plus side, I do like the selection of colors for her outfit...

-west

Nice shot...I like the full reflection in the droplet. IMO the lower left corner might look better all black...

West

(IMO of course...) You might try adding some specks of water to the apple...makes the fruit a bit more appetising. Also I think the lighting seems a little too yellow (although that could easily be my monitor)...Keep on experimenting...

I think some of the other shots in your folder are more catching than this one. The angle of the shot is nice, it gives me the feeling of watching something go on without actually being (or without an ability to be) a part of it. Kind of a feeling of helplessness. I wish the lighting had allowed more of a view of the man's face...its seems too much in the shadows. Good luck with the project...what was the aim of it? ie...for a nonprofit/government agency/individual?...for donations, awareness, political action? Just wondering...

I like the blues and the green of the water/sky. The scene is quite nice, and the tree in the top left adds some interest by having something up close (to balance the farther away scene), but IMO the tree is too undefined...[sorry, this may not make much sense but I'm going to try to explain what I'm thinking...] I think maybe if you had another sandbar in the foreground or a different type of tree it might work better. The spreading needles are kind of distracting...there. did that make any sense? [grin] looks like a relaxing place.

I wish I could see more of their faces...or more of the surroundings to pull the emphasis off their covered faces...neat idea though.

Daniel...Thanks for the comment, I will see what I can do about a rescan. My scanner doesn't scan negatives (or positives as is the case with this one) as it is a simple flatbed one. As for PS, I agree the scrint doesn't have quite the same snap to it that the print did but I'm not sure how to bring that back (I don't have PS actually I use a mixture of LViewPro and MGI Photosuite that came with the scanner...). DO you know a filter/combination of filers that would do the trick? Seejalata,

Excellent shot! I like the uniform glare on the water, dark/white/dark pattern, repeating cirlces, and the detail you can see in the middle. Thanks for showing this one.

now this is an interesting angle to the washington monument...it doesn't so much give an impression of tremendous height though...maybe if you tilted the camera down a more so that the tip of the monument was higher in the frame...still I like the triangle/pyramid look of yours.

These are a bit more interesting...still, maybe a bit of the ground could help some (IMO)...

You might add in some more of the ground into this...it might give some scale to it...