critique a noob please :)

[shawnxstl]

These pictures were taken from pretty much my second time ever shooting with anything more than a p&s.
(they were taken with a canon rebel xt)

Give me everything you got. I can take it. be honest. What do you think / what would you have done differently? im a beginner looking to improve.

These are some of my favorites from my second day out.

In and Out


Drops

Mindless fun


Desolate


Hopscotch


Old Mill


Sugarbaby


Tilt


Symmetry?


Broken


This shed is 120+ years old.



A friend pointed out that in the "symmetry?" picture, that the bolts on the sides of the tunnel are mismatched...meaning the picture was at a slight angle.

Do you think that unevenness adds or takes away from the feeling of the picture? I chose the caption because the right side is all lined up perfectly in a sense and the left side is messed up. Im not sure if i like how there are 2 bolts on the left and 3 on the right...

[Frog]

First welcome!
Second, if you want a critique, post one or maybe two related shots. Very difficult to critique each and every one.
As for your symetry shot, since you posted a specific question, I don't think the third bolt hurts it and its an interesting perspective. If you don't like the bolt, it would be easy to crop or clone it out.

[shawnxstl]

Haha. thanks.

I wasn't expecting anyone to judge each and every one of them. Maybe just one or two per person.

the more i think about it, the more i like it different and uneven.

[Bigcity]

I'll pick 2 then. "Drops" I don't think has much value since you really have to look for the small area that is in focus and 'Desolate' has good potential, I have toyed with that shot a bit and having one swing in motion adds some interest or mystique too.

[freedom1500]

Please read the Photo Critique Forum Guidelines.

[polarbeardiggers]

i'll throw my two cents in without sounding too critical, the school yard shoots don't appeal to me that much,sort of mundane in away, cloudy overcast makes it even less appeal, on the positive note, your eye for landscape is very good, stick with that, because for me it was very interesting, good focus, but try not to center your shots so in the middle,look for the building and crop it accordingly to best attract the viewer to what you want them to see right from the start.

looking at bars and chains just hanging and everything out of focus in the background,just really has no appeal, if it where a kids park that had those pretend ships and castle's then it would be more of the " out of normal " shot that would create more attention. .but your off to a good start,.

[rylan]

ill share my opinion on the first one...
seems to me that its well composed other then the blown out sky, i find the sky is WAY to bright for the subject and distract my eye right away
good work though

[shawnxstl]

I'll pick 2 then. "Drops" I don't think has much value since you really have to look for the small area that is in focus and 'Desolate' has good potential, I have toyed with that shot a bit and having one swing in motion adds some interest or mystique too.

Drops...ugh. Trying to get those things in focus took forever! It wouldn't work on auto or manual and thats the best that came out of the attempts

Desolate - I have a few of the swing swinging but they're way underexposed. they looked ok on the camera screen but not on my monitor.

i'll throw my two cents in without sounding too critical, the school yard shoots don't appeal to me that much,sort of mundane in away, cloudy overcast makes it even less appeal, on the positive note, your eye for landscape is very good, stick with that, because for me it was very interesting, good focus, but try not to center your shots so in the middle,look for the building and crop it accordingly to best attract the viewer to what you want them to see right from the start.

looking at bars and chains just hanging and everything out of focus in the background,just really has no appeal, if it where a kids park that had those pretend ships and castle's then it would be more of the " out of normal " shot that would create more attention. .but your off to a good start,.

Personally, I liked the idea of having an empty playground with an overcast sky. Idk...just gives off a kind of depressed feel, but in a good way. Thats just how i see it though. thanks for your insight.
And thanks for the landscape comment as well
As for that building, I can reshoot that thing a million times. its right next to me. lol.
The playground had those things but they were out of frame. Mainly for the purpose i mentioned earlier...I wanted a type of depressing feel to come from a playground where kids are usually having fun, playing with their friends, and enjoying life on a sunny day. (if that makes any sense to you...)

ill share my opinion on the first one...
seems to me that its well composed other then the blown out sky, i find the sky is WAY to bright for the subject and distract my eye right away
good work though

I had the settings all messed up. turned out overexposed.



Thanks for the comments people.
graveyard shoot in about an hour. im stoked
will post pictures.

Please read the Photo Critique Forum Guidelines.

wont happen again.

[F-15_Flyer]

Your composition is very strong in all of these.

You obviously have an eye, I surely wouldn't call yourself a noob.

I'm attracted to all of these, more or less. There's a couple series going on here and I think if you posted the playground pictures seperate from the old barn/building pictures it would work better, in that aspect at least.

I do think I favor the playground shots over the barn shots, but than again I usually find myself being more attracted to geometric shapes than organic matter. I will say that even though it was an overcast day when you shot the barn shots, it produced some rather nice faded tones.

Welcome to the forum.

[shawnxstl]

Thanks flyer.
I've been getting some good composition/good eye comments quite a bit...so i guess its true. lol

I think the sky fits the pictures in the old building shots as well.

Graveyard turned out to not be what i expected. =/
i still got some good shots though.. i'll post them tomorrow.

[shawnxstl]

horay for spam....