got mud?

[Juanjo Viagran]

Hi,
here are some muddy pictures from the weekend..;)




no kidding about the mud..

[Frog]

Oh.....takes me back to my good ol' days and some great mud wars.
I'd like a different focal point with that shallow dof on the first. The sprocket probably.
Shoe shot is good except the background is too distracting.
That's a sweet mud hole in the third. I think its too tight and would like a wider view.
Now how you going to keep that truck clean when you load the bike?

[jbaldocchi]

I like the muddy shoes photo best.

Jim B.

[Photo-John]

I like the muddy shoes photo best.

Please tell us why, Jim. This is a serious critique forum and it's not enough just to tell us which one you like. Tell us why you like it and offer some suggestions on what he might do to improve the other photos. Not only will he get some real advice, which is most likely why he posted on the Photo Critique forum. But you will also learn something while articulating what you think works and doesn't work. The critique is a powerful and traditional part of art and photo education. But parties benefit. And to not offer a real critique is to sell both you and the photographer short. So c'mon, step up and tell us more

Thanks for playing along. I promise, it will make you a better photographer.

[Photo-John]

I think the photo of the shoes is the strongest. The shallow depth-of-field helps focus our attention and the amount of mud on them makes me curious. However, I wonder if that photo would work without the the context of the moto photos. Without those, they'd just be muddy shoes, with no story to describe what happened.

The photo of the muddy swingarm is ok. But it needs something else. It's not really that muddy (at least I don't think so). And there are really only two elements in it - the mud and the bike. I think most photos need at least three elements working together to really be dynamic enough to hold my interest.

The bike stuck in the mud is interesting and a little funny. But it's soft (looks like camera shake) and again - there are only two elements. It needs a person in it or something to bring it to life. I would like to see the rider in it - looking frustrated or amused or something. I think that would make it a much better photo.

The last image doesn't do much for me. It's a "check out my stuff" photo. It might be ok for showing off your truck and bike. But as "photography" not much is happening. It's a document and not much else. Again, a person in the photo looking excited or happy might help. But photos of vehicles alone have to be composed and lit really well to rise above the snapshot level.

Hope that was useful to you. And I hope you realized this was a serious critique forum

[jbaldocchi]

The reason I like your Shoes image is because they have character, it's simplistic and not busy like the other images. Your eyes are directed to the shoes. This image reminds me of something I might see in a Charlie Chaplin movie and It's the only one of your images in B & W.

Cheers, Jim B.