WPC 1535 - Birds Eye View* CRITIQUE: Gryffon 's WPC Entry has been selected for the Photo Critique Forum* to find out what could have done to make it better. Be nice, but be honest as...

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Gryffon's WPC Entry has been selected for the Photo Critique Forum* to find out what could have done to make it better.

Be nice, but be honest as this may help everyone with their craft. Thank you everyone!

From WPC 1535 - Birds Eye View* RESULTS http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/photo_contest_ratings.jsp?pcnum=185

* If you are new to the Photo Critique Forum please read the Section Rules http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-279264-1.html
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Vegetable Soup

(Download)

Gryffon Loc: Coddenham, Suffolk, England

Thanks, comments would be helpful.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

The idea is great. I love that she is surrounded by cooking and kitchen items. The trouble for me is the focus. The blur from the steam doesn't bother me but I think this would be a stronger image with a greater Depth of Field.

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

Country's Mama wrote:

The idea is great. I love that she is surrounded by cooking and kitchen items. The trouble for me is the focus. The blur from the steam doesn't bother me but I think this would be a stronger image with a greater Depth of Field.

CM has got it right. It could be an interesting picture given that it is taken from an unusual angle but the lack of sharp focus let's it down.

Graham

macsmom Loc: S Carolina

I agree about focus. The carrot peels seem the sharpest to me. Window reflection on the stove top is nice. It just seems a little busy. Maybe remove half the items in the window? And I find the stuff on the floor behind her distracting. I think the spoons hanging on the wall are a nice touch, but the pots are too chopped off. Great angle.
I'm a beginner, so I may not know what I'm talking about!

Charlie

DavidT Loc: Maryland

I agree with the above comments, and would also add that the offset composition bothers me somewhat. It might help if the counter-top were parallel with the bottom image frame.

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

Nice idea but way too cluttered. If you want to tell a story, keep it to the items needed for the soup - the toaster has got to go, along with the pretty bottles on the window sill ... get the idea?
Oh ... and a sharper image would be nice.

greg vescuso Loc: Ozark,Mo.

I think if this shot could have been taken thru the window from the outside with this same elevation it would improved the composition and eliminated most of the clutter ( granted with window open to avoid reflections) . Great idea just needed some adjusting.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

macsmom wrote:

I agree about focus. The carrot peels seem the sharpest to me. Window reflection on the stove top is nice. It just seems a little busy. Maybe remove half the items in the window? And I find the stuff on the floor behind her distracting. I think the spoons hanging on the wall are a nice touch, but the pots are too chopped off. Great angle.
I'm a beginner, so I may not know what I'm talking about!

Charlie

The comment about too busy misses the point of any working kitchen. Compared to what I have seen of active kitchens this one seems almost sleepy.

Nightski

John_F wrote:

The comment about too busy misses the point of any working kitchen. Compared to what I have seen of active kitchens this one seems almost sleepy.

I don't know. I think perhaps this is too much in the frame. It's not practical to cut vegetables on a board that's hanging over the edge of the counter. It's not realistic. I think if some of the unnecessary things were removed the working station would be more believable. It is a cool toaster, but should have an image of it's own with some toast or waffles ... it doesn't belong in a soup shot. I think anything that doesn't go with the making of the soup should go. Simple is good.

Gryffon Loc: Coddenham, Suffolk, England

Many thanks to all of you who replied. Really helpful comments I can see that clutter and poor focus distracted from the 'story'. I am suspecting by the way that the hands would have been the best thing to focus on.
Anyway some things for me to work on next time, and thanks again to all.

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

as has been said, the focus. Granted, I suspect the camera was far away, but if the focus were nailed. I'd love to see a redo of this shot.

I like the off-kilter and clutter for this image. Wonderful colors. To me it has kaleidoscope attributes and would also consider (once in focus) adding a post-processing circular motion blur to it. You have a whirlwind going on starting with the pans and wrapping around counter-clockwise to the sill, then cutting board, elbow, shoulder, head, pan - just spirals in. I think this is very cool and creative work and deserves another shot.

edit - and perhaps also darken the outsides and do other things to emphasize the spiral and produce a sense of vertigo.