St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

mdouglas1'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 1449 - Portrait RESULTS http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/photo_contest_ratings.jsp?pcnum=147

* If you are new to the Photo Critique Forum please read the Section Rules http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-159520-1.html

Flower Child

(Download)

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

realizing my list of wrongs was getting a bit long i thought i would be more diplomatic and note what was good.
Couldn't come up with anything.
Guess i've just seen one more girl-with a flower-on a railroad track than this poor old set of eyes can handle.
that didn't sound very diplomatic or useful either.
Lets try it this way:

(Download)

Nightski

Thank you for the diagram, oldtigger. I think it is very helpful.

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

oldtigger,

You pretty well hit all the nails square on their heads. One area that should be included is the pose of the model. Generally portraits are shot with the model at an angle to the camera.

Had the model been turned 45 degrees, with the flower on the far side, it would not have mattered if the eye were covered. It might have instilled a bit of mystery.

Michael G

BigDen Loc: Alberta, Canada

Why would anyone submit a photo to this section? Regardless of the accuracy of (some) of the comments, the attitude of the reviewer was a disgrace. Did it really help the photographer or was it meant to just make he reviewer feel superior?

Nightski

Oldtigger is not the type of person to ever act in a superior sort of way. If you can't take honesty, then you should definitely not post in this section. WE are here to be serious and work on improving ourselves. Sometimes being honest can come with a little pain. I think we deliver the honestly in a very tactful way most times, and I think Old tigger did a wonderful job. It wasn't personal at all, he just pointed out the problems in a very helpful way.

tsilva Loc: Arizona

He didn't submit it, it was submitted "for him" :roll:

mdouglas1's WPC Entry has been selected for the Photo Critique Forum

Nightski

The rules in the contest clearly state that when a person enters the contest he/she also agree that their photo may be offered up for critique. Reading the rules before participating in something is always a good idea. :-) If the author of the photo wants me to delete the thread, all he has to do is ask. I always accommodate people that want their threads deleted.

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

Well, the owner of this image has certainly taken a bashing! That's critique for you though, and we have to accept that, even though most people reading it probably think it could be handled more gently. The image is not good, but has all the potential to make a nice shot - pretty girl, nice flower, soft, natural light. I like B&W, and I like natural light, so that's a good start. The position of the flower, doubtless intended to startle or be controversial, just does not work in the overall scheme of things. So, as Oldtigger suggests, turn the subject a little and put the flower somewhere else. Expose to bring the contrast up a little - and if adjusting in pp, remember every tweak should be subtle, and bring a decent tonal range into play. The burned-out area should be addressed when re-composing the shot and, if it must include the track, again follow Oldtigger's advice and make it more obvious. Baggy pits? Hardly, but better arm position would help. Sour look and straggly hair - all part of the teenage look that may be what we were after in the first place, so that's the photographers choice. I'd really love to see what mdouglas1 responds with, assuming the model is still available.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Hi BigDen, if the photographer is capable of taking honest criticism onboard, and then determining their own position from that critique, then I think that yes, this critique will help the photographer immensely.

Why would anyone submit a photo to this section? - To get honest critique instead of just gladhanded "nice shot" answers.

oldtigger is not your "superior" sort of guy. His critique was given in good faith to try to be helpful.
And noncomplimentary critiques such as the one he gave, can be some of the hardest to give.
The easiest and least helpful critiques to give are the warm and fuzzy "nice shot" critiques.

One of the biggest obstacles to people improving their photography is settling for "good enough".
Any incentive that this section can provide to help people see their own photos objectively, to see something they did not see, to not settle for good enough, to want to do better is exactly what this section is for.

BUT, a critique that sees this image from a different perspective, a person that has many strong points to list about this image, is just as valid a critique, as the one that oldtigger listed here.

BigDen, feel quite free to participate and to give your own honest critiques if you feel you have something to add to this section.

jonsommer Loc: Usually, somewhere on the U.S. west coast.

Although the critique offered wasn't sugar coated, it was useful, honest and straight from the heart, and if the photographer wants to, he could learn much from the comments offered, and maybe even improve his portraits from them. I hope oldtigger takes the time and gives me equally honest critiques when I post, as he did here. And, frankly, this isn't a very good portrait, so, oldtigger, you should get a gold star for your truthfulness..