danielb59 Loc: The South

I know that beauty and art are both in the eyes of the beholder. However, I seem to always be on the outside looking in at others versions of photo clarity, sharpness, color rendition, etc. Perhaps it is my lack of astute color vision, my lack of appreciation for the photo's attributes or just my lack of knowledge as to what makes a photo acceptable. I have used several versions of post processing software, but I usually cannot quite figure out what I need to do to make a photo more acceptable.

Further, I have subscribed to PopPhoto for several years and find that I usually cannot tell the difference between the before and after versions of photos that they "fix" trying to illustrate some particular point of photo creativity.

Is there some sort of training or perhaps videos available that would enable me to better understand the intricacies of photo appreciation and manipulation?

ANY response would be appreciated.
Dan

RacerDan Loc: Virden Illinois

I will need to keep an eye on this post, because I have the same problems. Very few of my pictures have any wow value or what ever you call it.

Maybe it is because of our name.

SpeedyWilson Loc: Upstate South Carolina

Consider these words of a master artist, and apply them to your photography ...

"Good painting is nothing else but a copy of the perfections of God and a reminder of His painting. Finally, good painting is a music and a melody which intellect only can appreciate, and with great difficulty."
~~Michelangelo

-----------
Then there is this:

"We usually evaluate creative process in terms of how much feeling or thinking was behind the work or how well the work was done. Isn't there any other way of appreciating the process? What if the standard of excellence was how fully present the artist was during the process?"
~~Kazuaki Tanahashi

jimberton Loc: Michigan's Upper Peninsula

hahahahaha...yes, i heard that if your name is dan, pictures always come out dull. (just kidding)

biggest difference i see between photos that pop and photos that don't is the post processing.

i took a couple of high end seminars from some pretty amazing photographers and all 3 said the same thing......the pop factor comes from the post processing. all said that all digital photos have what they call a "fog" over them....meaning they need a little sharpness and color adjustment to make them pop.

there's a ton of photographers out there that sell their "actions" for photoshop and or elements....and presets for lightroom. there is one action that is used the most and it is called "defog". look at some of the websites and check out the actions that they sell. they are not overly expensive but take a lot of work out of fixing up photos. some of the sites are radlab, lalalanddesigns, kubotoimagetools....if you are interested, i could make you a very large list.

if you are using lightroom....jack davis (one of the best) uses what he calls a 4 step tango. if you follow the 4 steps....you will make your photo pop big time. 1. uses auto to set black and white point
2. sets exposure and blacks 3. sets brightness and contrast 4. sets clarity and saturation. i took one of his seminars and he is amazing..one of the best photographers out there and definitely one of the best with lightroom. he also sells an instructional dvd on his technique at softwarecinema.com

his before and afters are unbelievable.

if you need more info or samples, shoot me a pm.

SpeedyWilson Loc: Upstate South Carolina

And here's one more point to ponder ...

"Art is making something better without knowing what better is until you make it."
~~Darby Bannard

danielb59 Loc: The South

Hey Mister Wilson - Saw your post. I am from northeast Georgia, just across the line from SC. We're neighbors.

Thanks to all for the feedback. Will read, try to understand and consider what is best for me to do. It appears some training is in the offing.

Dan

ebaribeault Loc: Baltimore

We capture images with our cameras which alows the moment to last forever. The images may reflect joy,beauty, sadness and even prehaps history. The art portion is what emotion the photograph brings out to the observer. Keep shooting and enjoy

photoreno Loc: Bradenton, FL

I think what makes a photo interesting and unique is the perspective, lighting, subject, and how you felt when you were taking the photo. That comes with practice and time. I would suggest taking a class on basic photography to learn how to see the light and composition...and everything. Also go to places that are intriging to you and wander around, talk to people, and observe everything, from the weather, to the sounds, the smells, and let that be your starting point for shooting. For me it's kind of a natural progression..nothing forced. Enjoy your adventure, and do not get disappointed if you didn't get something you expected to. It's in the unexpected and the process that of being that leads to photos you love, not the technical, over processed photos. If a photo isn't good, then no amount of PS magic will make it better. It just looks over processed and weak. Just some thoughts...enjoy exploring!

JohnM Loc: Springfield, Illinois

Dan, not being a smart a$$ believe me, I have some similar issues particularly when certain colors are prominent. My problrm, I know, I am color blind to some colors and tones. I also find that mostly, for me, auto focus is almost always cleaner than my eyesight if the rest of the camera is properly set for depth of field, shutter speed so forth.

Maybe your eye is just fine, but perhaps your eye sight is off a hair? May be worth taking a test or two to see?

1eyedjack

I'll only know it (Art) when I see it..

sinatraman Loc: Vero Beach Florida, Earth,alpha quaudrant

bottom line is this, if you like your photos, if they generate an emotional response in you then they are perfect the way they are. It doesn't matter about any technical flaws. Quite frankly i think some photographers are suffering from ocd, for their over obsession with sharpness! Very few of us are going to make a living doing this, so do whatever makes you happy. process to the point you like it. If others don't like your photos its their loss not yours.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Are you more interested in the scientific or aesthetic aspects of photography?

Bigdaver

Do you have a local photo club? I think there is a big difference in actually meeting, bringing your own prints or viewing on a monitor together for evaluation compared to working on all of this alone or online. Seeing yours next to another with real opinions traded is eye opening.
Also maybe an art appreciation class at your local community college?

robert-photos Loc: Chicago

An interesting post, thank you.

For me, you learn over time: photo technique, post process, get better equipment, etc. to produce photos that have that wow factor.

I just looked back at a 1st Communion I shot five years ago: http://robert-photos.smugmug.com/St-John-the-Evangelist-Church/SJE-2007/2007-04-21-1st-Communion
and compared it to my latest 1st Communion: http://robert-photos.smugmug.com/St-John-the-Evangelist-Church/2012/2012-04-28-1st-Communion

I see improvement but am not where I want to be photographically or in post process. I spend an hour or more nearly every day studying photography or Photoshop. If one wants to improve one has to continue to learn and practice. That learning and experience must be progressive and not repetitive.
Training and education is available for free or at minimum cost on the web.

Danilo Loc: Las Vegas

I always seem to like simple ways of learning things. One of those, out of hundreds, is to keep someone's business card that's plain white on the back on your desk, or in your pocket. When you're looking at a photo, whip out that card with a flourish and compare the white with the white areas in the photo: are the whites lighter or darker? Are they bluish, or reddish?
It's only one aspect of judging photos, but it's a good, simple start!