Hiya, photo-peeps!

Despite not having attended any Photo Meets for quite a while, I've been trying to keep up with my photography.

Yesterday afternoon a friend guided me to Wortley Hall and I took my camera along. As usual, I'd appreciate comments and suggestions regarding the end results. I've not finished uploading them all yet, but a selection are already on my WebShots page. They can be found here: 1/3/09 - Wortley Hall (http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/570332955FvySJL?vhost=outdoors)

I need my beddy byes, so I'm off for some kip and will finish uploading the rest as soon as I can.

Cheers xxx

Well, I see 30 of you have had a look at this thread to date.

I've completed uploading the photos to the album, and even if I say so myself, there are some crackers there!

Any comments so far?

Sorry djelibeybi, they just don't do it for me. :(

Sorry, seconded. I think some of it might be equipment related, but the composition doesn't grab me either... they're fine as facebook snaps though.

The second one in the album has something nice about it, although I would have tried to exclude the out of focus wall in the lower left corner and plant in the upper left corner.

If you want specific criticism on any of the photos it might be a good idea to include a couple of your favourites in your post, it's hard to give specifics on a whole album. All part of the learning curve anyway (and I'm very much still there) - keep at it!

I like the gate post and the garden gate!

I like the gate post and the garden gate!

And I like the first one, and snowdrops #23

Cheers.

Didn't realise my skills had deteriorated to that degree.

Don't be put off!

Keep at it but when you post some for critique maybe just post a small number and be very selective yourself about what you post. For each pic, be critical and ask yourself why other people should like it. Is it technically good - in focus, reasonably lit and composed, and is it interesting to the eye - which probably means some bright bits these days since we're all getting sick of grey winter days!

Don't be put off!

Keep at it but when you post some for critique maybe just post a small number and be very selective yourself about what you post. For each pic, be critical and ask yourself why other people should like it. Is it technically good - in focus, reasonably lit and composed, and is it interesting to the eye - which probably means some bright bits these days since we're all getting sick of grey winter days!

Thanks.

I'll have to set up a seperate album for that as I use my WebShots page predominantly so friends and family can see them - especially with the Valentine's Day wedding this year.

less is most definitely more in this case. If there are only a couple of crackers, post the crackers! its easy for the impact of a few great shots to become diluted in a heap of other shots. I rarely open every image and look for interesting thumbnails to open...I only wanted to open 2 of your images (although I opened all of them in the end for the purpose of this post!!)
I think you should ask yourself whether you really need to show people 3 photos of the same gravestone, or 3 photos of the same bird in the tree?

I agree with starmag on this one... some nice shots but they get lost in all the "noise" that is all the rest of the pictures.

less is most definitely more in this case. If there are only a couple of crackers, post the crackers! its easy for the impact of a few great shots to become diluted in a heap of other shots. I rarely open every image and look for interesting thumbnails to open...I only wanted to open 2 of your images (although I opened all of them in the end for the purpose of this post!!)
I think you should ask yourself whether you really need to show people 3 photos of the same gravestone, or 3 photos of the same bird in the tree?

I'm grateful for the comments, but just to point out, they were three different gravestones.....not that that's really the point, eh?

Hi djelibeybi, i'm no expert, but in my opinion none of the photos really stand out, there isn't any wow factor, they need jazzing up a bit with different angles, HDR, compositions, lighting etc. Don't become dispondant, strive to get better, i am rarely happy with my photos. All the advice above are personal opinions and you did ask for them in the original post!

I'm not sure I'd want to post any of my pictures here :suspect:... although the op did ask for feedback/opinions, there are ways of saying/giving feedback without sounding harsh. Badly given 'feedback' can put someone off trying again. We don't want that do we? The welcome to this group says you don't have to be professional to post here.

I agree it is better to link only one or 2 shots for feedback, but it is easy to say that without being almost 'nasty'. djelibeybi, don't let it put you off - remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder! :thumbsup:

I dont think anyone is being nasty, are they? If you want to take photos that can only be enjoyed by the person who took them, theres no point posting them publicly and asking for comments...

The important thing about photo critiques, BJan, is not to be put off but to learn from them. Sure there's always a subjective quality to anyone's images but most of us here try to apply the basic rules of composition and lighting etc in order to be as objective as possible, and to give some guidance where there are obvious problems with an image that the photographer can correct in future work.

Djelibeybi has been out on some of our monthly shoots and has produced some good images in the past. And, as you noticed, she did ask for opinions. I'm sure she's not been put off by the criticism of this batch. I hope not anyway!

The important thing about photo critiques, BJan, is not to be put off but to learn from them. Sure there's always a subjective quality to anyone's images but most of us here try to apply the basic rules of composition and lighting etc in order to be as objective as possible, and to give some guidance where there are obvious problems with an image that the photographer can correct in future work.
...snip...

I know it is to learn, and maybe I'm too sensitive (which is why I'll not soon post any of my feeble attempts :hihi: ), but I've seen very little constructive criticism, I think 'they don't do them for me' etc doesn't help? I know my 'I like the first etc wasn't very constructive either, so not being horrible, but if someone wants feedback to learn, and if you say they don't do it for you, then say why and what could be done better?

Granted, it would have been easier if specific pictures were linked to!

Thanks.

I'll have to set up a seperate album for that as I use my WebShots page predominantly so friends and family can see them - especially with the Valentine's Day wedding this year.

djelibeybi, don't think you'd need a seperate album, you could just link to individual photos in your posts, on the webshots page it has just below the photo to the right little buttons, one of which is 'copy the code to post this photo in a forum'

As with previous requests for comments and suggestions, I was anticipating responses such as; "Try this angle", "Consider a different lens", "Lighting conditions would have responded better to these settings", "Maybe this angle would have produced a better composition".

In response to the comments in this thread, I feel upset and confidence in my photographic abilities is extremely low.

Yes - it would be better if I produced a Link to single photographs rather than an entire album, but this recommendation hasn't been made before despite me creating more than one thread of this type.

I was extremely disappointed in the comments placed here, despite in other threads amateur photographers being assured that all their submissions have value and all contributions are welcome. Other than; "I like the gate post", "I like the snowdrops", there have been no specific recommendations on how I could have improved individual shots.

BJan articulated what I wanted to say right from the start - it's just that now I have the guts to say it myself.

Everyone's entitled to an opinion, of course, but I was hoping for more constructive advice from fellow photographers, some of which I've met and got along very well with.

If you post a large number of images, you are less likely to get any specific feedback as it's simply too much work. If however you posted 3 or 4 of the images you thought were the best [and in the thread, not on a separate page], then straight away you are putting a bit more thought into it and people are more likely to give specific pointers when there is a manageable number to look at.

Sorry you feel this way about it Djelibeybi. I don't think that anyone meant to cause undue offence. You did ask for criticism at the end of the day, and you've got quite a bit, most of which is constructive.


Other than; "I like the gate post", "I like the snowdrops", there have been no specific recommendations on how I could have improved individual shots.

I can't help but feel that this is a strange comment however - these posts were among the few that did not, in fact, contain any suggestions for improvement. Are you sure you were really looking for suggestions, or only praise?

The most consistent comments concern the composition of the album as a whole, and I think that it's fair to say that's a good lesson to take home; different paradigms need to be applied when putting together an album for memories/family/friends and for a photographic community.

There is a wealth of collective expertise on this forum, and many people who view things from an expert's perspective. Bear this in mind when reading the feedback, the comments regard the more technical aspects of photography.