Let me have it

[tim]

I want to enter this image in a national competition, please give me your most honest critique. I'm most interested in critique from people that have entered regional or national competitions, people who know how judges think. I'm not providing context as judges won't have context.

http://mrwild.co.nz/unprotected/potn/HY.jpg

[rcheung07]

Not a pro and have not entered anything into a competition but I love it. Wireless strobe on the right hand side?

[tim]

Not a pro and have not entered anything into a competition but I love it. Wireless strobe on the right hand side?

Wireless ETTL above right, yes.

[SENSEI]

I like the feeling and mood creatied by the colours alot.
You've been able to keep the contrast in the sky relatively safe considering the range of light you were dealing with...great use of the flash.

A couple of nit picky things I would change to ented into a competition where EVERYTHING will be looked at: (I've never entered a competition, so ont sure what they are looking for). But from a personal perspective...

I wish the bride was just slightly angled a bit more to the camera, to see her profile.
There is an island to the right of the groom that is distracting.

I'm not quite sure about the grooms left arm, the space between his arm and body is unsettling? Maybe make it bigger of get rid of it...

Finally, the shadow cast by the flash behind the couple acts like a great diagnal leading line to mirror the shoreline, but it isn't quite straight...there is a bump just to the left of the bride either from grooms hand or uneven ground...I would maybe strighten that out...

Just my 2 cents, and it may not count for anything, but since you've had a lack of replies, I thought I'd get things going...=p

[tim]

Thanks Shane, I appreciate the critique :)

You know what's funny? I didn't set up the exposure. Stu set it all up, I set up the lighting and suggested a pose to the couple, and pushed the button. He had it on Tv, 1/30th, and I didn't even look at the rest since the pics on the back of the camera looked ok. It just goes to show what's important.

[jamiewexler]

I always miss the nit-picky stuff so I'll let others find that. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, I think it's gorgeous!

[CyberPet]

I agree, it's a gorgeous image... the only nitpick I'd have is that I would want her dress in the whole frame, as it's disappearing to the right. I sort of want them to step one step to the left into the image, if you know what I mean. :)

[Ronald S. Jr.]

I think the image throws me a bit. The sun is setting in the background, yet there's an intense light (the flash) shining from the opposite direction. Striking image, but somewhat illogical? You know what I mean?

[shannyD]

I always miss the nit-picky stuff so I'll let others find that. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, I think it's gorgeous!

me too...... but it would have been cool if her dress wasnt cut off at the end of the picture. thats all for me. i felt like i wanted to see all of it. but i love it the picture. i think its well done, great colors, wonderful pose.

great job!!

shannon

[Kathy H]

I agree, it's a gorgeous image... the only nitpick I'd have is that I would want her dress in the whole frame, as it's disappearing to the right. I sort of want them to step one step to the left into the image, if you know what I mean. :)
Funny how we all see things so differently....for me part of the heavy impact of this image was the fact that her dress was blowing out of the frame. It gave it a stronger feeling for me....

[tim]

Thanks everyone :)

[mizuno]

From what I've seen in the AIPP awards books...

Convert to black and white and add noise. :)

Edit: This is the type of thing I'm talking about... I don't think it's any better than your processing, but these moody, grainy portraits seem to win more often than not.

[Jonny]

Tim,

How are you intending to display this image? From my limited experience with competitions i know that presentation counts for a lot with the judges.
The image is really nice and the choice of paper, matte and matte colour can really help you show it at it's best.
I am a big fan of black or white for matte's but many prefer to see a colour that compliments the tones of the image....what are your plans?

With regard to the image itself, as much as i like it i find the shadow cast by the couple annoying. I would try to blend that a little into the foreground to the right of it.

[howzitboy]

i didnt even notice the shadow at all, it kinda blended in with the ground and other shadows. Guess thats why im not a judge.

the shot looks awesome to me. Great colors and great exposure, looks like winner to me. only change id make is go for the rule of thirds and lower them a bit. errrr do they allow heavy pp?

[Bobster]

its a great picture but my eye keeps wandering to the large blown area on the left..

made some changes to the image, i don't know if its the compression to the image or your selections, but there are some halo's around certain parts so i've cloned them out and a few other bits, i've circled the changes

[drogos]

first of ...congrats on great capture ... second..i think you should stick to your pp ...mizuno's conversion being very nice doesn't give the justice to the mood of the picture, I think. This mood comes from dramatic lighting both in BG and FG not from excessive noise and BW conversion ...BW conversion + some extra grain could work great in case of natural lighting but in this case i think Tim presented it just right ...and when it goes to blow out ...well again ...that's what creating this picture ..dramatic light during sunset ..and that's how sunset looks, parts of the sky are blown out even when you look at it with bare eyes :) ..i guess....

[tim]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone. Regarding Matts the advice i've heard from judges is to use white or cream, though for this image I may check with a few people and go with black. I paper with texture might be a good idea. I think it deserves to be color not B&W too, the sky's great. yes part of the sky's blown, the dynamic range is just too high for any camera to capture. I'll consider reducing the shadow from the flash, and i'll probably get rid of the little distractions too. Also I didn't actually set the exposure, Stu set it I just picked up the camera, arranged the couple and lights, and hit the shutter button.

I didn't think i'd put wedding photos up on the walls of my office where I meet customers, but I think I will put this one up. 30x20". Plus it's going on my new business cards.

[joshbehan]

great capture tim, i also like your processing the best.

[Tobster001]

Ok first off great image, you should be proud of it ! As for the competition theres several aspects in your image that may be held against it, and hurdles ive come accross
- As youve stated the blown sky
- their expressions, his face is a little to shadowed, ive been told several time in portraiture/weddings seeing the face is extreemly important and visably lit.. and the bride thats just the angle.
-The shadow line on the beach although it adds to the image it also distracts, maybe try a slight silhoutte
-DOF im searching the background, i like the waves but its not leading me to the image, same goes to the blown sky its dragging me away from the central subject.
-finally the crop , i want to see where the dress is going, also if your the judge and this is an image thats thats delivered to the bride..We should be seeing the entire dress, we all know how fussy brides are about their dresses.
Now if i was going to put it on a wall and its a worthy shot, id print it as a pano and elongate the left side of the photo . Ive attached a light edit, a little overstated but food for thought maybe....
:)T

[tim]

Thanks Toby, I appreciate the feedback and I like the edit! The whole dress was in the shot, but the horizon was an an angle and I lost part of the dress straightening it.

[Bobster]

u got a copy of the before then?

[Kai]

Toby, I really like your edit.
Tim, I know nothing about entering in a contest but I think you have a good chance of placing. Keep us posted.

[tim]

u got a copy of the before then?

I'll grab one when I get home and post it

Toby, I really like your edit.
Tim, I know nothing about entering in a contest but I think you have a good chance of placing. Keep us posted.

Ta :)

I sent it to my mentor, a master of photography of the NZIPP (an earned title here). He said he likes it but things that will count against it are that it was posed, that the pose is average, and that the sky's blown.

[Woogie]

Did you end up sending this image in, Tim?

[tim]

The annual awards were on the same week I took this shot, so may have to wait until next year. I asked my mentor, head of the Wellington NZIPP, he said it was good but wasn't sure it would do well in the awards. I'll probably send it in anyway, only costs $75 or so per entry.

[ErikM]

Tim, I enjoy this shot a lot but there are 2 things that really stick out to me.

1 - blown out sky - this doesn't go over well with the judges :)

2 - shadows on the brides chest

Regardless of those nitpicks, I love this shot!

[Izak]

The overexposed sky does distract me personally although I like the rest of the image especially after all the other little distractions were removed.
The main thing is not that you will be critted because they are there but the will distract from the real subject and beauty (feeling) of the image......my 2c :)