Negative comments only please

[Jon Rouston]

Hi All,

I'm looking for some feedback on these images. I don't think I made anywhere near as good photos as I could have done at this location and would like your feedback.

Be harsh, suggestions for improvements are good, but post negative comments even if you can't suggest anything to improve. The couples portraits are what I need to improve on most.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1061/1454786564_6af342acfa.jpg


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1052/1457480186_e434992588.jpg


Thanks in advance!
Jon

[th3r0m]

ooooohhhhh, you're asking for it (although I think our heaviest hitter is out of town for the weekend). I'm not really very mean, but here are my thoughts :)

On #1, I would get them either out of the center of the shot OR have them fill more of the frame. Remember the rule of thirds and the rule of fill the frame (is this a rule? well it is now) Also, I would get rid of some of the foreground as it doesn't add anything to the photo.

On #2, it looks very dark on my monitor, but even bigger, I don't understand the significance of the photo? Is the shed/shack behind them important in some way? What purpose is served by splitting them up? I actually do very much like the expressions of both the bride and groom, but other than that it is not so much bad as just kind of blah (unless of course the shack/shed has real significance to the bride/groom).

Also, not sure what your other photos looked like, but don't be afraid to have multiple angles (not to be confused with tilting), both of these were shot straight on at "snapshot" height; make sure to get low, get high, get left and right, multiple angles can really serve to create more dynamic photos :)

My .02

[th3r0m]

By the by, I would offer that you should change your title from "negative comments only please" to "constructive comments only please," thus inviting constructive criticism which will be a help to many others who may read this post and be facing the same or similar issues as you are, rather than just inviting "These suck" type comments that offer no suggestions for improvement or "Very nice" which while they make you feel good, carry about as much weight as "these suck".

[Jon Rouston]

I'm happy for 'these suck' comments as long as I get a decent sprinkling of useful advice. I know they don't suck too much and so do the B&G, I don't really care about getting flamed by other photographers but I do value their opinions.

What I'm after is precisely what you posted above, an idea of what you don't like about them and why. Thanks!

[kja]

Jon -

Move the pots ;) Never be too reserved in moving things that just add clutter if it's at all possible. I'm a total newbie, but I quickly learned that sometimes you gotta move stuff that can't be very easily cloned out (and I hate doing stuff like that so it's easier to shift something before shooting).

I think I'd rather see #1 shot tighter anyway, but the pots gotta go.

[LORAC]

As a complete and utter novice at weddings, but with an acute eye for framing and detail, these two just look rigid. The pose feels unnatural to them and your compostion reflects it even more. As already stated the pots and paving looks bad and should have been noticed on the day and removed. I'd have coupled them to one side of the window and summerhouse, but that's just my instant take on the location which was worthy of so much more..

[plycon]

Hi Jon,

My opinions. As with all things, your mileage may vary...

#1 - Needs a slightly tighter crop (to remove the wall on the right), or even tighter to just focus on the couple (removing the pot issue). Or keep the arch, and clone out the remaining pot from the revised crop. Also, I'm not on my production system so can't test this in Photoshop - but this image looks tilted slightly (dipping to the left).

#2 - I kind of see what you were probably going for. As others have mentioned - a tad too dark. I'd probably drop the vigennette a bit, and bring back some of the shadow detail. On the monitor I'm using right now - his pants blend in completely with the shadows.

[fordmondeo]

In addition to what others have said, the contrast looks way out on the first one.

The second one, was the bride deliberately trying to look like she was touting for business in a bar?

[Jon Rouston]

Cheers guys -

@fordmondeo - too contrasty? Or not enough?

[notapro]

On #1: If you were going for symmetrical on this shot, and I think it would work here, I would have taken about 3 steps to the right (size of steps propotional to your focal length) and framed it tighter so that you had just that red brick building in the frame. And I would have moved the pots if possible cause it's throwing the symmetry off.

#2: too dark for my taste, and I don't so much care for the pose. Her right arm looks awkward, and the shared emotion I get from them is "this is an odd pose for a picture".

[MALI]

#1 Too centered; tilted to the left. People too small to recognize. Nice location. Ooops, sorry for the positive comment.

# 2 Too much vignetting.

[cdifoto]

They're too small.

[lostdoggy]

1# Bring couple closer to camera further from window, but don't see why the indow was chosen for BG ot very interesting.
#2 The Gazebo is not interesting and don't see why its there. A standard wood Gazebo would've been romatic, vinyl clad and storm window aren't it feels very cold. Again moving couple closer to camera use rocking chair as BG would be more interesting. Use larger Av to blur the BG might work. It would say "let us grow old together forever"

[dmitrim]

I actually like those pictures and would not change a thing. Rules are made to be broken. If you shoot by the book/rules,you'll never advance. You'll be just like everybody else.

[lostdoggy]

Didn't you read the title, Negative Comments ONLY.

[Bailly Photography]

The first is ok, but the second I dont like, I think the small building is the subject and the BnG just happen to be standing there. A little dark.

[Jon Rouston]

Hey don't worry about it. I was just trying to get people to give me what they really didn't like about the pics, but thanks for your comments.

Thanks everyone else as well, your comments pretty much mirror what I was thinking about them. I need to get away from my wide obsession and get some telephoto action in there as well.

Also interesting comments re: dark / contrasty images, maybe I need to recalibrate my monitor again

[tim]

First one's nice, second I wouldn't use a vignette when the couple are on the outside. Generally I want the couple posed together, they just got married and I want to create the feeling of togetherness not seperate-ness (I know that's not a word).