Guitar man

[yodacreek]

Canon XSI
1/20
f 1.8
50mm 1.8 II
slightly manipulated in photoshop.

What do you think of the color? Composition? Should I PP some more, by how much?

Be brutal!!!! I'm a beginner and taking a class, but my photo teacher sucks. So.

[Walczak Photo]

Well, it's a little hard to tell as the image is so small, but there are a couple of things here that do need some work. I do like the composition itself, but the color looks really flat and under saturated to me. Looks like it needs a lot more contrast and more saturation. Also, it really looks like this image is rather soft and maybe a bit oof.

I think if you were to post a larger image, more people could give you some better constructive feedback, but that's what I've gotten from the smaller image here.

Peace,
Jim

[yodacreek]

Yeah I was trying to make it 150 kb but I messed up. I'll try posting the image again tomorrow when I can get on photoshop at school.

[JuiceBox]

I can't seem to find a focal point anywhere on the photo.

Also, don't blame the teacher; 99 percent of the time, when a student says the teacher sucks, they actually just aren't paying attention/don't try hard enough. (Now watch, he'll come back and say "Yeah, but this teacher really does suck", except now he won't say it because I said this. Damn.)

Edit- Looking at your exif, it appears it may be camera shake. At 1/20th of a second, you really need to use a tripod.

[yodacreek]

I understand what you mean...I may not have worded it well.

I'm deaf. So naturally I depend on my vision for survival/luxury. The teacher says I have a good eye and a good sense of composition. When I said he sucks in my first post, I meant that whenever I ask him for help or critique on things, he always gets distracted by other students and doesn't really help me out in the end. He's a good teacher when he teaches the whole class, but one-on-one? It's a joke. I asked for critique on this picture, he's like "oh it's good." and leaves it at that.

But. *shrugs* I always welcome advice and such.

[JuiceBox]

Huh. How large is the class? It's so difficult sometimes to deal with a single student if you don't go to him during office hours.

[yodacreek]

'bout 20 students. I could try going to him whenever he's available.

[JuiceBox]

Yeah, I would try that. Professors/teachers have more on their mind during class than just teaching, so combining that with having to deal with 20 kids probably makes it pretty difficult to help just one student during class.

[Walczak Photo]

I understand what you mean...I may not have worded it well.

I'm deaf. So naturally I depend on my vision for survival/luxury. The teacher says I have a good eye and a good sense of composition. When I said he sucks in my first post, I meant that whenever I ask him for help or critique on things, he always gets distracted by other students and doesn't really help me out in the end. He's a good teacher when he teaches the whole class, but one-on-one? It's a joke. I asked for critique on this picture, he's like "oh it's good." and leaves it at that.

But. *shrugs* I always welcome advice and such.


This actually reminds me of a professor I had back in college...in fact the man was the single biggest reason I never finished college. You'd ask the man a straight question and he'd say something like "That's very interesting..." and walk away from you. I think in his mind he believed he was teaching you how to think on your own but for the classes I was taking (PC Networking & Repair) it was not only unhelpful but VERY annoying. I ended up with this same guy for 4 classes in a row and because my father and I were paying for this so called "education" out of pocket, I really couldn't see wasting any more money. At the time I was already working for a computer company building top of the line systems (first generation Pentiums were top of the line back then) and this yo-yo had us playing with floppy drives on 286's...quite pathetic.

Anyways, my advice on that particular topic is, if the teacher is inadequate (and many are), know that in regards to photography at least, there is a TON of knowledge out there that doesn't involve a classroom. I'm a self-taught photographer and I've been told that my work doesn't actually suck. Everything I've learned about photography I've learned from books, videos and the internet. The knowledge is out there...it's simply up to you to absorb it.

Peace,
Jim

[JuiceBox]

For not finishing college, you're a smart man Walczak :-P.

[babuszka]

It would be nice to see a bigger photo, but I agree with the first post is that it should need more contrast...The colors combination is great in this one but it doesn't really pop.

Good luck with your class!

[Walczak Photo]

For not finishing college, you're a smart man Walczak :-P.


Thank you for the kind words. I actually have some very mixed feelings about this thing we call "education". I was always a -very- poor student in High School...never liked most of the teachers (or my so called piers for that matter) and quite honestly, going to the park and getting drunk was a hell of a lot more fun! In college however, I did very well and at one point I was even on the Dean's list. Again my biggest issue with not finishing was simply that one professor.

The problem with eduction is that so many people in this world put too much emphasis on having that piece of paper called a "diploma" and not what a person actually knows or is capable of. I've known MANY people who "got really good grades" in school (HS or college) simply because they were good at memorizing the material in their text book for a test but when push comes to shove, they really don't know crap about the subject they were actually studying. On the other hand there are people out there who learn things because they want to learn and quite often, they know the given subject much better than someone who has a "degree". Personally, I'm a big reader...when I become interested in something, I dive right in and read all I can about it. Again...books, videos, the internet...there's LOTS of information about a great many things for a person who wants to learn.

Unfortunately the problem with all of this is that most perspective employers don't really care about what a person can actually do...they just want to see those degrees on the resume. I not only consider myself to be a fairly decent photographer (despite my often unorthodox methods), I also consider myself...and have been told that I am...a good graphic artist. I know Photoshop better than many so-called teachers (of course I've been using it since Version 4 came out!) but because I don't have a stinkin' piece of paper that says I know this stuff, I can't even get a foot in the door...which is why I simply started my own business.

Anyways, I guess the point of this little ramble is that yes...eduction is a good thing. It will open doors for you if nothing else. But "proper schooling" is really just the start. Never assume that what your teachers give you in college or otherwise is "enough"...it usually isn't. If you are really interested in a subject, I encourage people to take it upon themselves to really learn that subject. Academia is a foundation but if you don't build on that foundation and keep building on that foundation, things will never be complete. Also, don't take what a teacher or a professor says as "gospel" (regardless of their credentials) particularly in regards to a subject such as photography...creativity and self expression are far more important (at least in my humble and uneducated opinion!).

Alrighty...I'll go babble some place else now :D.
Jim

[JuiceBox]

I completely agree with you, but I think the problem starts with the students. There would be no way to measure knowledge without some sort of award--or in this case, degree--saying you've learned it. While this is all well and good, like you said, too many people just care about the diploma. Frankly, I just love to learn. I want to learn absolutely everything I can before I die; life is too short to waste it and making it shorter by doing drugs and ****e like that. Instead, I see school for what it is; a place to learn. People forget that this is the intention of school. It's not there to get you a job, it's there to teach you the skills for you to be successful in life. Too many people forget this, and I think that's where the problem comes in.

Sorry for hijacking your thread, Yoda.

[yodacreek]

Hah it's okay, juicebox. I agree with you. I basically love learning, especially when it comes to photography. That's the main reason I came to this forum. There are several sources of learning out there other than just school. It's a shame many people lose that perspective after 18+ years of school..

Okay, is this one any better?

[puadxe]

wow, yeah much better. Don't know how I feel about the motion blur on the fingers. It gives a sense of motion but kinda stands out and distracts me from the player.

Love the colors

personal note: I can't stand it when guitarists leave their strings like that

[Andrushka]

personal note: I can't stand it when guitarists leave their strings like that

have you ever been stabbed by a guitar string cut to the "correct" length??? oh man, it is a terrible feeling for the tiny little whole it pokes in your hand or finger... :D

[puadxe]

then it's not the "correct" length :P

with some extra care in setting them up it's not a problem for me

[frleal70]

The re-edit looks great. Much nicer contrast and colors.

I don't trim my guitar strings. Playing a nylon string guitar, and keeping the strings long allows you to increase the life of the string. This is a huge issue w/ nylon as it's not too uncommon to have to change them once every 3-4 weeks depending on amount of use.

[Walczak Photo]

have you ever been stabbed by a guitar string cut to the "correct" length??? oh man, it is a terrible feeling for the tiny little whole it pokes in your hand or finger... :D

I really gotta go with puadxe on this one! As a guitar player myself, I always thought that looked very sloppy to leave the strings like that. To me that just screams "unprofessional". Whenever I jam with someone who's left their strings like that I have to wonder...if they're that lazy that they can't cut their strings, do they even have the intonation set up or are they even willing to practice? Not to mention I always have to wonder how it is that they can't hear the stupid things buzzing against the headstock like that while they're playing...drives me nuts.

I always snip mine down to about a 1/4" from the tuning post...and believe me, I've been playing for over 25 years and I own 19 guitars...I change A LOT of strings. There's just no excuse for being that lazy. As far as the "tiny hole" in your finger...whatcha doing with your fingers up there anyways? The tuning peg is on the side of the headstock not up by the string post! LOL!!! Sorry...I can't feel sorry for ya there at all. There really are better places on a guitar where your fingers should be.

It also makes for a messy looking photo too :confused:.

Just my $.02 worth,
Jim