Some mediocre black & whites

[deathcake]

Brutal critique please, I am trying to improve. The colour was boring in these but I made an effort with the composition.

All shot with Canon 50D + Canon 50mm f/1.8

1. ISO 100, 50mm, f/2.8, 1/160sec
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4392137308_8a39a30518.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/deathcake/4392137308/sizes/o/)

2. ISO 200, 50mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4391368603_dbc7c035a6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/deathcake/4391368603/sizes/o/)


BONUS - this was just a snapshot to test exposure/lighting, but I kind of liked how it turned out. Got rid of background by clipping blacks and black brush in Photoshop.
3. ISO 100, 50mm, f/1.8, 1/200sec
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4392182638_80677e784c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/deathcake/4392182638/sizes/o/)

[tonydee]

#1: Challenging choice to put so many important points around the edges of the photo - some details grab attention, but the viewer can't satisfy their curiousity. From that angle, two of the three small leaves off that twisting vine aren't quite as well differentiated in brightness from the background as would be ideal. It worked out well that the eye - once it follows the focused foreground to the leaf at top right, can step gradually through the increasingly OOF and distance leaves back through the centre of the photo. Think an extra feature, like a spider web, could have added to this, but as is has a pleasing simplicity.

#2: I find my eye led quickly to the top edge... somehow it seems the photo was framed too tight there.

#3: Neat, and nicely framed too! Guess they make those things to be cute, and it works :-).

Cheers,
Tony

[deathcake]

Thanks Tony, exactly what I was after =D Funny how the random snapshots turn out to be the best in a day's worth of shooting sometimes.

Sadly #2 is not a crop of a bigger image, the only other shot of those twigs I've got is this one (http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/914/img2116e.jpg)..but I didn't think the DOF worked out well, and didn't manage to crop it into anything good.

[Kleppy]

#1 I'd like more bokeh but that could be done in PP. Otherwise I like the contrast but the wrapping vine seems a tad on the light side.

#2 The DOF is good and whatever is sticking out of the ground is interesting.

#3 I'd give it more contrasts so the hairs can be seen and bring out the "fuzzy".

[tonydee]

Thanks Tony, exactly what I was after =D Funny how the random snapshots turn out to be the best in a day's worth of shooting sometimes.

#1's not worse, just more critique there because it's more complex. Gets you thinking though.... This shot (http://picasaweb.google.com/anthonypon/Ueno02#5173144783829803458) was the result of trying to half-press the shutter so I could begin turning the wheel to reset the exposure compensation; I pressed a little too hard and shot the ground in front of me by accident, but I kind of liked it so kept it around :lol:.

Sadly #2 is not a crop of a bigger image, the only other shot of those twigs I've got is this one (http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/914/img2116e.jpg)..but I didn't think the DOF worked out well, and didn't manage to crop it into anything good.

I like the other image more than the one on here... nice curve through it, interesting lighting, looks more complete in and of itself. Yes - DOF reaching a little higher in the frame would have been good - but I don't think it's a show stopper.

Cheers,
Tony

[deathcake]

#1 I'd like more bokeh but that could be done in PP. Otherwise I like the contrast but the wrapping vine seems a tad on the light side.

#2 The DOF is good and whatever is sticking out of the ground is interesting.

#3 I'd give it more contrasts so the hairs can be seen and bring out the "fuzzy".

Thanks, Kleppy! I'll try out the PP suggestions =)

[deathcake]

#1's not worse, just more critique there because it's more complex. Gets you thinking though.... This shot (http://picasaweb.google.com/anthonypon/Ueno02#5173144783829803458) was the result of trying to half-press the shutter so I could begin turning the wheel to reset the exposure compensation; I pressed a little too hard and shot the ground in front of me by accident, but I kind of liked it so kept it around :lol:.



I like the other image more than the one on here... nice curve through it, interesting lighting, looks more complete in and of itself. Yes - DOF reaching a little higher in the frame would have been good - but I don't think it's a show stopper.

Cheers,
Tony

Heh, your shot on the ground turned out quite well =P Thanks for the input about the other one, I wasn't too happy with it but I guess i'll give it another chance.

[crimsonblack]

Brutal critique please, I am trying to improve. The colour was boring in these but I made an effort with the composition.

All shot with Canon 50D + Canon 50mm f/1.8

1. ISO 100, 50mm, f/2.8, 1/160sec
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4392137308_8a39a30518.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/deathcake/4392137308/sizes/o/)

2. ISO 200, 50mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4391368603_dbc7c035a6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/deathcake/4391368603/sizes/o/)


BONUS - this was just a snapshot to test exposure/lighting, but I kind of liked how it turned out. Got rid of background by clipping blacks and black brush in Photoshop.
3. ISO 100, 50mm, f/1.8, 1/200sec
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4392182638_80677e784c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/deathcake/4392182638/sizes/o/)

I think you nailed the first image. The darks are perfect and the image pleasing to the eye. The second photo really does nothing. To much white and nothing really in the image for the eye fo focus on. The stick is to small for the focus point. Third image of the stuffed animal looks fine. But it's just a stuffed animal. nothing revealing about it and lacks any really color for a black and white photo. I think the exposure in the image however is dead on. The animal just doesn't have anything to help the picture.

tim