Rip this apart, please

Entered this one in a local competition (theme was "junk, tools & machinery")and the judge scored it poorly but didn't really give any feedback. I'm sure you guys won't let me down, so please let me know what I should do better next time. Thanks in advance.

I think it needs depth and contrast. Here's a B&W to ponder.

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I agree with SB...

It's a tad flat and lacking in contrast but I think it's due more to the lighting (looks to be mostly reflected from below) and overall tone range. There just isn't much there that could be more contrasty without some over the top post processing.

Thanks, SB. I see what you mean about the contrast and your B&W conversion demonstrates it perfectly.

FP. you're right about the lighting. Mid afternoon on a bright sunny day in the desert. Used a bouce board as a shade (except for that one sliver of light) so most of the light is being reflected off the sand below.

The subject looks cut off on all sides. Try zooming way in or out a bit to either isolate a portion or show everything. Right now it looks like you missed framing anything in particular.

Also the main horizontal line is near central, but not central, and it's kind of unbalanced. You've got a strong vertical on the line of thirds, but not horizontally. I do like the accuracy of framing and lack of perspective distortion, but I'm not sure it's an interesting perspective. Some high-contrast element leaning against the machinery - rose, handbag, who-knows - might have lifted the whole considerably. Cheers, Tony

Not seeing what the competition was that the judges compared this with it's kind of hard to say, but personally this shot really just doesn't grab me at all. Beyond any issues over lighting and contrast, it's just not an interesting composition in my opinion. To be more specific (which obviously the judge wasn't), to me this shot looks like something a person might use to analyze or evaluate a piece of machinery. The thought that comes to my mind is someone taking a picture of this "whatever it is" as a before reference to some kind of restoration or something. Photographically speaking though there's not a real sense of "composition". The eye tends to float around the image looking for a subject or an anchor point and there isn't one. In my mind at least, when I see a theme such as "junk, tools and machinery" the composition should reflect that, but it still should be a composition/well composed image.

While I could be quite wrong here at the risk of sounding blunt the impression I get from this shot is that you were given the assignment/theme and just looked around for something that fit the theme. Somehow this thing caught your attention and you took a "snap shot" of it thinking it would fit the bill without much thought about what it was you were shooting or any attempt to arrange or compose the image. To me, the word "composition" indicates a specific criteria that sets "snap shots" apart from "good photography" and/or art. It means arranging the elements of the image, either while shooting or later in post processing, in a way that's not only aesthetically pleasing but also follows some rough general concepts such as "the rule of thirds", lines, form, texture, juxtaposition, etc.. In most cases, a good composition goes beyond the subject matter itself...but without the subject matter, the rest becomes completely irrelevant.

Think of it this way...let's take a portrait of a child for example. There's LOTS of pictures of kids on this website alone to use as reference. Now when you're considering what's "good" about a given image, there are certain technical elements such as lighting, contrast, saturation and sharpness that certainly all come into play. But these things alone are NOT enough to make a truly great and memorable image (no matter what some "pros" seem to think). More often than not, it's the pose of the child that makes or breaks the shot. In other words, the exposure, lighting, sharpness, etc., etc., can all be spot on perfect, but if the kid doesn't have an interesting expression or something no one is going to look at the picture for very long. However -if- the kid has a simply great expression, some of these other aspects don't matter quite as much...and often can be fixed in post anyways. The technical aspects are still important, but they are not the end all, be all of great images. I think that's the big problem with your image here...it's simply not an interesting subject and just looks like a snap shot of some "junk".

A lot of folks seem to get hung up on the technical side of photography and don't put enough "focus" (no pun intended) on the artistic side. There are many folks that seem to think that an image that's sharp and well exposed is a "good" image. I know I've seen posts here on POTN where people will sacrifice virtually everything else in the shot just to have their lens in "the sweet spot" so that they have the sharpest image possible and will ONLY shoot at ISO 100 so their shots don't have any "grain", etc....but if the subject matter itself doesn't hold the viewers attention then all that other stuff really doesn't matter. In the words of Ansel Adams, "There's nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept". Good photography is...or should be...a mix or balance of the technical and the aesthetic. It's a combination of -all- elements, not just the technical. Your image here is "sharp" and the lighting and color are decent enough and there's lines and texture....and what else? Not much really. There's no statement here...no story...nothing thought proving. See my point?

The next time you are in a situation such as this, my suggestion would be to put more emphasis on aesthetics and more thought into composition. Next time think more about the image from a "viewers" stand point instead of that of the photographers..."Is this something interesting to look at?" and so on. If it's not all that interesting to begin with, then just move on to the next subject and don't try to force a good image out of it.

Ok...I hope that makes sense to you. Not trying to be rude or mean, just my honest opinion...I hope it helps!

Peace,
Jim

Thanks to all for your feedback.

And Jim, there was absolutely nothing "rude or mean" about your post. It's exactly what I need to hear. Thank you for taking the time to write it.

Jim @ Walczak thanks for taking the time to post these comments in a non condescending way, it not only helps out the OP here but all us POTNers get to benefit from your experience.

Thats how we all learn - with constructive criticism - when delivered in the right manner

I am new, so this might not mean beans. It felt random. I know what the subject is, but at first glance, I felt a little disoriented. I think it looks kind of cut off, maybe? I love the feeling of it, and the colors. I think the contrast could be bumped up a bit. I don't know that I like the B+W version, I am taking in the color, the rust, the desert feel. I really like it, it just took me a minute

Have you heard of the term "a picture in a picture'?
Personally, I think there is no focus in you image. Besides the technical reasons, (imho) a great image needs to influence the viewer or connect to them in a emotional way. Your image looks like a documentation of a rusted out piece of machinery.
But in a photography contest, you should think about themes: a close look at the flakes of rust and how it plays against the webs and dirt; the strength of the steel and gears as it wears down. The rhythm of design, how it flow into and out of your frame.
You want to use composition, lighting/shadow, angles, depth of field, color or the lack of to help you convey those ideas. Influence his eyes and how he "sees" your image. But before you can do that you need to have a sense of what that image is suppose to be.
There's a lot of little images in your picture.

I actually judge for the clubs in the area and there are a few issues going here in order of importance they are as follows,

1. No clear subject - we know that it is a drive line because most folks have at least seen one but it is too detached from the equipment it is on.
2. Lack of a specific direction - this has too many horizontals and then a huge vertical - so no specific subject pops out.
3. Underlighting - the main light appears to be coming from the bottom - further confusing the viewers eye. Use a reflector or other light source to change the direction of the main light.
4. Focus, focus, focus. make sure that it is razor sharp.
Keep trying and see what you come up with.

krb wrote in post #6513407
Thanks to all for your feedback.

And Jim, there was absolutely nothing "rude or mean" about your post. It's exactly what I need to hear. Thank you for taking the time to write it.

Let me say thank you for taking my words as they were intended. My comments about not being "mean or rude" have become something of my standard disclaimer because often times people do take my comments personally or as offensive...and they are never intended as such. When I'm reviewing someone else's work, I try to be honest, objective and analytical in the way I expect others to be with my work and from time to time people mistake that as being deliberately harsh.

I guess it's just the nature of the internet...you can't always determine "emotion" or intent from a simple text post. Some folks "get it" and some don't....thank you for being one of the people who does get it and I'm glad I could be of help!

sunnygirl wrote:
Jim @ Walczak thanks for taking the time to post these comments in a non condescending way, it not only helps out the OP here but all us POTNers get to benefit from your experience.

Thats how we all learn - with constructive criticism - when delivered in the right manner

I try .

I quite agree that honest and objective feedback is indeed the best way to learn. I know there are folks who post stuff on forums that are simply looking for a pat on the back and a hardy "good job" and very often when you say something they don't want to hear, they get upset or defensive about it. In my own case at least, if I really wanted that I could easily get it from family and friends who don't know anything about photography...that's why I post stuff on forums such as this myself. Quite honestly I've learned more from good feedback on forums such as this than I ever did from books, videos or even way back when I was in school. It's about the closest you can get to having experienced photographers shooting with you! LOL!!! As I've said many times, even when I don't agree with said comments (which does happen quite a bit), I always make mental notes of them for future reference. As such, I try to provide the same kind of honest and objective feedback for others that I expect in regards to my own work.

Anyways, I'm glad you found my words helpful as well and thank you for the kind comments about them...it's nice to be appreciated.

Peace,
Jim