Friday Photo Critique #3
Friday Photo Critique is our weekly community project, where we publish a photograph submitted by one of our wonderful readers, then ask you all to offer constructive feedback on the image.
After a few days, I’ll update the post to feature the most helpful and insightful comments. You will also be credited with a link to your website or portfolio, so be sure to enter it correctly when submitting a comment!
Quick Ground Rules
- Play nice! We’ve deliberately chosen photographs that aren’t perfect, so please be constructive with any criticism.
- Feel free to offer any type of advice – composition, lighting, post-processing etc.
- You can also link to photographs that you feel offer a great example of this type of image shot exceptionally well.
Without further ado, here is this week’s candidate for Friday Photo Critique!
The Photograph
Photographer: Simon Brix
Please let us know what you think in the comments – how would you have approached the scene or taken the photo differently? A massive thank you to everyone who commented last week. The post has now been updated with some of the most insightful comments
The most constructive and helpful comments will be featured on the site, and you’ll also be given priority to feature your own work in a future Friday Photo Critique!.
Feedback and Comments
Here are four of the most useful and insightful pieces of feedback given on this photo, taken from the comments:
Joel Abeyta
There isn’t much going wrong here. My old photography professor wouldn’t like because of the low contrast, the horizon is exactly in a third of the frame, and he would probably say the photo looks happenstance, random and not well thought out. But all of those things are what make me like it so much. There is much to be said for random photographs. I have taken my best photos when I wasn’t even looking through the view-finder. This photo feels like I’m sitting in my living room, shuffling through a box of old photos, and I run across this one. “Remember that day we went to beach and no one was there? We had the whole beach to ourselves. That was great.”
The vignette makes it awesome. I use vignettes a lot. When I’m having trouble making the subject stand out, I use a vignette to simply make everything else darker. In this case, it gives the whole image a vintage feel and keeps me looking at the hut in the middle.
The only thing that challenges me is the tire track across the bottom of the image. It’s like those puzzles we did in elementary school. There’s a picture of a banana, an apple, an orange and a cheese burger and you have to figure out which one doesn’t belong. However, it doesn’t, by any means, make the photo suck.
Bloke
Take what I say with a pinch of salt since I am an amateur and this is my opinion.
Firstly the image seems flat/dull. I would prefer there to be some more contrast between the shadows and highlights (this would mean maybe waiting for better lighting conditions). If this flat look is desired then maybe change it to black and white where forms and texture will be more brought out and no focus on dull colours.
Secondly is the composition. I like this breaking of the rule of thirds. The sky occupies less than 2/3 but more than 1/2. However I would experiment with different points of view. Maybe get down a little lower and see how that works out, it might not, but there’s nothing to lose. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Overall great photo that is very interesting to look at but just misses that captivating quality.
Gaspar Garcia de Paredes
Solid composition and exposure in my opinion. I think this image is lacking in its attention to detail and the application of vignetting; the vignetting is too strong, in my opinion; yet it works.
As for details, there are a couple of distracting elements in the picture that should have been cropped out of masked away. Some of these, for example, are the tire tracks at the bottom of the image, and the stick on the bottom-right corner. Still, strong composition and horizon.
There are also two problems I find with the choice of colors which are distracting: the blue canvases, and the sand. As Clement mentioned above, I think the sand could be grayed out a little, or desaturated, to make the shacks stand out and the ground merge more with the sky.
As for the blue fabrics, I find the differences in HSL distracting. It would greatly help the image, in its composition and impact, to have made all the blue canvases a more similar tone of blue.
Can Berkol
This is a great one. Only thing that bothers me is the vertical balance.
The assymetry works perfectly on the horizontal line. You have given less space to sand comparing to the sky. Because of the huts, it’s really good. You have created a smooth transition between the ground and the sky.
With vertical balance, I actually mean the object stands from left side to right side. You could have either cut from the right side or included more on the left side.
The right most hut has a blue door or whatever it is. It is half visible creating a eye-distracting space. On the other hand the left most hut is cut slightly from its roof. It is placed in a narrow space.
Just a few millimeters will perfectionize the frame.
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i like the composition of the photo. the only thing i would change were the colors.. maybe a more blue and yellow layer on overlay, low opacity.. nice shot though!
Take what I say with a pinch of salt since I am an amateur and this is my opinion.
Firstly the image seems flat/dull. I would prefer there to be some more contrast between the shadows and highlights (this would mean maybe waiting for better lighting conditions). If this flat look is desired then maybe change it to black and white where forms and texture will be more brought out and no focus on dull colours.
Secondly is the composition. I like this breaking of the rule of thirds. The sky occupies less than 2/3 but more than 1/2. However I would experiment with different points of view. Maybe get down a little lower and see how that works out, it might not, but there’s nothing to lose. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Overall great photo that is very interesting to look at but just misses that captivating quality.
personally, i’m diggin’ the flat/dull look
I like the colors and the general mood of the photo. The atmosphere is very evocative, sad and melancholic. Maybe the vignette effect is too strong (is it created in post production with PS or LR?).
I like it
I like the composition and the idea behind this image. But if it was mine I would first of all correct the lens distortion also the levels are off, especially grey, so set the black, grey and white points.
I don’t know if its intentional but I don’t like the vignetting in the image so I would probably replace the sky. Having said that I think with a little post work you’ve got the basis of a fine image here.
Check out Harry Gruyaert’s Rivages series.
http://www.magnumphotos.com/archive/C.aspx?VP3=ViewBox&ALID=2TYRYDDWUYMQ&IT=ThumbImage01_VForm&CT=Album
I like the atmosphere this picture delivers.
The composition is nice, but I agree with Dee, some changes might have been interesting when it comes to colors.
The sand and that sky are not similar enough to just leave the cabans in some sort of a”grey ocean”. And they are not different enough (together with the blue fabric) to really make the cabans stand out.
A bit over exposed maybe ?
Sepia might have been interesting for this picture, as it really is timeless (scenery and slight edge burn).
I like it nonetheless !
I find the track in the foreground distracting, an it’s the only real flaw I see in this pic; colors are nice, and the subject is fun
So try cropping or cloning out the track…
Solid composition and exposure in my opinion. I think this image is lacking in its attention to detail and the application of vignetting; the vignetting is too strong, in my opinion; yet it works.
As for details, there are a couple of distracting elements in the picture that should have been cropped out of masked away. Some of these, for example, are the tire tracks at the bottom of the image, and the stick on the bottom-right corner. Still, strong composition and horizon.
There are also two problems I find with the choice of colors which are distracting: the blue canvases, and the sand. As Clement mentioned above, I think the sand could be grayed out a little, or desaturated, to make the shacks stand out and the ground merge more with the sky.
As for the blue fabrics, I find the differences in HSL distracting. It would greatly help the image, in its composition and impact, to have made all the blue canvases a more similar tone of blue.
The picture seems flat. The sky and shacks blend together. I would suggest either adjusting the sky to make the cabins/shacks stand out, or adding color to the shacks to make them jump out.
I agree with Robert. The picture seems flat and monotonous. I would up the contrast a bit and play around with the sky color. The shacks almost seem to get lost because they are so similar in color to the rest of the picture.
This is a great picture. I love the composition. If you look past the picture and recognize it for its pattern, shapes and textures, it is well thought out. I feel like it may be a little too under exposed and monotone, and that the yellows in the wood chairs and sand could pop out a little bit more, along with the blue
Seems kinda bland. Thought I like the color treatment, the empty boring sky taking up over 1/2 the image is a waste to me, and there is obvious vignetting around the edges. I personally would have gone for a more dramatic, low angle shot, that was up closer to one of those booths and looking down a row of the other ones. I would also bump up the contrast a bit.
I think flatness was the goal….and I like it. Old school. Polaroid-ish.
Well done.
the vignette isn’t helping. i like vignettes, but this one just muddies-up the whole composition.
if there were more warm tones from the natural beach scene, then the contrast of the blue would pop to awesomeness.
i love the positioning of the cabins low in the frame and letting the negative space take over.
I actually like the color but it still can be enhanced a bit, just a tiny but though and it would be perfect.
The problem I have with the photo is the movement. My eyes get stuck on the left side where there is less purple (or is it blue?). Balance is somehow disrupted so it will be a lot better to enhance the main subject in the photo. A play of contrasts and perhaps another angle might render a nicer photo.
In contrast it seems to everyone else I like the similar colors in the sky and the sand. The problem, however, is that the same color is continued into the cabins. Give the cabins (isn’t it interesting how one person decides to name them cabins instead of shacks or tents or stands or huts and everyone follows suit?) some more yellow so they pop.
Of course I am color blind so you probably shouldn’t trust me.
This is a great one. Only thing that bothers me is the vertical balance.
The assymetry works perfectly on the horizontal line. You have given less space to sand comparing to the sky. Because of the huts, it’s really good. You have created a smooth transition between the ground and the sky.
With vertical balance, I actually mean the object stands from left side to right side. You could have either cut from the right side or included more on the left side.
The right most hut has a blue door or whatever it is. It is half visible creating a eye-distracting space. On the other hand the left most hut is cut slightly from its roof. It is placed in a narrow space.
Just a few millimeters will perfectionize the frame.
Cheers.
First of all I want to say, that I wanted to give the image a dull look, so I guess it worked.
But thanks for all of the great feedback! Definitely got something to work with!
There isn’t much going wrong here. My old photography professor wouldn’t like because of the low contrast, the horizon is exactly in a third of the frame, and he would probably say the photo looks happenstance, random and not well thought out. But all of those things are what make me like it so much. There is much to be said for random photographs. I have taken my best photos when I wasn’t even looking through the view-finder. This photo feels like I’m sitting in my living room, shuffling through a box of old photos, and I run across this one. “Remember that day we went to beach and no one was there? We had the whole beach to ourselves. That was great.”
The vignette makes it awesome. I use vignettes a lot. When I’m having trouble making the subject stand out, I use a vignette to simply make everything else darker. In this case, it gives the whole image a vintage feel and keeps me looking at the hut in the middle.
The only thing that challenges me is the tire track across the bottom of the image. It’s like those puzzles we did in elementary school. There’s a picture of a banana, an apple, an orange and a cheese burger and you have to figure out which one doesn’t belong. However, it doesn’t, by any means, make the photo suck.
Very nice image. My only real criticism is about the horizontal balance. The image seems to be sloping a bit and I think you intended to have it in symmetrical balance.
It’s very difficult to analyze the other elements because I can’t sit here and ask you questions. All of the aesthetic elements need to be in service of the intended content. Saying something is low contrast or flat doesn’t mean anything unless I know what your intent is. There is no such thing as standard contrast or color output. Your content will dictate what those elements needs to be. Just because someone else doesn’t like some of the aesthetic elements doesn’t mean they know how YOUR image should look. Personally, I really like the feel of the image.
I do not particularly enjoy this shot. There is no subject. Nothing that catches my eye. The sky and sand show a very unique similarity in color, but this just reminds me of a shot that would be taken by someone just walking by the beach. No statement and very emotionless.
Only problem I see is the sky here.. A bit of photoshop copy-paste work and the picture would look perfect to me