Friday Photo Critique #47
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. It’s a great way to learn more about photography, express your viewpoint, and have your own image critiqued!
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: Kyle Boyington
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 most constructive and helpful comments will be featured on the site. Interested in submitting your own photo? You can do so here!
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Nice shot. Would have zoomed in a bit.
Maybe leveled the table on the photo and get rid of the branch coming in on the right side.
It’s a good photo. I like the composition, how you captured the boys facial expressions (very well done) and the contrast and sharpness works great as well. However I feel 90 percent sure that the object he is grabbing is an easter egg (due to the selective coloring, the expression of the kid and the bucket he is holding). Still if the egg was a full egg, it would be much easier for the viewer to see what the pink object is. Also, I would’ve gotten rid of the branch to the right because it takes the viewers attention away from the subjects that are really important.
Thank you for putting up your photo, I really enjoyed it.
I too must say that the selective colouring on the egg is a little distracting in this image. Not sure what to look at when viewing it. The contrast is really good bringing out the little details in the background and on the ground. All around good photo.
Agreed, the pink doesn’t do much to add to the photograph, but in either case, I like it.
I’m not a fan of selective colouring, but it’s a pleasant photo with a lovely cheeky sentiment.
Being critical, the smaller version hides the motion blur of the original, which is fine if it’s to be printed on 7×5, but it’s a shame the larger version isn’t pin sharp and blur-less. I like to see a little more angle in these types of photo as well. I also find the branch on the right-hand side of the frame distracting – would’ve been good either to crop it out or try and remove it before the shot (not easy if it’s a candid photo, I know).
Well exposed, though – lovely contrast.
The first thing I noticed about the composition was the use of the Rule of Thirds. The boy and and branch on the right (although kind of distracting) fall perfect in the vertical thirds. However, the table seems kind of smack dab in the middle. I don’t really consider it a problem, it’s just the first thing I noticed.
Selective coloring photos seem to be taking over the photography world via high school and college girls who post their party pictures from the night before. I’m a college student myself and I constantly see a stream of selective color photos. The idea of it is pretty neat, but recreational “picture takers” and photographers are simple beating it to death.
I’m curious how the photo would look if it is cropped just a bit. The branch seems to add useless information to the image, however, some people may differ.
Hi!
I like the way the expression of the boy was captured, it has some kind of “classic painting” thing on it, doesn’t? On the other side, I think the table appears to be cutting the picture in two: it broke the “rule of thirds”, it’s a horizontal line in the dead center of the picture, and weakened somewhat the picture. Am I wrong?
Maybe if you can put the egg more close to the boy, and/or get some vertical line to weaken the horizontal one… In any case, I think you don’t need the whole table in the picture.
Best regards.
Hi,
We had to see the child’s feet so the table stood little higher, a better compositioning
I agree that seeing the height of the child in relationship to the height of the table is more important than whether the table cuts the picture in half. The child’s face is in the right location and that is more important than where the table top is located.
The boy’s expression and extended arm tell a visual story that would work much better, I think, without the selective coloring. The bright object on the table grabbed my eye immediately. In addition, I think that more space would be needed in your next shot in the direction the boy is looking. His gaze to the left and the bright egg in the center tend to confuse the impact of your visual narrative.
I, too, advise cropping a bit off the right and removing the SC.
I would be inclined to crop across the top and down the right hand side just before the branch as I think it would strengthen the composition and the story considerably. Great expression.
The childs expression is well captured and the pink egg works for me. Only thing bothering me is the dark background in the picture. Maybe if it were lighter so the tables legs stand out more or more blurred, that would improve the shot. Also the branch on the right could be removed, like Matus said.