Photo Critique #110

Photo Critique #110

on Nov 11th 2011 with 17 comments

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

  1. Play nice! We’ve deliberately chosen photographs that aren’t perfect, so please be constructive with any criticism.
  2. Feel free to offer any type of advice – composition, lighting, post-processing etc.
  3. 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

Photo Details & Inspiration

  • Nikon D300
  • 18mm
  • 1/1250
  • f/5.3
  • ISO 250

Went to Lubmin in north Germany to shoot the biggest nuclear facility in Europe. Now closed. I spend 3 hours in there and got hundreds of great shoots. This project is called Lubmin, The beast and the beauty. This wall with the doors was really something and if you look close enough you will find a ghost door. In fact, I didn’t see that door when i was shooting it.

Photographer: Jacques Montel

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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By

Rollover to read this author's bio or click through to see a full list of posts by this author.

I was raised in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio. After high school, I left for Western Kentucky University where I obtained degrees in photojournalism and cultural anthropology. I am currently employed by CityBeat, an arts and entertainment weekly in Cincinnati. The work I am doing here is very rewarding and I suspect it will continue to be. I am available for freelance work in all areas of photography.  

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  • http://www.damienharrison.co.uk Damien Harrison

    I really like this picture only real negative is the darkness on the left hand side of the picture catches your eye too much.

  • http://www.acstanley.com Aaron Stanley

    First off, I love that you chose black and white for this shot. It suits it well. There are lots of cool textures going on. I would have to agree with Damien, however, that the blacks are a little too heavy at the top/ top corners of the image. I think the image could benefit, as well, from some straightening. As-is, the image is slightly tilted downward to the left. Perhaps that was intentional but I would like to see those horizontal lines leveled out a bit. I do like the darkness at the bottom portion of the photograph as I think it draws my eye in to the cool textures of the photograph and adds to the overall “off-limits/restricted area” feeling you have brought to the subject. Nicely done.

  • Joe bodego

    Who chooses these photos for critique? there are the absolute worst choices of photography i have seen. My 10 year old can take a better photos. With power in the wrong hands this is usually what happens.. what a idiotic bunch of foolish people you are.

    • Andre

      Can we see a link to your work???

    • Andrew

      wake up on the wrong side of the bed Joe? That was the least helpful comment I think you could come up with. Thanks for the contribution. If you don’t like the stuff please do us all a favor and don’t come round here no more.

    • Melanie

      “The most constructive and helpful comments will be featured on the site.”

      Mods, why was this comment posted? It is neither constructive nor helpful.

      • http://ckpj.com Cameron Knight
        Author

        We apologize, the comment has been removed.

    • http://ckpj.com Cameron Knight
      Author

      Joe, we mention at the top of the post that we choose photos that are intentionally not perfect. Photography is a subjective art, and as these comments show there are variety of reactions to every photo.

  • ueco

    Personnaly, I like the black and white. I don’t mind the darker corner. But I fill there is something missing. I would have loved to feel that there was something hidding behing the door.. it does not make me wonder what is on the other side.

    I guess my critic is not really on the technical aspect but on the feeling that I get watching the pix… hum.. not sure if that is helpful.

  • http://bushtography.wordpress.com/ Bushtography

    I think this image has potential but needs a bit more work for me. There seems to have been a vignette added to the image which I’m guessing was done in PP and it’s not working for me. I find it’s to distracting and it’s making the center of the image feel over exposed. I think if you lost the vignette you could drop the exposure which would give the image a darker feel.

    I also don’t think the composition is quite working either. It looks like you’re at a slight angle to the wall but the angle chosen is small enough that it doesn’t seem like it was a concious decision. I think it either needs to be straight on (seems to be what you were going for) or a much deeper angle and use less DOF.

    I think black and white was definately the best choice and I also like the letter box crop you’ve chosen. It also takes a certain vision to choose a shot like this which I think you should be commended for.

  • amanda

    It’s not a bad shot. But this was at a nuclear power station, so for me there is an element of danger/threat there. I would have taken the photo near the ground with the lens angled upwards to create a more imposing effect?

    Germany has a turbulent history and I think the wall almost hanging over the viewer could create a multitude of emotions. Certainly at the moment it is dark and I’m just waiting for a pair of eyeballs to pop out of the darkness. Maybe a door open as well to relieve the flatness?

    Otherwise a keeper :)

  • http://sripalindia.blogspot.com/ Sripal

    the photo is a nice abstract.

    doesn’t seem to convey anything.

    the shot would have been nice if framed with a symmetry from the big door.

  • Tiberman Sajiwan Ramyead

    Nothing in the shot conveys the idea of a nuclear facilty.

  • Bernie

    A good image should have a point of interest or a focal point. I assume the double doors are this point. My eye wanders to either side so Iam not sure what you want me to see,. The doors are almost dead center. I think you might have a stronger image by moving the double doors to one side or the other and or crop out one or more of the doors. I would also try printing it at an angle. Good tone quality and selecting Black and white.

  • paula

    i agree b&w was perfect choice for this shot. Only thing i would change is that it seems a bit cut off at the top, maybe cut down on the foreground

  • eijoux

    I think photographing this is b&w was the right thing to do as it does show alot of textures. But the corners are abit too dark, hence losing not only details, but makes the picture a little bit out of focus if I might add. Besides, this photo could definitely benefit from a little straightening. The photo does seem aligned to the door frames on the top, but the bottom part (which is brighter and composes of more than half of the photo) is not aligned hence making it distracting.

    But yeah, good try, and definitely has potential.

  • Denny

    I like a photograph to tell THE story and while this one is a study in light and grey(a tad too much grey) – the Story is not told. We have to read the text to know it’s an abandoned power plant.