Photo Critique #155
tuts workshop

Photo Critique #155

on Sep 21st 2012 with 9 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

  • Nokia 5130C Camera Phone
  • Other details unknown

Photographer: Partha Sarathi Biswas

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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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://natehughesphoto.com/ Nate

    Don’t have a lot of details to work off but at minimum the shot needs to be cropped down to minimize the clutter (dog, docked boats, fence, etc.). Also seems soft/blurry and has a fair amount of noise – you might consider using a tripod (or putting your phone on that fence) to steady the shot.

  • http://billoutdoors.com Bill

    Assuming you primary subject is the boat anchored in the center, I agree with Nate that cropping both the bottom and right side of the photo would eliminate much of the clutter. Even with that, I find the tree, particularly the two dead branches, bothersome. It really doesn’t provide good framing and actually takes away from the clouds in the background. An alternative might be to move more to the right which could take the tree, the docked boats, and some of the other clutter out of the shot.

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/vincentmorretino/ fast eddie

    Really, you’ve chosen a picture taken with a cell phone camera for us to critique?

    I find myself coming to this site less often, nothing of substance has been posted in months.

    • Gurth

      I agree. What are we looking at here? Nothing redeeming or worthwhile in this shot.

  • http://yashmatunited.blogspot.com Tom

    ugh, this picture is a snapshot at best. A cellphone camera should never be discluded as an artistic tool, but this picture doesn’t work really well at all. The tree is in the picture, along with the dog on the side. If the boat was the only object in the water, it would work out great.

    Also, it doesn’t look like there is any post processing of the image to any degree. Hey, I could be wrong, but there seems to be as little consideration as possible when it comes to composition. The main boat follows the grid pattern, but little else is eye pleasing.

  • Denys

    Crop the dog.(but keap 4:3)
    Black and White.
    Curves.

    Looks better that way.

  • Steve

    There are some good elements to the picture; the tree prevides some cover for the sky, the juxtaposition of the traditional boat and the industrial landscape has some interest.

    Some straightening, cropping and tonal adjustments could have it looking less like a snapshot but I am not sure I would spend a lot of time on it.

    Different lighting either earlier or later in the day could have made a big difference. I am always jealous of photographers that can hang around for days waiting for the right light. My travelling usually has me in one place for a day or two at most and you have to make the best of what you are presented with.

  • Lu

    It does look like the pic was taken with a camera. I think cropping the dog out of the right side of the picture would have been a good idea. Also, I personally would have eliminated the tree by clone stamping the sky over it. Some contract would have been good as well. Keep shooting though, practice makes perfect.

    • Lu

      Oh it was taken with a camera. :\ Shoot with what you got. If you don’t already have a camera, I think upgrading to actual camera would be a good idea. Using the right tool for the job always helps.