Photo Critique #159
tuts workshop

Photo Critique #159

on Oct 19th 2012 with 14 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

  • Canon 550D
  • 27mm
  • 1/500
  • f/5.6
  • ISO 100

This pic was taken at the height of the Australian summer in the Outback. I wanted to capture the humor of the people living and working in the Outback. When I first saw this scene, it just cracked me up and I had to capture it.

Photographer: Gaby Menschel

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://500px.com/sfragua Sergio

    In my opinion, the photograph is no capturing interest, all is perfect aligned the elements are just in the center, the area of the ground is equal in the sky, the elements seems to be puts accurately in place… The composition for me it’s so formal that don’t express anything. I think that b/w option will be better that color one also.

  • omega

    (Sorry for my english, i speak spanish and i don’t like google trans)

    What i don’t like:
    The fact it’s an auto mode exposure…it doesn’t need 1/500 of speed…instead a smaller f number creates more detail from middle to background and still gives enough shutter speed for still subjects like these. (f11 – 1/125 for example) (chose the exposure manually when you want detail in a large field like this)
    Clouds looks…recovered? (maybe it’s my monitor)
    I don’t like the colour too much, it looks a little “false” in my monitor (too much vibration i guess?: blue looks a little “magenta” in the upper side, and the orange in the lower part maybe was over-saturated). (easy to fix in edition).
    Horizon line falls to the righ a little and is too much in the middle*. (easy to fix in edition too)
    Picasa…the fact that an image editor is used (without considering the program) over a photo who lacks the concept of exposure triangle tells me that the photographer here is trying to run before larning how to walk”.(You have to learn how to expose manually and then how to edit.There’s a lot of people “lightrooming” out there without knowing why there’s an histogram at the top of the develop module.)

    What i like:
    The attempt to create a concept with that subject in a simple composition.
    The focus is placed in the right place/plane.
    *The simple horizontal division of the frame.
    The two-tones horizontal dominance.

    ** Maybe a foreground object leading to background would work here.

    regards,

  • Jo Rodrigues

    I really quite like the scene. It appeals to my sometimes wacky sense. I agree with the tones. It’s a little too much on the warm side. I would bring down the saturation of the ground down a bit.

    What I do really like is to break the rule of thirds. Here I would have completely broken it by a completely symmetrical composition. Basically you follow the rule of thirds with your horizon or you deliberately don’t. I would move the horizon up so it is dead centre.

    I would also move the camera angle more to your left and you will find that the chimney stack (that is what it looks like to me) would create a dead centre bull’s eye with a vertical and horizontal. Alternatively you could move the horizon to the centre vertically but moved the angle of the shot so the vertical chimney stack conforms with the rule of thirds on one side.

  • Tech

    Its not a bad picture, it just doesn’t say any thing. When i look at it i try to see it from the perspective of the photographer BEFORE they raised the camera to take the shot. With that in mind it seems the shooter didn’t attempt to give personality to the shot or the items but simply stood tall and snapped a balanced, framing of random objects. So for me its a good SHOT but a bland picture, though it tells me the shooter has a good eye for photography but needs more technique to help others see the items as he seen them.

    What would I do differently? Id get low, almost laying or prone. These items look old and out dated but at the same time, not very modern mainly due to the sizes and shapes. A low perspective would make them look large and clunky. Add that to the “old” factor and there you have personality. Give they are in an open field, would attempt making the items look left behind by grey scaling this photo or HDR toning. Just something to add a little more contrast to the washed out colors and rust. Maybe try and add some kicked up red dust like time marching on……. Im just brainstorming here.

    Good eye though.

  • http://www.iMediaNamibia.com Alan

    I dont think is a bad image but I have taken the liberty of editing slightly to give the subject more feeling (don’t know if we are allowed to do this, if not sorry in advance)
    Let me know what you think
    Alan
    https://www.icloud.com/photostream/#A2GWZuqDG1wEg1

  • al storey

    a photo is a photo and this is exactly what this is a PHOTO no more no less

  • Tiberman Sajiwan Ramyead

    The story is great!
    The composition could be better; e.g. less sky and more of the subject; shot from groung level would have been fun.
    Timing: Gaby should have waited 2 to 3 hours, and obtained the shadows; and then he could have done without the polariser since he would have been at a reasonable angle to the sun; in my experience this fantastic gadget (polariser) annihilates luminosity.

  • Sue

    First up I would have to say, I too live Australia, and the ground in the outback in Australia, is actually that colour in certain areas. There is a famous Australian poem, and the first line reads : I love a sun burnt country.
    The ground in this photo, is a fine indication of a sun burnt country. To me, as a fellow Aussie, the colours are perfect.
    I do however agree that the objects in this picture appear too set up and do not make any sense to me. I definitely would have gone to a lower perspective and this would have made the photo a little whackier.

  • al storey

    you obviously chose the replies YOU want to print not the ones that say a load of crap would you suff ur news letter where it hurts and UNSUBSCRIBE ME

  • http://jeremybeasley.com Jeremy

    Hey Gaby –

    When I look at this photo, I think of abandonment. It’s as if a thief ran off with all these appliances only to later realize they wouldn’t work in the outback with no electricity. (Remind me again, did you find these appliances like this or did you arrange them yourself?)

    Technically, I think it’s a fine exposure. Regarding the lighting, I do agree with one of the posters that shooting this a little earlier or later in the day would have also added interesting shadows and enhanced the photo.

    What I like about the photo is the colors (there’s strong contrast in the tones) and the use of the horizon as a compositional element.

    If I would improve anything, it’d be the perspective (as others have mentioned). Taking the shot from a different vantage point (perhaps lower to the ground) would reflect the humorous nature you were trying to capture.

    Enjoy Australia and happy shooting.

  • Joe

    Nice shot!

  • Waynester

    One word: Merge. The tv(?) is merging with the horizon in the background making it a stopping point in the picture. I would have also waited a little bit of time for the clouds to move so the chimney wouldn’t be merging with the clouds, give a bit of blank sky around the top. Possibly move to the right so the white frame (from a folding chair?) wouldn’t be merging with the edge of the barrel (or just move it over a bit). If you cropped from either the top or bottom afterwards, I would consider not cropping so much, just so the horizon wouldn’t be centered.

  • http://www.facebook.com/AussieoffRoad11 Gaby Menschel

    Hi Everyone, thanks heaps for your comments. Unfortunately I had to be in Birdsville that afternoon, so I could not wait for the shadows to form, the items were not placed by me, I found them like that. I do not alter my images in any program, the colours are true – that’s the Outback. I feel that taking the pic from a lower angle is the best tip.Yes, I have a lot to learn.
    Thanks again. Cheers Gaby

  • http://www.wix.com/simonabarbu1/simonabarbuphotography Simona Dumitru

    I think it is a good picture. Spotting a situation with deserted objects that were meant to be placed in a totally different environment makes a good picture. They look like they were placed in a desert, moreover In Australia because of the red sand. This environment can make also a very good background for photographing fashion photography, because of the high contrast. A very polished model with hair and make up done flawlessly placed among these deserted objects. It is a contrast.