Photo Critique #84

Photo Critique #84

on May 13th 2011 with 22 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 Critique

 

Photo Details & Inspiration

  • NIKON D3000
  • Tamron SP AF 90mm f2.8 DI Macro
  • 1/1000
  • f4.5
  • ISO 100
  • Cloudy white balance

This is the best photo I’ve taken with this lens, I saw these pieces of moss for days but couldn’t shoot them because it was raining.

I cropped the image into a square to center the attention of the viewer on the main subject. I also increased the contrast a bit and lightened the drop in the center, as it looked a bit dark for me.

Photographer: Marcos Rodríguez

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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  • David England

    A good photo. I am no pro, but if I had one thing to comment on, it would be that the lower part of the photo is a bit distracting to my eye. Maybe a different, higher angle, or perhaps a different composition from same level.. but one that did not include the out of focus object in lower front of image..Overall.. great job! I will now submit a few photos so that I can to get feedback!

    • http://finomrs.deviantart.com Marcos Rodríguez

      Thank you so much.

    • Michael Owens

      I am with Mr England here on this one, the out of focus section at the bottom middle is kind of distracting to the eye, other than this – I like this shot very much.

      Although Tamron are cheap lenses, they can really produce fantastic shots for us mere amateurs! Impressive.

  • http://limbis.tumblr.com Limbis

    I love it. The colors are great and vibrant, the divison of sharpness is perfect – although there is a lot of symetry, it’s still not perfectly symetrical which keeps it interesting.
    The square aspect ratio underlines the compact style, the grey background creates contrast between the subject and the rest of the image, as well as the low aperture does.
    I honestly can’t really find something to criticize here – maybe the dark red color of the left piece of grass?

  • Amanda

    Beautiful. I’m with Limbis, nothing to criticize here. I’d like to see a closer shot of the middle.

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/mkort Martijn

    I can’t find anything bad on it, I just love it!
    How do you like the lens? I’m also looking for a nice macro lens for my D3000.

    I really like the vibrancy.
    Maybe a little bit more of the foreground in focus would be nice, but as I said. I love it!

  • http://www.unbrokenhorse.com Sunira

    Oh wow I actually love it! I’d really have to dig to find a criticism of this shot. I can imagine different lighting situations to make it more dramatic but that’s just another option, not a criticism. Nice work!

    • http://www.flickr.com/matt-402/ matt-182

      I agree with your words.
      is a great shot, I just try other angles
      not to leave so centralized.

  • http://www.halogenic.com Ricky

    You could try focus stacking with something like Helicon Focus http://www.heliconsoft.com/index.html
    But otherwise I think it looks great, even with the blurred foreground.

  • rrjmdpa

    I’m used to seeing photos with a lot more to comment on here. This looks finished to me. The only way you can even see something to do better is to sit and stare at it for an extended period of time. To be nit-picky to the nth degree: perhaps, in hind-sight, it might have been nice to reach up and smoosh down that “pokey thingy” right in the fuzzy middle of the out-of-focus foreground – whatever it is, it draws the eye (when you sit and stare at it). And, perhaps the over-all “brightness” could be tuned up a bit which would make the center focus “pop” a bit more.

    I really like the work you did to make the background uniform and non-descript (which I think is the most often flaw in a photograph like this.) I guess you used a grey card? Actually, I’ve never seen a clump of moss put out “stamens” like this — what kind is it?

  • http://henners91.deviantart.com/ Henry B

    Good shot. I think my main criticism could be the composition, i see why it’s in the centre and it does ensure that it’s the main subject however the drop in the centre seems too high in the image so i think the image should have been cropped more at the bottom to make the middle droplet lower down in the image (more central) this would draw the eye their primarily and then down the ‘stalk’ to the green tuft of moss at the bottom before going out to the other droplets either side.
    A small thing could be that the colours, although vibrant, don’t really ‘pop’ a slightly higher exposure could help this a bit.
    Other than those i think you got it, the focus is spot on in my opinion as the main subject isn’t the whole thing, it’s the middle droplet.

  • MH

    I like this picture. I think I’d have cropped out a little more of the foreground.

  • http://phillipjacobs.com Phillip Jacobs

    WOW! I like that a lot… Nice job. I went to your site and you have some awesome photos over there. Thanks for sharing.

  • http://www.drustefanstone.com Dru Stefan Stone

    Have you ever given thought to turning it upside down? It’s a macro shot, it doesn’t need to be realistic or something someone even sees as recognizable. That being said, it then creates a whole new movement in the photograph that isn’t there right now. Macro can be a whole different ball game to think about things more creatively and abstractly. no matter the direction you choose, I agree with David about the blur at the bottom, it is distracting; but only the gray blur, the colored blur adds to the other wonderful colors in the photograph. Otherwise the focus and colors are great, I might even add a bit more vibrancy or punch really play on those lovely colors!

  • Spikes

    Love the photo, beautiful and sharp. Will just crop at bottom so there is less of the blurry parts.

  • http://alexanderjb.tk Alex

    I really love how it leads your eye out like it is an explosion but is still incredibly calm and still. The water droplets provide a great “stopper” to the eye and I think that the droplets must be what gives the calm and still.

  • http://www.philcrean.com Phil Crean

    I’d definitely crop out most of the foreground to give it more impact.
    Otherwise stunning shot.
    Well done.
    Phil

  • Judith

    Great shot, I love it! Wonderful colors and detail!
    There is only one thing I would maybe change. The blurr in the foreground is a little bit distracting. I would like it more if more of the foreground would be in focus too.
    But that’s really the only thing to say, it’s an amazing shot!

  • anames

    I totally agree with most of the comments here: the lower part of the photo is definitely distracting. I would’ve cropped it and left just the fabulous, delicate “fan” of the plant.

  • http://finomrs.deviantart.com/ Marcos Rodríguez

    I would like to thank to every single person who comented and critiqued so gently, and also to this great site for this oportunity.

    I would also like to make a little correction, shutter speed was not 1/1000 but 1/200.

  • Al

    I really like your shot.
    No grain, soft, light and the colors are very nice but …
    There is always a but … there is something “wrong” with the blurriness of the foreground, this is like it’s photoshoped because there is a break between the first ground and the second: it hurts my eyes (maybe it’s just me).

    Otherwise it’s perfect.

  • laurice

    I like the photo, composition, sharpness and the soft background. Great shot.
    I have only one suggestion and hind sight is always 20/20. There is a green stem that points towards the lens at 7 o-clock. I would have removed that as it interferes with the base of the photo