Your photos (157) |
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 Hints and tips by Philip Grosset If you'd like to submit photos for criticism, click here. |
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with comments from Philip Grosset "1st photo...just experimenting with a close up 2nd photo...experimenting with flash and no flash. this photo is taken with out the flash 3rd photo...just capturing the team in huddle. thanks." (Shaun Mefford, Plano) |
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| Why the large empty space in your photo on the left? Unless you have some reason of your own for wanting to show the empty area, you'd be better moving in for a real close-up, as I've done on the right. This now makes a really effective picture. |
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| As explained on my brief summary page, the most common fault among the photos that are sent me is that photographers don't get in close enough. This is true of your photo on the left where you've even included an irrelevant wire on the right! It looks more pleasing when you come in really close, as on the right. |
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| This too would have been a much better photo if you'd come in closer and shown us some of the girls' faces, instead of just their back views. As it is, they just get swallowed up in shadow and the fussy background. Perhaps color would have helped them to stand out. | |||||||||||||||||||
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Reply from Shaun Mefford: "Thanks...1st photo, yes I felt needed to be closer too. 2nd photo, in my personal preference liked the space and wire. 3rd photo, couldn't get any closer because a game was going on and they yelled at me when i got on the field and that's as close as the zoom I have would allow. I appreciate your feedback. Like I said...I'm teaching myself and that's the first roll I've ever taken on something besides a point and shoot." "Got an SLR camera for Christmas last year, i have been reading photography magazines since then. For this photo i had used a Kodac elitechrome extra colour 100 film which i got free with a magazine. 300mm lens,F/16-1/4sec? Metered off clouds to side of sun using aperture priority. How am i doing? (Ian Moffatt, Banbridge, Co Down, Northern Ireland) |
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| Your photo on the left is very effective and highly dramatic, and you must be very pleased with the coloring. My only query is the large space in the middle between the two main points of interest: the sun and the tree. On the right I've tried bringing them closer together to simulate the sort of result you might have obtained by positioning yourself nearer the tree when you took the photo. I've also now positioned the sun at much nearer the intersection of thirds so that there's more emphasis on it. Reply from Ian Moffat: "Thank you very much Philip for your constructive criticism. When taking the photo i was driving as high as i could to catch the sun before it disappeared. The place that i found was at the side of a country lane with the lens stuck through the bars of a gate.I have now learned about the rule of thirds which i hope will help me in the future." "I understand that the background should have been avoided. Please give your comments. Thank you and best regards" (Rafael Vertedor, Spain) |
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| This is an effective portrait on the left, only marred, as you say, by the distracting background. On the right, I've blurred the background but retained its attractive coloring. This makes a very pleasing photo. |
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| Your photo on the left, using the attractive half turn towards the camera, has an even more distracting background. So in my version on the right, I've not only blurred it but moved in closer. I also got rid of the picture on the wall which gets confused with her hair, and slightly darkened and blurred the small part of her dress that can still be seen on the bottom right. I think this looks really good now and is much helped by the catchlights in her eyes. Reply from Rafael Vertedor: "I thank you for your comments and modifications to my pictures. They have been improved, specially the second one. My camera is a very basic Sony DSC 30, that i found it very nice but limited.in features." Go on to YOUR PHOTOS (158) Please don't forget to sign my GUEST BOOK before you leave the site! NEXT PAGE PICKING THE BEST VIEWPOINT |
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