A Few Words on a Few Pictures

by | Jul 27, 2010 | Tips & Tricks | 0 comments

I met Peter just a few weeks ago at a homeschooling conference. He likes photography, and seeing I had a camera, he came over and said hi. I found out he was an amazing locomotive photographer, and I suggest you see more of his pictures at this website. After the conference, sent me an e-mail and asked if I could critique a few of his best images. Indeed, I can tell these are his best, and there is very little I can say in response. However, I admire his pluckiness in asking, so I won’t pass up the opportunity to give my two cents.

DSC_5533-3 (Copyrighted-please do not copy)There are so many adjectives to describe this picture, Peter: absorbing, quiet, unperturbed, almost fanciful. What you could have done to make it also evoke drama is lower the camera angle. This would make the picture more fun to look at. And I know there are a lot of distracting elements you have already hidden or cropped out, but the building in the back and the top telephone wires might have been covered up if you had played around with your positioning a little more.

DSC_6002 (Copyrighted-please do not copy)

Looking at this one, I can’t think of anything wrong. Good exposure, color, contrast, action, composition, etc. It would look nicer if the flag wasn’t quite as wrinkled, but there isn’t much you could do about that. Now, I can’t explain it, but for some reason, it looks like the flag is being pulled forward instead of freely blowing in the wind. It looks almost, stiff. At any rate, if you haven’t already, use that picture for your next Independence Day celebration brochure!

DSC_6679-1

This is an amazing combination of tranquil emotion and contrasting color! But look to see that it is slightly blurred. Either that, or the focus is not quite precise enough to allow my eyes to feast on the tiny diamonds resting on those delicate petals. Obviously, you were shooting in low light and I’d like to know what your shutterspeed was and if you were using a tripod. But shooting flowers is tedious work and you’d be surprised at how many flower pictures I’ve taken for the amount I am able to display.

DSC_6717-1Oh how I love this picture! It’s artistic. It’s really quite different. Except for the fact that the sun is not shining, it reminds me of James 1:11: “For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.” The sharpness of the subject is what makes this picture work. Keep watching what you focus on!

I wasn’t there when you activated the shutter release an all these pictures so I can’t say you could have done any of the things mentioned above. But you asked for my thoughts, so there you are! Keep it up Peter, you have an eye for capturing serenity.

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