Tips From the Latest Critique Webinar

by | Feb 27, 2017 | Tips & Tricks | 0 comments

What imagery comes to mind when you hear that well known verse, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”? (Matthew 6:33-24)

160508-JAS-9603_Cerro Colorado, Baja California, Mexico_Canon EOS 5D Mark II 75 mm 0.6 sec at f - 11 ISO 100

Last Tuesday was the PRO Critique webinar. @abbysherlock’s photo was one of the seven that PRO members submitted for the webinar:

This is a picture I took with Matthew 6:33-34 in mind for the Sharpening Character “Seek Ye First” photo challenge. The Bible with a calendar in the background represents time spent seeking God’s word and the green leaf represents growth from seeking God’s righteousness. What is your opinion on this photo? How could I improve it? Would a different crop work better? Could you talk a little bit more about how to see things from a clients perspective? Thanks!

4 seeking-his-righteousness-small

Photo by @abbysherlock

Here are a few takeaways from the webinar:

  • I can tell you put a lot of thought into this shot. Very creative, and way to think outside the box! I like how you have filled the frame with elements that hold meaning.
  • To further augment the impression of growth, perhaps bring the setup to an outdoor location for a green or more natural-looking background. This would reinforce the message behind why the leaf is there. Since it’s really the only element of vibrant color in the scene, the eye is attracted to it first, and my mind immediately wonders why it’s there. Being February, I imagine taking this set up outside might be a bit of a challenge…
  • When viewing the image at 100%, it appears that it may be front focused a hair. If you’re shooting from a tripod, then you could use manual focus to focus more toward the center of the leaf instead of the front fringes.
  • I love the light streaming in from the back left! I suggest you accent this in post processing by bringing up the exposure for a brighter, more cheerful overall impression. You can see how I edited the shot below.
  • Perhaps choose a month on the calendar that displays two or three more days, to fill in the space better and to make it look more like a calendar. Perhaps push it back a little, so it’s more in the background and so the top spirals are visible.
  • Also, perhaps flip the Bible around to make it naturally appear more like a Bible. Right now, it subconsciously throws the brain for a loop it is as it appears backwards from perspective of the viewer, opening left to right instead of the typical Western world way, right to left.

170215-Abby Sherlock-LR

Looks sorta like a stock photo now.

So, those are at least a few of the ideas from the webinar. PRO Members, you can view the entire webinar of all 7 image critiques here.

And if you’re not a PRO member, follow Lenspiration on Facebook to receive notifications about how you can submit your pictures for critique during the next live PRO webinar on March 25. Follow here.

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