Photo Critiques

My photos were critiqued by my instructor and I am so proud of myself (and I cried a little) that I had to share what she said about my images with you. This is one of the best things I have done for myself in a long while. Being a SAHM, days seem to blend together. My brain was challenged and I have a wonderful feeling of accomplishment!

Red Image

Exposure: Excellent. By this week, you should be comfortable using Av (and Tv) mode and this is really the week where you get to put together not only the settings but also to use them to achieve your vision for the scene. Your caption comments tell me that you thought through this scene to include and tie in the red on the horse with the red brick in the background. By setting a narrow aperture, you let the detail and color of the background become an integral part of the scene. If you wanted to have only the red color of the bricks play into the scene, you could use f/5.6. You approach works well visually with a very interesting subject.

Focus: Tack sharp.

Lighting: Bright. Interesting to see that the shadows of the railing help form visual eye direction around the scene.

Color: Excellent

Image concept & composition: The subject is interesting and unusual. In Seattle, we have pigs painted in bizarre colors and decorated entirely with pennies. Having the diagonal line of the horse works well with the beginning of the circular walkway. Tying in the red of the building with the red on the horse is good and the building also provides good context for the horse. Nice work on this image.

Happiness Image

Exposure: Excellent. Just looking at the exposure information shows me that you balanced the settings so that you could get the shot with the DOF that was best for this subject and still maintain the great ambient light in the scene. Moving to ISO 200 was called for in this scene since a good portion of it is in low light. I assume that you stabilized the camera somehow to get the sharp focus on “Connie.”

Focus: Very sharp with a good point of sharpest focus.

Lighting: Visually inviting and authentic of coffee shops (I know, I go to them!)

Color: Excellent

Image concept & composition: This is a fine “lifestyle” shot that has great warmth and color for a familiar subject. The personalization on the Venti cup add a fun touch and some whimsy. The deep red and gold/reds of the background work well with the pastry and the brown on the cup sleeve. This is definitely a personal best and a photo of the week.