Question:
Need help telling me if these photos are good enough for an art portfolio! Rate.?
?
2012-12-27 17:54:37 UTC
Hey i'm submitting a few photos for my art portfolio. I'm a novice photographer, never have taken any classes at school or anything. Can you guys tell me if these photos are good? What I need to do to change them to make them look good? Are they good enough for a highschool student to submit to a college as his a part of his portfolio?
Please also rate them from 1-10. And tell me any advice I'd need to edit them up to make them look better. Are they good enough at what they are?
Also choose you're top 3 favorite please!

Thank you so much!

Photo 1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91589580@N07/8316695276/in/photostream

Photo 2
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91589580@N07/8316695012/in/photostream/lightbox/

Photo 3
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91589580@N07/8315639987/in/photostream/lightbox/

Photo 4
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91589580@N07/8316694668/in/photostream/lightbox/


Photo 5
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91589580@N07/8315629067/in/photostream/lightbox/


Photo 6
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91589580@N07/8316678950/in/photostream/lightbox/

Thank you again.
Six answers:
RockyMountainCowboy
2012-12-27 18:21:27 UTC
Photo 1: Nice subject and contrast. Unfortunately, the power lines ruin the shot. If the power lines weren't there I'd recommend centering it. But then again there's the building on the right... Could you take the same pic around the left side there? Is it a symmetrical tower?



Photo 2: Good one, great scene, interesting shadows. if the blur on the edge is post-processing I'd recommend getting rid of it.



Photo 3: Ouch, what happened? Not sure if there's something you're going for here. But the basics - level the horizon, ensure your main subjects are in focus. I don't think anything is in focus here. Makes me think I need glasses. Again, remove the blur effect.



Photo 4: There's a decent one. Perhaps a different angle could improve it. That big white blotch at the bottom is kind of distracting for the eye (taking the shot at say, knee height, shooting it level or up a bit would have eliminated it).



Photo 5: Good subject, interesting environment. The table sucks though, draws the eye and looks out of place. Don't just take a picture, create the picture! If you need to move something to make it, do it. That is unless you can't, like moving a table beside a guy meditating :P Or not having permission to do so. If it can make your picture, ask! Don't be shy, you're an artist, a photographer, not a pop-shot picture taker.



Photo 6: So-so. Taking a picture of someone from the back can work. It can convey mystery, leave the viewer wondering what they are doing... But then that would go hand in hand with the situation and environment. Since it looks like he's mulling around in garbage it isn't that compelling. If you want to convey emotion in this sense (sad, misery, or drudgery) you'd want to capture a facial expression.



Hope that was helpful. You've got a good eye, keep developing it!



Picks would be 2, 4, and 5.
paul
2012-12-27 18:13:44 UTC
I like photo 2 the best. Also 1 and 3. However, I'd say don't use photoshop to do any blurring. You want to be admitted, or taken seriously as a photographer rather than a photoshop artist. I'm not a pro, but have been a hobby photographer for years and years and majored in graphic design. Once in a photo class we were forbidden to do any post photo cropping. Frame it through the camera the way you want it to look on paper.



You will want to do as much editing THROUGH-the-lens on location as possible. Meaning get it the way you want without photoshop. There are ways to blur out distracting objects, or blur to create a mood with the camera before any post editing. Photoshop should be used as a last resort to fix something that needs fixing. The things that are blurred out, are the same distance from the camera as other things that are clear. A true photographer won't need to fix a bad photo to make it good. Choose interesting subjects, as I think you have, or make ordinary things interesting by choosing a unique angle or distance. Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth. But the pics are good!! For your skill range, if you truly are a beginner, I'd say an 8.
LetsGo
2012-12-27 18:01:35 UTC
Hello! I think you have some nice pictures there. There are a few that I like more than others. A comment is that it seems you totally black out the shadows and dark tones of the images and I feel you are losing something there. I think the following is my favourite.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91589580@N07/8315629067/in/photostream/lightbox/
klah
2012-12-29 16:44:38 UTC
I would highly suggest that you work on your shooting skills. No editing in the world can save a mediocre photograph.



If you want to be taken seriously as a photographer - seriously enough to be applying to a photography school - you need to learn how to get the image right when you take it by using the camera properly.



In my opinion, every one of these images is too heavily edited and shows your lack of technical expertise. I don't mean to be harsh. Please don't take it that way!



Check out this link for more info. It's a fantastic resource for learning what you need to master the basics.

http://digital-photography-school.com/digital-photography-tips-for-beginners



Pay special attention to composition. In a lot of these photos, it's hard to figure out what I'm supposed to be looking at. Figure out a purpose - a story - for each photo and stick to it. Watch your backgrounds and other distracting elements that take away from the main subject.
?
2016-08-11 02:54:26 UTC
I truthfully suppose this is rather unhealthy. You love nature photography, which is good and you are experimenting. But what you lack is the knowledge, the basics, the fundamentals of images. Exposure, contrast, lights, angles, depth, all of your pics lack them. It doesnt issues what digital camera you employ. Its the method. Research to your technique and create a new portfolio. I'm willing to support you so message me if you would like any.
Pooky™
2012-12-27 19:05:53 UTC
I looked at your whole set, which is here http://www.flickr.com/photos/91589580@N07/with/8316695276/#photo_8316695276



They are edited far too much.


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