First Timer

[postedpixels]

Hello,

Can someone critique my shots and let me know what they think. This is my first try with a photoblog, i just got it up Saturday. Thanks

Aaron
www.aaronrosa.com (http://aaronrosa.com)

[jeremycherfas]

Interesting shots. You don't seem to have an archive link, or maybe I am missing it. And I find the grey colour of the comments hard to read on a black background.

[postedpixels]

No archive yet, sorry about the comment section, totally new to this. These are the first images that I have ever posted. The only other camera I have ever owned is 2.1 megapixel. I am slowly learning more each day. Thanks for the feedback, it all helps. :)

www.aaronrosa.com (http://aaronrosa.com)

[Spudooli]

Nice photos. But I think you need to make the files size a bit smaller. Some of them are over 300K which is a little too big.

You should be able to compress them down more quite easily without losing too much quality

[postedpixels]

Thanks for the suggestion, I have resized all of the photos and reposted them.

www.postedpixels.com (http://www.postedpixels.com)

[lopp]

some well composed pictures in there, but they are very boring.

[postedpixels]

some well composed pictures in there, but they are very boring.

Lopp,

Thanks, any advice on taking less boring shots?

aaron (http://www.postedpixels.com)

[gfanslow]

Hey,
I think you have an eye for picking out interesting subjects, not boring at all, but look for ways to vary your composition and point of view to see these things in a new way.

For example your subject is centered in the middle of the frame in every shot I looked at. Once you pick your subject, spend a lot of time looking around it (and walking around) and see how you can include elements of the environment into the composition.

Sometimes the most satisfying composition leave the "subject barely in the frame at all, which makes me wonder what the idea of "subject" really means, but that's a whole other conversation I suppose.

Anyhow. Great work.

[lopp]

Lopp,

Thanks, any advice on taking less boring shots?

aaron (http://www.postedpixels.com)

Sorry, that wasn't very constructive was it.

I found the subject matter you've chosen to photograph generic and uninspired. Most of the images are very clean and technically good, but lacking character and individuality. For me, a picture of a beach or a flower doesn't evoke an emotional reaction. Flicking through your images felt a bit like looking through a stock site.

Maybe if you disregard the notion of what you think a good photograph should look like and tried to capture images that don't appear as filler for photo frames then something more unique may develop.

The images may also become more interesting if you gave them some context by writing a bit about where they were taken, or the idea behind the image.

Probably not very constructive either.

[jkn]

I agree with a few comments already made on the layout - gray on black is hard to read. :-)

I like a lot of your shots - in fact I've taken a number of very similar shots (maybe they're the types of shots a lot of people take, or maybe it's just a sort of subgroup of people that seem attracted to those types of shots? eh - anyway...) - So obviously I think you're picking interesting subjects.

Thoughts on how to move forward (nothing that hasn't been said before, I'm sure...) - get up closer on some of your subjects - get really close if you can sometimes, don't be afraid to not show the whole object... look at things from different perspectives, maybe things people won't expect. If I find something interesting - I try to take some long shots and some close ones - sometimes what I think works at the time - doesn't, and the other shots do...

Some of those similar shots (not saying these are better by any means... just similar subjects...)

chicken - close shot: http://www.johei.com/gallery/random2003/Dsc03658

birds on a wire: http://www.foundrysite.com/subterra/subterra.pdf
...sorry that that's a pdf doc... birds are on pages 3 and 4.

wet flower: http://www.johei.com/gallery/clematis/DSC08146_800?full=1

landscape: http://www.johei.com/gallery/random2003/august_in_central_illinois?full=1

[postedpixels]

jkn, you have some of the sickest shots that I have ever seen! I have only been doing this for a few weeks, so at the risk of sounding dumb, how do you get those colors and that sharpness? Yours are way better no question. I'll keep trying, thanks for the useful info.

Aaron
postedpixels.com (http://postedpixels.com)

[jkn]

"Better" is subjective - and I just looked at three photoblogs yesterday that both gave me inspiration to keep trying to learn more and improve, and made me wonder if I'll ever get to that level of technical expertise, creativity, and artistry... I have fun, so that's what matters to me.

Color... I try and use the available light as best as possible - sunlight can do amazing things depending on how it's shining onto the subject or into the lens. When I'm taking indoor shots - I don't have any 'real' equipment - so I just try different lights - different combinations - and I'll drag a lamp in once in a while. Getting things sharp takes having the camera being still and the subject being still - getting bee shots on flowers that are moving in the wind while holding the camera - wow - lots of luck there. For every decently in focus shot there's at least 20 that are blurry becuase something moved. A tripod or monopod helps (though I have a hard time keeping monopods steady).

There's a lot of trial and error - (a lot of error!) - and since getting the camera in 2002 - I've taken thousands of shots and that means I've nabbed a few good shots just due to luck! But I've noticed that I've gotten more consistent at getting the shot I was trying to get - practice helps in so many things. I've learned patience from playing music (something I've been doing for 30 years...) - so while I've only been taking photos semi-seriously for a few years - I know I'll improve over time.

I'm far from good - but I'm getting there.

[eon]

"Better" is subjective - and I just looked at three photoblogs yesterday that both gave me inspiration to keep trying to learn more and improve, and made me wonder if I'll ever get to that level of technical expertise, creativity, and artistry... I have fun, so that's what matters to me.

Color... I try and use the available light as best as possible - sunlight can do amazing things depending on how it's shining onto the subject or into the lens. When I'm taking indoor shots - I don't have any 'real' equipment - so I just try different lights - different combinations - and I'll drag a lamp in once in a while. Getting things sharp takes having the camera being still and the subject being still - getting bee shots on flowers that are moving in the wind while holding the camera - wow - lots of luck there. For every decently in focus shot there's at least 20 that are blurry becuase something moved. A tripod or monopod helps (though I have a hard time keeping monopods steady).

There's a lot of trial and error - (a lot of error!) - and since getting the camera in 2002 - I've taken thousands of shots and that means I've nabbed a few good shots just due to luck! But I've noticed that I've gotten more consistent at getting the shot I was trying to get - practice helps in so many things. I've learned patience from playing music (something I've been doing for 30 years...) - so while I've only been taking photos semi-seriously for a few years - I know I'll improve over time.

I'm far from good - but I'm getting there.


Keep going and post you photo's here. Every one have to learn something. Some people to photograph, no problem that's "Photo Critique" for ;) AND some people have to learn how to write a good and/or constructive comment :P