Critique Fest

[tbeaman]

Thanks for agreeing about "post-visualization". When we first make the picture, our head can be cluttered with a mixture of the subject, our pre-visualization, and the print itself. It's best to let the first two drop away on their own, and let the print become the new subject, as it were.

It's interesting that you say that, because as I was following this thread, I noticed that it was you who finally nailed your own image submission, and I think that was because you were more willing than anyone else to really start chopping fingers. You'd think strangers to the subject and specific image taking process would be able to be more ruthless, but perhaps it was because our emotional investment in the image had just begun while you had had the time and, especially, discipline to divest yourself of any attachment.

I know I have a hard time cropping because I can always see in my mind the parts that are missing, and it feels wrong somehow (I also tend to frame too tight; comes from being weened on 35mm and minilab prints). In a recent case, though, I found that adding a border really helped with this. Actually, I find borders (or at least, the canvas) in general to be quite important and invaluable. Many of the edits that stood out to me in this thread had a lot to do with this.

I could elaborate more, but my thoughts are getting more nebulous and difficult to unscramble at the moment. Someone else can pick up the ball if they like.

[E S]

First off, thanks for having this thread! I'll post something and then duck for cover... but seriously, I'd appreciate critique of any sort on this one.

My own thoughts, or at least what I would have done differently:

• vertical rather than horizontal orientation? Not sure; the terrace is not all that lovely, and using horizontal let me "hide" some stuff. But vertical would have fit better with the wine bottle.
• depth of field needs to be better, or at least under better control. I think most of the cheese and all of the bottle is in focus, but I think I should have had the cheese wrapper completely in focus.
• I think I could have gotten much closer to the cheese and the bottle.
• nitpicky: is the off-kilterness of the stripes in the tablecloth distracting?

If I were to do this again this weekend, I would move the setting closer to the camera, and perhaps tilt the camera down a bit to get just table and tablecloth, bottle, cheese, etc., and none of the background, plus to improve what is and isn't in focus. Low priority, I'd think about using the stripes in the tablecloth at a definite orientation, rather than random.

Any other comments? Still-life is not my strong suit, so I really had no idea what I was doing.

And since re-doing this would involve more wine and more cheese, I have NO objections to trying the set-up again. None at all...

[seabird]

Hi E S

Fell free to ignore the following (after all, what do I know?), but in terms of composition I find the out of focus foreground slightly distracting. If it was me, I'd be tempted to try a tighter crop that looses the foreground up to a point just below the cheese wrapper - sort of turning the image into a horizontal panorama.

You've already identified the DOF issues so no further comment required there.

Its all good fun learning, isn't it?

If you need any help with the setup and are supplying the wine and cheese then just PM me ...

Regards

[Scott Schroeder]

ES,
These things are subjective, but I would have gotten tighter on your subject (which I like very much). I'm not so sure about the dappled light as a more even lighting might compliment your focus a bit. I'm a fan of toning so I tossed that in there.....
Anyway, like I said, it's all subjective but if I had to work with it, I'd definitely get rid of the foreground.

[Ken Lee]

I would ask: What are the nicest parts of the photo ? Which parts works best ?

[h2oman]

I know what I think about this one, but I'd like to hear what any of you think. I will say that I'm not that keen on it, so don't hold back, in deference to my feeings, on what would have made it better, or still could, as it was captured. Thanks!

[Ken Lee]

[Peter Mounier]

I liked this as soon as you first posted it, but I recognized the highlight on the rim as the most interesting part. The rest seemed extraneous.

Peter

[h2oman]

Thanks guys. I'm a bit bothered by the merger of the in-focus edge with the dark leaf in the background, and was wondering if anyone would bring that up. I'm also not sure if I'm a selective-focus guy, but I thought I'd give it a try since I couldn't get everything in focus anyway.

PS I never noticed until now the misspelling in the title of this thread! (Did I misspell misspell? Maybe only one S?)

[Ken Lee]

I never noticed until now the misspelling in the title of this thread!

Me neither - I just corrected it.

Perhaps it's time to join D.A.M. - Mothers Against Dyslexia !