Portofolio Critique Please

[John Rodriguez]

I'm going to be showing my work to others (beyond friends/family) at a workshop for the first time next weekend and would really like some feedback before I start printing (I have to pick 10 photographs to show). Please be honest, but kind. What works well/doesn't work? Should I stick to showing color? The website is just a quick Zenfolio template, please ignore. Most are 4x5, but there are a few digital shots.

Thank you in advance

www.johnrodriguezphotography.com

[N Dhananjay]

It is difficult to offer a thoughtful critique without an understanding of what you are trying to do in the work. Some of the images are very strongly seen and I am drawn to those more strongly that others which might evoke a sense of place (you know, an "Ah, Yosemite" response).

In order to maintain a consistent look, I'd suggest sticking to color - there are only 4 B&W images and they might feel like an after-thought (an 'I can do this too' response - you probably want to have people focus on the work rather than you and your abilities). I was particularly struck by (in the All folder) 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12. These have strong visual elements (diagonals, form etc.) The rendering of 7 is a little contrasty for my taste but again a lot depends on what your visual concerns are. Some of the photographs keep the eye moving (e.g., 3,5,6,7,8) while other seem more focused on one form that dominates the composition (e.g., 11, 12).

Good luck with selecting and showing your work and enjoy the workshop.

Cheers, DJ

[John Rodriguez]

Thank you very much for your feedback DJ.

In answer to the question of what I'm trying to do in the work - I think of my photographs as portraits of specific landscape elements. I had a very active imagination as a kid and would imagine inanimate objects as being thinking/feeling beings. When I approach a photograph I'm almost always looking at a specific element and shooting it like it's human. Probably sounds weird, but that's how I look at things.

[paulr]

Probably sounds weird, but that's how I look at things.

Weird = interesting.

What could you do (through photographing, editing/sequencing, context, etc.) to invite your viewers further into this strange anthropomorphic world?

[Brian Ellis]

Portfolios generally have some common theme or consistency of ideas. So I'd eliminate the black and whites.

I see 13 color images when I click on "all" so you only need to drop 3 to get to your ten. I don't see any that stand out as being noticeably bad photographs, they all look equally good to me. So I'd probably choose the three to cull on the basis of leaving you with a consistent series of ten images. That would mean dropping #6 for sure since it's the only non-natural landscape and perhaps #12 and #13 since the remaining ten all include trees or portions of trees, which would lend a nice consistency to your portfolio.

But if you really like those three then drop three others. I wouldn't let consistency override the desirability of getting a critique of your favorite photographs so you can see what others think of them.

[John Rodriguez]

Are you asking for feedback about the sequencing and choice of photos - issues of presentation, grouping, including/excluding ? Are you asking about your overall style ? Are you asking about which photos work well on their own ?

- Which photographs work well on their own/stand out. I'm not looking to make themed series.
- Which photographs don't fit. I think on that site I'm presenting images that all look like "my style of photographs", but it would be nice to get some feedback if anything seems out of place.

As far as style...we'll you either like it or you don't. I'm not the kind of person that will change the type of songs I create in order to please someone else.

[Mark Sawyer]

I'd offer that you may want choose according to which images show the direction you want to move in or that you haven't quite figured out yet, rather than which are strongest. People often go to workshops, reviews, and critiques for feedback and ideas, but mainly choose images to impress.

[invisibleflash]

They are pretty much all nice John.
One I liked the least was the big and small tree.
Good luck!

[SergeiR]

As far as style...we'll you either like it or you don't. I'm not the kind of person that will change the type of songs I create in order to please someone else.

oh dear

[ImSoNegative]

I liked them all as well my favorites are 2 7 9 18 no. 6 is really cool looking, looks like a transformer. Good luck with your workshop

[John Rodriguez]

Portfolios generally have some common theme or consistency of ideas. So I'd eliminate the black and whites.

I see 13 color images when I click on "all" so you only need to drop 3 to get to your ten. I don't see any that stand out as being noticeably bad photographs, they all look equally good to me. So I'd probably choose the three to cull on the basis of leaving you with a consistent series of ten images. That would mean dropping #6 for sure since it's the only non-natural landscape and perhaps #12 and #13 since the remaining ten all include trees or portions of trees, which would lend a nice consistency to your portfolio.

But if you really like those three then drop three others. I wouldn't let consistency override the desirability of getting a critique of your favorite photographs so you can see what others think of them.

Thanks Brian, I hand't thought of restricting to trees. I do wind up shooting them an aweful lot.


I'd offer that you may want choose according to which images show the direction you want to move in or that you haven't quite figured out yet, rather than which are strongest. People often go to workshops, reviews, and critiques for feedback and ideas, but mainly choose images to impress.

Very good point. In this case it's a printing workshop, so while some of the feedback will probably be on comp etc the bulk will be on the technical qualities of the prints. I'm nowhere near happy with how any these look printed yet.


They are pretty much all nice John.
One I liked the least was the big and small tree.
Good luck!

Thanks Iluv, knowing what's not popular is helpful. The ironic thing is it's my favorite print. However as I'd like to start selling these beyond friends/family someday it's good to get an idea of what to show people and what to just keep for myself.


I liked them all as well my favorites are 2 7 9 18 no. 6 is really cool looking, looks like a transformer. Good luck with your workshop

Thanks ImSo.

[Leonard Metcalf]

The Blue photo of the tree in the mist is outstanding... Love this photograph... use this one as the starting point and add others around it..

Trees seems to be a theme worth exploring some more for you...

[Richard K.]

Very nice, clean, and interesting colour work - I also like the glacial rock B&W (is that Olmsted Point or is my visual memory suspect?). Curious about which ones were digitally captured?

[John Rodriguez]

Thank you Leonard and Richard.

Richard, 7 and 17 were shot with a D50, 8 and 10 with a D800e, 12 with a 5d, and 13 and 14 with a D200.

[Richard K.]

Thank you Leonard and Richard.

Richard, 7 and 17 were shot with a D50, 8 and 10 with a D800e, 12 with a 5d, and 13 and 14 with a D200.

Thanks John. And was 18 at Olmsted Point? :)

[John Rodriguez]

Thanks John. And was 18 at Olmsted Point? :)

Yes. A year or two ago on New Years day. People were ice skating on Tenaya.