Re: First night-shots...

On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:05:41 -0500, PeterN
<peter.new@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On 12/15/2011 6:33 PM, J wrote:
"tony cooper"<tony.cooper214@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:6vske7l8p1ddek45lp2dn4643e8uin5d31@xxxxxxxxxx
On Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:41:50 -0000, "J"<gjthsjthfk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:


These are some shots I took at night...'in the pitch-black really! My
first
attempts at this kind of photography, so any critique would be welcome.


http://www.pbase.com/fred/photos

Overall, you've done a good job. You've asked for critique, though,
so here goes:

You tend to center your images. Image 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8 are all
centered. Try some with more water and less sky or more sky and less
water.

Horizons should be level unless there's some special effect, and
special effects seldom work.

I'd take 5 and 6 out of the series. They don't work. At all.

Try to get PeteA to comment. He does some very similar stuff of a
seaport town in the UK.


--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

I've removed the images you suggested didn't fit the series...'never really
thought about this gallery as a series until you mentioned it, but I can see
how it looks more complete now. It's strange, but I also never noticed the
horizons were uneven, and I guess this is where someone else's eyes come in
handy. Center'ing is also a thing I've done for too long, I must break the
habit! :)

Thanks.
J

Tony Cooper has a good eye for composition and he gave you sound general
advice.
The "rule" against centering, like all composition "rules" can, and
should be broken, when doing so improves the image.
A lot of times direct centering causes an image to be static. Yet, there
are times when centering will make an image dynamic.
As an example, here is one of mine entered in the shootin.

<http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/124677897>

The photos where I see being centered is a problem are the photos with
a very discernable horizontal or vertical line or demarcation. The
line between sky and water or sky and land in a landscape, or a pole
or some other vertical in non-landscape scene. A single figure of a
person that is centered can also be a problem.

Generally, though, full-frame subjects (like your image) aren't looked
at the same way. The nose is in the bullseye center and the glasses
are in the horizontal center, but the image isn't evenly balanced so
we don't notice the centering. It's that dead-even balance that
detracts.


--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: First night-shots...
    ... attempts at this kind of photography, so any critique would be welcome. ... The "rule" against centering, like all composition "rules" can, and should be broken, when doing so improves the image. ... A lot of times direct centering causes an image to be static. ...
    (alt.photography)
  • Re: First night-shots...
    ... :>attempts at this kind of photography, so any critique would be welcome. ... I agree with Tony about picture 5, and I'd probably add 7 and 9 to that list. ... The centering is OK throughout the set. ...
    (alt.photography)