Started photography 2 months ago and I’m looking for feedback on my photos and editing, I don’t have a particular style. I shoot with a 24mm aps-c lens, and a 50mm full-frame lens (76mm aps-c equivalent) and edit on darktable.
I really like the ‘meditation’ photo. The scene does not look meditative at all, and the persons legs just hanging out is sort of ironic. Overall it is a funny scene full of contrasting subjects. Well done.
I also like your instincts on the last one, using the animals as a foreground, I think you’d be better served if the person was all the way in the frame, so waiting just a touch longer. I like the blur on the person and the other choices in the frame are solid.
I am not really able to comment on the images except to say you are doing better at 2 months than I was. That is a really low threshold…but a threshold nonetheless!
I recommend you submitting one of them, or another one that you are editing as a play raw. It really helped me to learn how to better use the tool by observing what other people do.
I also enjoyed the “meditation” photo, and think the blue is really pretty. The perspective is a bit odd though, it feels like the wall is in an angle, which could be true or just a photographic illusion. You might be able to fix it on post and it may or may not be more pleasing.
The image with the person and plushies was taken very hastily and I was honestly surprised at the final image. In retrospect I would use slightly higher aperture value and now that you mention it the person should be a bit more in frame. Thanks for the advice!
Thanks
I spent a while on color grading the blue to add just the right amount of green tint to make it a little off-putting. I see what you mean about the wall being at an angle. I think I like it being skewed but I’ll keep that in mind for future shots. I’ll also send some raws later to see how others edit photos.
Very nice images. You have a good eye for scenes. I notice that there are always at least two focal points in the pictures. mural: person/bright area, meditation: lettering/legs, cross: people/cross, hugs: stuffed animals/person.
This can create tension but also distract. I like the effect in “meditation,” but I’m not quite sure about the other photos.
That’s a really good observation about my style I hadn’t realized before, thanks! I like using 2 things to compose because you can easily extrapolate a story onto it, however sometimes it can distract, I’ll think about next time I’m composing shots : D
You have a good eye for composition and your editing is looking good. I presume you have some arts background to be doing this well after just two months. Well done.
“Mural”: I suggest cleaning the floor to give a more constructed and deliberate feel to the choice of location −if it is your intention.
“Cross” and “Hugs”: the left edge is slightly cropped, perhaps due to a slight shift in the position of the eye in the viewfinder. I’ve seen this problem before with beginners.
Welcome! It seems like you have an instinct for including people without making them the real focus. There are some technical things that could be improved, as others have pointed out. Keep exploring this instinct and working on those technical things you’ll develop a cool style!
A few years ago, I was presenting a portfolio. I had been advised to always have a broom handy to clean the floor before taking photos. That was back in the days of film photography…
It will come, but preparing for the shoot will save you from spending too many hours in front of your computer.
Well, I’m old school, so this is just advice.
I don’t think you need any advice from anybody. Just follow your path, take and analyze your own photos. Keep many photos, even the “bad” ones. This will help you understand what is good/bad (your perspective is all that matters). Somehow you will give yourself the best feedback you will ever need!
When you have time, check photos from great masters, try to understand them. Avoid social media for this purpose (low quality photos).
Shoot, have fun and enjoy the process is all that matters!
Although @clinart makes a fair point… (Sorry @clinart , I am not disagreeing; ask 10 photographers and you could get 20 different answers)
I personally like the Street photography genre this shot gives a nod to… I think the rubbish makes it real. I don’t actually like city/towns and the associated rubbish… it’s an unfortunate reality.
One suggestion I would give is to be careful when asking for open advice as you will get a lot of bikeshedding in the answers where people can get into the weeds over details that catch their eyes, but miss the issues that you really care about. Sometimes it’s good to ask for focused feedback on specific aspects of your work.
This forum is probably better than most for that, but it’s just a natural thing we all do.