Just showing what I can do so far, 1st post

[nOrmalSukx]

here i am i guess. let me know what you think. keep in mind i am young so i have time to learn lol. but any comments would be helpful (minus like "you suck" that's just not nice)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/nOrmalSukx2/Bunnyagain.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/nOrmalSukx2/cheslealook.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/nOrmalSukx2/sunonface.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/nOrmalSukx2/funny.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/nOrmalSukx2/Chelseainatree.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/nOrmalSukx2/angel.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/nOrmalSukx2/holdingbunny.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/nOrmalSukx2/chelseaface.jpg

[lynnma]

Hi Normal :wave

you've got some great images here in my humble opinion. This is a great site to post your stuff for expert and other critiques! Great to have you aboard :clap I'm not so qualified to comment on your work but there will be others here who will.. welcome to dgrin:thumb

[Steve Cavigliano]

Welcome to Dgrin Normal :wave

Thanks for sharing some of your pics with us :D I think you will find this community to be very helpful and polite (as in, you won't see someone commenting that a pic sux.....lol).

I like B&W and I liked your pics:thumb :thumb My favs are the odd numbered ones. 1, 3 and 5 :clap


Hopefully, some of the more skilled members will give you some suggestions on how to make your nice shots, even nicer :):

Welcome again,
Steve

[nOrmalSukx]

Hi Normal :wave

you've got some great images here in my humble opinion. This is a great site to post your stuff for expert and other critiques! Great to have you aboard :clap I'm not so qualified to comment on your work but there will be others here who will.. welcome to dgrin:thumb
thanks so much! any critiques are good ones, whether a person is "qualified" or not. in my opinion, you like what you like. but thanks so much for the welcome and i'm glad you like it.

[nOrmalSukx]

Welcome to Dgrin Normal :wave

Thanks for sharing some of your pics with us :D I think you will find this community to be very helpful and polite (as in, you won't see someone commenting that a pic sux.....lol).

I like B&W and I liked your pics:thumb :thumb My favs are the odd numbered ones. 1, 3 and 5 :clap


Hopefully, some of the more skilled members will give you some suggestions on how to make your nice shots, even nicer :):

Welcome again,
Steve
i see we have a nature fan, and yea i love black and white, there's something about it that just works for me i guess. thanks for the welcome!

[coldclimb]

I like B&W and I liked your pics:thumb :thumb My favs are the odd numbered ones. 1, 3 and 5 :clap
Yeah well *I* like #s 4, 6, and 8. I think it's the eyes. :thumb

You've got some excellent work here. It really makes me wish I had the imagination (and good looks) to do good self portraits. Stick around here, and join in the fun of sharing awesome photos!

[Steve Cavigliano]

i see we have a nature fan, and yea i love black and white, there's something about it that just works for me i guess. thanks for the welcome!
You hit it on the head Normal :thumb I only shoot people if forced to.....lol Gimme a nice landscape (preferably in infrared) or some wildlife or sports and I'm in my element :D Although, I do enjoy shooting people in IR. It's sort of like shooting B&W and it really makes any flora in the background stand out. Like this (http://www.pbase.com/slo2k/image/32891290)


Steve

[nOrmalSukx]

Yeah well *I* like #s 4, 6, and 8. I think it's the eyes. :thumb

You've got some excellent work here. It really makes me wish I had the imagination (and good looks) to do good self portraits. Stick around here, and join in the fun of sharing awesome photos!
aww sorry to disappoint but i take the pictures i'm not in them. the two girls who are in these are two of my best friends, SORRY!!

but i hope you still like them! and yes, she does have really pretty eyes.:rolleyes

[coldclimb]

aww sorry to disappoint but i take the pictures i'm not in them. the two girls who are in these are two of my best friends, SORRY!!

but i hope you still like them! and yes, she does have really pretty eyes.:rolleyes
Haha, I see, my mistake then. Still excellent work! :rofl

[nOrmalSukx]

You hit it on the head Normal :thumb I only shoot people if forced to.....lol Gimme a nice landscape (preferably in infrared) or some wildlife or sports and I'm in my element :D Although, I do enjoy shooting people in IR. It's sort of like shooting B&W and it really makes any flora in the background stand out. Like this (http://www.pbase.com/slo2k/image/32891290)


Steve
awww, see i've never been a very good nature photographer, but i love incorperating it into my shots. i've always enjoyed shooting people, it's more fun for me, i guess because i like to try and show their personalities in their various forms. but nature is beautiful i'll agree. and i love the way the leaves on the trees look in that shot!

[nOrmalSukx]

Haha, I see, my mistake then. Still excellent work! :rofl
thanks!:D

[wxwax]

I like the lighting and the pose in #3. Pity the focus and contrast are off in #1, because it has a lot of potential. If I could make one suggestion, it's that you not center her in every shot. The ol' rule of thirds also applies to people shots.

[nOrmalSukx]

I like the lighting and the pose in #3. Pity the focus and contrast are off in #1, because it has a lot of potential. If I could make one suggestion, it's that you not center her in every shot. The ol' rule of thirds also applies to people shots.
wow i didn't even notice all of those were centered, i have some that aren't but i'm definitely gonna try harder to vary it a bit more. thanks!

[Shay Stephens]

Hello NS,
As requested, critique:

1) Pleasant composition and pose. B&W looks weak, more contrast and stronger whites on the dress would look better to me. Was this hand held in low light? It looks like camera shake to me (blurry), which isn't necessarily bad if that was the look you were after, but if not, then use a higher ISO in order to get a faster shutter speed to cut down on the camera shake when hand holding in low light.

2) I like the composition & pose, but the scene doesn't work for me. Getting an angle that showed better where this was taking place, or showing the second bench more clearly in the upper right would have looked more deliberate, and created a pattern that the eye would have pleasingly caught on to.

3) The bullseye composition doesn't usually do anything for me, and it doesn't here. The scene is visually cluttered in an unpatterned way, and the models expression is flat and lifeless. Perhaps that was the pattern you were hoping to illustrate, but it doesn't bring any visual pleasure to me ;-)

4) Very contemporary and commercial looking. Contrast looks to be too low, and the exposure looks too hot. But this is almost perfect. Work on this more to perfect it. This shows a lot of potential.

5) Cool branch, not so cool interaction with it. The model is too lifeless here. The central composition isn't doing much here, and the feet are cut off in a haphazard way. Have the model lean on the branch or interact with it in some way. Throw some asymmetry into her body to mimic the asymmetry in the branch. Get bold!

6) Cute, the left side needs to be cropped out in the composition, it doesn't add anything visually, and just looks messy. I like the angled background wall, that adds a little interest. If you wanted to keep the left hand side, then have the model put her hand on it and lean into it to show some interaction with it, that would at least give it a reason for existing in the composition. Or have her pulling on the cord visible halfway down the left side.

7) The left hand side of the photo is empty and a waste visually. Crop it into a vertical orientation, or keep the horizontal, but put the models on the left hand side and let their legs occupy the right side. The centrally aligned compositions are currently overused in your technique. Mix it up some and use those blank areas somehow.

8) Pleasant, and better shows where this is taking place. The left side is rather featureless and could be cropped out in your composition without altering the look or feel of the photo, so you could have composed the shot a little better. Have the model facing the right instead of the left, since that is where the interesting background detail is, and shift the composition to the right a little to minimize the corrugated metal and maximize the brick walls/doors in the background. It is more visually interesting.

That's what I think about anyway ;-)

[Andy]

i'm going to echo shay's excellent critique! and :wave welcome to dgrin, n.s.!

[nOrmalSukx]

wow, you are easily the most helpful person so far. although i am proud to say that the critiques where you seemed to dislike the pictures more are older, so i guess i'm growing. dont be a stranger please and you might try checking out my DA you're REALLY helpful and i'd love your opinion http://normalsukx.deviantart.com/ thanks again!

Hello NS,
As requested, critique:

1) Pleasant composition and pose. B&W looks weak, more contrast and stronger whites on the dress would look better to me. Was this hand held in low light? It looks like camera shake to me (blurry), which isn't necessarily bad if that was the look you were after, but if not, then use a higher ISO in order to get a faster shutter speed to cut down on the camera shake when hand holding in low light.

2) I like the composition & pose, but the scene doesn't work for me. Getting an angle that showed better where this was taking place, or showing the second bench more clearly in the upper right would have looked more deliberate, and created a pattern that the eye would have pleasingly caught on to.

3) The bullseye composition doesn't usually do anything for me, and it doesn't here. The scene is visually cluttered in an unpatterned way, and the models expression is flat and lifeless. Perhaps that was the pattern you were hoping to illustrate, but it doesn't bring any visual pleasure to me ;-)

4) Very contemporary and commercial looking. Contrast looks to be too low, and the exposure looks too hot. But this is almost perfect. Work on this more to perfect it. This shows a lot of potential.

5) Cool branch, not so cool interaction with it. The model is too lifeless here. The central composition isn't doing much here, and the feet are cut off in a haphazard way. Have the model lean on the branch or interact with it in some way. Throw some asymmetry into her body to mimic the asymmetry in the branch. Get bold!

6) Cute, the left side needs to be cropped out in the composition, it doesn't add anything visually, and just looks messy. I like the angled background wall, that adds a little interest. If you wanted to keep the left hand side, then have the model put her hand on it and lean into it to show some interaction with it, that would at least give it a reason for existing in the composition. Or have her pulling on the cord visible halfway down the left side.

7) The left hand side of the photo is empty and a waste visually. Crop it into a vertical orientation, or keep the horizontal, but put the models on the left hand side and let their legs occupy the right side. The centrally aligned compositions are currently overused in your technique. Mix it up some and use those blank areas somehow.

8) Pleasant, and better shows where this is taking place. The left side is rather featureless and could be cropped out in your composition without altering the look or feel of the photo, so you could have composed the shot a little better. Have the model facing the right instead of the left, since that is where the interesting background detail is, and shift the composition to the right a little to minimize the corrugated metal and maximize the brick walls/doors in the background. It is more visually interesting.

That's what I think about anyway ;-)

[nOrmalSukx]

i'm going to echo shay's excellent critique! and :wave welcome to dgrin, n.s.!
hah well thanks for the welcome and dont be a stranger!:rolleyes

[Angelo]

very nice pictures and a lot of promise. keep posting, keep learning, keep sharing. Thank you.

[nOrmalSukx]

well thank you very much for the support and i'll be sure to keep sharing, ya'll will prolly get tired of me after a while lol.



very nice pictures and a lot of promise. keep posting, keep learning, keep sharing. Thank you.

[ian408]

The expressions your models have, especially in the eyes, is great.
That usually comes with great direction.

Nice work!

Ian

[nOrmalSukx]

why thank you. they both have these really intense and beautiful blue eyes, it's always fun to work them to my advantage.:D



The expressions your models have, especially in the eyes, is great.
That usually comes with great direction.

Nice work!

Ian

[Steve Cavigliano]

wow, you are easily the most helpful person so far. although i am proud to say that the critiques where you seemed to dislike the pictures more are older, so i guess i'm growing. dont be a stranger please and you might try checking out my DA you're REALLY helpful and i'd love your opinion http://normalsukx.deviantart.com/ thanks again!
Normal,
Shay is very helpful. He's one of the most talented shooters on this forum. He spent quite a bit of time typing his thoughts regarding your pics. IMHO, the best way you can thank him is to continue to post and share your growth, as a photographer, here with us :D That you accepted his critiques in the manner intended, shows me you have what it takes to become an excellent photographer :thumb Thick skin......LOL

Steve

[binghott]

you're off to a good start, i hope to see more.

[Yuri Pautov]

Not sure that you'll like to be called Normal, but...
So, welcome to dgrin!
You have very interesting eye for photography...
reading books/internet on composition rules will be standard advice (I'm learning all the time).
Wish you all the best,
Yuri

[nOrmalSukx]

well thanks so much. i dont really have thick skin, but i could tell that he wasn't trying to insult me, just to help me. i appreciate it. thanks so much for the compliments and i plan on updating some new pictures REALLY soon.

Normal,
Shay is very helpful. He's one of the most talented shooters on this forum. He spent quite a bit of time typing his thoughts regarding your pics. IMHO, the best way you can thank him is to continue to post and share your growth, as a photographer, here with us :D That you accepted his critiques in the manner intended, shows me you have what it takes to become an excellent photographer :thumb Thick skin......LOL

Steve

[nOrmalSukx]

hah yea i do find it funny that normal sucks and yet i'm getting called normal, but on the other hand, would i like to be called sucks? lol maybe i'll just go by ema if i can. thanks for the advice and the welcome!:D

Not sure that you'll like to be called Normal, but...
So, welcome to dgrin!
You have very interesting eye for photography...
reading books/internet on composition rules will be standard advice (I'm learning all the time).
Wish you all the best,
Yuri