submit a photo to the urban75 critics

[beekeeper]

Works, and you can avoid the ads by going to just the image:
http://us.f3.yahoofs.com/users/41e094f9zc4f80ce3/9605/__sr_/a96d.jpg?phdvwqCBc0.Stl4y

There's an emerging theme of the need for simplicity in this thread. I'm not sure what your subject is here -- the lamp post stands out most but needs to be isolated away from the rest more. The building's ornate architecture is rather lost at the angle, though does fit in with the "olde" look with the street light. Maybe try a major crop losing the cars and the large window on the right to focus centrally on the lamp along with the edge of the building and the buildings in the backgrounds?

Yep, you're right. I haven't actually cropped this at all so far. The cars should go. It might also need a little tilt to get the post straight.

 

[Cadmus]

Though would definitely be better in b+w because it's strength is the shapes, textures and compositions, but the brown water is distracting. Perhaps needs a bit of contrast adjustment too. Look out for a competition theme on "sinking"!

cheers - will polish it up a bit.

 

[wordie]

I am afraid I am a bit of a point and click mercahnt too but I got this one today and would appreciate any tips on how to smarten it up a bit etc. obviously I cant do much about the sand etc unless I photoshop it

I have cropped out some of the grass etc she was not central and it looked a bit lopsided

picture

Nice one Pingu... I love dogs me!

Couple of things I would suggest. First, wherever possible try to press the button when the dog's actually looking at you... much more involving.

Second, as you say, you can't avoid the sand, but why not go out with the intention of shooting some pics of her and then you can avoid the sand. And if you choose a day that's less overcast than today, you'll get some more vibrancy in the colours.

Just my two pennorth! But I still like the shot.... or am I biased by my love of furry friends?

Pingu! Obviously my post crossed as you were editing yours. To be honest I prefer your original shot as a composition than the cropped version....

 

[Pingu]

Nice one Pingu... I love dogs me!

Couple of things I would suggest. First, wherever possible try to press the button when the dog's actually looking at you... much more involving.

Second, as you say, you can't avoid the sand, but why not go out with the intention of shooting some pics of her and then you can avoid the sand. And if you choose a day that's less overcast than today, you'll get some more vibrancy in the colours.

Just my two pennorth! But I still like the shot.... or am I biased by my love of furry friends?

Pingu! Obviously my post crossed as you were editing yours. To be honest I prefer your original shot as a composition than the cropped version....

thanks

its meant to be quite sunny here tomorrow so I will try to get some nice ones



lol just goes to show how little I currently know about photography

 

[alef]

Alef,

This is my original shot, but now in a sensible html page.

Does it change your views at all?

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough: I think it's an excellent shot! And the new presentation reinforces the composition. My only disagreement is about your views on not liking the grey sky, I feel it's strength is that it stands out so boldly and clearly, if there were clouds they'd just detract. I see the round lamp as an interesting extra, but the "legs" and composition as the main subject.

 

[wordie]

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough: I think it's an excellent shot! And the new presentation reinforces the composition. My only disagreement is about your views on not liking the grey sky, I feel it's strength is that it stands out so boldly and clearly, if there were clouds they'd just detract. I see the round lamp as an interesting extra, but the "legs" and composition as the main subject.

I was only joking Alef... I like the shot too! You may be right about the clouds, but I still like the strength of the lamp's contrast to the starker, straighter, harder forms of the metal work....

This thread has taken off hasn't it? Especially for a weekend! Good show all....

 

[Mrs Magpie]

it's in Geneva, Switzerland

I wondered whether it was London or possibly Leamington Spa

 

[beekeeper]

I wondered whether it was London or possibly Leamington Spa

 

[Cadmus]

i like this thread - useful and informative, hooray for the thread starter!
i can usually tell that the pic ain't good enough, but can rarely tell what's wrong exactly. this helps.

i'm posting a couple more but don't feel pressurised to comment on them...at least not immediately.
they are all from one of my walks, all very point-and-click...

Direction Left
River Squad
Surveillance
Eye

 

[alef]

...

picture

original

...

Pingu! Obviously my post crossed as you were editing yours. To be honest I prefer your original shot as a composition than the cropped version....

My first instinct is to disagree, I prefer the tighter crop. But looking at it more I'd say it's really a matter of what you want the picture to be about. The original has a slightly unusual composition making the dog look particularly lonely. The cropped version is more about the expression which I find effective. Close up her eyes, eyebrow patches and mouth are more central which I think makes it more emotive.

(Now wishing I still had a dog to take portraits of, why do they have to have such short life-spans? )

 

[beekeeper]

I'm putting this one up as well - I made it as simple as poss IMO ...
ps: notice the rainbow?

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/postercontact/detail?.dir=af0c&.dnm=9531.jpg&.src=ph

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Doesn't work for me beekeeper, I get one of these...

 

[beekeeper]

i like this thread - useful and informative, hooray for the thread starter!
i can usually tell that the pic ain't good enough, but can rarely tell what's wrong exactly. this helps.

i'm posting a couple more but don't feel pressurised to comment on them...at least not immediately.
they are all from one of my walks, all very point-and-click...

Direction Left
River Squad
Surveillance
Eye

I like the first one (bridge) - maybe it would work well cropping more off the bottom to make it more 'widescreen'. But definitly a good pic with 'twist' (I find myself tilting my head when looking at it - but that's a good thing)!

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Bugger, that was meant to be a little red cross

 

[wordie]

i like this thread - useful and informative, hooray for the thread starter!
i can usually tell that the pic ain't good enough, but can rarely tell what's wrong exactly. this helps.

i'm posting a couple more but don't feel pressurised to comment on them...at least not immediately.
they are all from one of my walks, all very point-and-click...

Direction Left
River Squad
Surveillance
Eye

Cadmus, if what I have to say gives you food for thought, then I'm happy. But see what Alef has written in the post below yours to see just how subjective it all is. And thank god for that an all!

However, of your four new posts, I really like the first two, and particularly the first one. Again I can see that being even stronger in B&W. As I can the second image as well.

The third image I find too busy. I don't know what you want me to look at!

The fourth image I can see what you were trying to do but I think you've fallen between two stools. Perhaps if you'd gone closer to the reflection we might have been able to understand more about that building in it's very strange context (the reflection). As it is I'm distracted by a lot of the stuff going on around the birdbath. I'd have gone in closer and cropped out a lot of the garden surroundings. Oh and the colours look a bit washed out to me...

 

[wordie]

I'm putting this one up as well - I made it as simple as poss IMO ...
ps: notice the rainbow?

http://www.worldofposters.com/ingo/

There's an image missing in that URL bee.....

 

[beekeeper]

Doesn't work for me beekeeper, I get one of these...

sorry about that! I've edited the msg and put a new link in.

 

[beekeeper]

There's an image missing in that URL bee.....

thanks! please check my poster again - I've changed the link.

 

[alef]

...This thread has taken off hasn't it? Especially for a weekend! Good show all....

i like this thread - useful and informative, hooray for the thread starter!

Very pleased this has taken of! I'm having a lot more fun studying and thinking about pictures than if were I doing the various chores waiting for me...

i can usually tell that the pic ain't good enough, but can rarely tell what's wrong exactly. this helps.

i'm posting a couple more but don't feel pressurised to comment on them...at least not immediately.
they are all from one of my walks, all very point-and-click...

Direction Left
River Squad
Surveillance
Eye

The first one stands out for me, I love shots with strong patterns of lines. Needs more contrast, looking a bit washed out, do you have any photo software? If so, have a look at pulling the levels significantly darker and see what you think. If it were my picture I'd also be tempted to cheat the perspective and distort out the bottom of the photo to have straighter lines.

Here's two of my pictures yours reminds me of, the second is heavily distorted with perspective:
Park fence
Scaffolding

 

[Hocus Eye.]

Here is a picture from me, Baffled

Feel free to comment folks; I am very thick skinned.

Hocus Eye

 

[beekeeper]

Very pleased this has taken of! I'm having a lot more fun studying and thinking about pictures than if were I doing the various chores waiting for me...



The first one stands out for me, I love shots with strong patterns of lines. Needs more contrast, looking a bit washed out, do you have any photo software? If so, have a look at pulling the levels significantly darker and see what you think. If it were my picture I'd also be tempted to cheat the perspective and distort out the bottom of the photo to have straighter lines.

Here's two of my pictures yours reminds me of, the second is heavily distorted with perspective:
Park fence
Scaffolding

Your thread has really lit up my passion for photography again! After having studied design and photography nearly a decade ago I found myself neglecting my (now only) hobby until now!

re. park fence: Very nice however I would prefer it cropped so we can't see the pathway on the bottom left. Possibly even the tree top left as then, nothing would distract from the structure...

re. scaffolding: Again, lovely subject but my eye gets drawn to the top left of the pic which is not very important to the whole image. Maybe crop even the sky on the left so the entire picture is full of scaffolding...

 

[beekeeper]

Here is a picture from me, Baffled

Feel free to comment folks; I am very thick skinned.

Hocus Eye

That's a lovely subject! - How much better would it be without the bloody cooperate signs though...

 

[wordie]

i like this thread - useful and informative, hooray for the thread starter!
i can usually tell that the pic ain't good enough, but can rarely tell what's wrong exactly. this helps.

i'm posting a couple more but don't feel pressurised to comment on them...at least not immediately.
they are all from one of my walks, all very point-and-click...

Direction Left
River Squad
Surveillance
Eye

Further to my comments earlier Cadmus, and in the light of Alef's comment on the subject, here's a couple of ideas on how you could adjust that first image of yours.

The top version is a brown duotone and the lower one has had the colours adjusted and enhanced. Hope you don't mind me playing around with them!

 

[beekeeper]

Further to my comments earlier Cadmus, and in the light of Alef's comment on the subject, here's a couple of ideas on how you could adjust that first image of yours.

The top version is a brown duotone and the lower one has had the colours adjusted and enhanced. Hope you don't mind me playing around with them!

I prefer the duotone as in the colour-version, the brickwork turnes purple/violet...

 

[Cadmus]

Hope you don't mind me playing around with them!

oh, not at all. much better if someone skilled plays with them than me, eh? i've got loads of image editing software and used to play with it a lot a couple of months back, will go back to it soon. cheers

 

[Cid]

seems it's all about rivers, bridges...ha, well....Enter the Thames
[SIZE=-2](im crap at photography, i just do it for self amusement)[/SIZE]

Like it, but (as others said) would be good B&W. Only other criticism I have is that it's very slightly tilted and would've worked better if it was completely symmetrical. Not a big thing really, just find it shifts the um... balance of the photo a bit (ie it feels slightly 'heavier' on one side. Or something). Try using a tripod or using horizontal (or vertical) elements of the composition to line it up.

Will put up a couple of my own at some point.

 

[Cid]

i like this thread - useful and informative, hooray for the thread starter!
i can usually tell that the pic ain't good enough, but can rarely tell what's wrong exactly. this helps.

i'm posting a couple more but don't feel pressurised to comment on them...at least not immediately.
they are all from one of my walks, all very point-and-click...

Direction Left
River Squad
Surveillance
Eye

Surveillance - as wordie said, too busy - but to go into a bit more detail: I'm not sure of the subject of this - the boy is a very strong element, but - because he's in shadow - doesn't draw attention nearly as well as the sunlit bits. The subject appears to be the couple in the centre facing us (specifically the man) - the boy and the man in the bottom left (as well as few others near the boy) seem to be watching this draws your eye there. Maybe this is what you intended, but in that case it would have been better to have more focus on him - a lower apeture and shutter speed might have helped. Anyway, I'm rambling - sorry.

 

[alef]

Further to my comments earlier Cadmus, and in the light of Alef's comment on the subject, here's a couple of ideas on how you could adjust that first image of yours.

The top version is a brown duotone and the lower one has had the colours adjusted and enhanced. Hope you don't mind me playing around with them!

Well I couldn't resist joining in with Wordie and having a play around too! I think it works better darker, and have also done other tweaks:
http://www.alef.co.uk/photos/urban75/05/thebridge.html

Are we turning into the "submit a photo to the photoshop addicts" thread?

 

[Hocus Eye.]

That's a lovely subject! - How much better would it be without the bloody cooperate signs though...

That is what I thought when I was taking the picture but if you scroll the picture until those signs go off the top, then the picture loses impact.

My feeling is that this is because they add a bit red and blue to the image and put the whole thing in the context of words in the street. This is just a rationalisation of course.

Hocus

 

[Corax]

Don't underestimate what can be done with a simple compact!

Your picture captures a very relaxing mood. Although I haven't taken many, I like silhouettes of buildings with sunsets. Here, though, think you've got too much going on. The clothes line would work better either as a side detail or the central subject, here it's half and half. The aerial/lighting rod was probably impossible to avoid from where you were, but unfortunately I think it really distracts. The edges of the buildings frame the sides of the picture nicely.

Thanks, all good comment.

You're right though, I had little choice over the shot. It's between a pair of houses down the road, I can't get closer, and there's further obstructions either side as well. It's a shame the washing didn't stretch all the way across, with no rod imo.

Nice thread. I'm going to have to do some more pointing. And clicking.