The *Official Photography Thread*

I prefer the first shot honestly since the second shot seems just a bit over saturated. But using mobile LR has it's limitations over LR. I agree (and do the same with a lot of photos) that putting something in front of the object you're shooting creates a nice depth of field.

*EDIT* Nice truck btw

It's all subjective. Photography is a personal choice. What pleases you might not please another. If you're shooting just for yourself then the only person you have to please is yourself. If you shoot for others, there are expectations that have to be met. That's why if you're shooting for someone else... take A LOT of pictures so they can choose what they personally like the best. You personally may not like the shot but if they do that's all that matters in the end.

 

If you're sharing with others, then the way that it is seen by those who view it also matters. Otherwise, why show it to anyone? When taking a photo, you should be concerned with the viewer.

 

That's why it's all subjective. I share a lot of photos on here and I don't expect everyone to like them. Hell... some may even hate them. But I'm not concerned about that in the least. I do take some photos that are just experiments more for myself but also to show what can be done if you think outside the box. Not everyone will like a photo you take but some people will. Photography is art. Some like some pieces of art and some don't. I agree that it matters by those that view them but it doesn't concern me if someone doesn't like a photo that I post in the least. If there is constructive criticism, then I will take that, think about it, and see if it fits in with my style of photography. But to those that say "I don't like (insert photo here) without any constructive criticism, I don't concern myself about it. I didn't say that what you said wasn't constructive criticism. Just nothing was said about how "you" might have shot it?

The thing with photography is, get out there and try new things. Push yourself. You will fail more than you succeed but what have you lost? In time, the things that work become part of your particular style of photography. I'm not trying to be the next Peter McKinnon or get my photos posted in National Geographic. I'm taking photos because I like to take photos. Some work some don't. But each time you fail, you learn something from it.

 

I'll give you an example. I was up late one night and decided to just try something new. I didn't expect anyone to like this photo (nor should you). I just took it to see what I could do with using what I had on hand and to push a boundary of what can be done thinking outside the box. I agree it's not a good photo at all but it's not photo shopped in anyway. It's more of one of those "how was that photo taken?" type of thing.

 

Cool, you don't care what is said about something that doesn't involve you at all. Just giving an opinion. If the person who it was to wants to ignore it, that's fine. If they want to ask me more about it, that's fine too.

 

Fair enough

 

@OdiN1701 which brand CPL and GND filters are you running?

 

@RearViewMirror i can appreciate the creativity and confidence to try something new and outside the box.

Speaking of trick shots... here’s one using all natural smoke and mirrors.

 

If you plan on selling, maybe. Otherwise, it should please you.

 

I should explain that if you like it, there’s a good chance others will as well.

However, it’s important you are brutally honest in your self assessment for that to work.

 

I use a 105mm B+W CPL with Lee GND filters.

 

I would agree with this. If you take a good photo and it is composed well then others will most likely like it.

And I especially agree with your second point. If you are trying for that bucket shot you have to put in the work and once you have it you must critique it and be honest with yourself about whether that is actually the bucket shot you wanted.

On a side note: I see so many shots taken (especially in HDR) that some people think look good to them, but to the vast majority of people, they just don't look pleasing. So many are over processed to the point of looking almost plastic. That said... there is a place for HDR photos if done correctly. But the tolerances that you work with must be kept in check. HDR can look good if done correctly but I much prefer a natural photo. That said... I develop everything in LR so it isn't the image that came out of the camera. But I shoot flat so I can draw out the details in post.

 

I think everyone goes through a bit where they think HDR is the best thing in the world. I know I have some shots that were HDR and....*shudder*

It's far better to use filters - no ghosting problems, more natural, and you learn to control light vs. light controlling you.

I was out shooting with a photo club once, it was mid-day and the light was just really harsh and there wasn't anything that good to shoot. I kept my camera in my bag the whole time. Others were shooting 9-shot brackets so they could "fix it in post" when there was no fixing the light.

It's also much better if you need more dynamic range to learn to manually blend photos as that will fix ghosting problems as well as many others.

 

This was a 5 bracket HDR that I took and I hate it. Just doesn't look realistic. If I would have just shot flat I could have made it look so much better in post

 

Sure it should please you. However, to me one of the key parts of photography is in capturing that moment in time which is fleeting and unique and being able to share that with others in a way that you both find pleasing.

Also, just because you like a photo you have taken doesn't mean it is any good. If you only want to hear praise about how good of a photo it is, you will not grow. If you don't want to grow and get better, well okay. But if you do, you shouldn't only listen to yourself or only to friends/family who may just say what you want to hear. Part of the way to get useful feedback that can help you grow is by doing things like sharing on photo sharing sites. You don't always have to agree with what others say, but you shouldn't outright ignore it either.

 

The second part of my comment was probably more important than what you quoted.

As far as liking your work, why would you share something you didn't like? I have a lot of pictures that mean the world to me even tho they aren't technically perfect-I still like them and I don't care what others think. It's OK. Really.

Finding useful feedback on photo sharing sites these days is difficult. You've got the range of "nice shot" to blow hards that rip photos apart for no good reason-giving feedback requires some thought and suggestions for how to make something better.

Growth. Hmm. Probably more a function of studying. Whether it's work you like or books, working with others on outings, camera club meetings, workshops, and just flat out shooting. Wanna get better? Shoot more. Why don't sharing sites work so well? For a long time, they've been in decline as IG and FB as well as others have become more popular places to share.

 

Uh...I quoted your entire post...?

You aren't wrong about sharing sites. I get so frustrated at the "Nice shot!" comments. It's something I fought. But it probably came about because being honest with critique hurt some people's feelings and they would lash out and cause the whole thread to be useless. I try to be honest with feedback, and there are genres where I won't give feedback like abstract because I am not an abstract artist. I try not to be too harsh but sometimes people are so personally invested in their work that they cannot separate critique of their work from critique of themselves personally, which isn't the intent. I decided long ago to give honest feedback and try to help and if someone gets butthurt about it, that's their problem, not mine.

 

I agree

I don't understand a person getting butthurt over a photo they posted if someone doesn't like it or it's not particularly their style. I posted a lot of pictures on here and I don't expect everyone to like the composition, subject matter, the style it was shot, etc... But I'm not going to be upset if someone doesn't like it. Hell... I've posted a few pictures that I personally don't like above because I know I could / should have done a better job. But I didn't and that was my fault. As long as it's constructive feedback, I welcome it whether it's positive or negative. I'll evaluate that feedback and see if it is something that I can apply to my shooting style or if it doesn't work with what I'm trying to accomplish. Either way, constructive feedback helps each of us grow to be better photographers. If it something that I hadn't thought of, well... I just learned something that I didn't know and I can add that to my toolbox. Similar to my star shot. I wasn't going for a shot of the Milky Way, I was just seeing how many stars I could pick up in frame without stacking that were invisible to the naked eye from my light polluted location. Then a suggestion was made to check out Lonely Speck's ETTR and I hadn't thought of that. So that is something that I can add now that I know about it. Will my first attempts at those shots be successful? Probably not. But it will give me something to improve upon and I appreciate the challenge of making myself a better all around photographer.

Some of the shots I've posted are just experiments with thinking outside the box. Are they good photos? No. Absolutely not. But when you start thinking outside the box of what is the norm for taking regular photos, it can put you into a different mindset of what you might be able to accomplish with different techniques. Pushing the boundaries of what you have at your disposal makes you an all around better photographer. I can take landscape photos all day and the vast majority will look good. I can take urban photos and they will do the same. I'm personally not interested in portrait photography so I don't devote a lot of time to that area. Sure I can do it, but there are others out there that are much better at it than I am. If I were more interested in that style I would give that style more focus (pun intended).

I suppose what I'm saying is... we can all learn from each other. Just because someone doesn't like a shot you took, don't take it to heart. Ask what they would have done to make the shot more pleasing and see if that fits with your style. If it does, great. If it doesn't, nothing lost. Photography, like any form of art, is purely subjective.

 

Last rays of sun as it was setting last night