Seeking votes on piece of photography

[Halo_n_horns]

I admire your ability to get the girl topless, but I'd like to offer some suggestions if it's not too late for you to edit your entry:

The corrugated steel sheet in the background is overexposed and the bright area is distracting. My eyes immediately went to the brightest part of the image when I first opened it in my browser.

The pink drums are also so colorful that they distract from the girl, although not as much as the background brightness.

Her dark blue jeans too easily blend into the shadow behind her legs and hide her shape.

My suggestions: Change the crop to vertical and remove the background clutter altogether. Also, tighten up a little on the left to focus the viewer on the girl. Dodge the jeans a bit to lighten them up and enhance their outline. Sharpen the image a bit to make it "pop".

I made a few quick edits and saved the file to my server at this link.

Please don't be offended - this is just what I think is helpful critique. Good luck!

P.S. If you're serious about becoming a great photographer, I recommend www.fredmiranda.com as a place to learn and share your work. The photographers there (mostly advanced amateurs) are really impressive. I've learned a LOT since I started visiting that site and when you post a photo for critique you know you're getting honest, helpful opinions. They can be harsh, but you will learn a lot very fast.

No offense taken about your opinions either way. Thank you for the input. I get the feeling you're missing a number of aspects about that pic, and your edited version of the pic demonstrated that clearly. But nonetheless, thanks.


For everyone who had voted on this, for some reason a shit load of my votes have magically disappeared after the close of the contest. I've sent an inquiry but I get the feeling I'll get NO satisfaction from this. Nonetheless I know that because of all of you I had this contest in the bag even if only by a slim margin. I get the feeling I won't be playing with this competition in the future.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[Ekserb]

No offense taken about your opinions either way. Thank you for the input. I get the feeling you're missing a number of aspects about that pic, and your edited version of the pic demonstrated that clearly. But nonetheless, thanks.

What did I miss?

 

[Halo_n_horns]

What did I miss?

It doesn't even matter anymore, stud. Thanks again for the input. I'm enjoying the site that you referenced.

Take care.

 

[Ekserb]

It doesn't even matter anymore, stud. Thanks again for the input. I'm enjoying the site that you referenced.

Take care.

I don't think I'm so good that I can't learn anymore. Please tell me what I missed.

I'm glad you're enjoying the site. Those guys are awesome.

 

[Halo_n_horns]

I don't think I'm so good that I can't learn anymore. Please tell me what I missed.

I'm glad you're enjoying the site. Those guys are awesome.

Actually, I put that rather rudely and I apologize for that. I was perturbed about what happened with the votes in that contest. I shouldn't have spoken to you in that way.

The first thing I should explain is that I've been an artist my entire life, not a photographer. I've had a whole set of training that photographers don't necassarily get in their training. When I look at the photo that you critiqued, I was seeing it as a painting first and instinctively. All the things that you were saying are not correct with that pic are perfectly correct to me.

Basically we're talking about the same picture from the view points of two different disciplines.

 

[SirPhun1]

very interesting