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Bonsaidad

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475
Name
Paul
Edit My Images
Yes
This is new to me, that is taking shots of the public up in our little town.


The first is a busker who stopped to talk to his friend.





The name of the café speaks for itself, somewhere to talk.







Constructive criticism and advice welcome.


Best regards Paul
 
What’s the storey behind these?

I’m probably missing something but these just look like bad street shots. They are not sharp, they are not well exposed and the compositions are poor. At least try and do something like this to make them a bit more interesting.

Untitled-1-2.jpg
 
As a beginner to street images i probably would agree that they are certainly not the best, but we all had to learn at sometime, and quite often in the process making mistakes.
But as long as you learn from your mistakes then its a lesson well learned.

I asked for constructive criticism and advice, and not to be told that they are crap by one of the very rude members, who are thankfully in the minority.

So if you have nothing constructive to say,or are not capable of doing so, i can only suggest that you keep your unwanted comments to yourself.


Maybe this is a lesson you will not forget.


PS its story, and not storey?.



Bonsaidad.
 
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Sorry you’re offended.

Don’t worry I won’t bother spending my time commenting on your images and constructively editing them in the future.
 
As the mods would say 'Play nice':)

On a positive note well done for attempting street stuff - it does take some nerve I've found

As to the images...well #1 is half interesting - the left half is where the action is and the stuff on the right kind of distracts - would have loved to have seen the guy playing the thing as well :) Does need a little sharpen and perhaps a contrast boost! Perhaps crop to the right of the wonky bin? Then we have three items on thirds :D

The 2nd image appeals more to me - nice and bright - still a little sharpen needed I think

It would have been an ironic image without people somehow - is NO gossip today :)

Keep 'em coming and look for the unusual I say :)

Which town are these from?
 
A big thank you John for the constructive comments which i do honestly appreciate.
It takes some getting use to taking shots in a crowed town center, and also knowing what to look for, but all this is gained from experience, something you cannot buy.

I will try the suggestions you have made for both images, and see if i can get them looking better.
It would have been ironic without anyone sitting outside in the second image, and it gives me an idea for the future, thanks for planting the seed in my head :LOL:.

This is from my home town "Neath", West Glamorgan.


Best regards Paul
 
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So John, i went ahead and did what you suggested, with the result of the images looking much better.



Best regards Paul
 
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Hi Paul, When you get bad feed back like I do often :LOL: take it on the chin and next time improve with the good advice the others give it is a right buss when you get it right. your pics, not the best but you had the balls to have ago, just get out there and have another go. John (y) Ps dont do what I did and try to please others, please yourself 1st. (y)
 
ah5168 said:
What’s the storey behind these?
They are not sharp, they are not well exposed and the compositions are poor. At least try and do something like this to make them a bit more interesting.
Click to expand...

The guy said "its new to him" , if you spoke like that to me in person you'd get the fast end of something not nice :razz:. Be helpful yes but not in that tone!


Your first shot would look good in b&w , but make sure ugly objects are not in the way like that bin. You want to focus the shot on the people , draw the eye to them :)

The second shot it's just a quick snap i'm afraid , the image isn't really focused on anything. Are we looking at the people? , the cafe , what are the people doing e.t.c (y)
 
grumpy69 said:
Hi Paul, When you get bad feed back like I do often :LOL: take it on the chin and next time improve with the good advice the others give it is a right buss when you get it right. your pics, not the best but you had the balls to have ago, just get out there and have another go. John (y) Ps dont do what I did and try to please others, please yourself 1st. (y)
Click to expand...


Thank you grumpy69 and a fellow Olympus user.
I can take criticism as good as the next man, but there are ways in which to tell someone without being rude.
As a newcomer to street photography i did not expect to get it correct straight away, and i would be foolish to think i could, we have to learn.
But i try my hardest to show respect to fellow members of the forum, and i hope i can get respect in return.
Thankfully the majority of the members are polite and very friendly.

Anyhow enough of me griping, and getting back to the images.
I could try varying angles, or even direct on as it has been suggested, this knowledge comes with experience, so i will keep on shooting my street photography until i get my street cred.


Best regards Paul
 
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Pirate Neilsouth said:
The guy said "its new to him" , if you spoke like that to me in person you'd get the fast end of something not nice :razz:. Be helpful yes but not in that tone!


Your first shot would look good in b&w , but make sure ugly objects are not in the way like that bin. You want to focus the shot on the people , draw the eye to them :)

The second shot it's just a quick snap i'm afraid , the image isn't really focused on anything. Are we looking at the people? , the cafe , what are the people doing e.t.c (y)
Click to expand...


I can certainly agree with you about the second shot, now the first one i have re cropped taking out any distractions.
I will convert to B+W and see how much i like it.



Best regards Paul
 
louise-knight said:
I'm no expert on street photography, but I reckon the second shot would have a lot more impact taken from straight on?
Click to expand...



Tank you Louise for your input and suggestion on a new angle to shoot from, i will try it the next time i am passing.


Best regards Paul
 
I think the first picture has a lot more potential than the 2nd...

I think cropped so the bin etc is lost, would give it a better impact!

Go you for getting out there and trying :) How else are you going to learn? :)
 
ah5168 said:
Don’t worry I won’t bother spending my time commenting on your images and constructively editing them in the future.
Click to expand...

If that's what you think you've done then you're doing us all a favour by not bothering (y)
 
Well done you for getting out there and giving it ago. This forum isn't just about brilliant photos. or if it is, then maybe i shouldn't be part of it! Its about a 'community' that has a passion for photography, we all have to start somewhere, and some people progress slower than others (me!)

I think you've done well, you were brave to be taking them in the first place, and you have an eye for a good shot, it just needs tweaking and a little bit of practise.

Keep at it, lets see some more


Wendy
 
honestly, the images don't do too much for me either. because someone isn't keen on your shots, that's no reason to not take photos though and keep on snapping.....everything is subjective and tastes vary hugely. the world would be boring otherwise.

why is everyone jumping down on ah5168? oookay...maybe ah5168 could have worded things a little better but if you post on a photography forum looking for criticism, someone may not like what you have posted, and in asking for opinion you may not hear what you want to hear.

However, I hope it doesn't stop you sharing photos in the future.
however, reading between the lines the clairty and cropping of the shots could be improved, ah5168 made one such suggestion and made time to do so. okay...although maybe diplomacy isn't their strong suit.

for myself, street photography is a tough subject to crack and takes some nerve to do so, especially in this day and age of paranoia so it's not something I would relish trying that much
 
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ah5168 said:
What’s the storey behind these?

I’m probably missing something but these just look like bad street shots. They are not sharp, they are not well exposed and the compositions are poor. At least try and do something like this to make them a bit more interesting.

Untitled-1-2.jpg
Click to expand...

I actually think this was constructive, and I've seen far ruder. They's asked the story behind the pictures with a view to assisting further, they've told you some key elements that are wrong and done a crop to improve the picture.

Anyhow, when I started I often found my pictures were not sharp, I'm notsure if it was the aperture setting you chose which may have affected this.

I'm no expert on street photography, but always ask yourself what differentiates your shot from a simple snapshop. Good advise I've often seen is don't aim the camera as such until you have an idea in your mind of what you are trying to achieve.

Good luck and lastly, it's Friday let's all have a beer and shake virtual hands!
 
PunchBunny said:
I think the first picture has a lot more potential than the 2nd...

I think cropped so the bin etc is lost, would give it a better impact!

Go you for getting out there and trying :) How else are you going to learn? :)
Click to expand...

Thank you PunchBunny for your kind words.
I will keep trying to get better at street photography, and i understand it takes some practice.


Best regards Paul
 
Thank you Wendy for your input and kind words, i started taking photography seriously around six months ago, and i knew absolutely nothing then, i don't know a lot more now, but i am learning.
My main objective was to learn how to take acceptable images of my Bonsai, but the bug bit me so hard i had to investigate on other subjects, like Macro, Wildlife, etc.
shooting Urban and Town photography was the next thing i wanted to try, and i realize its easier than it looks, but so is everything else until you gain enough experience to know just what you are doing.

I will most definitely be taking more shots on the streets of our little town, and post them for scrutiny.



Best regards Paul
 
Dizmatt thank you for your input onto this thread, and for any advice you have given me.
I for one welcome criticism by any member as its the only way to learn, but it the way it was worded that got under my skin.
And if i am correct in my assumption, this member gave me a similar welcome on my very first posting being extremely rude, and saying that my first image was crap, when i knew i had great results as the Inspirational Photography forum gave good reviews, and three stars.
But then again we don't all like the same thing, but i would never trash someone else's work.
I felt so strongly about it i had to inform one of the moderators, who promptly erased the reply.
I will, and always have treated my fellow members on any forum, with the greatest of respect, and in return i have had respect given back to me tenfold.
This little episode will not deter me from shooting street scenes, and trying to gain more knowledge.



Best regards Paul
 
lovely, I will look forward to your images and would be interested in your bonsai images as I saw that mentioned on your 'public profile'. Feel free to link me if have such a post/pics.
This forum I find is a great way to improve your photography as there is loads of free advice to be absorbed. I'll be posting some of my recent pics soon from a visit to monkey forest, for general merriment and sharing myself and will hopefully get some tips and constructive (but hopefully not rude or abrupt :p) criticism.
cheers.
 
Hi paul, i am a newbie too, and for me you have overcome one of my biggest fears, actually getting out there and doing this!, i want to but i am s*****g myself!, where these shots rushed at all?, a bit nervous?, i only ask because i think whats letting these shots down more than anything is the focus issue?. maybe the 1st one, could you have leaned against anything?, lampost, another bin?, maybe a bit back and zoomed in a bit more, so you did not feel so "up close and personal?, 2nd shot, good potential here, but again maybe rushed? also over exposed? maybe this one cropped off the right side, losing the 2 figures in the doorway, b+w?, up the contrast?. by the way i am not in the same league as most of the people on here but i am reading a lot!, :LOL:
 
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DizMatt said:
lovely, I will look forward to your images and would be interested in your bonsai images as I saw that mentioned on your 'public profile'. Feel free to link me if have such a post/pics.
This forum I find is a great way to improve your photography as there is loads of free advice to be absorbed. I'll be posting some of my recent pics soon from a visit to monkey forest, for general merriment and sharing myself and will hopefully get some tips and constructive (but hopefully not rude or abrupt :p) criticism.
cheers.
Click to expand...


H Dizmatt.
i will be waiting until the autumn to do any more photographing of Bonsai, i want them at their peak condition, and one of them is an entry into a contest, and i am not allowed to post an image on the net until after August, and i have submitted my final image.
Another on i am in the process of doing is set on a slab that is around 4 feet by 2 feet, this will have to be done as a panoramic image to get a good deal of detail.
I have one or two on my gallery, but these would have grown some more by the Autumn.


Best regards Paul
 
nikonkid said:
Hi paul, i am a newbie too, and for me you have overcome one of my biggest fears, actually getting out there and doing this!, i want to but i am s*****g myself!, where these shots rushed at all?, a bit nervous?, i only ask because i think whats letting these shots down more than anything is the focus issue?. maybe the 1st one, could you have leaned against anything?, lampost, another bin?, maybe a bit back and zoomed in a bit more, so you did not feel so "up close and personal?, 2nd shot, good potential here, but again maybe rushed? also over exposed? maybe this one cropped off the right side, losing the 2 figures in the doorway, b+w?, up the contrast?. by the way i am not in the same league as most of the people on here but i am reading a lot!, :LOL:
Click to expand...

I would have to say that in all probability these were rushed, and maybe a little camera shake was involved, but thats not an excuse ( although i could use it :LOL: ) and cover my ar*e.
I hope you do pluck up the courage to get out there and start shooting some images, i look forward to seeing them.


Best regards Paul
 
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