The office - a re-worked image

[Cheesy]

Personally i think its a awesome shot. Your flickr is absolutely stunning. I'm going to have to get a print of one of those shots soon. plus keep up the good work dude, I can only imagine what it took to get your wings!

Thanks for the comment! My flickr has plenty more images form my comfort zone.

Well you don't see a shot like that every day of the week!

I think it would be a great deal better with your visor raised, then we could see your face, which after all is what a portrait is IMHO.

I'll be honest, I am ignorant of the rules of portraiture! One reason that I'm happy with the dark visor being down is that you can see the HUD reflected in the visor - it's easier to see in the high res version.

I am going to go with the visor down as it gives a feeling of what its meant to be, I think if the eyes where in the shot it would not have the same impact..
It looks more of an actiony sort of portrait than a one you would do for a year album or something.

Just my thoughts

Thanks for your thoughts. I am coming to the opinion that I like the visor down.

Regards,

Cheesy

 

[Auwyn]

Whilst I might have chosen my words differently, I am more inclined to agree with Tiler than with the people "wowing" over this image. It looks like a photo taken on a smart phone, such as you see on facebook from any adolescent teenage girl on a regular basis.

The wow factor, if there is one, appears to come from the fact that it is a pilot in a jet, which, for me at least, isnt enough to make it a great photograph. The photograph itself lacks any quality to match the "interesting" nature of the circumstances and the arguments about "Wow, you clearly dont understand how difficult it is to be a pilot" really don't add anything to the qualities (or lack of) of the photograph.

I dont agree with the way in which Tiler made his arguments, but I do agree with the message he was clumsily trying to portray, namely that this isnt a great photograph and is as close to being a portrait as the multitude of facebook "selfies" that are posted on a daily basis - technically they are, they are just poor.

 

[Cheesy]

Whilst I might have chosen my words differently, I am more inclined to agree with Tiler than with the people "wowing" over this image. It looks like a photo taken on a smart phone, such as you see on facebook from any adolescent teenage girl on a regular basis.

The wow factor, if there is one, appears to come from the fact that it is a pilot in a jet, which, for me at least, isnt enough to make it a great photograph. The photograph itself lacks any quality to match the "interesting" nature of the circumstances and the arguments about "Wow, you clearly dont understand how difficult it is to be a pilot" really don't add anything to the qualities (or lack of) of the photograph.

I dont agree with the way in which Tiler made his arguments, but I do agree with the message he was clumsily trying to portray, namely that this isnt a great photograph and is as close to being a portrait as the multitude of facebook "selfies" that are posted on a daily basis - technically they are, they are just poor.

Thanks for taking the time to comment, you certainly have an advantage over tiler in terms of eloquence although he probably pips you on the brevity stakes!

I genuinely respect constructive criticism (be it good or bad feedback). You have pointed out that it looks like a smartphone shot taken by a teenage girl - this clearly ticks the criticism box (packed into 3 paragraphs none the less! ) Could you help me progress as a photographer by using your talent to let me know how you'd improve the image, so that if the opportunity presents itself again I can capitalise on it.

Thanks in advance,

Cheesy

 

[Sidney]

What is it?

my least favourite image posted in the portrait section for ages, it lacks anything to make me view it again.

When I first read this I thought it was a joke, or that he was "trolling" but from his subsequent post it appears that it's possible that he is as ignorant and arrogant that this post suggests.

This is literally the worst piece of feedback I have seen on this site. Every piece of criticism should be constructive, and this just isn't.

I detect a slight bit of jealousy here.

Cheers,

Sid.

 

[Auwyn]

So when you say you want criticism, what you mean is you want people to tell you how great your photograph is and when they don't, you want to use veiled sarcasm or grammar nazism to hit back? Cool. The reason I used three paragraphs to explain how I felt about your image was because you were upset when Tom was blunt.

For me - and bear in mind that this is simply my opinion which you are perfectly fine to cast aside in favour of those telling you how awesome you are - if your image was of the exact same quality, same DOF, same fringing around the edges, same composition, but of someone in a car, for instance, or someone in their actual office, at their desk, there is no doubt that they would have spent the first three posts in this thread, begging for someone to comment on their image, only to have the next person comment to say it is a boring, technically poor, uninteresting shot. That point and that alone is enough to say that the only redeeming quality of your photograph is that you are in a jet. I'm not going to lie and say that isnt a cool job, but for me it isnt enough to say that it makes this a great or even a good photograph.

 

[Cheesy]

So when you say you want criticism, what you mean is you want people to tell you how great your photograph is and when they don't, you want to use veiled sarcasm or grammar nazism to hit back? Cool. The reason I used three paragraphs to explain how I felt about your image was because you were upset when Tom was blunt.

For me - and bear in mind that this is simply my opinion which you are perfectly fine to cast aside in favour of those telling you how awesome you are - if your image was of the exact same quality, same DOF, same fringing around the edges, same composition, but of someone in a car, for instance, or someone in their actual office, at their desk, there is no doubt that they would have spent the first three posts in this thread, begging for someone to comment on their image, only to have the next person comment to say it is a boring, technically poor, uninteresting shot. That point and that alone is enough to say that the only redeeming quality of your photograph is that you are in a jet. I'm not going to lie and say that isnt a cool job, but for me it isnt enough to say that it makes this a great or even a good photograph.

Thanks for your prompt reply. Please read my first couple of sentences in para 2 of my first response to you. I reiterate, I value positive and negative feedback. I think my exam question to you still stands, given similar conditions how could the image being improved?

In terms of your comment about my perceived use of sarcasm, I am minded of your Talk Photography 'signature'.

Regards,

Cheesy

 

[Auwyn]

I think the image could probably be improved by posting it in the right folder. Whilst it has a person in it, it's not really a portrait and having looked through the other images in your flickr folder, they are taken from a unique point of view, but in terms of being a notable portrait, it fails. That, I think, is where Tom's criticism is valid and where I agree the most. It may well be an interesting photograph for fans of transport, planes, people in the armed forces etc. but as a picture, or a study of a person, it doesnt really achieve what I would look for in a portrait.

In terms of how you would improve that, I have no idea, really. I imagine the space is pretty tight so you are limited in how you could set the shot up but this photo looks like you holding a camera/smartphone and taking a photograph of yourself. Tough task to change, I expect.

As for the comment about your use of sarcasm, I actually quite like it as a rule, but given the umbrance taken at the start of the thread, the passive-aggressive tone of "Could you help me progress as a photographer by using your talent to let me know how you'd improve the image, so that if the opportunity presents itself again I can capitalise on it." is what I was referring to. As for opportunities presenting, I would imagine if you are pilot, the opportunity would present every time you get in a plane, no?

 

[SFTPhotography]

I like the picture but there is some purple halo-ing unless thats meant to be there

 

[Cheesy]

, I would imagine if you are pilot, the opportunity would present every time you get in a plane, no?

Its pretty rare that I get to take a camera flying (this was taken with the superb little Canon S100). I'll take a few suggestions from this thread next time, primarily around the visor and eyes. Thanks for taking the time to comment and critique.

I like the picture but there is some purple halo-ing unless thats meant to be there

I hadn't intended any haloing!! I'm guessing that aggressive use of the clarity slider is at least partially to blame. I'll be honest, I hadn't even seen that error so I'll take the high res back into LR4 and look to desaturate the elements that feed the purple channel.

Thanks for the comment.

Cheesy

 

[wilt]

I also like it, although the dash/control panel takes away from it.
Tighter crop might work.
Also water mark is distracting.

 

[Pookeyhead]

As for a high pressure job - it is no differently high pressured than any other that needs to bring home the bacon so that their families can live well.

Funniest thing ever.

 

[joescrivens]

I'm also in the camp that this isn't a good photograph.

But I do think it is an interesting one - for a start I learnt something from the photograph about the lines being for the ejection system - it's not something I have seen before and now know what they are. SO it has been interesting photograph and one worth taking

But I don't think it is a good portrait.

To improve on it I would suggest a completely different angle. I think straight on but a bit further up using a UWA lens where you can see more of the cockpit and also see the world outside would work better especially if in the sky there were other planes or even if you were banking and you could see some of the earth in there.

That would be an better photograph

 

[Cheesy]

Funniest thing ever.

Yeah, it made me chuckle too. My family hate bacon!

To improve on it I would suggest a completely different angle. I think straight on but a bit further up using a UWA lens where you can see more of the cockpit and also see the world outside would work better especially if in the sky there were other planes or even if you were banking and you could see some of the earth in there.

That would be an better photograph

Good feedback, thanks. The Ultra Wide Angle is a good shout, but this was actually shot pretty wide already, to the point where the space that you are percieving in the image between the Data Entry Panel and my visor is probably less than 40 cm. That placement would make an interesting reflection in the visor, perhaps capturing a reflection of the HUD which might be interesting. As previously noted, I am sold on the wingmen/angle of bank to show horizon (I'm guessing just terrain would be as unappealing as just sky and might make comprehension of the image tricky).I will shoot the image again if an opportunity presents and I will post it here for a bit more feedback.Thanks once again,Cheesy

 

[tommmy.star]

Like someone before me said I would give a lot for a 10 minute flight in your jet and I do take my hat off for what you do.
Is this a good shot? Well, not really, but it is definitely a starting point from which you can only get better.

Are you handholding your camera? I know nothing about the interiors of the jet but I imagine it is quite tight inside? Is there anywhere where you could attach a small joby gorrilapod ( or even strap it round your thigh, compose the image to your liking before the take off and set the timer to shoot every so often?

I also think the image is slightly too overcooked and too dark.

 

[Cheesy]

Like someone before me said I would give a lot for a 10 minute flight in your jet and I do take my hat off for what you do.
Is this a good shot? Well, not really, but it is definitely a starting point from which you can only get better.

Are you handholding your camera? I know nothing about the interiors of the jet but I imagine it is quite tight inside? Is there anywhere where you could attach a small joby gorrilapod ( or even strap it round your thigh, compose the image to your liking before the take off and set the timer to shoot every so often?

I also think the image is slightly too overcooked and too dark.

Thanks for the words Tommy. You've raised some interesting points that I've responded to via PMs.

Best regards,

Cheesy

 

[tommmy.star]

OK, can I just say that Paul's office is totally unlike any other office you may find and if anyone tries to compere it with any other job undertaken on the ground they just need educating (like I was
Paul I think you should post your PM here and it would open some people's eyes to certain facts. All things considered I now think this is a good shot needing only minor LR tweaks.