Boston Photography Center
Some people think they don’t know enough about photography to critique photos. To write a useful critique, you need only three things:
- a reasonably decent monitor to view the photos or better yet Prints
- at least one functioning eye
- a desire to help the photographer honestly and constructively
If you like a photo, then say so. Tell the photographer what you like about it. Tell them how it made you feel, or what it made you think about. Very often, the most technically-proficient photographers are the least able to express their feelings about a photo, so people who can do that are particularly valuable critiquers.
If you see something that you don’t like about a photo, then say that. You can’t be wrong. If you don’t like something about a photo then either the photographer intended it to be that way (in which case you simply have a difference of opinion) or the photographer didn’t notice it (in which case your critique will be enlightening). If the photo looks dark then say so. Maybe the photographer intended it to be dark, but so what? If you don’t like the darkness of it, then probably other people don’t as well, and the photographer should be aware of that.
Some things that you may want to consider:
Effort: Has the photographer made full use of the facilities at their disposal? Or, are there things that the photographer could have improved with a little more work? Does it look like the photographer made an extra effort to capture the best possible image under the circumstances, or did they just go with what was in front of them?
Color: Was the photographer’s choice to use or not use color sound? If they used colour, does the colour contribute to the image, or would it have been more effective in b&w? If its b&w, does that help to focus on the essentials of the image, or are we missing something important? This will always be a subjective judgement, of course, but hearing other people’s opinions on this is often useful.
Spatial positioning and composition: Please, please, please do NOT just spout standard photographic guidelines as if they were the law! The rule of thirds, for example, is not an instruction handed down from the gods – it is a handy guideline to what will often work well. For some photos, a centred composition will be perfect and using the rule of thirds would ruin it. So think about what works in this case. Does anything look squeezed up against the side of the frame? Are there big open spaces around the edges that could be cropped out? Is there a clear subject that occupies the majority of the frame, or is the subject unclear or small and surrounded by irrelevant material?
Direction of attention: What do you see first in the photo? Is it the right thing? Do you have to hunt for the subject or does it stand out? Is your eye drawn to objects in the background, rather than the subject, or do you look to the edge of the frame, expecting to find something that isn’t there?
Focus: Is anything in focus? Is it the subject or something else? Is the depth of field appropriate? Is the subject contained within the depth of field or are parts of the subject fuzzy? Are there distracting elements in the background that are in focus which would have been blurred out by a wider aperture? As with composition, remember that there are no fixed rules. Think about what works or doesn’t work in the case of this particular photo.
Exposure: Is the photo properly exposed? Are there details both in the highlights and in the shadows, or are there large "blown-out" highlight areas or "blocked-up" shadow areas? Again, blown highlights are not necessarily wrong. If you look at sunlight reflected in a glass window, what the eye will see is a white area, so there is no reason at all why a photo shouldn’t show the same thing. Sometimes blown highlights can be used to good artistic effect. As always, don’t parrot rules, think about how well things work in this photo. If the exposure is biased towards light (high key) or dark (low key), did the photographer make a good choice?
So Bring 3 prints ONLY and we’ll go from there!
see you soon!
Boston, MA 02215 – USA
Wednesday, June 10 at 8:00 PM
Attending: 30
Fee: Price: USD 5.00 per person
The Columbus Digital Photography and Photoshop Meetup Group
TBD!
We’ll do something….somewhere…just haven’t figured out exactly what yet.
George
Columbus, OH 43215 – USA
Wednesday, June 10 at 6:30 PM
Attending: 14
Seattle Flickrites
Location: U Conference Rooms, Adobe Campus, Fremont
When: Tuesday, June 9 @ 6:00 PM – arrive @ 5:30 for pizza & refreshments
Cost: Free to SCMUG members, $10 for non-members (there is membership info here if anyone’s interested.)
There will be two great speakers to discuss the topic of color management for the web.
More info about this event can be found here.
If you have any questions about this event please contact Thom.
Seattle, WA 98103 – USA
Tuesday, June 9 at 5:30 PM
Attending: 2
Flickrfan: The other bridge…
May 28, 2009
FlickrFan Event: Virtual Meetup #1–Exercise Color
May 28, 2009
The MS/LA Photography Meetup Group
Please submit up to four (4) photos that have color as the dominant theme. Please title the photos and include your name with the title. Example: Mean Greenby Redd Blue. You may have to wait until the scheduled date of the Meetup to post the photos.
York, MS 39648 – USA
Tuesday, June 9 at 7:00 PM
Attending: 5
Flickrfan: {24} Alone he glows
May 28, 2009
Photographed by Brent Weichsel
B is for body image.
Body image has allways been a topic I think about quite often. It’s starting to come up more and more with my "Gender images in Media" class. There are a varity of reasons why I decided to do something like this.
I often feel that while I think of myself as a male I have many female body things going on with me. Long hair, thin frame. Are just to name two of them.
I shoot this just after a run and anyone that knows exercise knowns that when you get into the zone it’s you. Just you and nothing else. Hence the select color.
Even after a hard run I feel like I could of done more. Even if my body feels like it’s going to puke. or when my guts feel like they are about to rip them selves out of me. It’s never enough for me I keep needed to run keep needing to be stronger and faster. Most people are proud when they run a mile and they should be. But Im not happy unless I run at least 6. There’s always another mountain for me to climb another distance for me to run.
That also applies to my film and my writing. It’s never good enough.
– License
London Creative Sunday Meetup Group
Topic – ‘ Architecture, Stratford City & London 2012′
Fee: 2 pounds
At 2.00pm – We will be meeting at STRATFORD STATION MAIN ENTRANCE (BY THE NEWHAM SIGN)
SEE LINK.
Meet at Stratford Station.
We will walk to see the Stratford One building and also walk around part of the site of the Olympics in development and to the area of the Atheletic Village. There is not too much to see I will honestly say, however but you may still be interested to see what is happening there so far and especially to view some of the boarding signage that promotes the Olympics.
Then we will go to the Theatre Royal to catch up on some of the atmosphere there and look at some of the architectural ideas for Stratford. Then onto Warton Road to photograph the Icona and Marina buildings which have very modern brightly coloured balconies that can be seen from the train when arriving into Stratford.
You have to use your imagination with this one as Stratford is a place that inevitably will be transformed by the Olympics. The reality-hitting juxtaposition of dereliction and gritty old post-war estates sit side by side with gleaming ultra-modern property developments. I find it an interesting place to explore and observe the details of this area.
Please bring sketchbooks and digital cameras.
See you then by the Newham sign outside Stratford Station at 2pm.
Andy
PS. My mobile is 07726 428152 if you need to contact me.
London – United Kingdom
Sunday, June 7 at 2:00 PM
Attending: 6
Fee: Price: GBP 2.00 per person
Boston Photography Center
"The KONE Regional Sport Kite Competition and Bob Tatten Memorial Kite Festival will be held Saturday June 6th at Nahant and Lynn Beach (Long Beach Reservation). Events run from 9:30AM to 4:30PM. Come see sport kites, single line kites, and run with the bols. Free admission!"
This event is a great opportunity to shoot not only kites in the air, but also people on the ground. And COLOR!
We will carpool to Nahant for this, so please indicate in your RSVP whether you can give rides, or need a ride.
Competition events take place on Long Beach (Nahant Beach), which runs the length of the Causeway separating Nahant from Lynn, with some additional events happening at the ball fields. Once I have a better idea of what’s happening where, I’ll post our meeting spot. We will meet up either in the Nahant Beach parking lot (Nahant side of the Causeway) OR in the parking lot for the ball fields (Lynn end of the Causeway) — check back for more info closer to the date of the event.
We’ll meet up and shoot during the morning events, then (optionally) grab some lunch at the Tides (large restaurant/bar at the Nahant end of the causeway) around 12-12:30pm. Those who want to stay on and shoot events into the afternoon may do so.
Nahant, MA 01908 – USA
Saturday, June 6 at 9:30 AM
Attending: 18
Bend Photographers Group
First Friday Photo Stroll
Hope to see you,
Ziv
Bend, OR 97701 – USA
Friday, June 5 at 7:00 PM
Attending: 2
FlickrFan Event: Studio 101 Shaping and Forming Light a practical introduction to the studio
May 27, 2009
Vegas Vision Studio Photo Lighting Workshop
Studio 101 Shaping and Forming Light
a practical introduction to studio photography
Wednesday June 03, 2009 6:00 PM – 9:00PM
Location:
Vegas Vision Studios
4780 W. Harmon #14
Las Vegas, NV. 89103
Join us for a hands on instructional evening in the Vegas Vision Studios. In studio 101 we will present you with the many different methods and tools of forming and shaping light in the studio. This practical introduction to the studio will ease your transition into studio photography. While it is intended as a primer to our specific lighting technique workshops this 3 hour session has something to offer photographers at all skill levels.
Attendees will learn the how and why behind the equipment choices for professional quality lighting in the studio. You will learn when, where and why to use lighting controllers, shapers and modifiers such as umbrellas, soft boxes, beauty dish, snoots, grids, color gels, reflectors, scrims, gobos and much, much more.
This is a hands on interactive class that will not only demonstrate the tools in use but will also allow you to assemble and work with various studio tools as you work with a pair of professional models on various sets in Vegas Vision Studios.
The lecture and demonstration segment of this course will be followed by a hands on Bikini and Lingerie photo shoot session where attendees will work one on one with an instructor and professional models from the beautiful Vegas Vision Vixens Modeling Squad.
This workshop will be led by noted commercial photographer and VVS owner Bobby Deal
Registration Deadline is 6:00 PM the Monday before the workshop and we will maintain a Model to photographer ratio of not more then 4:1 based on the confirmed registrations at cutoff.
Cost is $75 and includes model fees, makeup artist fees, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. Models will provide photographers with a restricted use model release. Photographers may choose to negotiate full use commercial releases with models. Full use rates are at the discretion of the model but will be based on a per setting fee schedule. While models and Makeup artists will be monetarily compensated for their participation in all Meetup Workshops you are encouraged to tip them as you would any other service industry professional if you are satisfied with the service they provide.
RSVP Requirements
Limited to 12 photographers plus VVS Staff Members your RSVP is NOT Guaranteed until registration fees are paid. It is imperative that we keep an accurate RSVP Count so that I may book a sufficient number of models
Equipment requirements:
Digital SLR Camera or Prosumer Point and Shoot with Flash Hot Shoe / PC Cord sync capabilities and manual shooting mode.
and manual shooting mode.
Standard Refund Policy Applies
Las Vegas, NV 89103 – USA
Wednesday, June 3 at 6:00 PM
Attending: 7
Fee: Price: USD 75.00 per person
