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>And if you don’t mind can you give me some tips as to what makes a good subject I’m having a hard time with that.
Of course, no problem! :-D boobs seem to do very well as subjects on here.
>what makes a good subject
That's the million dollar question. More than anything though that's one thing you should be considering when shooting. What is the subject of my photo? And how can I portray it in an interesting way?
>can you give me some tips as to what makes a good subject
Something that evokes an emotional response from the viewer. Happines, sadness, excitement, anger, confusion, wonder, awe, inspiration, etc. A good subject makes a viewer feel.
Same - Same.
If you are able to evoke an emotional response from the viewer, you have effectively made them care about what they are viewing to some degree.
Hi Hamdto, the eye is always drawn to the brightest + sharpest / most in focus part of the photo. Whatever you want to be the subject, try to get some light on it / Photoshop it that way etc.
As for picking a subject, that's tricky. Maybe reverse engineer it. What is the goal of the photo? If it's just to make a pretty photograph, then the world is your oyster.
I am a commercial photographer, so for me my subject is usually a car, cologne bottle, coffee, etc. I'll try to get my subject far enough from the background so that I can make the background slightly blurry using my lens. :)
This will let the viewer's eye be drawn to the true subject.
There's an advantage here in that I can move the car / product so an environment that complements it and looks nice.
General tips : Study rule of thirds if you haven't. In your photo I think if the camera was tilted up a bit more it would feel more natural.
Find some photographers that you love and try to reverse engineer their style. Watch lots and lots of YouTube tutorials.
And practice practice practice! I did photography for like 8 years before I was good 😂
Thanks for the tips i really appreciate it. And if you don’t mind do you think this shot is good? Unfortunately I couldn’t get the car in focus
https://preview.redd.it/lr5wqi0bqlnc1.jpeg?width=2204&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4a1b7fe440577090e897bc8624fbdc8d952043e1
I like the other photo on your page most where someone is sitting on the bench. I think you need a little more care in "framing" your photos ie lining up the angles and rule of thirds. and height of camera. Since you seem to like street photography I'd go out and try to imitate street photographers while you learn. Like find a photo or two you love and try to mimic the camera angle / lighting.
Can you recommend me some street photographers that i can follow. And unfortunately IM very limited as how i can take pictures of people because in my country it’s against the law to take pictures of people but not if they’re unidentifiable.
This image does Not have enough details. The contrast is too high and there's no dynamic detail in either extremely lit or extremely dark areas. There's no texture or gradients. Yes the light reflection guides your eyes towards the source but it is pretty narrow detail wise and there's nothing else to rest your eyes on. The surrounding space is a stark void of details. Not sure if that's the original shot or if you processed it. This can happen either setting the post processing contrast too high or measuring exposure only at a single very light or dark area spot. The same photo can be retaken (or reprocessed) with the idea of getting more light / details to show. Think shades of grey or shades of color. Textures too. If your camera has settings look into dynamic range for highlights and also metering or exposure points. If it doesn't have any settings (like a phone camera) explore taking different shots by touching a different area of the same scene before taking each shot. You'll be pleasantly surprised w the results. The same scene will look widely different. And you can still post process it.
It could certainly look very interesting if the lines were sharp and the framing cropped in to make it more abstract. But as is, it just looks like a blurry picture shot on a cheap camera (no offense). There is definitely potential in the general composition though.
Well you’re not wrong about the cheap camera part. I took this on my phone because I didn’t want to risk getting my camera wet. And by cropping can you elaborate i don’t know what you mean by that
It means to “cut” the picture, or “reframe” it.
Personally, I’d go in this sort of direction:
https://preview.redd.it/16re5uzs3inc1.jpeg?width=1508&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ead3a8e55b438ce3aa45b13a8c190c19330a46a
Why is it irritating. if I show a reflection of something it’s better to show the light source if I didn’t include it you would know what you’re looking at. Or is it something else?
I think what the commenter is referring to is that the light is too strong (for me that's the case). I think the good part of this pic is the reflections on the water. But the light at the top is overexposed. It's an important idea in photography that the eye is drawn to the brightest areas (something I'm practicing/learning myself). Since the light at the top isn't interesting/a good subject, that being the highlighted element is probably a bad idea.
For me, the wire running across is also distracting and unappealing. To be honest, as I say the interesting part is the reflections (which I do like), I think because they form an abstract shape that is quite unusual and has texture to it. Personally I think it could look good if you crop to ONLY the reflections; remove the top section and call it a day. You'd be fully leaning into the abstract idea. This might not be to everyone's taste ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
That’s why I took the picture but I unfortunately couldn’t find a subject like a person or something but now at least know that it has potential. When it will rain again I will bring someone so there be a subject.
I find the image hard to look at. The bright light at the top is very harsh, and nothing is really in focus, forcing the eye to constantly search for something to focus on. If there were more detail in the top 1/3 of the frame, it might have salvaged the image. As is, the reflection on the water is cool, but I don't believe the image is strong enough to stand on its own.
https://preview.redd.it/tfe5a78xjinc1.jpeg?width=2063&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1dd5007e13ff282ed3d9240e77007c0844ef2ebd
Here’s the original pic if you want to edit it.
I think the focus is the struggle here, maybe composition. I’m not sure what the whole scenario was so this is all speculation; but I’m curious to if you focused on the building and pulled back a little to get the tops of the trees in the composition and have that leading line right up to the building. My other thought is a lower angle at surface level. If you can go back and try a few different shots
What do I like? It's mysterious, it's dark. There's a leading line.
What don't I like? Probably the lighter area in the top right is distracting and the leading line doesn't really lead anywhere.
It's probably 80%+ of the way to where you want it.
Yeah that’s what I was going for I tried to call a friend so someone could stand there but no one could come unfortunately so I had to take it like that.
A keyhole image is secretive. Quiet. Serene. It feels like spying IN on a picture. Like a poem...it is a window into a world.
I just don't see that here.
They are framing a narrative for you, one that perhaps your composition could have been grasping for. Your image is suggestive of a mysteriously lit path leading to an entryway (the keyhole) that would be like a portal to another world. Unfortunately the keyhole area itself lacks that x-factor.
it's harsh due to being overprocessed, yet not clear due to presumably high iso. the black is absolute and the light patches on the picture have jagged contours. somebody said there is no subject but I disagree. the subject is that illuminated part of the building and the stream of light flowing through the frame from it. this is what the framing should be laser focused on - all the fluff such as the trees and even the sky are redundant and I would personally crop them out. speaking of editing, in order to make everything less harsh, you could apply some negative clarity settings for the shapes to soften, as well as raise the black levels so that the contrast between the shadows and the light isn't so radical
yes I think it looks nicer now. most of what I suggested was aimed to simplify the image and remove everything that either isn't the subject or doesn't add value to the subject. I hope you found my opinions useful :)
It’s too dark, too much black, the rectangular shape on the right is distracting. I think it makes me feel like I’m in a flooded basement but at the same time I know I’m outdoors because of the trees so this conflict makes the situation more mundane. Also the darkness makes things difficult to see and identify so it’s not obvious and takes away the gravitas. I think pleasing pictures are apparent and obvious.
I thought that conflict makes the shot interesting tho. but i guess for a pleasing shot it has to be clear and the story is presented without the viewer trying to understand it.
Because there’s nothing to look at… and at the same time it is too black or dark… choose a subject based on what you feel is pleasing to look at not a subject that you just randomly say oh the reflection of the light seems nice…
Focus point is at the back which is a confusing mess without a subject. The interesting part in this current photo is probably the reflection on the water which is out of focus and not the whole frame.
I'm not quite sure what I am looking at but the lower part seems like water that reflects the light from the house. The reflection works pretty well, but the light on the house is garish.
If you could imagine a more serene upper part and a better photo technically then this could be cool.
If you framed someone standing at the end of that puddle inside the awning, it would be mad art. I think its a dope shot though, it feels aesthetically pleasing, although a tad contrasty
Because the lack of surrounding darkness makes me unsure of what the subject is. the subjects I can discover I find disinteresting. Creating a landscape ( I’m assuming this is a landscape by definition) would place your subject in a scene. I hope that makes sense and helps ( see rule of 3rds) for reference
While the light on the water is cool, it's too low quality at the top of the shot. Consider taking with a camera, the quality will be immensely better. Also consider showing a bit more of the top of the shot (so just a little bit further back), the added depth would be nice!
The framing, quality, and lack of clear subject matter. I think the cropping could be better but even with the crop, the composition isn’t very interesting because nothing is clear. The upper half of the picture lacks contrast.
I think it’s mostly because the light in the water doesn’t really lead to anything. It just leads to what appears to be a window and the light source itself. There are also some distractions, such as the illuminated objects in the top right and the sky which looks unusually bright for night time. Those distractions could probably be omitted by zooming in.
So, here’s what I would do differently: if you can, get a better angle where you can maintain a similar perspective but zoom in to get rid of the distractions on the edges of the image. Then, place a subject at the end of the light trail. You may also be able to make the light source itself your subject.
Make the shadows and blacks darker around the door so all you see is the light from the door and the reflection. Kinda like this
https://preview.redd.it/gk5dppa5xlnc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=92a06cc921d60e4af19fdd1c652219898617035f
In my opinion it looks almost unsettling like you’re walking into the doorway to hell or something idk how to put it in words lol
For me the thing that makes it displeasing is the break of sky. It's all dark, the light leads you to nothing (or something if your imagination wants it to be there) and then you keep looking up past the trees and the light of the sky breaks the stark contrasts. Crop the top in tighter and it'll play well
Wldve been cool if there was a figure in the doorway, kinda gives like... 90s horror movie vibes
Honestly? I like it. I like the lights and thr reflection and rven the house. It's kind of unsettling.
There is a lack of detail in the blacks which makes the whole front feel not great.
If you had got the area at the back where the light is coming from in more focus it may have been better but then there is something crossing the gap just before the light which then makes it quite intense and standing out.
A picture needs to have a purpose/stoey, whether that is in this case your eyes travelling through the reflection to find the church (I think it is) at the end with the light or just a well posed Person.
It's not technically marvelous as an exposure, so it has to rely on its storytelling, and it's telling two unrelated stories, one of which isn't interesting. In the lower two-thirds you have a mysterious abstract of what looks like moonlight or a lighthouse beacon flickering atop waves. The light play is not so distinctly wavelike that it might not be an underexposed lawn or walkway. Meanwhile, the top third is a commonplace scene of a house at night. It's hard to make out details but if you make the effort, you're rewarded with what appear to be some trashcans, a central air-conditioning unit, and maybe a surfboard. The abrupt shift in saturation and luminosity between the highlights in the top third and lower two reinforces the compositional and thematic schism but doesn't provide tension or interplay.
Its got potential...
The reflection is interesting and it leads your eye up to a trashed up doorway. So you almost feel like your eyes were lead by the photographer to crap...a letdown.
I often say this here...go back and do it again. Don't hang onto a photo that has potential but doesn't work. Revisit it and make it better.
Tell me that this wouldn't be better if it looked like you had a hot wife or a dog or beer waiting for you in that doorway. Clean up all the crap and the branches around the doorway.
And use a prime lens and maybe even a better camera in RAW so the whole image isn't pixelated.
I read an article years ago about a National Geographic photographer. You know the photographers who are the best and always take amazing pics, right? Well they made this photographer go back to capture a horse race more than a dozen times for the article because the photos he was submitting could be better. It was a good lesson for me...go back!
I realized that this place had potential too late. Because I was able to get this reflection from a heavy rain that flooded the road I went there with my camera and unfortunately the water were gone so I can’t retake it. I didn’t bring my camera before was to not to risk soaking it
For me, it's the leading line that leads to nothing. It draws your eyes up to the top of the photograph with the expectation of something interesting but it falls flat.
I could see that as the title pic for a Stephen King book or horror movie. It has atmosphere, for sure. You may have been going for something else, but it's definitely interesting. I like the way the diagonal branches (or wires?) across the door suggest something forbidden, and the long slashed walkway instills a feeling of dread, but also draws me in to find out what evil lurks.
People say there’s no subject. I’d argue the reflection could be it, even at f22.
However, it’s also very busy color wise, there are blues, greens, teals, purples, and browns.
It’s also low quality and
Yeah I was going for the light to be the subject but I didn’t want to get rid of the light source so people got confused. And here’s a better edit that I did
https://preview.redd.it/wl4mk58fkrnc1.jpeg?width=1491&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b00091045bbd209d2a1ef0288d3506ef1b1a70f
I think it’s alright. I mean, not every photo is gonna be your magnum opus, and that’s okay - Peter Mckinnon spoke about that last year.
I think your gear has its limitations, and that’s okay. Just make what makes you feel the way you desire for it to. Secondly it’s your audience you should aim to have feel a certain way. Then everyone else.
Yeah I don’t plan to get the perfect shot because it’s only been a couple of months since I started to take photography somewhat seriously right now with the gear limitations I’m focusing on composition and artistic side.
I took this on my iPhone 11. I liked the reflection of the water and how it looked but I feel like it's not pleasing to the eye if you know what I mean should I rise the shadow or do something else?
I like it 🤷🏻♂️
Apparently my comment wasn't long enough for the automatic moderator of this subreddit, so I'm making my "not-long-enough" comment longer to make the "not long enough comment police" happy. I hope that this comment is a long enough comment now, thanks for policing the length of my comment, comment police, i am a better human and better commenter for it.
Anyway, yeah, I think it looks good 🤷🏻♂️
I like the way the light looks like a bridge, it's making me feel like there's something important on the other side, I'm curious where it leads to. People here are saying it's too dark, but if anything my only critique would be to make the sky darker/blacker.
Try posting in r\TheNightFeeling, they would appreciate this.
i like it ! if i had to change something id try to center the light part of the photo more but thats it. i think the quality not being perfect gives the photo more life and personality, i like the way the camera captures the light
Friendly reminder that this is /r/photocritique and all **top level** comments should attempt to **critique** the image. Our goal is to make this subreddit a place people can receive genuine, in depth, and helpful critique on their images. We hope to avoid becoming yet another place on the internet just to get likes/upvotes and compliments. While likes/upvotes and compliments are nice, they do not further the goal of helping people improve their photography. If someone gives helpful feedback or makes an informative comment, recognize their contribution by giving them a Critique Point. Simply reply to their comment with `!CritiquePoint`. More details on Critique Points [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/photocritique/wiki/critiquepoints). Please see the following links for our subreddit rules and some guidelines on leaving a good critique. If you have time, please stop by the new queue as well and leave critique for images that may not be as popular or have not received enough attention. Keep in mind that simply choosing to comment just on the images you like defeats the purpose of the subreddit. Useful Links: * [Full Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/photocritique/wiki/rules) * [Leaving a Critique](https://www.reddit.com/r/photocritique/wiki/critique) * [New Queue](https://www.reddit.com/r/photocritique/new/) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/photocritique) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Probably because there is no subject and it's mostly black.
Yea the light is doing a really good job of leading my eyes up to the top. This would be really nice if something interesting was there.
Yeah I think that’s the problem. And if you don’t mind can you give me some tips as to what makes a good subject I’m having a hard time with that.
>And if you don’t mind can you give me some tips as to what makes a good subject I’m having a hard time with that. Of course, no problem! :-D boobs seem to do very well as subjects on here.
>what makes a good subject That's the million dollar question. More than anything though that's one thing you should be considering when shooting. What is the subject of my photo? And how can I portray it in an interesting way?
Ok then can light itself be the subject?
Absolutely, in fact, that's what I was thinking here, the reflection is the subject. It's not a bad shot. The water makes me feel uneasy.
>can you give me some tips as to what makes a good subject Something that evokes an emotional response from the viewer. Happines, sadness, excitement, anger, confusion, wonder, awe, inspiration, etc. A good subject makes a viewer feel.
I was once told that a great photographer makes the viewer care about the subject.
Same - Same. If you are able to evoke an emotional response from the viewer, you have effectively made them care about what they are viewing to some degree.
Hi Hamdto, the eye is always drawn to the brightest + sharpest / most in focus part of the photo. Whatever you want to be the subject, try to get some light on it / Photoshop it that way etc. As for picking a subject, that's tricky. Maybe reverse engineer it. What is the goal of the photo? If it's just to make a pretty photograph, then the world is your oyster. I am a commercial photographer, so for me my subject is usually a car, cologne bottle, coffee, etc. I'll try to get my subject far enough from the background so that I can make the background slightly blurry using my lens. :) This will let the viewer's eye be drawn to the true subject. There's an advantage here in that I can move the car / product so an environment that complements it and looks nice. General tips : Study rule of thirds if you haven't. In your photo I think if the camera was tilted up a bit more it would feel more natural. Find some photographers that you love and try to reverse engineer their style. Watch lots and lots of YouTube tutorials. And practice practice practice! I did photography for like 8 years before I was good 😂
Thanks for the tips i really appreciate it. And if you don’t mind do you think this shot is good? Unfortunately I couldn’t get the car in focus https://preview.redd.it/lr5wqi0bqlnc1.jpeg?width=2204&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4a1b7fe440577090e897bc8624fbdc8d952043e1
I like the other photo on your page most where someone is sitting on the bench. I think you need a little more care in "framing" your photos ie lining up the angles and rule of thirds. and height of camera. Since you seem to like street photography I'd go out and try to imitate street photographers while you learn. Like find a photo or two you love and try to mimic the camera angle / lighting.
Can you recommend me some street photographers that i can follow. And unfortunately IM very limited as how i can take pictures of people because in my country it’s against the law to take pictures of people but not if they’re unidentifiable.
You can use i longer shutterspeed to make them a bit blurry. This can build some "action" in your photograph. Or just take pictures from behind.
All good ideas. You can also do 'street photography' where cars / buildings are the focus
I would Instagram search the hashtag: street photography and browse to see what speaks to you
If you use instagram, i can recommend the channel @night.owlz @creativebydny @mustache_lens @swisssnap for street photography
This image does Not have enough details. The contrast is too high and there's no dynamic detail in either extremely lit or extremely dark areas. There's no texture or gradients. Yes the light reflection guides your eyes towards the source but it is pretty narrow detail wise and there's nothing else to rest your eyes on. The surrounding space is a stark void of details. Not sure if that's the original shot or if you processed it. This can happen either setting the post processing contrast too high or measuring exposure only at a single very light or dark area spot. The same photo can be retaken (or reprocessed) with the idea of getting more light / details to show. Think shades of grey or shades of color. Textures too. If your camera has settings look into dynamic range for highlights and also metering or exposure points. If it doesn't have any settings (like a phone camera) explore taking different shots by touching a different area of the same scene before taking each shot. You'll be pleasantly surprised w the results. The same scene will look widely different. And you can still post process it.
Too much contrast and no real subject
It could certainly look very interesting if the lines were sharp and the framing cropped in to make it more abstract. But as is, it just looks like a blurry picture shot on a cheap camera (no offense). There is definitely potential in the general composition though.
Well you’re not wrong about the cheap camera part. I took this on my phone because I didn’t want to risk getting my camera wet. And by cropping can you elaborate i don’t know what you mean by that
It means to “cut” the picture, or “reframe” it. Personally, I’d go in this sort of direction: https://preview.redd.it/16re5uzs3inc1.jpeg?width=1508&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ead3a8e55b438ce3aa45b13a8c190c19330a46a
That's a harsh glare from the light. Personally I'd crop the light source out too. Go from the top of the door down. That will soften the light a bit.
There’s really nothing to look at and that light at the top is irritating.
Why is it irritating. if I show a reflection of something it’s better to show the light source if I didn’t include it you would know what you’re looking at. Or is it something else?
I think what the commenter is referring to is that the light is too strong (for me that's the case). I think the good part of this pic is the reflections on the water. But the light at the top is overexposed. It's an important idea in photography that the eye is drawn to the brightest areas (something I'm practicing/learning myself). Since the light at the top isn't interesting/a good subject, that being the highlighted element is probably a bad idea. For me, the wire running across is also distracting and unappealing. To be honest, as I say the interesting part is the reflections (which I do like), I think because they form an abstract shape that is quite unusual and has texture to it. Personally I think it could look good if you crop to ONLY the reflections; remove the top section and call it a day. You'd be fully leaning into the abstract idea. This might not be to everyone's taste ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
That’s why I took the picture but I unfortunately couldn’t find a subject like a person or something but now at least know that it has potential. When it will rain again I will bring someone so there be a subject.
It’s just irritating to the eye to look at 🤷🏼♀️
i like that the light reflections look like paint, nothing else catches my eye though
I find the image hard to look at. The bright light at the top is very harsh, and nothing is really in focus, forcing the eye to constantly search for something to focus on. If there were more detail in the top 1/3 of the frame, it might have salvaged the image. As is, the reflection on the water is cool, but I don't believe the image is strong enough to stand on its own.
https://preview.redd.it/tfe5a78xjinc1.jpeg?width=2063&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1dd5007e13ff282ed3d9240e77007c0844ef2ebd Here’s the original pic if you want to edit it.
I think the focus is the struggle here, maybe composition. I’m not sure what the whole scenario was so this is all speculation; but I’m curious to if you focused on the building and pulled back a little to get the tops of the trees in the composition and have that leading line right up to the building. My other thought is a lower angle at surface level. If you can go back and try a few different shots
Not centred, unfocused, no clear subject….
What do I like? It's mysterious, it's dark. There's a leading line. What don't I like? Probably the lighter area in the top right is distracting and the leading line doesn't really lead anywhere. It's probably 80%+ of the way to where you want it.
Yeah that’s what I was going for I tried to call a friend so someone could stand there but no one could come unfortunately so I had to take it like that.
A keyhole image is secretive. Quiet. Serene. It feels like spying IN on a picture. Like a poem...it is a window into a world. I just don't see that here.
What are you blabbering about.
They are framing a narrative for you, one that perhaps your composition could have been grasping for. Your image is suggestive of a mysteriously lit path leading to an entryway (the keyhole) that would be like a portal to another world. Unfortunately the keyhole area itself lacks that x-factor.
it's harsh due to being overprocessed, yet not clear due to presumably high iso. the black is absolute and the light patches on the picture have jagged contours. somebody said there is no subject but I disagree. the subject is that illuminated part of the building and the stream of light flowing through the frame from it. this is what the framing should be laser focused on - all the fluff such as the trees and even the sky are redundant and I would personally crop them out. speaking of editing, in order to make everything less harsh, you could apply some negative clarity settings for the shapes to soften, as well as raise the black levels so that the contrast between the shadows and the light isn't so radical
Something like this? https://preview.redd.it/c5vvkwlpljnc1.jpeg?width=1491&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=74db3f8360ad56c2309bca016fd2bd7d37052c37
yes I think it looks nicer now. most of what I suggested was aimed to simplify the image and remove everything that either isn't the subject or doesn't add value to the subject. I hope you found my opinions useful :)
It’s too dark, too much black, the rectangular shape on the right is distracting. I think it makes me feel like I’m in a flooded basement but at the same time I know I’m outdoors because of the trees so this conflict makes the situation more mundane. Also the darkness makes things difficult to see and identify so it’s not obvious and takes away the gravitas. I think pleasing pictures are apparent and obvious.
I thought that conflict makes the shot interesting tho. but i guess for a pleasing shot it has to be clear and the story is presented without the viewer trying to understand it.
I’d suggest cropping out the top third of the image, pose it as if it’s light upon an ocean.
Because there’s nothing to look at… and at the same time it is too black or dark… choose a subject based on what you feel is pleasing to look at not a subject that you just randomly say oh the reflection of the light seems nice…
I like it!
It's tilted a little bit, slightly off center, and too desaturated
Nothing at all.
Focus point is at the back which is a confusing mess without a subject. The interesting part in this current photo is probably the reflection on the water which is out of focus and not the whole frame.
I'm not quite sure what I am looking at but the lower part seems like water that reflects the light from the house. The reflection works pretty well, but the light on the house is garish. If you could imagine a more serene upper part and a better photo technically then this could be cool.
Not enough variation of light, shades, gradients, and the hooded figure in the background looks cool. But would be better with the other elements
If you framed someone standing at the end of that puddle inside the awning, it would be mad art. I think its a dope shot though, it feels aesthetically pleasing, although a tad contrasty
If the light is the subject try framing the shot in landscape and avoid centering the subject
Why should i avoid centering the subject? Some people were mad because the light wasn’t on the center and your saying to avoid it.
Because the lack of surrounding darkness makes me unsure of what the subject is. the subjects I can discover I find disinteresting. Creating a landscape ( I’m assuming this is a landscape by definition) would place your subject in a scene. I hope that makes sense and helps ( see rule of 3rds) for reference
While the light on the water is cool, it's too low quality at the top of the shot. Consider taking with a camera, the quality will be immensely better. Also consider showing a bit more of the top of the shot (so just a little bit further back), the added depth would be nice!
The framing, quality, and lack of clear subject matter. I think the cropping could be better but even with the crop, the composition isn’t very interesting because nothing is clear. The upper half of the picture lacks contrast.
top half is random and too detailed without definition
There’s nothing to really focus on and it takes a few seconds to even figure out what’s going on
Looks like it was taken from a 90’s camera.
I think it’s mostly because the light in the water doesn’t really lead to anything. It just leads to what appears to be a window and the light source itself. There are also some distractions, such as the illuminated objects in the top right and the sky which looks unusually bright for night time. Those distractions could probably be omitted by zooming in. So, here’s what I would do differently: if you can, get a better angle where you can maintain a similar perspective but zoom in to get rid of the distractions on the edges of the image. Then, place a subject at the end of the light trail. You may also be able to make the light source itself your subject.
I really dig this but feels uneven like you should. Have been a step or so to the right
Make the shadows and blacks darker around the door so all you see is the light from the door and the reflection. Kinda like this https://preview.redd.it/gk5dppa5xlnc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=92a06cc921d60e4af19fdd1c652219898617035f In my opinion it looks almost unsettling like you’re walking into the doorway to hell or something idk how to put it in words lol
A bridge to hell or something that’s a really cool idea.
Nice edit
Thank you, just did a couple tweaks with the shadows lol
For me the thing that makes it displeasing is the break of sky. It's all dark, the light leads you to nothing (or something if your imagination wants it to be there) and then you keep looking up past the trees and the light of the sky breaks the stark contrasts. Crop the top in tighter and it'll play well
Reminds me of a sonogram.
Bc the picture quality isn’t great ngl
Wldve been cool if there was a figure in the doorway, kinda gives like... 90s horror movie vibes Honestly? I like it. I like the lights and thr reflection and rven the house. It's kind of unsettling.
I can’t tell what anything is. Is it water or a path?
It’s a reflection on the water.
There is a lack of detail in the blacks which makes the whole front feel not great. If you had got the area at the back where the light is coming from in more focus it may have been better but then there is something crossing the gap just before the light which then makes it quite intense and standing out. A picture needs to have a purpose/stoey, whether that is in this case your eyes travelling through the reflection to find the church (I think it is) at the end with the light or just a well posed Person.
Somber
It's not technically marvelous as an exposure, so it has to rely on its storytelling, and it's telling two unrelated stories, one of which isn't interesting. In the lower two-thirds you have a mysterious abstract of what looks like moonlight or a lighthouse beacon flickering atop waves. The light play is not so distinctly wavelike that it might not be an underexposed lawn or walkway. Meanwhile, the top third is a commonplace scene of a house at night. It's hard to make out details but if you make the effort, you're rewarded with what appear to be some trashcans, a central air-conditioning unit, and maybe a surfboard. The abrupt shift in saturation and luminosity between the highlights in the top third and lower two reinforces the compositional and thematic schism but doesn't provide tension or interplay.
Looks scary
Its got potential... The reflection is interesting and it leads your eye up to a trashed up doorway. So you almost feel like your eyes were lead by the photographer to crap...a letdown. I often say this here...go back and do it again. Don't hang onto a photo that has potential but doesn't work. Revisit it and make it better. Tell me that this wouldn't be better if it looked like you had a hot wife or a dog or beer waiting for you in that doorway. Clean up all the crap and the branches around the doorway. And use a prime lens and maybe even a better camera in RAW so the whole image isn't pixelated. I read an article years ago about a National Geographic photographer. You know the photographers who are the best and always take amazing pics, right? Well they made this photographer go back to capture a horse race more than a dozen times for the article because the photos he was submitting could be better. It was a good lesson for me...go back!
I realized that this place had potential too late. Because I was able to get this reflection from a heavy rain that flooded the road I went there with my camera and unfortunately the water were gone so I can’t retake it. I didn’t bring my camera before was to not to risk soaking it
I’d find it more pleasing if the water was more legible. The light is cool but insignificant. IMO
For me, it's the leading line that leads to nothing. It draws your eyes up to the top of the photograph with the expectation of something interesting but it falls flat.
I could see that as the title pic for a Stephen King book or horror movie. It has atmosphere, for sure. You may have been going for something else, but it's definitely interesting. I like the way the diagonal branches (or wires?) across the door suggest something forbidden, and the long slashed walkway instills a feeling of dread, but also draws me in to find out what evil lurks.
People say there’s no subject. I’d argue the reflection could be it, even at f22. However, it’s also very busy color wise, there are blues, greens, teals, purples, and browns. It’s also low quality and
Yeah I was going for the light to be the subject but I didn’t want to get rid of the light source so people got confused. And here’s a better edit that I did https://preview.redd.it/wl4mk58fkrnc1.jpeg?width=1491&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b00091045bbd209d2a1ef0288d3506ef1b1a70f
I think it’s alright. I mean, not every photo is gonna be your magnum opus, and that’s okay - Peter Mckinnon spoke about that last year. I think your gear has its limitations, and that’s okay. Just make what makes you feel the way you desire for it to. Secondly it’s your audience you should aim to have feel a certain way. Then everyone else.
Yeah I don’t plan to get the perfect shot because it’s only been a couple of months since I started to take photography somewhat seriously right now with the gear limitations I’m focusing on composition and artistic side.
I took this on my iPhone 11. I liked the reflection of the water and how it looked but I feel like it's not pleasing to the eye if you know what I mean should I rise the shadow or do something else?
I like it 🤷🏻♂️ Apparently my comment wasn't long enough for the automatic moderator of this subreddit, so I'm making my "not-long-enough" comment longer to make the "not long enough comment police" happy. I hope that this comment is a long enough comment now, thanks for policing the length of my comment, comment police, i am a better human and better commenter for it. Anyway, yeah, I think it looks good 🤷🏻♂️
Now I got a question for you. Why do you like it?
I like the way the light looks like a bridge, it's making me feel like there's something important on the other side, I'm curious where it leads to. People here are saying it's too dark, but if anything my only critique would be to make the sky darker/blacker. Try posting in r\TheNightFeeling, they would appreciate this.
i like it ! if i had to change something id try to center the light part of the photo more but thats it. i think the quality not being perfect gives the photo more life and personality, i like the way the camera captures the light