Smile Today by Gerryblackkberry

Today's critique is brought to you by Gerryblackkberry.

Scores:
Overall: 4/5
Composition: 4/5
Emotion: 4.5/5
Innovation: 4.5/5

Overall: This is a gorgeous portrait. Katharina is very pretty, and the pose is quite nice. Just a few tiny composition things to worry about.

Composition: So, I think would like to see a little more space between Katharina and the left edge of the photo. The cracked wall in the background is a tiny bit distracting, too. I really like that the leading lines of the wood lead to her. And her clothes and hair contrast well with the background.

Emotion: I think using black and white has a tendency to add a whole other layer of emotion to a photo, and I would have to agree with your statement that it's more expressive this way. On top of that, Katharina's smile gives me a feeling that she's trying not to laugh at something that I can't see - which gives me soemthing to think about.

Innovation: I think this photo is unique, because it uses leading lines to draw the viewer's attention to Katharina. I'm also really digging her smile. I can't complain about the angle, since I really like it too.

A little bit about Gerryblackkbery:
She's been doing photography for nine months. Gerry likes bokeh and authentic pictures, and her favorite photographer is Dirk Mai. "Every picture tells a story" is her motto.* And her gallery is full of awesome things, and I look forward to seeing more awesome in the future.

Tip of the day:
ISO, F/stop, and Shutter speed are a trinity. If you change your shutter speed, you have to change your ISO and/or f/stop to maintain the same level of exposure.


*I need a motto. Oh, I know, I came up with this for one of my main characters in a story - "Photography is all about telling the truth." Yup, that's my photography motto.

Fly Deux by SavannahGrey

Today's critique of "Fly Deux" is brought to you by SavannahGrey.

Scores:
Overall: 4/5
Composition: 3.5/5
Emotion: 4/5
Innovation: 4/5

Overall: It's a great photo. I love the details in the dandelion, and the depth of field is very nice. The background directly behind the puffball is somewhat distracting, though.

Composition: My only complaint is the background behind the dandelion. The white back there makes it somewhat difficult to see the subject. I particularly like the seed that has broken free from the plant.

Emotion: You nailed the "zoom in for more emotion" aspect of photography. I can almost feel the seeds as they prepare to set off into the world with the next wind. At the same time, the lone seed seems to getting ahead of itself, lending to the over all mood.

Innovation: I find this photo to be very unique. It's a very nice macro shot, without a doubt.

A little bit about Savannah:
Savannah's been doing photography for around a year and she's entirely self taught. If you look through her gallery, you'll see that her more recent photos show a great amount of improvement. She shares my opinion of the bokeh in the background of the above photo, which shows that she knows exactly what she's doing. Macro and Nature shots are her favorite kinds of photography. She owns a Canon Rebel XSi (she's had it since september), ad she loves the thing to pieces.

Tip of the day:
Watch out for distractions in the background of your photos. Whether it's bokeh that blends with your subject, or a dog in a clown suit playing piano,* the background play an important part in the overall composition of the piece. In portraits, for example, you want to make sure that nothing's going through your person in the background.

_{Of course, if there was a dog in a clown suit playing piano, I'd have to wonder why it wasn't your subject in the first place.}

Planet Earth by RetroChick27

Today's Critique is brought to you by: Retrochick27.

Scores:
Overall: 4/5
Composition: 4/5
Emotion: 3.5/5
Innovation: 4.5/5

Overall: I rather like this photo. The depth of field is, near as I can tell, spot on. And the angle definitely works. My only complaint is that the caterpillar is partially in the sun, and the bright spots on the leaf kind of distract my eyes from the subject.

Composition: I like the fact that the caterpillar is in the center, which actually contradicts what a lot of people will tell you about composition. It would be nice of the caterpillar were in the sunshine, or if the leaf weren't. Also, it's you can't really see the details on the subject; I think being able to see them would add to the beauty of this piece.

Emotion: This piece doesn't really jump out at me, emotionally speaking. It's a gorgeous photo, but there isn't a whole lot to it in this area. I don't know how you'd improve on emotion, though. Perhaps with different lighting? Other than that, this photo makes me giddy, because I rarely see caterpillars.

Innovation: You scored bonus points in this category for the center aligned subject, which is something that more experienced photographers rarely do. And, you know, I rarely see caterpillars in photos (and I never see them in real life), so this photo has a novel effect on my brain. XD

A little bit about RetroChick27:
RetroChick27 is, like, 14. Her gallery is great, and she takes her camera everywhere (kudos!). Seriously, I'm kind of intimidated by how good she is, considering she says she's new to photography - or, at least, she was when she wrote her deviant id. and she uses a Nikon D3000, which is supposed to be a really good camera (I still prefer my Canon Rebel, but that's for reasons unrelated).

Tip of the day:
Take a camera with you everywhere. Seriously. You'll regret it if you don't. The best photo opportunities usually happen when you are ill prepared or not expecting them. So, carry a camera with you so you can capture those rare moments. If nothing else, you can get good pictures of a crash or something - your local newspaper might buy them. I digress. Back to the point: Take a camera with you everywhere - it saves lives.

Left and Right by Insightx2

Today's critique of "Left and Right" is brought to you with the permission of Insightx2, who goes by Kelly, according to her deviantID.

Scores:
Overall: 4.5/5
Composition: 4/5
Emotion: 4.5/5
Innovation: 4.5/5

Overall: I really like this photo. The model (Aaron) really sticks out in this woodsy atmosphere. The angle is gorgeous!

Composition: I think the composition of this piece is good. However, I think leaving a little more space between the top of Aaron's head and the top of the photo would help with the composition. Also, it seems like his shoes are more in focus than his face. Personally, I'd like to see that switched around. My last digital photography teacher would comment on the fact that there is a piece of wood running through him, but I think it's fine. It's also kind of noisy, so I'd recommend using a lower ISO next time.

Emotion: This photo has great emotion. Aaron seems confused, as though he's been confronted with two paths and doesn't really know which one to take. He also looks out of place, which lends to the bewildered feeling of the photo. I'd suggest trying some different effects in PhotoShop to enhance the mood of the piece.

Innovation: I've never seen this angle on a real person (outside of movies) before. That's what first drew me to the photo. It's a pose I've seen often enough in manga, and I know it takes getting up high to catch it, too. Anyhow, this photo is very unique.

A little bit about Kelly:
Kelly has been interested in photography since she was ten; she's now seventeen. Her favorite kinds of photos are photos that bring out emotions, such as happiness, anger, or sadness. Recently, she's become fascinated with capturing human emotion - both facial and body expressions. "I feel as if humans can display such a fantastic emotion just by the position of their bodies and I love that," she says.

Tip of the day:
ISO can be your friend or your enemy! Most cameras allow you to manually adjust ISO - at least, DSLRs, do - so it's good to know when to use what numbers. ISO is a measure of how sensitive your camera is to light (according to these guys). The higher the number, the more sensitive your camera becomes. Use a higher ISO inside to increase shutter speed. If you use a high ISO in a well-lit area, your photo will come out noisy, though. Some cameras also change you shutter speed and aperture settings when you change the ISO.

Rose II by Madd-Eye-Moody

Today's critique of "Rose II" is brought to you with the permission of Madd-Eye-Moody.

Scores:
Overall: 3/5
Composition:3.5/5
Emotion: 3/5
Innovation: 3/5

Overall: I love the colors and the warm tone of this photo. I feel that a different angle would have produced a more dramatic effect. I'd suggest a narrower depth of field, if you can do that.

Composition: The colors are great and they contrast well with the background. Also, the flower is completely in focus, which is good. In this case, the rule of thirds might have made the photo more artistic. The other rose in the background is a bit distracting, but it's otherwise okay.

Emotion: So, this is one of those photos that don't give me a knee-jerk reaction. I can look at it for a few minutes and then come up with my conclusion about it. You did several good things. For one, you zoomed in on the flower, and, since the flower looks happy, this gives the photo an overall feeling of happiness. The warm tones add to that effect. Like I've said before, I feel a different angle would have been preferable, however, I must consider that a different angle would also change the emotion the picture elicits.

Innovation: I, myself, don't take pictures of roses very often, because it's really hard to be innovative and unique with them in a way that you can control. The fact that you didn't try to move the other rose - there are a lot of photographers who would - is what makes this piece innovative. So, while a digital photography class would mark you down for distractions, I find that the distraction adds to the piece's originality factor.

A little bit on Madd-Eye-Moody:
Madd-Eye has been doing photography for four years, which rather amazing, since she's, like, three years younger than I am. She enjoys taking pictures of sunsets, waterscapes, interesting landscapes, and still life, and she uses a Fujifilm FinePix Z5fd (1. I didn't know Fujifilm made digital cameras. 2. Hey, look, another Point-And-Shoot [PAS]), which just goes to show that a PAS can take good really pictures when the mood strikes it (as evidenced by Sunniest Day, take2, another of her photos). Madd-Eye's deep, too. I mean, you wouldn't normally expect to hear this from a fourteen-year-old: "I think that photos can explain more than words and i think they're a great way of remembering events or things that really make you say WOW." Think about this, too: I may be wrong, but, judging by her age, I'd guess that Madd-Eye hasn't taken a formal photography class.

Tip of The Day:
The Rule of Thirds - you may have heard about it in art. Supposedly it makes the composition of a piece better - I find that's not always the case. Wikipedia explains why it's important, "Proponents of the technique claim that aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject would." What points, you ask? Well, if you divide your photo up into thirds vertically and horizontally, you'll have two equally spaced lines in each direction. Supposedly you want to place your subject at one of the intersections of these lines. This works great for landscapes and macro shots, but it's not so helpful for other applications - such as capturing your cat in a photo.

Anyhow, the rule of thirds is something that you'll have to decide for yourself on. Everyone sees art differently, and, while I believe a centered picture can sometimes be way more effective, you might not think the same. I encourage you to play around with it.

Standing Tall by Tykat92

It's our first post ever, and it's a post to make up for the first day of the term - despite the fact that I probably don't have to make it up.

To start us off on our amazing journey of photography, we have Tykat and her photo - "Standing Tall."

Scores
Overall: 4.5/5
Composition: 4/5
Emotion: 4/5
Innovation: 3/5

Considering the camera that took this photo - it's a point and shoot - I have to say, it's pretty great. I really like how his eyes are in focus and how they stand out against his fur. What I don't like is the fact that my eye gets kind of confused every time I look at his mouth - which might be the cat's fault.

Composition wise, it's fairly good, as well. I might have liked to see a narrower depth of field, but the one used is effective. It doesn't follow the rule of thirds, which is actually a good thing for this particular photo, because it allows the cat to be closer to the camera without chopping off a body part. Oh, and I like that you were on the cat's level when you took it.

Emotionally speaking, it's a little less effective. Once I get past the knee-jerk "Kitty~! <3" reaction, I look further to think one of two things: A) Happy kitty is happy, or B) Curiosity killed the cat. Which, actually, are both good things. It means that the photo made me think a little further than normal.

Innovation: The angle is somewhat common among cat photos. However, I think it's unique in the way the cat and shadows are arranged. Cats are real candid creatures, and I think you did a good job of capturing that.

A little bit on Tykat:
Tykat isn't exactly a beginner (I chose her for today because she's my best friend). She took her first digital photography class before I did, but she never really picked up photography heavily afterward, unlike me. She operates with a Kodak point-and-shoot most of the time, so she's pretty great for that handicap.

Tip of the day:
Point-and-shoot (PAS) cameras are great for when you're first learning about photography. They're relatively inexpensive, and easy to use. Even after you've upgraded to a nicer camera, it's a good idea to carry a PAS with you wherever you go, because they're compact and if they get broke you're not out $400 or more.