Behind the Lens – Photo Critique

28 Oct 2011 admin In G+ Posts Tags: ,

#BTLcritique #glamour

Critique for a Critique

Ok – so G+ has been driving me to try to process at least one image a day.. I have to be honest and say I have not done that in some time.. I edit and shoot when I can..and I have been happy with that in the past.. it seems like I am noo longer happy with that or G+ is slowly taking over the motivation zone in my brain to actually apply myself more to photography.

So here is the deal… take a moment to drop a critique here on this image and post a link for a shot you want me to critique of yours….. The community here is very strong with talented people and I would love to see more sharing and asking for critiques on images.

Fear not – put your work out there and share it, let it all hang out and ask for those critiques…. I know everyone I have received here on the BTLcritique group has helped or pushed me to become a stronger photographer.

Comments: 41

  1. Ricky L Jones 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    Gorgeous model and fantastic photo.

  2. Wanda Hollis 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    Looks like a great photo to me. Nice work with the short lighting, maybe some catch lights would be an improvement.

  3. Kevin Gault 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    I don't know if I qualify as a critic, but I don't see much wrong if there is anything. In fact I like the coloring, shadows work real well along with the highlights. She stands out from the background too.

  4. Robert Stienstra 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    i totally agree with +ricky l jones

  5. Bruno alves 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    I'm just starting, so It's more an opinion as a viewer than anything else. It's an amazing shot, but I believe I'd try with a little less light. I think It's more a matter of taste, for some reason I do prefer images a little darker.

    Would you mind giving me your opinion, how can I improve this shot? https://plus.google.com/u/0/106728619892520244935/posts/FhVR5Ear5rE

  6. Chuck Uebele 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    Wonderful image. Love the light among other things….

  7. Brent Burzycki 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    +Robert Stienstra Thanks

    +Kevin Gault Everyone is a critic 🙂 – and all opinions are valid in my opinion… it helps me understand what people like and why…

    +Wanda Hollis thanks – I am very happy when my shots get the attention of female vs. just males…since I shoot to try to showcase the beauty and power of the female form vs. just a hot photo posted to get attention…

    +Ricky L Jones thanks…

  8. Brent Burzycki 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    +Chuck Uebele thanks….

    +Bruno alves when you say less light – where specifically.. I am interested to know… I have had that comment many times and I am trying to narrow down the why …. I have another version of this shot – its much darker I might post it over the weekend to get opinions on that vs. this shot…

  9. Dirk Heindoerfer 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    Beautiful setup and gorgeous model. Some tips though.
    1. For me the left side of her face is a little to dark, lightening it up and give the left eye a little more punch.
    2. The hands are looking a little to "old" so some retouching to smooth it more out. Just for the readers, her hands are not old, but the lights give it a too harsh look 😉
    3. The dark spot on the rug at her left leg draws my eyes, I would clone it out.

  10. Brent Burzycki 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    +Dirk Heindoerfer thanks those are some points I did not see.. this lighting is semi dangerous for the harshness…and strong shadows in some cases as you point out…

  11. Neil Camara 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    YOWZA!!! 😀

  12. Bruno alves 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    +Brent Burzycki specially her right hand and a little in the right side of her face.

  13. Brent Burzycki 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    +Neil Camara 🙂 – ha thanks Neil… I think I said that when I took it…

  14. Subra Govinda 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    nice perspective to shoot from a lowered position. Personally, I'd go for an obvious contrast between background and subject. You have created a mood on her face with partial Lighting… Well done.

  15. Tom Bielecki 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    Great shot, Brent!

  16. Brent Burzycki 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    +Tom Bielecki +Subra Govinda thanks… I try for different moods – so often i miss them – sometimes with the help of a great model I get them…. so much of that hinges on the model thou….and the model / photographer interaction..

  17. Dante Duphorne 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    You've done a nice job with contrasting the bright side of the model a slightly darker wall and vice versa on the other side. What stand out to me the most is the brightly lit side on her face, hand and leg. It's blown out in those areas and is losing all shading information. This is more noticeable due to the wonderful texture the rest of her skin shows from the lighting. The angle of light on the models face highlights her chin dimple and the line down the center of her nose. As mentioned before, the shading in her left eye stands out as being too dark. It's a great image of a beautiful girl and seems to do a good job of conveying what you wanted.

  18. Contrast on face it bit too high. Belly area has nice smooth transition from light to shadow but face has too prominent one. Like Dirk said add fill light to the face or diffuse the window light to make it softer. Her right hand is looking a bit strange as it seems to hang there by itself. Overall image is great and I really like the tone and different shades 🙂

  19. Brent Burzycki 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    +Janne Hämäläinen no window light – just single strobe into a large umbrella… with some work on contrast and shadows in the post process.. you are correct thou there is a transition difference….

    +Dante Duphorne thanks for the critique….lots of good points…

  20. Maciej Łaszewski 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    Nice shot, but I would create more contrast and light the face a bit. I've started Project365 album to play the same game, so I'll be glad if you drop your eye on it. ( https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/116331350989853527453/albums/5666766952264934609 )

  21. roger clark 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    I would love to see the highlights bought down a bit and a bit more oomph in the shadows..nice posing and angle of view though gives the subject strength.

  22. Ricardo Williams 28 Oct 2011 Reply

    +Brent Burzycki, I like this photo. I can always find a thing here and there that you could do different, but to be honest the processing (lack of deep contrast), the BnW, the few highlights on the image… it makes it unique and likeable. You can change it, but not necessarily improve it. It serves its purpose as is. It's great. Just MHO!!

  23. Brent Burzycki 29 Oct 2011 Reply

    +Ricardo Williams +Alexander Leisser +roger clark +Maciej Łaszewski

    Thanks for the critiques and comments…. over the weekend at some point I will sit down and critique back all the links…..

  24. Bartek Siebab 29 Oct 2011 Reply

    I'm following the "path" and learn much in last month from You +Brent Burzycki and such session is my next one just after the weekend so I'll do my best to achieve half good one pictures as this one 🙂 but for now please look at this picture:
    https://plus.google.com/u/0/104830744452856998976/posts/29RjK2tgij1
    Here are direct link to hires version:
    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-O58bjOCtJso/TqcffP-z-kI/AAAAAAABKZY/HnhheNhJrCs/s1772/IMG_2011_10_16_03364.jpg

  25. Morgan Kelley 29 Oct 2011 Reply

    1. whatever it is that is behind her is distracting. at first I thought ok, this an IR image and shot it from the ground up and those are the tops of trees or shrubs. then I thought no, it was shot in studio because the sky doesn't have crinkles in it (bottom left corner)
    2. The images seems a little flat
    3. the light on the left side of her body is a little to hot.
    4. smooth her top on the right side so her nipple is not pooching out.
    5. I agree with +Dirk Heindoerfer about the hands

    below is the link to my image for you to critique:

    https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/104380581224549491750/albums/5629258489525888321/5657757936478985746

  26. Stuart Dyckhoff 29 Oct 2011 Reply

    Nice composition though I confess I know nothing about pictures of this kind. To me the pic seems well crafted if a little bare – I'd somehow expect a pic of a bikini clad beauty to have a little more sand or sea in it??

    However – that said, I do wish more photogs would take time to "critique" other images and not get stuck in their own little world and to that end any advice you could give on any of my pics would be fab. But let's go with this one for starters: https://plus.google.com/u/0/102165221944293633376/posts/1bXYzZXzKzZ

  27. Brent Burzycki 29 Oct 2011 Reply

    +Stuart Dyckhoff +Morgan Kelley +Bartek Siębab thanks for the critiques…

  28. Brent Burzycki 30 Oct 2011 Reply

    And comments and critiques given back to all that posted… thanks again…..

  29. Joe Anzalone 30 Oct 2011 Reply

    +Brent Burzycki Overall really nice shot. I agree with +Dirk Heindoerfer regarding the lower right background corner and hand. The highlight on the left leg combined with the lightness in the shadow area makes it look somewhat wide. I would like to see the shadow area at least a stop or more darker and more catchlight in the eyes to pop them, this may also correct the size of the leg. Another approach would be to burn down that lower right background area to transition the shadow from the leg so it would slim the appearance. Good pose, expression, etc.

  30. Brent Burzycki 2 Nov 2011 Reply

    +Joe Anzalone thx joe….

  31. Bartek Siebab 5 Nov 2011 Reply

    +Brent Burzycki Looking at Your work gives me quite new look against portraits so few days ago I had a interesting burlesque photo session and choose one nice shoot for Your attention if You would be so kind to criticize it I would be very happy:
    https://plus.google.com/104830744452856998976/posts/edYsJHMkQSF

  32. Stuart Ponder 13 Nov 2011 Reply

    I like the dutch angle and the high key look. Pushing the tint to silver worked well which pleasantly surprises me since shooting a platinum blonde in light toned wardrobe on white background would be quite a challenge. A small reflector high and just off camera right might have reduced the contrast on the face, which IMO, would have reinforced the overall look of the shot. Well done!

  33. Brent Burzycki 13 Nov 2011 Reply

    +Stuart Ponder thanks….. I will give that a try next time……

  34. Scott Martinez 14 Nov 2011 Reply

    Gorgeous model, but the camera left rim light is too hot. Her left eye almost looks like she has a black eye. I do not like the transition between the shadow and the highlights. -Just too harsh.

  35. Brent Burzycki 15 Nov 2011 Reply

    +Scott Martinez Its prob the post that did that to the shot… but I cannot disagree with the issue with the eye…. that was an issue I noticed also..

  36. Stewart Jennings 17 Nov 2011 Reply

    too much clothing!

  37. Brent Burzycki 17 Nov 2011 Reply

    +Explore Detroit not for G+ …..

    Here is one with less: http://500px.com/photo/1317305
    Warning – NSFW

  38. Dean Blowers 20 Jun 2012 Reply

    Firstly I don't think I'm qualified to comment on anybody's image, but I will say what I like and what I find a little distracting, before I start I would like to say I strive to create images as beautiful as this I love the blue cast to the image I like that the background is clean a little blown out. If I can find anything that is distracting and it took a while to figure it out it is the highlight on her face I think is a little to strong, this image is exactly why I have you in 3 circles, great work.
     

  39. Brent Burzycki 20 Jun 2012 Reply

    +Dean Blowers thanks Dean – I cannot disagree – it is pretty harsh shadow on her face…. thanks for the opinions and taking the time to comment on the image…

  40. Stewart Jennings 20 Jun 2012 Reply

    I wanna eat breakfast on those abs! 😉

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