I've been shooting b&w seriously for the past year or so. I took a b&w class as part of my graphic design degree program and fell in love with it. I've started trying to push myself a little and use different films and try different types of photography. I took a 102 class and decided just to shoot people for my project. I was uncomfortable taking pictures of people I didn't know and wanted to get better at that. I partially succeeded (I'm more comfortable, but not as much as I'd like). My next goal is to try still life.

Anyway, I'd love it if I could get some reactions to the photos I have taken and some constructive criticisms and/or comments that could help me refine my skills. My photos are at http://members.bellatlantic.net/~gwells/photos.htm

Thanks in advance.

-- Greg Wells (gwells@bellatlantic.net), September 04, 1999

Answers

Hi Greg,

I don't think your links are working correctly. I tried looking at your photos, but every time I clicked on 'photos' I was sent back to your home page.

chris

-- Chris Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), September 05, 1999.

Oops. I guess I need to be a little clearer with my navigation. I gave you an URL that takes you into the middle of my site to the pictures page. You need to click on the "next" button to get to the first photo. I'll update my text/navigation to make that more obvious. Thanks for the feedback.

-- Greg Wells (gwells@bellatlantic.net), September 05, 1999.

Thanks, I got it, however do think it is confusing.

Greg there isn't really much to critique that I think would help. You know how to make photos - now go and do it.

The question is, what do YOU think, what do YOU want to say, what do YOU want to show. Answer that and make photos accordingly, and then ask yourself, 'did I accomplish what I wanted to accomplish?'

Forget about telling people what camera you used, what film, etc... Concentrate on the image - let it speak for itself. Unless you want to go the route photographers like Duane Michaels went & then that's another story.

chris

-- Chris Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), September 06, 1999.

The photo 'left-brained' is very good, a good pre-visualization to use infra-red for this scene. The rest of the photo's is OK, with the fireman as a little more than OK.

I need to say that I find your prints a little greyish, the blacks could be richer, the whole contrast-impression could be more crisp. Seems you used a Minolta with XP2, printed in a hurry on Ilford RC. I miss some sort of love and dedication in printing your negatives to perfection, at least it doesn't show.

-- Lot (lotw@wxs.nl), September 06, 1999.

Greg,

Your first foray into photography has been a successful one. Your images show a thoughtful process. Shooting for a class is one thing, shooting for yourself is quite another.

My best images are those that I shoot because I love the subject. Your infrared image of the tree is IMO the best of the bunch. Keep shooting and shoot what you like. Look at the work of other photographers and pick out what you like. Try to figure out why it is a successful image and how that success can be applied to your own work. You will find that in no time at all your skill will increase 100 fold.

Keep up the good work.

-- Mike Kravit (mkravit@mindspring.com), September 07, 1999.

Your infrared shot is the best of the bunch. I must agree with Chris, the web navigation is initially puzzling.

I recommend you read the book, "On Being a Photographer" by David Hurn and Bill Jay. Here's a sample of their commentary, and here is an excerpt from their book. This book is a guide, and as such, it is thin, and must be reread constantly.

The best advice I can give you is that you must shoot and shoot and shoot, and allow honest critique from those you trust. I asked a professional photographer to critique my stuff early on, and I heeded his advice, and my photos have improved imensely.

Select your subject. Think about what you are interested in. Photograph what excites you, what moves you. Jerry Uelsmann said, "Ultimately, my hope is to amaze myself." Photograph to amaze yourself.

-- Brian C. Miller (brianm@ioconcepts.com), September 08, 1999.

Pay more attention to your edges and corners, the way you truncate your subjects is very distracting, leading the eye out of the frame. Where is that dog's nose? Why that small clump of trees at horizon left in the image called "left brain"? And if you print the top right corner a little darker in that image, the tree will hold attention even more firmly (it's your best image). You wouldn't (and don't, I noticed) design a brouchure cover with these problems, why design a photograph with these flaws?

When you look at your print, observe how your eye moves around the image. Coming to a dead end at the edge of the frame is less rewarding and attractive to the veiwer than being lead in a visually rythmic pattern within the borders. These dead ends signal an end to the veiwing experience and prompt the observer to move on.

Also try to realize that just because you are in love with your girlfriend, doesn't mean I want to look at her tonsils. There is a difference between what's fun to experience first hand and what makes a good photograph.

And Lot is right, you need to work more seriously on understanding how tonal range designates the focal point of an image. Bright areas attract attention, darker areas gain secondary consideration. People don't notice how pretty your girlfriends eyes are, they want to know what that bright spot half way down her throat is... there's a clue here for you.

Look at monographs by acknowledged experts like Keith Carter, Eugene Richards and Sally Mann and inspect them for technical points of printing and composition (not the subjects! You will not be photographing the same things. It's how they photograph, not what they photograph). Look at Avedon and Barnbaum too.

I hope you don't consider this criticism too hard, you definately have potential (and no fear of getting close to your subjects!), keep it up, you seem to really enjoy it and that's not something you can learn...t

-- tom meyer (twm@mindspring.com), September 12, 1999.

Photos

Some nice images, I thought a few of them could benefit from some spotting - some annoying and distracting white spots could have been removed. Also, just a pedantic point, it's not an Emu - It looks like a Cassowary.

-- HUw (crosby@magna.com), October 04, 1999.