I took this photo the other day and cropped it because there was a lot of excess sand around. I was really pleased with this and thought it was a great photo, but the general consensus would seem to be that it isn't anything special. No one has actually said that, but you tend to be able to tell a good photo because it gets more comments. So, does anyone have any idea how to improve on this? Or can you tell me what's wrong with it? Pretty please?
I think it's really pretty!
But maybe (that's my opinion) you can try adjusting the contrast? Or reviving the colors?
To me, the colors would make the photo stand out.
Hey Rachael, I was just looking at this photo a few minutes ago - strange coincidence because when I looked at it I was thinking that it could do with some work. It's out-of-focus. If you look at the back of the purple shell, it's blurred, and I think it would have worked if you kept it more of it in focus. It could do with some post-processing to make the colours 'pop' more too.
I admire your desire to actively seek criticism though. If you like it, that's good enough; if others do to, even better! We all get times when we think a picture is great but others don't. Sometimes I'm not particularly passionate about a picture, but others are!
Not sure what it is... maybe the colours need to be sharpened a bit... I'd have turned it maybe twenty degrees clockwise, I think... the angle of the shell on the actual diagonal of the picture doesn't quite work for me.... but I don't have any knowledge... just a sense when a picture "works" and when it isn't one of the best. Maybe it needed even more cropping to take the focus off centre... dunno.... I'd just play around a while and see what happens.... even grey-scale or sepia.... I'm just waffling... haven't a clue really except that it just didn't "do it for me" in the way that many of your other pictures do!
Its pretty but the lighting isnt attention grabbing and the colours could do with a boost.
I often take a photo like this that seemed like it should be great but missed the mark somehow... and run them through an editor.
Photoshop has alot of great effects.
Try this.. its a kind of pseudo HDR effect.
Open in photoshop.. adjust shadows/highlights
push the 3 levels there up high.. you might have to play a little depending on the photo and maybe adjust the contrast as well but you can get some nice effects that way.
The sharpest part of the image is the smallest pebble in the front, so my eyes are drawn to it, but the large purple shell wants the eyes attention too, then theres the depth of field in the background which seems like radial blur almost. all these together are fighting for my eye attention- theres a lack of definate focal point.
Compositionally it doesnt work, theres no rule of 3rds going on, and the placement of the pebbles and hell ( even though its how they've naturally been placed )
and as the others said, contrast and colour vibrance is lacking.
i hope this helps, it does suck when a photo that we've created and are fond of doesnt get the same response from others.
Being honest, the photo isn't that interesting. I'm not sure the aspect ratio does anything for the composition. Right now everything is very centered, which doesn't allow for much eye movement and makes for a static image. I would try going back to the original image and cropping it so that it is wider than it is tall and then putting the shell on the far left or right side to make a more dynamic composition.
By centering the shell, ALL of the viewers attention is on that one object. The object itself is rather common, and so it isn't interesting enough to hold the viewer's attention. It looks like you have a pretty shallow DOF, so I would have suggested you have framed the shell so that it is in the bottom part of the photograph and in focus, while having a significant amount of the composition contain the blurred background.
Thanks for all you help and advice. Unfortunately there's not really anything I can do about the DOF, but I've played with the crop and the colours to try to improve it and here's the result.
I think if I'm really honest, I'm going off the photo now. There are a lot of faults with it. What do you think of this version please?
Colours look much more vibrant, so well done there, not much you can do about focus and composition though. Thanks for posting it here I got some valuable advice from others comments to apply in my own shots! Getting things slightly off and getting honest constuctive feedback is the best way to learn! I must try this too! If I'm brave enough to be critiqued!
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But maybe (that's my opinion) you can try adjusting the contrast? Or reviving the colors?
To me, the colors would make the photo stand out.
I admire your desire to actively seek criticism though. If you like it, that's good enough; if others do to, even better! We all get times when we think a picture is great but others don't. Sometimes I'm not particularly passionate about a picture, but others are!
I often take a photo like this that seemed like it should be great but missed the mark somehow... and run them through an editor.
Photoshop has alot of great effects.
Try this.. its a kind of pseudo HDR effect.
Open in photoshop.. adjust shadows/highlights
push the 3 levels there up high.. you might have to play a little depending on the photo and maybe adjust the contrast as well but you can get some nice effects that way.
Compositionally it doesnt work, theres no rule of 3rds going on, and the placement of the pebbles and hell ( even though its how they've naturally been placed )
and as the others said, contrast and colour vibrance is lacking.
i hope this helps, it does suck when a photo that we've created and are fond of doesnt get the same response from others.
By centering the shell, ALL of the viewers attention is on that one object. The object itself is rather common, and so it isn't interesting enough to hold the viewer's attention. It looks like you have a pretty shallow DOF, so I would have suggested you have framed the shell so that it is in the bottom part of the photograph and in focus, while having a significant amount of the composition contain the blurred background.
I think if I'm really honest, I'm going off the photo now. There are a lot of faults with it. What do you think of this version please?