Young Writers Society

[Went back to my hometown for a weekend; you wouldn't believe the memories it evoked. I felt like an eight-year-old playing in my neighbor's attic again, and pretending I could see colonies of fairies in her garden.]













[They say nothing personifies domestic bliss like a sleeping cat...]





[There's something about strong lines and structures that's always caught my eye as beautiful beyond compare.]







[The man no one's heard of, but everyone feels gratitude for: James Smithson (1765-1829), the British man who funded America's most treasured collection of museums, without ever having set foot in the Americas personally.]

First pic didn't do much for me. I liked the colors but it seemed a bit bland.

The second pic however made me very happy. The lighting is great and the curves of the lines are beautiful. Because the leaves are so close and it doesn't allow any gaps it makes everythign seems so close knit and clean.

And I love the Third too. It's very painting like. Your angle was great and it gave ebverything a symetrical feel. It draws the eyes well.

I like the vibrant colors of the fourth but the curtain has so much going on that it really draws from the lighting and everything else in the pic.

I like the effect of the Key in the door. It really gives it a rustic old look. (And that looks like an awfully old door) The hard spot is the negative and positive spaces are way out of balance. Thw white of the Door kinda over powers the key and the door knob place.

And KITTY! I love it. So cute. Is it your Kitty? So sweet. *pets screen*

The first building pic is really nice. The colors are bold and so are the lines. it draws the eye up and looks great.

The second Black and white building pic is very nice too. I love that kind of border on the bottom. It too carries the eye up. Very nice angle on it.

And the last one is very pretty. The way he is off centered is very cool and the angle makeshis head lok like it's attached to the top of that archway. Very nice.

I like your pictures. Very nice, Is their going to be a part 2?

The door with the key could lead anywhere! I love the oprange building, both colour and black-and-white. Kitty's cute *eats*

I quite like the one with the window.

On the whole, they're exceptionally beautiful pictures. I especially like the ones that involve architecture. The elements and principals seemed a tad forgotten, though. Same with the rule of thirds. My suggestions for each picture (Even though you can't exactly go back and retake them :p)

Picture number 1:
Though the use of color and contrast is absolutely amazing, there is no real focal point or emotion to the peice. Rather than make us feel it, your trying to make us watch it.

Picture number 2:
I liked this peice. It has a lot of different colors going on, and they draw your eyes to each of the leaves (or at least mine) one after another. Personally, I would edit out some of the scars and cuts in the leaves on photoshop and possibly bring up the contrast a tad, but thats just me.

Picutre number 3:
EDIT OUT THE WIRES. Honestly, they ruin the feeling of the peice. Also, you may want to darken up the inside of the building and possibly bring up the contrast of the whole peice. The eye is drawn to the entire picture instead of the beautiful window and the tree outside. Because of this, unless a person actually stops and looks at it, they'll never know the beauty that lies outside of the window. Other than that, its a beautiful peice. I especially like the tree that is centered in the middle.

Picture number 4:
This was the only picture that I really didn't like. There is no focal point, no interest, and no real deapth to it. What type of camera do you use?

Picture number 5:
Though it is an excellent idea and the key and lock are absolutely gorgeous, it doesn't look good as a portrait type picture (Longways, I mean) I would recommend either extending it on both sides to create a landsape (Shortways) picture and fill in the blank spots with the color of the doors (Basic eye drop tool stuffs). Due to the fact that there are cracks in the door and the fact that the door almost ends, it would be extremely difficult to create a good effect with it. OR, you could go back and retake the picture. Again, REMEMBER THE RULE OF THIRDS! Also, you may want to edit out the orange lighting. It ruins the contrast between the key and the door, as well as takes away from the effect.

Picture number six:
I like it. Not the most interesting of subject matter, but you captured it well. I heart kitty cats :p

Picture number seven:
It captured the architecture of the building well, and I'm impressed with the way that you set it. Well done!

Picture number eight:
Because the center of your picture lies between two windows at an extremely odd angle, it is difficult for the eye to focus on either window immediately. Instead, you have to stop and evaluate the whole thing to actually get it (which should NEVER be the case in any photograph under any circumstances) The angle is also odd. I commend you for trying to really capture the beautiful architecture of the building, but this didn't really achieve that. My only recommendation would to make sure that the next time you find a place like this, try to keep it simple and elegant. Don't let corners and angles ruin your pictures. Instead of trying to capture a corner, face the windows/tile/etc. head on.

Picture number nine:
Again, another photograph that I think would look a bit more interesting as a landscape, or at an angle to the man rather than full front.


They are all beautiful and interesting pictures, and I really like the way you captured a lot of it.

Alright, by now you know how I go about critiquing photos so I shant waste your time.
1. It is pretty good, in terms of basic physics of photography. Everything is in good focus, lighting is okay, good subject, etc. Now is time for you to start playing around with it a bit more. The fact that it took up the whole entire frame took away from the shot for me. I would've liked to see some contrast or something to show us that the tree bark is in fact, the focal point for this picture.

2. I liked the dimensions and how you get in real close for a zoom shot of the plants and I like the colors, and such, but again, as in the first picture, your composition still needs work. All I see is a green mass, and it has no focal point, no primary fixture on which I should focus my attention.
Usually, in a picture, and when viewing such pictures, our eyes travel in a certain way to take in the whole scene:


----------->
----------> --------->
------->xxxxx -------->
------------->

Etc, etc. The arrows are the path your eyes travel when viewing the picture. But Imagine all the lines are connected in sweeping, round, semi-circular fashion. (I cant figure out how to do that on the comp) The x's are the focal point. You'll notice our eyes travel around the background, toward the focal point, focus on the focal point, and then after a few seconds, once the eye has fully processed the focal point, moves out to the right. So try to work on that.

3.I really like this one, I think it probably would have been better in b/w but this is still pretty good.

4. rather blase, this one does nothing for me and actually reminds me of like old amateur photographs taken by grandfathers during family gatherings. Not what your trying to accomplish, I hope.

5. I really loved this one. The use of angle, color, light and shadow are almost nearly perfect as to what I was talking about above. This is by far your most perfect/best photo/composition of a photo yet.

6. If you hadn't told me, I could barely make out it was a cat. Perhaps pan wider, or take from a different angle to capture this...or wait till it wakes up.

7, 8, and 9. Are all great and composition wise, are pretty strong although not as good as 5. Personally I would have goen with b/w for all of them. And the last one with the statue is probably my least favorite of the three.

Also I completely and totally agree and understand.One of my favored subject topics is archetecture, myself.

Thanks for all the tips, guys! I'll work on it in the future, definitely. ^_^

The third pic is really cool
and of course Kitty is sooo cute XD
the black and white pics are arty too.

The one's I loved: second and third. The leaves one is my favorite I believe.

The rest of them are still good, they just aren't as good as those two!

Impressive!

I loved the key in the door, it reminded me of my grandma's house. She had doors like that. The only one that didn't pop out at me as amazing was the fourth one...I think it's the colors that make it look like just any picture.

The black and white pictures are arty......I liked the pic wid that key in the door.....nice one!

And the cat really personifies...hehehe...

Interesting pics!!

I really like the third one, I like how it sorta divides the tree into sections, with the trunk being in one all on its own.

And the one with the key is so magical, especially seeing as there was no door-handle, so no-one can get inside. It makes me wonder what's on the other side ^^

The Leaves, the color in that one was superb, and the Key picture is beautiful. Those were my favorite.

Very nice Fandilocks ^_^