Photography: The Blink Modern

And so I've started getting into photography recently, particularly since the purchase of a fairly okay camera came our way a few months ago. I'll post some of my better/favourite photos here - please let me know what you think!

(Some of these have been posted on my blog before, but... here they are again.)




















Thanks!

Hey Blink!

What camera did you get? I happen to be looking for one myself.

Picture 1 -

I think this one is great! I like the water splashing down that gives a sort of effect of motion. Though, the picture blurs at the corners, and the black and white makes it slightly washed out. I don't know if you can change the colours to some sort of soft hint. It would be marvelous if you can get a slight bit of colour, just a smidgen to go with the black and white.

Picture 2 -

I don't really like this one unfortunately. There is just too much going on in the picture. The rows, the trees, the sky, the mountain, the fence. It stretches the eye and basically leaves us with nothing. There isn't much you can do since it is all integrated, so next time, I would focus on the rows,maybe get on the ground at a slight angle so you're looking over the fields.

Picture 3 -

This one is cute! I like the balloon. One comment, we can see, a fence is it? in the bottom right corner. It would have a much nice effect if you got rid of that. Also, I would play with the brightness of the picture. It would be much nice if it was a little brighter.

Picture 4 -

This one isn't great either, the sepia colouring, the wall, the cross, the sun. Too much going on again. Maybe crop up the picture so you only have the cross, the sky and a little bit of the wall, it would work a lot better.

Picture 5 -

The big problem with this one is the blurriness. Look through your camera, test each function with light, one of them is ought to capture flames better then this.

Picture 6 -

This one, again blurry. Getting a focus on the dark side of the cat's face rather then the light in the dark ground would have worked nicely too.

Picture 7 -

The light wasn't capture well again, but I like the effect the white sheen has on the black picture. Play around with the contrast with this one, otherwise it's a nice shot.

Picture 8 -

The branches look great against the sky. But again contrast it a little so they stick out more where the land begins. PS. I wish I had sunsets/sunrises like this. It's lovely.

Picture 9 -

This looks like an ad I like how you play with the light, but the writing on the bottles ruin it. A good way to work with light and liquid is glass cups. Try those instead

Overall Blinky, this is a good start. Keep working at it and you'll get really good at this. Let me know if you need any tips whatsoever.

Kamas

Hello Blink! I'm here to review, in case you didn't notice.

#1--I think this was very good, except it looks tilted. Also, like Kamas said, I'd love to see some color here.

#2--Whoa. There's so much to look at here! I like the lone, wispy cloud and the suggestion of the mountain range in the background.

#3--Aw, this is cute! I would like to see more of the balloon, though.

#4--This sends quite a powerful image. I like the cross and the color of the pic, as well as how you're in a circular building. (Coliseum? ) However, I don't believe I need to see the heads of other people.

#5--Very interesting. I like the color and the chandelier-thingy, but does the background have to be so vague/unclear?

#6--Is the shadow from a dog or something? I like its contrast with the white background, but as Kamas said, maybe try to focus more on the shadow. And I don't exactly get what the point of this pic is.

#7--Hm, I think this could be cleaned up a bit more. Like, make the lamppost stand out more by making it clearer. However, the picture overall was nice. It reminds me of Harry Potter book 1 chapter 1! Haha.

#8--Very beautiful. This one is one of my favs. I like the wisps of clouds and how there's only, like, 2 of them in the sky. Nice pic with beautiful scenery, and the bordering branches are cool as well.

#9--Ooh, cool. I like your portrayal of the bottles. Though as Kamas said, the words are sorta distracting and detract from the pic.

Great job overall though! I really hope you keep posting, and I'll be ready to review them. Definitely.

Hey Blink, Fire here.

Picture 1.

Wow as unrealistic and anti-gravitational as it seems it still looks very real, if only there was color in that picture.

Picture 2.

Again this too lacks color. The water for example would be much more visible in color. Then again it might also distract the viewer from the fountain...

Picture 3.

Nice tree, very nicely shaped and so is the view of the mountain field. You've captured much detail in one shot, well done!

Picture 4.

Why did you cut the balloon in half? It would have been nice to see the whole think, but the sky takes away that feeling and replaces it with awe.

Picture 5.

Wow, strange it may seem but i get a very emotional and powerful message from the image... and i don't know what it is. The sky, the cross, their all symbolic in the eyes of the viewer. Although the heads of the poeple distract one from the true image.

Picture 6.

You've focused on the candle holder and indirectly made the background very vague. But still the Candle holder-thingy is very interesting to look at and the color blends in nicely.

Picture 7.

Awwww! I cat... I think, how cute! (even though i can barely see her/him)

Picture 8.

Either the picture or my computer sucks. Its all blurry here with only a lamp and some random shades of colors surrounding it...?

Picture 9.

Be-U-Ti-Ful!! Wow, that's so well captured. All the hues of the atmosphere at that time and not to mention the branches that border the image so sharply... wow!

Picture 10.

Two bottles. With words. Ugly words. Ugly words i want to read, nope... not for me this picture.

Great job done although the last few kinda sucked except #9. Well done, keep it up Blink!

Blinkage --

Not sure if I ever reviewed you before, but there's a first for everything, no? You've got potential with the camera -- use it to its fullest.

One - I like this. The greyscale, the waterspray, the monumental fountain all give it a wonderful tone. I think this needs to be turned about 1.5 degrees to the right, because the fountain looks like it's tottering. Remember lines when you shoot; try to line them up to the edge of the viewfinder. As digital photographers, we have an advantage that film photographers didn't, so maximize that.


Two - Pretty landscape and such a blank sky. I quite like this one alot, though the trees to the right are lighter than the rest and pulled my attention that way. I like this one.


Three - Eh, don't like. The sky's a bit undercontrasted, and the balloon is more annoying than a interesting focus. The lamppost doesn't help things much, either, because everything feels a bit crooked. It's got potential, should you choose to retry a shot like this, but this isn't particularly interesting.


Four - You need to probably crop this down. I love that bright cloud and the silhouette of the cross-- gives off that 'spiritual' feel. The cross looks a bit crooked though, and the right side of the photo looks crowded.

Five - The candles need to really be sharper focused for this to work, and the background should be darkened. I don't know if you shot these in color or sepia, but you should shoot in color. It's easier to work with in editing, and then colorizing it usually comes out better when done after rather than shot with. Not bad, but it's too soft -- the flames blend to easily with their surroundings.


Six - We need clean light behind the cat -- whatever the object is behind is a distraction -- and it would be better if we could see the ears. Does you camera have a macro mode? Usually indicated by a flower symbol or something; try it when you shoot closeups; it will get a better focus on detail, which you really need here.


Seven - We need more contrast! The light dissolves right into black, when it would have looked better if the lamp was more visible. Not sure what you can do to remedy that at this point, but the shot isn't absolutely interesting. I'd recommend not centering your objects, because that gives the 'dead on' feel and other angles are more interesting. Got a bit of noise, too that distracts from it.


Eight - Pretty sky! I'd skew this about 1 degree to the left, because the horizonline looks crooked. I like this, though. I've never seen the sky that color.


Nine - Don't like -- the focus is like... uh, what are we looking at? The colors are nice, but the positioning is a bit off.

You're not bad. Certainly have potential, and all it takes is looking through your artsy eye. Keep it up, and post more, please. I enjoyed them.

June

Blinkeon! I saw this as a Featured Work and did a doubletake when I saw "photography" and "Blink", and wasn't sure what to expect, to be honest. But these were photography!

1. (the fountain) I really like black-and-white photos, or greyscale, if it's what you photography people prefer to say. Is it from Trafalgar Square? At first I thought it couldn't be, but then it could also be the angle. The only thing that slightly disturbed me was the column (?) in the left hand side of the photo. It's just oddish. But it's not like you're going to go take a new photo just because I said that, so I'll just say it's a pretty photo, which is the truth.

2. (the field) The mountain and the Lion King tree are my favourite! It's sort of a basic photo, though, and the weird hay/tree/yarn/beige thing in the right is really vague and doesn't fit the rest of the picture.

3. The Pope is so photogenic in this picture. xD I like how there's a tiny bit of a house in the corner, without it the picture would be more boring. The light on the balloon is pretty.

4. (the cross thing) So, is this brownscale or what? Again, it's nice to look at, but it's not that überspecial, if you know what I mean. Also, the random head probably isn't intentional, and it makes the photo seem like just a nice shot taken on holidays (which it probably is...?)

5. (the candles) This is very beautiful.

6. ...what is that? People say it's a cat, but why can't I see it? The pointy thing is, like, its nose or something? This would be much better if it were less confusing from the beginning.

7. (the lamppost) A little extra detail would make it more interesting, but it's sort of an inspiring photo. I don't know why, but I was reminded of Edgar Allan Poe. I like how you managed the light and things.

8. (the branches) Pretty – I especially like the horizon. However, I feel like I've seen this before, and by this I don't mean you've copied it (:P), but that it's not very unique.

9. (the bottles) boobolove picture. It's my absolute favourite, and I don't mind the writing at all – in fact, without the writing it wouldn't be half as interesting. Something behind the left bottle (covering the M) shouldn't be there, though, but all in all, this is great picture.

Don't think I know anything about photography. I just like to look at them and say either "Wow!", "Meh", or "I don't get it."

-Maya

Wow, thanks, guys (and girls (and Maya))!

It was a cat, but I guess that was quite an experimental photo. In fact, they all were, heh. The fountain's actually from inside the Vatican. Took that in October sometime.

Oh, and June! I think I do have a macro function! I didn't think that I did - but there's a pretty flower on one of the keys, which looks promising. But the battery's dead right now, so. =P

So, thanks! Let me know if anyone wants any feedback on anything. Tonight's my let-me-go-to-bed-but-too-much-work night, so hopefully I can get to anything ASAP.

Blinky