Young Writers Society

Sorry for the sizes...

Thanks,

A. S.

Overall- these were nice photos.
I would recommend making the angles and zoom a bit more personal though. You have a lot of pictures that are pulled back, and have basic lines. They're good, but try to offer the world up with a different perspective- make the person looking go, "Oh! I never thought to look at it that way!" or "Oh! What an interesting way to frame that!"
Be creative in your camera-ing.
Also, I think that perhaps you could run these through an easy program to up the contrast and perhaps play around with the colors a bit to offer up some more points of interest. Nice job though- really liked the cats and flowers.

-Coral-

Thanks

Hello there, Calligraphy! Nice to see some new photos from you, dear.

Picture #1
I don't quite like this picture. In my opinion, this photo looks like it was taken in a rush - almost like you did not take the time to look and see which angle the photo would turn out the best as. Certainly, this angle was not the right choice for this photo; in addition to that, the piece of green grass in the bottom left corner certainly caught my eye (and not in a good way!). However, I still love the natural beauty found in this picture, and I praise you for trekking in the woods to take this picture, like I'm assuming you did.

Picture #2
Wow! Nature really can be beautiful, can't it? You did a beautiful job with this photo, I must say. It has a nice composition and you chose the perfect angle to shoot the photo from. I also love how the focus is on the mushrooms, and the background is blurred. Though it was not a main part of the image, I also love that leaf in the bottom right hand corner. It was just so vivid compared to the dark, murky water. And those hairs on the mushroom that were captured with the sharp focus? Wonderful, if not gross as well.

Picture #3
Mmm, I quite like this photo, as well. It has a raw & natural look to it, which is wonderful. Once again, I love how you kept the focus on just the mushroom and had the background blurred. Just a nitpick though - I find all the loose strays of dead pine needles and leaves somewhat distracting. That's nature, though, yes?

Picture #4
As a fellow photographer, some of the best advice I can give is to take four or five different photos of the same subject using different angles. If you only take a photo of it from one angle, you can end up with a dull photo with an unflattering angle to showcase it. This photo is one of those photos - I feel like the angle you chose for this photo isn't flattering. It focuses on the rounded top of the mushroom and the dead pine needle, but I feel like the focus should have been on the lone mushroom in the back with the foreground blurred. Remember to take different photos of the same subject, in the future.

Picture #5
Is this your dog? Such a cute little fella, that dog is! What isn't so cute is this photo. Though, it is a lovely photo of the dog, I feel like the angle (yes, once again, it's the angle that I'm talking about! It can make or break a photo, dear!) isn't the most flattering option for this dog or the surroundings. Personally, I think you should have waited until the dog was looking at you head on. When taking photos of animals, sometimes it is good to have a bag of treats with you or maybe one of their favorite toys to get their attention - and keep it. Just another nitpick - the dog's foot is blurred; when taking photos of moving subjects, you'll need to adjust the shutter speed a bit. You can always use good ol' Google to search for articles to help you out. Still, this will be a nice keepsake of your dog.

Picture #6
How lovely! I truly like this photo, and how you are level with the water. My only comment would be that I think you should have focused on the front of the leaf, as well. Still, what a wonderful photo. Bravo!

Picture #7
Yes, yes, yes! This is everything that I love in a photo. The little blurred balls of light in the background (commonly called "bokeh," if you didn't know) are so wonderful that I want to burst with happiness. And I also like the drenched, dying flowers in the forefront of the picture. They truly are beautiful, even though they are dying. Wonderful.

Picture #8
Once again, angles can make or break a photo. In this photo, the angle is just too plain and doesn't show any creativity on the photographer's part (you). Think outside of the box - sometimes you'll be amazed of the wonderful ideas for photos that you will come up with! You don't have to shoot everything straight on, and don't be afraid to get down in the dirt to take a photo. It'll pay off. And, dear, what is that ugly white mass in the center of the bird fountain?

Picture #9
This one is alright. There are some flaws - but also some wondrous qualities. For one, I love the idea and look that you were going for. Quite frankly, though, I don't think you succeeded in making the photo truly brilliant. I love how the fence is blurred and the cat is walking on the fence, but the cat is so far back that it took me a minute to find him. And all the distractions to the left of the fence? Why not just crop the photo? Still, cute cat.

Picture #10
This one is better! Nice work; the cat seems so majestic, almost regal sitting upon the fence. My only nitpick is that I think this picture would have looked better if shot vertically instead of horizontally. Keep experimenting with the angles, dear!

Picture #11
You had the right idea with this photo, except you need to pay more attention to detail. The whole photo could have been ten times better if you zoomed in more on the cat. Perhaps just the cat and the lettering John Deere instead of all that extra space? Keep trying, Calli!

Picture #12
Okay, okay! I like this one, truly, I do. It has a vintage-y look to it, and the white looks so hazy - but it's a good thing, in this case. Your angle for this photo was also A+, so nice job there. All around, though the photo may seem a bit washed out, I think that it is truly brilliant and one of the best out of the photos you posted here.

Picture #13
As much as I love plants & nature, I honestly don't find any interest in a picture of a weed and spiky brown things. However, the angle of this photo is nice, so kudos to you on that. I just do not find this picture completely eye-catching or outstanding. It's decent, but...that's about it.

Picture #14
This photo is decent - it's been done before. Mix it up a little next time; try some different angles, experiment when editing. Just add some flair! Because right now, though the flowers may be beautiful, this photo does not catch my eye right now.

Picture #15
Well, this is another decent photo; the flowers are pretty, but the picture isn't truly great. The leaf is a distraction and does not add to the picture, so you should have removed it from the frame. In fact, I barely looked at the flowers because they were almost dull in comparison to the lone flower's dark brown.

Picture #16
Truly liked this one; though a bit dreary, it had the look of a painting in my living room in reminded me of Italy, for some odd reason. So yes, I like this one. It has a nice country feel to it; bravo!

Overall
As a whole, these pictures are good; they can use improvement, but they are also a nice start. I praise you for taking the initiative & going out and taking some photos. Now, it's time to build on your already existing knowledge so that next time you go out to take photos, you come back with an even better batch.

One of the keys to a good photo is (by now you should know, I've been preaching it this whole review) is the angle. A drab angle will mean a drab photo, while a spontaneous and interesting angle will pike the reader's interest and add some creativity to a photo. Don't be afraid to shoot multiple photos of the same subject using different angles - that's what I do! For future reference, here are two articles on angles:
http://www.digital-photography-school.c ... sition-tip
and
http://www.digital-photography-school.c ... llustrated

Also, remember to be out of the box and creative. I hope this helps, Calligraphy, and feel free to PM me with any questions.

x Mizz

P.S. You spelled "haven't" wrong, dear.

Nice pics! They're all of nature, and good glimpses of it too. The first ones, of the leaves in the water, is quite nice. They have a very fall feel to them.
The ones of the cat are cute.
And the flowers are quite interesting to look at too.
I think I like the last on the best, however. The fence and then the fields dotted with trees. It has a very natural and wild look to it.

Sorry I don't have a critique. These are good pics, have fun experimenting with your camera.

~Crazy

Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou!! You guys really helped.

Okay, so Mizzle, being the expert photo reviewer, has got things down pretty well. I feel sort of empty of things to say, so this might be short. For that I apologize.
First off, I'd just like to say that some of the photos have very...distracting backgrounds. The focal point is obvious, but there's so much going on around in the backgrounds, and so much extra space, that it sort of takes away from the feel. I'd suggest cropping them.
Other than that, I did like most of them. (The one with the dog in the water was the only one that I didn't really like that much at all. The dog was more blurry than the leaves in front, which sort of threw me off.)

Well, that's all I have to add to this, sorry for the...erm...unthroughlness. (I know, not a word xD).

xoxo
Isha

Thanks!

hey nice pictures i like the cats the best
cat picture #1 the angel was great! it looks like the cats looking of in the backaround
cat picture#2 he/she just looks like he/she is having fun!


GREAT PICTRUES

I love them!
I like the one of the cat where shes sitting on the fence, or the one in spoiler 5 the best.
But they are all awesome

Wilda

Thanks again guys!

lovely pictures,
the area looks really nice and peaceful and you captured the animals playful curiousty
well done
keepshooting

I adore the kitty!!! I like your pictures, but some of them are at a bit of an awkward angle.

I really like the three pictures in the last spoiler. The one inside the log is very creative The purple flowers are gorgeous

Just out of curiosity, where were you when you took these pictures?

I took these in a mixture of my pasture and woods. I live on a farm by a river in northwestern Wisconsin.
Thanks for the review!

Hey there, Calligraphy!

I was recommended by a fellow YWS user to check out some of your work. Now I'd just like to introduce myself, I'm RepublicOfCoter but people just call R.O.C. Now, I don't usually review Art & Photography pieces so I'll do my best. I'd also like to warn you that I have studied Art, Media and Visual Communications and Design and I have always been told off for being too perfect so I do apologize in advance for any comments that might seem too harsh.

I'm just going to do a general overview of you pictures. Most of them seemed to have been taken with no real purpose; with no real purpose I mean there's no main feature on the photo (there was nothing you really were focusing on). At times, yes, there was such as the closeups of the mushrooms. The one with your dog, I presume, was a bit random. The photo with the cat walking along the fence was done well but could have been done better; you possible could have zoomed in to enhance the effect or emphasis or focus on the cat as it really is quite difficult to spot the cat unless you want us to play Where's Wally? Cat Edition (Note to self: create Where's Wally? Cat Edition). So my only piece of advise for you next time you take photos is to focus on something, make sure there is some sort of feature.

My favourite picture was Picture #6. I though that was fantastic! That's a good example of what I'm talking about; you focus on the leaf floating in the water.

Anyway, I'll leave you to it! Hope I did alright for my fifth or sixth Art & Photography review.


MWAHAHAHA!
-R.O.C.