Happy New Year Henrik ! Maybe you’ll start a new trend with folks wanting honest critique .
I agree with the critiques previously posted. Something about the position of the subjects relative to each other and the viewer makes me uncomfortable.
Henrik,
I like the slope of the background, but it seems wasted on the way the bodies f the pronghorns are oriented. Whenever I shoot mammals in groups, I like to see them with their bodies in the same relative plain... front/front, front/back, back/back (infrequent but can work at a watering hole). This also applies to profile/profile views. Because there is distance between the pair, the composition doesn't show a sense of engagement/interaction. For example, if the noses touching, the body postures would have worked here.
As others stated.. the poop does distract the viewer.
cheers,
bruce
Yep, agreed. The perpendicular angle between the two bugs me too. And the poop....well, what can you do. Wait for them to move perhaps.
sum1sgrampa wrote:
The animals look tentative and on guard to me. The left one obviously looking straight at you but the one on the right bothers me even more because he appears to be watching you out of the corner of his eye and is ready to bolt. This should be a serene and peaceful image but instead comes across as tense.
I like your idea BTW, makes me want to pull out an image I really like of my own and throw it to the wolves
You are quite right about the pronghorn being guarded. Not spooked but guarded. There were a few of us around. They are somewhat used to humans here. But well done picking that up from the image. Shortly after this, they did what pronghorn often do - turned their butts and walked off.
birdied wrote:
Happy New Year Henrik ! Maybe you’ll start a new trend with folks wanting honest critique .
I agree with the critiques previously posted. Something about the position of the subjects relative to each other and the viewer makes me uncomfortable.
Birdie
HNY Birdie.
Hopefully this will be the case for some - additional commentary coming.
And agreed re positioning of the animals. Good observation - the perpendicular angle doesn't work well.
dallvr wrote:
Did you get an earlier or later shot with some interaction between the two pronghorns? If so, I'd go with one of those.
As for the poop, well s--- happens in the wilderness! I'd just lighten it up a bit so it isn't so prominent rather than cloning it out.
I have lots of other shots but none with any interaction of the special kind. I do agree though - the image not particularly dynamic. And yes, poop indeed happens. I chose to leave it as is but you're quite right, it could have been made lighter.
At this point I'll jump in and add a few words. The following is my opinion; yours may vary and that's quite ok.
1. I've been a member of this great forum since 2004. During that time I've met many of you and I've made many online friends. Lately I've not participated much here. I found that we've (I've) gotten away from offering constructive comments. So I posted this image in the hope that you'd spend a little time looking at and thinking about it. By adding your comments, I garner many different opinions - which makes me question my own methods, beliefs and observations. That is a good thing. I don't have this all figured out (obviously) so why not use the power of this forum and seek opinions and input. So reason #1 for this post is that I aim to become a better wildlife photographer.
2. If you're like me, you spend a few seconds looking at most images before moving on. Perhaps you add a few words. By posting this, my aim is to make you pause a little longer to think about the image and about what could have made it better. When I take the time to do that about the images of others, it makes me think about what I'm doing behind my own camera as I press the shutter. Questioning the way I do things makes me explore new possibilities.
3. Maybe this post will make you think about posting your own for critique. Please keep in mind that some of the things you'll read are opinions or thoughts or personal preferences. Again that is not a bad thing. Other comments will touch on the obvious requirements - sharpness, exposure, composition and so forth. But there is much valuable information to be had. A friend recently got in to this endeavour. He spent countless hours researching cameras - Canon, Nikon or Sony. At one point, I commented to him that although important doing this research, his time would be much better spent examining what makes an image good versus what makes one great.
Above all, a big thank you to those of you who have participated thus far. If you haven't added anything, feel free to do so. Just remember, no complimentary comments on this post.
surgemaster wrote:
and another thing... I don't like the left Pronghorn looking at you. Seems it should be paying attention to the other PH. Turn its head a little. Otherwise, it's ni.....
Happy New Year, Henrik.
Rex
Interesting exercise; thanks for mixing it up here! This lack of interaction was what struck me too. Reminded me of my mug shots at the post office. Not mine, but you know what I mean. I wanna see why they're there together.
Great observation, Henrik, especially about what's next after the basics of sharpness, exposure, composition. What are the less obvious factors that make one image a wow! and another just a nice photo.
Typically my opinions don't win me any popularity contests I fully agree with you about your comment re criticism, but with a caveat. In fairness this is not a critique forum. I find that most people do not want their work critiqued. They just want to present their work and get some kind comments on it. I also find that many people get offended by critiques and do not take them as constructive most of the time. They take it personally. For that reason I post most of my work on BPN which has actual critique forums. No one is above the law, even the mods. All angles of photos are discussed; composition, processing, settings, sharpness, feel, techniques, etc. But the people who post there are looking for those types of responses. Don't mean to promote a different page but do mean to just put it out there that if you are looking for a critique forum then those exist there. Also there is a critique forum on FM as well.
dallvr wrote:
Great observation, Henrik, especially about what's next after the basics of sharpness, exposure, composition. What are the less obvious factors that make one image a wow! and another just a nice photo.
Appreciate you adding your thoughts, Shirley. Thank you.
aboutthelight wrote:
Typically my opinions don't win me any popularity contests I fully agree with you about your comment re criticism, but with a caveat. In fairness this is not a critique forum. I find that most people do not want their work critiqued. They just want to present their work and get some kind comments on it. I also find that many people get offended by critiques and do not take them as constructive most of the time. They take it personally. For that reason I post most of my work on BPN which has actual critique forums. No one is above the law, even the mods. All angles of photos are discussed; composition, processing, settings, sharpness, feel, techniques, etc. But the people who post there are looking for those types of responses. Don't mean to promote a different page but do mean to just put it out there that if you are looking for a critique forum then those exist there. Also there is a critique forum on FM as well. ...Show more →
I could send you some cookies or something.
I hear what you're saying re criticism - some aren't good with it. But others are. And the whole point of getting constructive feedback in this forum is that, for better or worse, it a forum of my peers. The critique forum is too general and it doesn't see a lot of action. I want to know what other wildlife photographers think and I'm less concerned with the opinion of someone who photographs cookies or smurfs or red bricks. You get what I'm saying I'm sure. I used to belong to a photo club and would submit images for critique. One 'judge' could not identify a bald eagle. Equally, I should probably not the the judge of a photographer specializing in portraits....unless they're of furry creatures that live in the wild. Yes, there are basic rules - but so much more beyond that. And the beyond bit is the juice, the good stuff.
So perhaps what we need is a few of us asking our peers in this forum to put forth their opinions and thoughts. I, for one, think I can handle the outcome from that. So far so good anyways....perhaps I'll throw up another one just for poops and giggles.
With that, I'll sign off on this post. Thank you all and Happy New Year.
Cookies are good! The critique forums I mentioned are specific to your type of shooting. I only post and comment on the Avian forum for exactly the reason you described. That is what I know. Been a birder my whole life. Raised by a birder. I always aim to get better and that helps me a great deal.
Well like you, Henrik, I have been around this forum since 2004, and have learned that you dare not give honest comments regarding many images unless you want to get shot down in flames and be labelled as a meanie.
The fact that there is a LIKE button, but no DISLIKE button, just goes to show that honest opinions are not welcome. You can post a terrible image and get "nice shot" comments, but God forbid you should say "poor shot". Not sure how that attitude encourages one to improve their photography skills. And displaying the names of those who have clicked on the LIKE button only goes to encourage little cliques of "you LIKE my images, and I will LIKE yours".
Seems to me a more honest and helpful method would be to have both an anonymous LIKE button and an anonymous DISLIKE button, along with a 5-star rating option.
Another option should be the ability to post your images simply to share with others without anyone having the ability to post any comments, period. Others would still have the option to PM the OP.
I'm out of here now before the flamethrowers get me.
Sorry, can't comment on your image, Henrik, as I hear you snowbound hillbillies on the North Shore are meaner than me.
I fully agree with you about your comment re criticism, but with a caveat. In fairness this is not a critique forum. I find that most people do not want their work critiqued. They just want to present their work and get some kind comments on it. I also find that many people get offended by critiques and do not take them as constructive most of the time. They take it personally. For that reason I post most of my work on BPN which has actual critique forums. No one is above the law, even the mods. All angles of photos are discussed; composition, processing, settings, sharpness, feel, techniques, etc. But the people who post there are looking for those types of responses. Don't mean to promote a different page but do mean to just put it out there that if you are looking for a critique forum then those exist there. Also there is a critique forum on FM as well. 