TRReichman
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Hi Nick,
Like most of the other people who posted there is definitely an interesting quality to your images. The couple looks to be very comfortable in front of your camera and that's a very good sign. Also, you have an interesting eye. I think there are a few technical issues that would improve the success and impact of your images.
FRAMING -
First, there is a strange tendency in many of these images to crowd the right side of the frame, often cutting out vital elements. This is particularly evident in these images - 20, 22, 15, 13, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 3. Its just a little odd to see, as many times it doesn't seem to be creating a leading negative space, it just feels that the framing is a little off.
Also, there are alot of cropped elements that would really improve the photos if they were included. For example, take image 3 - its a nice moment and certainly one that should be in the body of work for this wedding. We've got space at the top of the photo but the bride's fingers are cut off at the knuckle. Plus, the bridesmaid is chopped at the back of the head and right at the elbow. She's a vital part of the story of the image and she's cut off as though it was a mistake to include her.
This is the same issue in the following images:
7 - it just detracts a little from the image to have his arm chopped a bit at the hand/wrist.
10 - nice moment - but she is cut at the wrist and he's cut right behind the ear. The photo would almost certainly be more effective if those elements had been included. 11 the bride is cut at the wrist/bouquet. If
12 - the girl on the left touches the left edge of the frame with no room to breathe. This would be a nice moment if they were framed with a little more on the left and a little more on the right.
13 - The bride's elbow could have been included. If you want to chop the groom there are a few other logical spots to do it. You could probably want to let him have his whole wrist/hand and you'd want to let the whole stem of the glass live in the frame. You don't want to cut people off at the joints.
14 - The bridesmaid on the left is just chopped enough to be awkward. Given so much free space on the right it feels weird to see that sliver of her cut.
17 - Cutting his hand at the wrist and just the tips of the bouquet visually make us feel that something is missing.
18 - ooh! I like this one so much but the first thing my eye goes to is the cut hands in the bottom of the frame. This one would be sooo much better if that had been included.
20 and 21 - can you guess? She's just a little too cropped out for my tastes. Not bad ideas just have to watch where you cut people.
But this is particularly evident in image 8 which is really nice but so much of her is cut off that it feels strange. Western audiences view from top-bottom and left to right. We start with the reflection at the top which leads us directly downward to the point of interest - that's a good thing! However the left-right emphasis is lost. The light is coming in from the left which seems to lead us L-R but then she is looking off Right and cut on the right and it causes some unwanted visual tension.
I brought up gear because I see alot of this in folks that shoot primes. That's NOT brand attacking or trying to start an argument about gear. But alot of the images look to be composed around the center point for best focus and many of them look shot with a prime that wasn't quite the right focal length. I'm not bashing primes at all - I shot all prime for about 3 years. But ultimately you see this alot with all prime shooters - things bisecting the edge of the frame that maybe should have been included. I saw it in my work and I'm not saying I did any better. Just something to think about with lens selection and the limitations that they impose. Sometimes limitations breed creativity, sometimes they make you pound a nail with a screwdriver.
HORIZONS AND TILTS
As a caveat I'll just say that I'm not a fan of tilt in most cases. There are some times when it works magic, say when a groom isn't alot taller than the bride and you can adjust the frame in his favor. In most cases it just detracts and makes you look at the rectilinear lines that are bisecting the frame. I would say in most of the images the tilt seems to create more questions than answers. As another caveat I'll say that I usually like to see the horizon line in the bottom 1/3 of the frame. When its much higher you tend to overemphasize the ground and shorten people in a weird way.
Take a look at the horizon in images 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 25. It directly bisects the subjects through the head which draws attention and give alot of distraction to the ground. As a side note most amateur snapshots are shot from the same perspective, so while its not always bad to have a high horizon line adjusting where you place it definitely places your work in another caliber by managing the emphasis that a lower horizon line provides. Take a look at 15 and 24 - the overall composition is directly benefits from the lower horizon.
This is particularly damaging in the last image. The high perspective actually works because of the emphasis of the dress, but then the brides head gets lost in the horizon and dock-stuff in the background. Think about how great this image would look with a lower perspective (though maybe not as low or wide-angle) of image 24. All the emphasis would be on the girl and the dress instead of the ground/dock and horizon.
NEGATIVE SPACE
I have to admit that I love the heck out of negative space. It serves an excellent purpose of leading the viewer's eye through the frame. Ultimately our jobs as creators of images is to create an image that leads the viewer to the elements of the story in the image. Take an image like number 15 for example. I like this image overall, but the negative space works against itself. For instance, where does the negative space lead your eye? It starts from the bottom, the left and the top, so your eye doesn't know where to enter the image and where to travel from. Say you cropped the left and bottom out a bit, so that the crop comes in from the bottom left corner and cuts in closer to his shoe. Then the image would flow from top to bottom and the image would flow from left to right (because of his eyeline) and from shallow-to-deep because he is in the foreground and our eye automatically goes form him to her. The next time you work an image like this on the scene you can start to work to get the crop a little more advantageous in-camera. Its a good idea, can be even better with a judicious crop to make the negative space really lead the eye where you want it to go.
I won't reiterate the comments about white balance and post-processing. I think they could use a little more sharpness and contrast but you'll improve your PP over time.
Hopefully you'll find something helpful in the advice others have provided. Ultimately, I don't mean any disrespect by pointing out ways that images might be adjusted. Like others, I saw something I liked in the images and would like to see you take your work to the next level. Then again, if anything here offends you please accept an apology, all intentions were positive
Hoping to see the next set you post.
- trr
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