New User: Some of my Images

[Briantoreilly616]

Hi, my name's Brian, but if you want to call me Reilly thats fine, that's what my girlfriend calls me, so I guess that makes it canon
I've been scouring these forums for a while now, but have just recently registered and this is my first post.
These are just some totally random snaps I've taken with my new TZ3, which I got for my 16th birthday.
Anyway, enough backstory, I welcome any criticism, advice and critique you may have, in fact I request it.
Be gentle, I'm new at this.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14



Please leave coments!!!!!
Thanks in advance.

[Briantoreilly616]

Hey, here's a few more. Any comments? I really need your advice. I know I'm a "noob" atm, but everyone is at some point and I intend on being a long term member.


#15

#16

#17

#18

#19

[KendraJ.K.]

i dont have time to do real indepth critiques (maybe later sorry) but the biggest thing i notice about most of your photos is that they're very busy. there's too much going on in most of them, i can't tell what the main focus is supposed to be really.

oh and i love hte colors in number 10!
Keep showing some work

[BANNED_For_POOPY_PANTS]

Welcome to CA!

First of all: #7 is awesome.

The rest of the pics seem like studies of shapes and light, and that your main focus was to capture different textures moreso than actual composition within the frame. Pics #2 and #3 might work better in my opinion if you crop out the actual light source and rework the composition. #10 has great colors, but the white background behind the flower on the left kinda sticks out too much.

I agree with KendraJ that many of the pics seem busy.. see if you can isolate or enhance your closeup subjects by playing with different backgrounds and exposures.

Overall, nice stuff.

[Swoz]

Are you from England?

I like a lot of night shots.

[Briantoreilly616]

Thanks for all your comments, I'll definately take them on board and continue posting.

JonathanS, in case you were wondering #7 is a closeup of a glass paperweight with a black background and the lightsource from the top. I really like it too. #18 is the same paperweight, but I was going for the feeling of frozen rain.

Swoz, I'm from Ireland, Carrigtwohill in Cork to be precise. Why do you ask?

And also one last point, #2, #3 and #4 were just experiments with the long exposure night setting, not really taken for artistic merit, just wanted to see what the camera saw. I'll take some like those in 3 weeks when I'm in paris, hopefully they will be dramatic.

Thanks again.

[Briantoreilly616]

Here's 2 more abstract light studies (gods, I feel petentious typing that). I have found that when I put my images onto my compter the often loose the vibrancy of colour I get on the camera's LCD screen. In particular, image 21 seems much more firey and exciting on the camera. Has anyone else had this problem? Keep the posts coming, I truly value all comments; good or bad.

#20

#21

[purplerose]

I really like #20, it has a nice composition, but it needs a bit more contrast. LCD screens are a pain. Sometimes I have to look at a photo on an LCD monitor and a regular just to decide if I want to edit to get something between the 2 different views.

[Briantoreilly616]

Hey again, I've tried to keep the focus on one thing in each photo, well, one or two, but I have tried to de-busy-ify them (keeping them simple). I have also been focusing again on light and colour. Also I got a lucky visitor while out taking snaps, I'm quite proud of a couple of these. Enjoy, and keep the critiques coming!

#22

#23

#24

#25

#26

#27

#28

#29

[purplerose]

These are much better than most of the first ones, in not only composition, but clarity as well. The gems for me are #s 22, 25 and 29. They have nice compositions, colors, contrast and clarity. Overall, just make sure you keep an eye out for overexposure and blurring.

Keep shooting!

[incolorinred]

I think your are capturing some good images. You are showing a good creative eye and lots of experimentation. However, I think sometimes you have to be mindful of what you want to focus on and how the rest of the composition relates to your main focus. Some of the pictures just like look a jumble of things with a poorly focused center, IE the spoons or suspended bubbles. Make sure that pictures like these aren't too muddled to allow the viewer to really gain access to them aesthetically.

[Briantoreilly616]

Thanks for your comments. Could somebody elaborate on overexposure, and mabey the effect it has on some specific pics. Thanks.

[purplerose]

Overexposure comes from having too much light hitting your film or the similar part in a digital camera. This makes highlights really white and bleached out and it also makes your shadows too light. (Likewise, the opposite happens in underexposure.)

If you are using an SLR (Film or Digital), you can adjust ISO, shutter speed and aperture settings to allow you to make a usually blown out image look normal, in a sense.

If your camera is a "point and shoot," you have to pay careful attention to whether your object/scene is in direct sunlight or has a strong light source hitting it.

Overexposure really effects: highly reflective materials, metal and white/very light objects.

For me, images 26 and 29 in the most recent update are affected, but the level of effect is much less than that of those in earlier posts (i.e. 3, 6, 10, 11, & 16).

I hope that helps!

[Briantoreilly616]

Thanks purplerose, that really helps. And my camera does have those settings so I'll pay attention to it next time.

[Briantoreilly616]

A self portrait:

#30

[purplerose]

Very nice self-portrait! May want to crop out the small light spot on the right, but that's just a nit-pick.

[Briantoreilly616]

Do you mean the right bottom, or my arm? I myself like the arm, but would get rid of the bottom in retrospect.

[purplerose]

Umm, I'm not sure what it is, but it's on the right side, in the middle, along the edge of the picture.

Edit: Hah, I'm stupid, yeah it's the light spot on your arm.

[Swoz]

I asked because I spent a few years living in Oxford.

[BANNED_For_POOPY_PANTS]

New pics are looking good, esp #22, #24, #29.

Regarding pic #7.. See that's what's so neat about getting a good image.. you created an intense illusion of depth by photographing a glass paperweight! I would have never guessed.

The self portrait looks good too. Nice job.

Have you tried finding a subject (landscape, portrait, doesn't matter..) and bracketing your exposures and playing with different compositions?

Also, I'd recommend picking up a few color correction filters and maybe a 1/4-1/2 Tiffen ProMist for the CU's and portraits.

[Briantoreilly616]

Thanks for the comments. I have a compact digital superzoom, so I'm assuming there arent filters for those?

Oh! And if you like what you see here, check out my self portrait thread in the sketchbook forum and leave a comment:

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...d.php?t=102861

[Briantoreilly616]

Hey guys, sorry for the lack of updates, I've been really busy, anyway here are some more. Don't fotget to check out my self portrait thread in the sketchbook.

#31

#32

#33

#34

#35

#36

#37

#38

#39

[Briantoreilly616]

Hey guys, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the new pics.

[Briantoreilly616]

Any thoughts?