Your Photo: Our Critique

 

Jenna Careen submitted this image taken with a Nikon D50, with an exposure of 1/160sec at f/2, ISO 800. Obviously taken at a performance, Jenna has made good use of the directional stage lights. The dancer leaping through the air makes this shot. As a black and white image, the graininess works but there is some pixelation of the spot that is distracting. There are also a few random parts creeping into the edge of the frame on the right and left, either crop them out or clone them out in post processing. 

—Melissa Macatee
Contributing Blogger

This photo gets three and a half stars on the PopPhoto Flash rating system.

The PopPhoto Flash rating system.
*= This part of the camera is called the lens
**= Don’t quit your day job
***= Good, but not yet great
****=So close you can taste it
*****= Yes, a thousand times yes!

Want us to critique your shots? Send 'em to us!

Comments

[Steamboat]

Ridiculous! Finally a good photo needing just some minor corrections and it gets 3.5 stars. Melissa or anyone at PopPhoto don't even read the comments, this blog exist to boost their ego.
Evening thinking something like "*= This part of the camera is called the lens" is so rude a f*ing patronizing that does not have any use in a serious critique.

[Mark Z.]

Finally, An interesting shot. Why is the lens information not listed? What lens was used and what was the focal length?

[Joe]

The "pixelation of the spot is distracting"? Sorry Melissa - we can't all have 1Ds Mark III's or D3s, some of us have to live with D50's and the associated "pixelation".

Who else thinks Melissa should submit some of her own photos for a review by the readership? I was just on her website, and I can't say that I saw all that many "five star" images....

[whitebreadtoast]

it's an interesting shot and i don't think the critique was ridiculously harsh. yeah, maybe the star system could use a re-labeling because constructive criticism works better than snark, but pointing out the pixelation is something that can be easily smoothed over in photoshop. presumably, you submit your images here for professional critique - and let's face it - not every photo you take is going to be a masterwork (and taste varies). the objective is to learn to see what you can do to improve the image.

for me, the pixelation isn't a big deal (but may be at a larger size) - it's the spot light up at the top left which pulls your eye out of the subject, and the foot creeping in on the lower left.

overall though, i think this is a pretty cool, interesting composition and i really do like the "good use of the directional stage lights". it's inspiring!

[Jason T]

The problem isn't just the critique offered for this photo. The problem, as mentioned by both Steamboat and Joe, is that the critiques (and ratings) that Melissa offers have little relation to the quality of the photo.

I'm not sure how this one can score less than 4 stars, considering some of the questionable photos that she has rated at 4 stars in the past. Her reviews are all over the place...

[Randy Roberts]

Opinions...the essence of chaos. Yours, however, whomever you may be, will always have just a little more validity.

[agreed]

I agree with her.
Is something wrong with the flash email? I tried to sumit a photo for critiquing but keeps coming back undeliverable.

[photo retouching services]

Just enjoy the picture if you like it! If you don`t move on and find one that you do.

[Narsuitus]

Great shot !

I had to stop and make a comment after it caught my eye as I was on my way to popphoto.com forum.

[John E.]

I completely agree with Melissa. The whole point of this is to learn. Every suggestion she made was a valid one and would improve the photo. She is critiquing it as it is - not as it could be.