Photography Self Critique Project: Lonely Little Flower
Macro Art in Nature is hosting a Self Critique Project for close-up photographs of flora/foliage. The challenge is to pick your best photograph — only one — and critique it. You can also put it up for an open critique from anyone who wants to give some feedback. It’s open to all photographers regardless of experience, so take the challenge!
I didn’t have much trouble picking my best photo, because I don’t like most of them. My favorite turned out to be the most recent photo, taken just a couple weeks ago. I saw these tiny flowers when I was walking my dog. Only one was still alive, so it caught my eye:
I knew I liked this photo as soon as I took it, just because of the subject. It shows the feeling of being completely alone while you’re in a crowded place — depressing and liberating at the same time.
I like how the shadows over the tangled stems and leaves make the background look like a miniature jungle. The bright flower really stands out from the greens and browns. I also like the sense of depth, with the blurry flowers in the foreground and the blurry leaves beneath all the stems.
But maybe it’s a little too busy. I didn’t crop the picture at all, but I’m thinking it might look better if I did. It looks a little unbalanced, with too much happening on the left side. And I wish I could get a more detailed, crisp look for that one flower, but my camera couldn’t get any closer without making everything blurry.
So, what do you like about it? What would make it better? Thanks in advance for any feedback, and let me know if you join the Self Critique Project!
June 7th, 2007
Two thoughts - I think it would look better cropped. Also, I might have tried manually removing the little cross-growth. Here’s a cropped version:
June 7th, 2007
Okay, here’s the url to the cropped version.
http://www.jimcarson.com/i/lonelylittleflower_cropped.png
June 8th, 2007
Yeah, that does look better! I don’t think I’d crop it that much, but I don’t know how else I’d do it… I’ll have to experiment.
Thanks!
July 10th, 2007
I’d probably crop the image a bit too. Maybe not as severly as Jim (though that does look good), but something to get the subject out of the center of the frame and make the composition a little more dynamic. I’d probably crop off the bottom and right side of the image. The blurry brown “puff” at the bottom is a bit distracting, and all of the empty space on the right kind of throws off the balance. Just my 2 cents. Nice image though.
July 12th, 2007
Hey Justin, thanks for the spare change!
I hadn’t thought much about the blurry stuff at the bottom, but I completely agree; if anything, I’d definitely crop that out.
I wish I took more pictures from different angles, but oh well. Still learning!
February 14th, 2008
Hei Liz
Had to have a lookie at this for i am a very keen photographer, too.
Good shot that improves being cropped as it brings the main part of the photo forward.
Why not try cropping it various ways saving them, and naturally, keeping the original in your files?!
Keep clicking, Rii
June 1st, 2008
macro photography…
I like what I see, but I think you could do more to bring in the “outsiders” with some interesting new content. I bet you’ll deliver. I’ll bookmark for future visits, just the same!…