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Microstock Photography Forum - General => Photo Critique => Topic started by: jhundley on July 26, 2012, 11:59

Title: May I please have some critiques?
Post by: jhundley on July 26, 2012, 11:59
I have been rejected twice by istockphoto and would like to improve my skills.  Please review the two lots of 3 images below and help teach me where I failed.  Many thanks!

First attempt:
http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t375/JamesHundleyStudio/BellTowerMountain.jpg (http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t375/JamesHundleyStudio/BellTowerMountain.jpg)
http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t375/JamesHundleyStudio/CattailLillyPond.jpg (http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t375/JamesHundleyStudio/CattailLillyPond.jpg)
http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t375/JamesHundleyStudio/CoveredWagon.jpg (http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t375/JamesHundleyStudio/CoveredWagon.jpg)

Second attempt:
http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t375/JamesHundleyStudio/Pressman.jpg (http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t375/JamesHundleyStudio/Pressman.jpg)
http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t375/JamesHundleyStudio/SaltPepperShaker.jpg (http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t375/JamesHundleyStudio/SaltPepperShaker.jpg)
http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t375/JamesHundleyStudio/Tractor.jpg (http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t375/JamesHundleyStudio/Tractor.jpg)
Title: Re: May I please have some critiques?
Post by: ruxpriencdiam on July 26, 2012, 12:04
HA! ;D

Like this is not normal?????????

Quick and easy for you.

OOF, Lighting, composition, trademark/copyright, model release and LCV due to framing cropping and or composition.

That's it and applies to pretty much all of them.

Get used to it after all this is Istock you are talking about ;D
Title: Re: May I please have some critiques?
Post by: click_click on July 26, 2012, 12:47
Drop all pictures and concepts you have posted here except the man working on the printing press. There is some potential there.

If you can go back there again re-shoot. Use a wider aperture to achieve a more shallow depth of field. Throw the background out of focus. Make your subject stand out. Work more with the composition.

Forget about shooting isolated objects. No agency wants to see that for an application unless you are a top, top photographer.

Show IS that you are creative in the way you shoot. Think outside the box.

After all, it is work and not just uploading the hundreds or thousands of images laying around on your hard drive "collecting dust"... Those days are over.
Title: Re: May I please have some critiques?
Post by: JPSDK on July 26, 2012, 13:14
Thats is right, what click says. The man with the machine has potential. You could do a series on that. Different compositions, different DOF, but remember, keep the main topic of your frame in focus. Also it could use better light. The situation is fine though and the picture would be in demand, both if you made it a specific, machine/ situation picture or if you gennerally illustrated the printing industry. The man is perfect, and teh grey surroundsing cvan support the man and the colour on the machine. Lighter grey would be better. Look for trademarks (Calender)

The other pictures are not good enough, they are vague. not precise on keywords, carry no style and are technically not up to par.
As others say. You waste your time by copying easy isolations, if you dont do them better and more stylish than others.
Find your own style anjd preferred topic, and learn the required technique to excellency.
Title: Re: May I please have some critiques?
Post by: traveler1116 on July 26, 2012, 13:18
HA! ;D

Like this is not normal?????????

Quick and easy for you.

OOF, Lighting, composition, trademark/copyright, model release and LCV due to framing cropping and or composition.

That's it and applies to pretty much all of them.

Get used to it after all this is Istock you are talking about ;D
I'm pretty sure for the application copyright/trademark are not considered since they aren't automatically accepted into the collection.  iStock accepts editorial photos by the way.
Title: Re: May I please have some critiques?
Post by: click_click on July 26, 2012, 13:20
... Look for trademarks (Calender)...

Try to avoid to have any distracting elements in your frame. Either take the calendar off the wall of shoot with an aperture so wide that it will be totally blurred.

To focus of the viewer has to go straight to the person.
Title: Re: May I please have some critiques?
Post by: stormchaser on July 26, 2012, 22:33
See Strobist 101 because you can't light.
Title: Re: May I please have some critiques?
Post by: ShadySue on July 27, 2012, 05:08
Thats is right, what click says. The man with the machine has potential. You could do a series on that. Different compositions, different DOF, but remember, keep the main topic of your frame in focus.
True, it would make a good series, but for application you need to show different stuff - different compositions, dof of the same probably won't cut it, (unless they allow that with people shots?).
Title: Re: May I please have some critiques?
Post by: Difydave on July 27, 2012, 05:11
Thats is right, what click says. The man with the machine has potential. You could do a series on that. Different compositions, different DOF, but remember, keep the main topic of your frame in focus.
True, it would make a good series, but for application you need to show different stuff - different compositions, dof of the same probably won't cut it, (unless they allow that with people shots?).
You're right AFAIK. Three different types of shot of three different subjects are needed. As already said, forget isolations. You're way off the mark anyway. Forget shooting random stuff too. Shoot for stock.
Title: Re: May I please have some critiques?
Post by: jhundley on July 27, 2012, 06:56
Great, lots to work with here!  I actually thought I needed isolations, glad to hear I was wrong. I actually work in that print shop so maybe I could do some more shots with proper focus/aperature (there is a lot going on here). 

I've got a week "time out" before I can re-submit, so that gives me some time.

Many thanks for all the critiques, I appreciate them!

James
Title: Re: May I please have some critiques?
Post by: Difydave on July 27, 2012, 13:02
One other thing, when I looked at the exif in Jeffrey's Exif Viewer (online exif viewer very handy Google it), it said that the images were tagged as sRGB profile, but there was no profile embedded. Might want to check what's doing that. Something in your workflow.