» Fro Knows Photo Blog
The HARSHEST Critique to date LIVE: Revisiting Sam Green
Yes this is one of the harshest critiques I have done to date. Let me preface the entire thing by saying please do not take anything I said in this critique as being mean or over the top. Sam asked for me to be honest and to be honest that’s the only way I could do a critique any way.
For those who do not know Sam, he contacted me almost two years ago looking for help building a portfolio to try and get into Antonelli Institute. As you will see from the Youtube playlist below, I helped Sam over four videos. In the first video we started with a basic critique of the images Sam had created in high school.
What you have to keep in mind that when I am critiquing someone who is just starting out I am not going to be overly harsh. I am gong to be very supportive and give pointers that will help the photographer not hinder them.
After looking at what Sam had, it was obvious he was just starting out and was in need of some direction. You could see that there were some killer images followed by some that we could do without. The point here is to showcase what makes each image a winner and what makes the others not. Once you do that the photographer can start to visually see the difference between the keepers and tossers.
I sent Sam out on assignments for a few weeks until we finally had 10 solid images for his new portfolio. I have to say he had the start to some very strong work after taking my direction and running with it.
Fast forward two years, I invited Sam onto an episode of RAWtalk (video below) to talk about his first year at Antonelli. I also asked him to bring along his first year portfolio for me to critique.
And that is where the video above picks up the story. Sam sat at the RAWtalk table as I went image by image giving him my critique. Sure this one is harsh but I know Sam can handle it and grow with the feedback. You will notice for one of the images I gave him a little crap about the pixels but it turns out the printer had not printed his images properly.
I am very proud of Sam, he busts his ass day in and day out and I really think he will find his way in the photo world as soon as he leaves school.
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If you think the QUIET Shutter Mode is Silent, think again
After I made my first video testing out the quiet and silent shutter modes of the Nikon and Canon’s, my Nikon rep told me I was using it wrong. He told me that the mode is not meant to be used where you press the shutter and let it go right away. He said your supposed to press and hold the shutter button down, leave the room or tuck the camera to muffle the rest of the noise.
I figured I would try out his suggestion for myself and see if it really made a difference. Than I got to thinking, if I have to leave the room after taking the photo wouldn’t I be making more noise than if I let the shutter just open and close normally?
Here is what I have come up with, the Nikon D800′s quite mode is by no means quiet. It seems to be slightly less loud than the regular shutter but now it has one extra point where it makes noise. When you let go of the shutter button in quiet mode it makes an audible. So instead of a quick noise you now have extended the noises out across a longer period of time.
This is what I think, if you are in a quiet setting but need to capture the images consider shooting less. Be more selective about what you shoot and pick and choose the images as they present themselves.
Have you used this feature before, do you think there is a difference?
Sometimes a Photo makes you go Meh and the next makes you go WOW
Welcome to another AdoramaPIX Rapid Fire Critique. Sometimes you have photos that make you go meh, theres nothing here. Than you turn the page to the next one and you are floored with how amazing it is.
That is what happened for a few of the images this week. You go from one that just doesn’t work to the next of the boats that works extremely well.
That is what’s great about these critiques and these sets of ten. You never know what you will see when you hit the next button.
Have you submitted your images yet?
