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Response to Image Critique! Rip me apart! :)

from John Kantor (jkantor@mindspring.com)
I consider my own photography skills mediocre - I just don't intend to settle for that.

As my other thread argues, you have to start with some basic skills - and the best way to learn them is to try to duplicate the work of acknowledged masters. (And, rather obviously, "aspiring to be _an_ Avedon or Bresson" means aspiring to a definable and recognizable artistic style.)

Actually, my first post was the most honest. It wasn't sarcastic or petty, but absolutely truthful. (And let's not go down the road of "The Emperor's New Clothes" - the hair - as it appears in the print - is plainly ludicrous.)

I picked Altman's photo because it too showed a non-professional model (a copy-editor I think), but showed some mastery over the basics of composition and tone.

I do expect an adult (as I'm assuming Edward is) who has a significant investment in time and equipment and who posts to a forum like this, to desire and be able to comprehend honest criticism. I have much different standards when I'm talking to my friend's 9-year-old son, but I was only holding Edward to the same standards I apply to myself. And I have created and continue to create work that is extremely bad at times. (Perhaps I should post those as penance?) However, I consider those failures to be valuable learning experiences. One reason I don't post my work is (as I said before) that I'm a stronger critic of it than anyone else I've come across. I don't want or need the emotional reassurance of the people on this board (I have a cat for that) - I need the interchange of ideas.

Finally, if this is supposed to be a (19)40's glamour portrait, than I would suggest that Edward take a look at the following books (available at Amazon) and try to determine what they are doing to get that look.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486233529/qid=952008439/sr=1-1 6/103-5554161-8767861

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486235467/ref=sim_books/103-55 54161-8767861

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0810934345/ref=sim_books/103-55 54161-8767861

It seems to me that this kind of advice is much more useful to Edward than an ill-deserved pat-on-the-back.

Finally, the real problem with boards like this is that posts come across much stronger than the same words in person would. However, I refuse to put little smiley faces :) at the end of each sentence just to avoid a knee-jerk emotional reaction.

(posted 8792 days ago)

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