Write in complete sentences and use the computer to type to out and then print it out.
Make sure both students names are on the paper.
Use the following outline to write your critique of both images. (go through the outline two times,
two written critiques)
1. How is the technical quality? Let’s start here before we get to the more subjective issues of composition and emotion.
- In focus? (or if not, was that intended?)
- Exposure: Is it too light or dark? Are there blown out or underexposed areas?
- Use of depth of field to control the viewer’s eye.
- Use of contrast? Too muddy or too much contrast.
- How was lighting handled?
- How do the colors look?
2. How’s the composition?
- Framing?
- What should and shouldn’t be in the frame?
- Where is your eye drawn to?
3. How is the emotional appeal?
- What emotion do you feel when you look at the photo? Or lack of?
- Did the photographer connect with his subjects or do they look tense, posed or stilted?
- Does the photograph tell a story, or part of one? (It could be as simple as, “here are my kids who I adore” or “here’s my dog catching a frisbee.” Or a very deep one such as, “this is what poverty looks like, right in my hometown.”)
4. In your opinion what was the purpose of the photograph?
• Was it supposed to be a photojournalistic shot (showing an event as it happened)
• Was it a informational picture, capturing detail to preserve it for history?
• Was it intended to simply be an interesting composition to be enjoyed for it's beauty?
• What other purpose did the photographer have in taking the shot? (if none is discernible, what effect does this have on your opinion of the photograph?)
copyright: Ken Blaze 
copyright: Jay Maisel
10 comments:
The first picture, the one of the kid and the sled, is slightly out of focus. This is probably because of the fast rate of movement that was taking place. It’s not under or overdeveloped, and the depth of field is focused more on the boy in the air as being in the front and the sled and everything else falling into the background. There is contrast, but the snow gives an overwhelming amount of white to the picture. The lighting was an outdoor cloudy day, so the camera was probably adjusted to account for the smaller amount of light. The colors look good, they’re pretty vibrant. The framing seems a bit off, because the kid’s leg is missing; that should be in the picture. Your eye is drawn to the boy in the air. The emotion would be having fun and being a kid. The photographer connected with the subjects, and they look tense, but they should be- their friend is flying through the air. The story that is told is “we made a jump when we went sledding and he lost control on the way over”. I think the purpose of the photograph is a photojournalistic shot to show the sledding event.
The second picture is perfectly in focus, and seems to be properly exposed for the scene it is capturing. The depth of field is really affected by the hazy background of the buildings, that’s mainly what the viewer focuses on. There is good contrast, especially for the dimness of the setting. Lighting seemed to be city lights, which was handled by using areas that were shadowed to show contrast. The colors look good, even though the overall coloring is a hazy brown. The composition is excellent; the framing is very good. They set the taller buildings slightly off center and towards the sides to give a balanced effect. The eye is drawn to the furthest buildings in the background, where it’s hazy. The emotion that is felt is more like the bright lure of the city, through the use of the lights shining through the fog. There weren’t really subjects to connect to in the way that is implied; he captured the subjects well, but it’s obviously posed- buildings are hard to work with when you don’t pose them in some way. I think the story that is told would be “this is the city, shining through the fog, providing people and life.” My opinion is that the photograph was taken simply to be enjoyed in its compositional features.
~Cat Ott
The first picture with the kids with the sled is slightly out of focus but that is probably because it is an action shot. It is too light. You begin to loose a lot of the detail in the snow on the ground and the sky. The depth of field helps to focus on the kid falling off the sled. The contrast could be better. There should be more darker elements in the picture. The lighting could less brighter, however, the colors in this picture vary and are very distinguishable. The framing could be improved. The one kids leg is cut off. There are also other people in the image that distract the viewer from the main subject, but the eye is still drawn to the airborn kid. When I look at this photo I think of the times I went sledding and we would extreme wipeouts for fun. I miss those days. This picture captures that essence of being a kid and just having fun with your friends. I think the purpose of this photograph was to capture the joy of being a kid and having fun. It took a unique spin on it. It a very interesting picture that you don't see a lot of. Overall, this is a very interesting picture to look at.
The second picture is well in focus and is exposed well. You can see the detail in the picture. The depth of field is very well done. There isn't anything that could possibly missing in the photo. The contrast is pretty good. The lighting could use a little more light. It is a little dark, but for the time of day it was taken in, the lighting seems appropriate. I wish there was a little more color in this picture. It seems a little bland. The framing is pretty good, but a couple of the buildings were cut off. I guess that is a matter of if the photographer thought it was necessary to cut them out. There isn't really one this my eye is draw too. It is hard to find the main subject the photographer wanted to capture. When I look at this picture it makes me think how beautiful the city looks at night. I think the photographer likes the city and wanted to capture this moment. I think that this picture was meant to be enjoyed for its composition and beauty.
-Amanda Zbinovec
The first shot is the lesser of the two. It is slightly out of focus and blown out in places. The colors are rather bland and the depth of field could be better. The boy in the background should be cut out of the frame. My eye is drawn to the sled which I find rather annoying. It does however tell somewhat of a story and is composed as an action shot.
The second photo is my favorite of the two. It has nice colors and a good use of depth of field and what is supposed to be in focus is. The overall quality of the photo is fantastic. It is composed very well and tells the story of the fog rolling in. This photograph was ment to be admired for its sheer beauty and atractiveness to the eye.
Picture One:
I think this picture is slightly out of focus but was not intended to be. The movement of the boy and the sled was too fast to be captured cleanly. Although this picture is very light I think the exposure is correct seeing as the snow is so white in the sunlight. Depth of field is good in this picture because the first thing you notice is the boy and his sled and everything else is out of focus and goes unnoticed. Contrast is just right in my opinion because of the dark and bright colors as the main focus and then the almost all white background. Lighting is good because the snow is not too dark but there is still detail so its not too white. The colors go well together. I think there could have been better framing seeing as the boy is half our of the picture, the boy in the background could have been cut out. My eyes are drawn to the boy first and then the sled. When I look at this picture the first thing that comes to mind is that it looks sweet and I wish I was him. The subjects do not look posed at all and it tells a story of a young boy outside sledding on a winter day. I think it was intended to be a simple interesting composition.
Picture two:
This picture is perfectly in focus, although I think it is a little bit dark. The viewers eye is drawn first to the building in front, its a good depth of field but it could be better. The contrast is really muddy and a filter should have been used when editing this pictures. The lighting is a little bit dark, but its just that way because the picture was taken at night. The colors all look too brown. The skyline is framed well by the surrounding buildings. When I look at this I think the front buildings should be cropped out and also the building on the very right side of the picture should be all the way cut out instead of half way. I think that its kind of a calming picture for some reason, maybe because of the colors and the fog around the buildings. This picture looks very posed the way it captures the skyline. I believe this was supposed to be journalistic shot of the city.
-Maura Dempsey
The first photograph is somewhat out of focus, most likely due to the action taking place. The framing is off, the boy's leg is cut off and it presents things such as the black circle in the left corner that aren't necessary. The colors that should be bright are however, the light post and trees are dull. It looks like there wasn't much sun out that day. There are a few mergers such as the legs under the sled and the light post behind the boy on the ground. My eye is drawn to the boy in the air and then to the boy on the ground and his reaction. This was probably the intention, and seems to be a photo journalistic point of view. But at the same time it kind of looks staged and tells a story of "hey, watch me jump off this hill and fly in the air, act like you're shocked."
The second picture is in focus of the buildings in front. The buildings in the background aren't in focus which seems to be the point. The coloring from the lights on the buildings adds to the brownish color due to the time of day it was taken at. Overall, the coloring balances itself out. The framing seems to be on spot. I am drawn to the building in the front with the rooftop lights, probably a party. It makes me want to be there and then seeing the city in the background makes me want to be there even more. It seems to be a shot showing the beauty of the city.
-Jordan Wolf
The first photo is very slightly out of focus, though despite the action in the photograph, it is a clear shot. The exposure is fine, but there is not much depth of field. The image almost seems flat behind the focused subject of the boy in midair. The contrast seems pretty good, but a majority of the photo is white and grey. The lighting is good given the snowy weather, and the colors -especially the blues- are bright. The framing is off in the upper portion of the photo: the boys foot is cut off, and the boy to the right in the bhackground is somewhat distracting. My eyes are mostly drawn to the boy in midair and the blue sled, then it focuses on the other boy with a blue sled in the background. When I see this photo I remember the feeling of bursting adrenaline and adventure. this photo does not looked posed, but looks more like it was intended for a photojournalistic event, perhaps the action on a particular snowy hill.
The second photo is focused on front buildings more so than the back buildings. Exposure is somewhat grainy, but it is nightttime and a good picture for the fact that it's so dark. Contrast is a bit muddy and very few colors, but the golden brown haze fom the lights of the back buildings give this picture life, while the dark front buildings add to the depth. For the most part, the framing is done well, except for the building being cut-off at the right. My eye spans the horizon of the city, and the photo gives off an ubeat feeling of downtown. The dark tones bring a sense of peacefulness, yet at the same time there is a lot of hidden action from the city lights. The picture is posed, but it looks natural. The photo might be a journalistic photo showing off the beauty of the city, telling a story of a popular and meaningful place.
~Kathrine Zmina~
The first photo seems to be slightly out of focus but it's definitely clear enough where it counts. It probably wasn't intended to be completely in focus because, after all, the kid is flying through the air. I'd be disappointed if it didn't convey the motion like this. Although most of the photo is quite bright, the exposure seems spot on. The winter-y apparel is dark black and the snow is bright white which shows good contrast. I liked that blue was somehow placed in the photo several times. Blue is incorporated once, quite obviously, in the sled, again in the yelling kid's hood, and again on the left in a slightly paler hue. Composition shows good balance. I liked that first you're hit with the concept of a totally air-born student and his comically out of control limbs. The lines on the sled seem to lead the eye to the second student and his reaction which adds to the overall humorous tone of the photo. There's no way this could have been posed, and that adds to the spontaneity of the photo as a whole. It tells a story of crazy kids having a lot of fun sledding. It's for sure a photo-journalistic photo showing the events of a sledding adventure.
The second photo definitely has a completely different intention. It is very well in focus and displays a good depth of field. The lighting is quite dark however. I think it would have looked better if it was a little lighter and had slightly more contrast although that might just be my computer monitor. I definitely like the colors. It seems like it has a sepia filter but the little burst of orange and green in the city lights adds a lot to the photo as a whole. Regarding the composition, I’m not too fond of the cut off building on the right. It would be cool to see the right side of the photo blend into the fog in the same way that the left side did. I think the Christmas lights are distracting if you don’t put any thought into it but add to the artistic concept of the photo as a whole. Those lights contrast the crazy skyscrapers and glow of the city to show the homey, more reserved parts of the city. It tells a quiet story about living in the suburbs. The purpose of the photo is to show the beauty in structure as well as show the quiet side of a large city.
Photo I
This photo has a few technical issues. It appears to be out of focus, probably because of the movement being captured. Depth of field could have been enhanced by better relative focus on the sled and flying snow. There is good contrast and lighting seems appropriate for the subject. The bright blue of the sled and the dark pants allow the viewer to appreciate the flying snow. The composition is dynamic with the placement of the subjects drawing the eye around the shot. Unfortunately, there is a “merger” of a light pole on top of the head of the person on the right. It would be tempted to “photo shop” that out of there because to simply edit out the person entirely would detract from the energy and story captured by the shot. I do find the merger distracting. This shot really shows the spontaneity of the event – no posing here. You can almost imagine what the subjects might be saying or thinking (“This is gonna hurt!”).
Photo II
The only technical flaw that stands out with this photo is that it is a bit too dark overall, but that doesn’t distract too much because the depth of field is handled really well. The front “landscape” of rooftops is very interesting and contrasts well both visually and thematically with the skyline in the distance. The position of the lighted windows on the left draws the eye to the left tower. The left and right towers provide nice framing for the shot. The overall distribution of the brightly lit areas creates multiple points of interest and gives unity to the photograph. The haze surround the skyline is beautiful and has a dreamlike quality. This photo tells the story that lights can describe a city’s personality and correct people and to one another.
- Mike Mandac -
Anika
The first image of the boy and the sled isn't as focused as it could be. And while I like the picture the lack of strong focus kind of hurts it as a whole. The picture looks well exposed and there is a nice depth of field. You have the main focus of the boy in the air and the sled but the trees and especially the other guys in the picture adds to the candidness of the picture. I think the contrast is okay. The white sky and white ground cut only by a few dark trees is a little distracting however. The lighting was handled very well I think and it's clear that they had little to use. As for the color again I think the white is just super over powering. I wish the boys had brighter clothes on to balance out the white. Your eye is immediately drawn to the boy in the air and the sled. I wish we could see his face better. I'm sure there is a lot of expression there but the lack of focus and the distracting size if the boy's behind make it a little difficult to notice the face first. Although I understand why he is missing part of his leg I wish the image was cropped in such a way that it could still be seen. I don't think that's to distracting when you compare it to the two random feet under the sled. Honestly I'm concerned as to whether or not someone attacked that person and just left the legs. It just looks awkward to me. I'm also not a fan of the rock, while I do think something should be there the rock just looks forced. I think for the action happening the photo lacks the intensity I'm looking for in emotion. The boy in the air looks indifferent to the fact that he's in the air. The boy watching looks more passionate about what is happening to his friend. I think the story being told is just one of a couple of kids going out to have a good time but they don't know if they are because their faces are lacking that "wow I can't believe this" factor. I think this is purely a photojournalistic photo. It captures what's happening and how.
In the second picture the focus is much better. The first "row" is in clear focus making it seem like those buildings are right there. The unfocused buildings farther away help add to the depth of field. I also really enjoy the playing with clear objects that are close and keeping father objects blurry. It adds to the overall composition. I think the contrast is better in this picture just because you have a whole range of colors going from dark brownish colors to the grey-brown colors. Even though the lighting is quite dim the choice to use the buildings with lights on in the composition helps the viewer forget how dark this picture is. Personally the picture is to monotone however, because it is a night shot of the city I think the photographer did that in purpose.i think the overall composition is really well done. I'm particularly drawn to the pink lights on top of the closer building. I don't know what it is but it looks really interesting. I don't really have an emotional connection to the picture. It's just buildings to me. And I'm not saying you need people in photos for emotion but I think you need more then big buildings in a city to show emotion. I don't really get a story out of this. And maybe that's why I like the other image better. I can relate to stories I can't relate to steel buildings. I think the piece was just to be enjoyed. That's all I'm really getting from it.
The first photo of the kid with the sled seems to be focused on the kid flying through the air, with the rest behind him rather blurred. I think this is effective, since the photograph is rather busy. I think that the photo could be called overexposed, however: since much of the picture is snow and gray sky, it is hard for it not to look that way. The depth of field is deep enough, because it provides background activity while still allowing the viewpoint to be up in the front. The contrast is very sharp, perhaps too sharp, but I think it adds to the effect of the photo. The photo is very bright, but snow is white, so much of the light in the picture is being reflected off of that, so it can be excused. I think that the framing just right, with activity around the main focal point: the boy on the sled. It portrays a picture of adventure and emotional excitement. I think that this picture was taken to be an interesting composition, because it tells a story of a fun winter day, and looks like it was very challenging to shoot.
The second picture is my favorite of the two. I think it is beautifully composed, with the little lights in the front, and the diffused city light among the fog in the background. The focal point, for me, is the foggy background, even though the front in sharper. However, my eyes were initially drawn to the city landscape behind. The picture is exposed correctly. Yes, it is dark, but that’s because it is taken at night, and it captures the city perfectly. The depth of field is extremely deep and seems to keep going and going, providing an ethereal and dreamy look. The lighting and contrast go hand in hand, with the bright lights sticking out among the dark cityscape. The composition is perfect, in my eyes. Everything in the picture belongs there and fits together well. The emotion in this picture is very striking, and it tells a story of a place, and what might be going on inside this place. This picture was taken for its beauty, and shows how wonderful an urban landscape can be.
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