Critique Please

There is noise in this photo. If you look with the full resolution preview.

Thank you. I think it's from a certain mode setting I used on it.

I haven't looked at many but the first one is OOF

It wont get printed.It's also a good idea to have a description to help buyers and some search engines use the description.
I would take the time and have a good look at the ones you have uploaded and delete any that have problems.It will save you loads of grief later one.
I'm sure that Mike S. will be along soon.
His advise can seem harsh but it is good so have a thick skin and apply what he says

I am thick skinned. I only want honest answers because I want to learn all I can to improve. Why won't it get printed?

It is out of focus and the printers will not print it.
There is no review procedure here so you can upload anything that you want but if there are problems like OOF or too much noise the printers will not print it

Oh okay. Thanks!

As stated a lot of your images will have issues but I am hoping that Mike will at some point make an appearance here as I am about to run out for a bit. I am glad you are seeking advice to better yourself as a photographer and to better your images.

Gina, when people here say "It won't print" they refer to FAA's no-questions-asked return policy. Any image, of course, can be printed. But if it's blurry, grainey or mis-cropped the chances of a return are high. FAA eats the cost of all returns, not the artist, so they will not print images that have obvious problems.


Dan Turner
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online

My critique is it looks like you take photographs and try to make them special with hues and processing and some heavy handed contrast editing that can cause some noise issues in some of the photos. To me photography in the camera is only half the equation, but attention to detail and greater technique on the original image in question can leave you with a better finished product.

Chase amazing light, learn how to capture it to the best of your equipments ability, then worry about the post processing.

I do edit some of them with color and I have some that is in "magic mode" on my camera. Many are not edited. I think on my next shoot I will use none of that. I want to get the NATURAL image so lesson learned. Thanks. Even if I don't sell on this site, you just can't beat the advice. Really appreciated it!

i did one in the mail but


this again - blown out, leave off the emblem


this is not in focus


this has a stick in his face and a cluttered foreground, blurry background


this isn't in focus and its too far away, blends with the log


blurry and too blue.


you only want 1 or 2 images that are good, then leave the rest. this is fuzzy and has a stick coming out of his head.


the lighting is nice, but the face isn't in focus and the pole is very distracting.


i don't know why the owl is green, but its not in focus, looking away from us, and that giant logo - it won't print.


be very selective about what you post. this isn't remotely in focus and most of it is cropped off. don't post things just because you spotted them.


turn the digital zoom off in your camera. shoot birds like this on a background that contrasts better.


this is a digital zoom that was heavily cropped then enlarged about 3 times - erase this one, it will not print.


you posted this twice. its not really sharp, there is too much background, the bird has an interesting shape, but that's about it.


this is very noisy, it will not print. and its not really interesting. it doesn't really tell a story or anything.

like i said in the mail you need more keywords and descriptions on all.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

don't use any modes, no magic modes either. i guess that's why the color has been be shifted greatly.

shoot with a tripod if you can, shoot at dusk or twilight, use the colors from the for the shot. you may want to invest in a better camera.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

What Dan say is correct in that any image can print.
What will normally happen is that if the printers see an obvious problem like too much noise or OOF they will not print it and give you time to send another image with the problems fixed

You are getting into some interesting places and framing some nice subjects. But it is not always translating well into a salable print. When I first looked at you portfolio I thought the color casts on your image were intentionally done in post editing. Now I see you want a natural look. Good. People who buy nature photos like them natural. At the very least master that before you go wild with effects. Besides the color casts I am seeing a lot of overexposed areas. Especially the sky. Definitely do not use any of the modes for nature photography.

You didn't mention what camera you use so it is hard to give specific advice. In general I recommend shooting in Aperture priority and then using exposure compensation to nail down the exposure. Actually on a DSLR you would be better off shooting straight manual for a few months so you learn to take control. If you have a histogram on your camera, use it to check exposure. Processing should be to rein in overexposed areas, open up shadows, and get rid of color casts. With a decent camera used at low ISO you should not have any noise issues. But check for noise, which is usually in the sky or in shadow areas. Use a light touch with noise reduction. Sharpen lightly.

View you images at 100% to check for sharpness. The main subject should be sharp. If it is not it means the camera or subject was moving or the subject was not in focus. Using a tripod may slow you down a bit but it will also get you sharp images and also allow you to get more depth of field in landscapes.