Bearded Man on Ferry

[Jim A]

I took this image on the ferry from Birkenhead in Auckland to the CBD, a ten minute journey. The man looked suspiciously when I took this image, which I think is captured at that moment. Do you like the treatment of this image please ?

[Manfred M]

Jim - this is purely personal taste, but this image does have a very strange and overcooked look to it.

I'm not sure I love the tilt either and don't know if this is something that you did on purpose or is just the way you held the camera. The point of view definitely accentuates the man's legs and feet, especially with a wide-angle focal length. When we shoot people, we tend to concentrate on their faces, so again, you have taken a very non-standard approach to this scene.

Why did you decide to go for this particular look?

[Shadowman]

Very smooth processing, the lack of shadows beneath the feet along with the tilt does give an odd look to the composition; luckily the shadows behind his back falling onto the bench grounds him a bit to the world he is traveling in.

[rpcrowe]

I try to give positive reviews. The gentleman is very interesting and he has a great beard. His outfit is also very fitting.

On the negative side, I am not really keen on the processing which looks to me like HDRI. I also don't like the "Dutch Tilt". Finally, the baby stroller in the background confuses me. At first I thought it was a walker for this gentleman...

[Mike Buckley]

The image definitely captures his look, which I would characterize as annoyed rather than suspicious. If your intent is to display that this area of the ship is sloped upward, it works really well.

For me, the really important question is not whether others like the image and is instead whether you like it or dislike it and why.

[Jim A]

Thanks everyone, I really do appreciate your forthright and most useful comments. The ferry was moving up and down in the water, which is why it is on a tilt, because of wave movement. I chose to leave it like that naively, but a judge at our monthly assessments rejected it out of hand because of the tilt. Whilst I do like it a lot, it is very apparent for quite a few reasons why it is not to everyone's taste. I do like taking photos of street photography, and whilst this does not quite qualify as being in the same vein. Many thanks once again!

[rpcrowe]

Thanks everyone, I really do appreciate your forthright and most useful comments. The ferry was moving up and down in the water, which is why it is on a tilt, because of wave movement. I chose to leave it like that naively, but a judge at our monthly assessments rejected it out of hand because of the tilt. Whilst I do like it a lot, it is very apparent for quite a few reasons why it is not to everyone's taste. I do like taking photos of street photography, and whilst this does not quite qualify as being in the same vein. Many thanks once again!

Jim, if you like it and it portrays what you want to portray, then it is a "good" photograph

[Manfred M]

Jim, if you like it and it portrays what you want to portray, then it is a "good" photograph

Let me disagree here, Richard. It's almost never what the photographer thinks about his or her work, but rather it is what the "client" thinks. I don't necessarily view this through a commercial lens, but view the "client" as the target audience. If they do or do not like the image, that to me is ultimately how an image should be judged.

On the flip side of the argument, the photographer has invested time and effort in an image. This leads to a level of pride and "ownership" in the work. This can end up with the photographer being quite happy with what might be just a fairly ordinary piece of work.

[Jim A]

Well, in my case, Manfred, I do not have a client. However I take many images, most of which only I, my wife and occasionally friends will see or a post on Facebook. However, the better images are looked at by me for consideration to be put forward to our local Photographic Society for assessment. Some even get put forward for our national competition. Most recently, I had one accepted in an International Salon.
I suppose from that you could say that the judge(s) are the "client". Forums, such as this, are invaluable for "testing the waters". On this occasion I have now decided that this image is not worthwhile putting forward more in any way. Mission accomplished. Now will move on.

[Manfred M]

Well, in my case, Manfred, I do not have a client.

Actually, there is a "client" and that would be you!

[Rebel]

Let me disagree here, Richard. It's almost never what the photographer thinks about his or her work, but rather it is what the "client" thinks. I don't necessarily view this through a commercial lens, but view the "client" as the target audience. If they do or do not like the image, that to me is ultimately how an image should be judged.

On the flip side of the argument, the photographer has invested time and effort in an image. This leads to a level of pride and "ownership" in the work. This can end up with the photographer being quite happy with what might be just a fairly ordinary piece of work.

What a load of nonsense. Sorry.

[Manfred M]

What a load of nonsense. Sorry.

I obviously disagree. Why do you say this is a "load of nonsense"? I run into both these scenarios when critique images.

[Rebel]

Ok maybe not complete nonsense but in this scenario, this isn't a commercial job for a client - you even admit it yourself, you disagreed with Richard for saying as long as the photographer is happy with the image, then say its all about the client, then say the photographer is the client.

Sorry Manfred I really respect your views and I'm in a bad mood, but what you said makes no sense to me

[Manfred M]

Ok maybe not complete nonsense but in this scenario, this isn't a commercial job for a client - you even admit it yourself, you disagreed with Richard for saying as long as the photographer is happy with the image, then say its all about the client, then say the photographer is the client.

Sorry Manfred I really respect your views and I'm in a bad mood, but what you said makes no sense to me

Let me try to clarify:

1. In any work, unless one works in isolation and never shows it to anyone else, feedback, especially feedback from "experts in the field" is critical to improving one's skills. Hence my comment about it is not what the photographer thinks, but rather what others think of his or her work. This is definitely the case when the photographer is a novice or is exploring an new genre or technique. Look back at what you were doing when you switched from landscapes to street photography. Do you now consider the earliest examples of that phase as being as good as your current work?

I know some photographers who can produce really good work, but you would never know it looking at their social media posts.

2. Ask any commercial photographer and you will find that clients will often choose images that the photographer does not consider his or her "best work". The photographer will have to some extent, deliver what the client wants.

Again, looking back at the commercial photographers I know who have produced work based on client wishes and expectations that they did not personally think was their best work and these images definitely did not go into their portfolios. I also know of some cases where the potential client was sent away as the photographer did not want to produce inferior work (with the concern that someone would see the inferior work and they would lose future business).

3. One aspect of human nature is pride in one's own work. The longer and harder we work at something the more attached we get to it, and that is not just the images we create. We get to the point where we stop seeing issues and errors in our own work. The very best advice here (and it is something that I had confirmed by other sources) is to return to an image after a few hours or even after a few days at which point we have a totally different perspective and can often catch our mistakes ourselves.

Just look at how Ansel Adams worked. He was slow and meticulous and would sometimes return to an image months and even years after he took it to rework it.