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Portfolio Critique: John

Lesson 12 from: The Art of Wildlife Photography

Tom Mangelsen

Portfolio Critique: John

Lesson 12 from: The Art of Wildlife Photography

Tom Mangelsen

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Lesson Info

12. Portfolio Critique: John

Lesson Info

Portfolio Critique: John

I'm john moore from duvall washington not far away we like to do is go through all twenty five really quickly and then go back because that would give me an overall view of the bodywork okay nice recognize that damn I was there to freeze up okay that's it okay I'm gonna um can we go back to the first one okay okay I'm gonna say select and or not just just just for if we're gonna make you so if we're going to say pay taken number some number whatever you know um for a port portfolio that would you always want to show your best work to whoever it might be so I'll try to pick up in my opinions about your best work again doesn't mean too much but um it's like this one even though I had those little tiny critiques ok there is more room around the original okay what did you do with it it's coming back okay okay okay so I like it I think for all the reasons that we talked about so you won't go there um that's your neck of the woods and accept the band of the oxbow for sure and I've seen there...

's been two bazillion times and I think that's a really really nice picture and I would select that one too this is different it's um church of the where is this john that was shot down in um um a big cyprus it's lovely it doesn't look quite sharp visit sharpe yes it is okay if that's if it's sharp I would definitely that it just shows you the habitat in the quietness of the that swamp and uh you know the the ibis in the heron eager but a great hair and great what hearing a great question kid I think it's a great anger them not your um is there more room on those feature on okay he's out um I think it's another you're so money elk pictures again you see what the years are kind of not quite uh sharp his mouth is a little weird and that log kind of going through his body takes him off the chart but is beautiful bull I think you frame the boobie a little bit too far to the right um like the wave this would be one I would I would put into the limbo category um the light is kind of that midday light and I don't know what that is that that's a breaker at that's a break ok beautiful light a bird in spring cleaning shit green color be that's a it's a breeding birds so it's spring and this is the time of year like we looked at that eager I had with the long train of feathers and I would keep that when it's a little center it's a little bit too much in the middle um I've got room you have have you been cropping on me okay what fake moon moon's in there but I do crop yeah okay I would move him to the right okay um because he just bid to center nice you know it is nice about it is a that young male it's just the stare you know its expression and for that we're going to keep it and his uh siblings here yeah otherwise I said the lights a little e I mean it's kind of soft but that expression is the winner and the same way with that I just love the way his head is turned and you see the highlight in his eye and its a beautiful blackburn and its crop tight like that at work I have room look at the others uh too much going on this doesn't add much the sticks are too busy um because not quite sharp it'll be gone tomorrow okay this is right near home to huh uh it isthe um that was I think the day you were out with the otters way were down there at the same time a year I don't know yeah it was raining like cats and dogs that um I think the muddy maybe it's muddy corral area the horses look great the fence is pretty nice we'll dump it okay thank you for being so generous pretty nice I wish the front leg and the back legs a little more separation but I think you could leave it I love this one so different it's so nice to see something notice what he has in his left hand there uh keystone like I didn't see that that's a nice additions is there more of that oh I like that I think that's great in the fact it's not like a real stringer's is this willow stick and his nice salmon is walking that's cool definitely keeper and that's sweet to it's a nice just ahead portrait and I love the dark background really nice first I thought maybe too busy but then I start looking at the reflection of the grit and you know it's perfect roof like everything else is reflected is kind of abstract kind of painterly on very nice light exposure um yeah keeper and that's another well position good you've got the idea about the expression you know good job it's a tough one um when I first looked at I thought you know he's kind of placed oddly in that corner but sometimes ugly is different um is there any more room there john yes yes okay except that it's on it's on the right right damn I wouldn't have something I would not put any more on the right I think I'll keep it he's um just because it's different and you've got to be different so it's okay well whenever the moose had their mouth open like that it's kind of bullwinkle we got a lot of um not great position for the rear legs I mean we're talking about a really nice beaver dam I know where this is we've been there I was hoping to see him was I haven't seen the moose or else off also get ten points for that and there's just not it's not I don't know what it is is just is not place quite right maybe he needs a is more space in the left well I'm not sure okay all right I would say I put that in limbo too but I think it's the mouth gesture which is most uh she's chewing your cut or something I think very nice um that's a pup uh suckling there on the right yeah yeah that's pretty nice what I wish you had more on the right there's a rock there on the right yeah and I couldn't move further to the left because teo enhance it no I took it without falling in yeah no it's pretty sweet the branch kills it you know it just kills you know you're not gonna photoshopped that up I can take I can pop it out okay we crop it right here all right nice keep it's not quite um you couldn't make a decision where they keep the top of the mountain or not so it's there yeah what do you take it out for you do you all right put it back in so you know we ask for these critiques not to crop not to do anything so I could I could crop yeah I want to have the power but anyway you took the part so now you have to put it back out now I would like to see the top of moran moreover here no okay that that guy is a little tight there and the bottom is little type it I love the er fresh no I love the antelope itjust feels scrunched no that that that's word um so you put the top back in is anymore in the bottom at all you know okay okay well if they were a little bit more on the bottom would be better but if you put the top back and it'll help okay on difficult vertical you know it's just too too you want elephants up space so he has no place to go um you got the reflection but I think it's just too tight on top you get more on top now okay now that this crisis out to be a whole horizontal and you got three flight you tried to do the reflection to vertical but didn't quite work basketball apache I love that place I would like to see is lovely fog cranes uh I think that depth of field drops off um too quickly I like to see these birds here um in focus those khun dropout but uh these front ones are sharp you just need more depth of field have been great if you make it is made a smaller print of that it would probably be fine you know just that that enlargement it a little I would keep it that's great tight on the feet more there yes what the hell is with your with your with your feet when they brought it over from my website evidently cut a little bit off okay I put the feedbag and I love the mood of that in the fog and even though there's a lot of branches and stuff it but it frames it nicely and that new snow him bugling definitely a keeper okay we would love tio here if you have a portfolio website people can check out we'd love to hear about a um um gallery on landscapes and a gallery on some kind of strange things and it's ah j sm fine art images dot com euphemistically fine art images but j sm fine art images dot com thanks great love that thing's basically fine okay wondering all right so uh overall thoughts on that portfolio very nice nicely done and whenever you're doing a portfolio just be really brutal on yourself and sometimes it helps to obviously have somebody else let's get them because we all get attached that's one of the reasons I don't edit right away because I remember the moment and we brought a hard it is to get there how difficult how big the mountain was along a trick it wass you know the pretty girl I was with whatever it didn't matter in that doesn't matter just you know the image so um once you you take away all of those personal connections to the image sometimes they let it be for a while and go back to it but when you know you knew that elephant was too tight don't you just take it out even if it hurts the film medium format and it was expensive yeah well there you go but that's the hardest part is but just keep your best ones if you're going to show them to somebody and trust me I've got a lot of crap I don't want anybody to see ok so one more question just kind of what we're talking about portfolios is a hole what's your goal are you shooting purely as a hobbyist is an artist or is this something that you are looking to make money from do you currently I mean what's what's kind of your goal with your with your wildlife photography essentially retired on dh do it as a hobby outside well I was a thing that I am actually selling images on half the profits go to a charity which is on the website so you know if someone likes an image and I do the printing and the matting myself and they come out pretty nicely and uh half the profits go to charity so that's a little that's great congratulations scripture do you have any thought tom on that just kind of from a portfolio perspective with that goal in mind is there anything that you would change or just well I think that's a very honorable goal that he's he's uh retire your charitable keeping it as a fun hobby but yet is a profession and you're helping other people I don't know what is this specific charities you're giving too or is it a specific charity it's on the website it's wounded warriors yeah that's great

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

Last Great Wild Places
Adorama Gear Guide
Elk in the Willows
Elk River Crossing
Lighting at Magic Hour

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

There is probably just one word that comes closest to describing Tom Mangelsen’s photography. Glorious. There are other good words too, of course. And they are also inadequate. Mangelsen’s panoramas are (cumulatively and separately (any one of them)) the best I’ve seen. Mangelsen teaches by example and his examples are exemplary. I’ve seen several photographers giving courses on CreativeLive lately many of whose photos I would love to have taken - but with Mangelsen I envy his possession not just of his photos but of their subjects too. And he does possess his subjects in ways many outstanding photographers fail to - possesses them and then leaves them to continue on with their lives. There are other reasons I’m grateful for this course too - his field trips and critiques have shown me (as with other CreativeLive courses) just how lazy I’m being with my work. And if his critiques aren’t motivation enough I only have to view his slide show ‘Last Great Wild Places’ for more inspiration. The photos in this series are revelations all on their own - even without commentary. Thank you CreativeLive for continuing to bring us the finest wildlife and nature photographers at work today - and thank you to photographers like Tom Mangelsen for giving us a look at the way they work.

user-5a9732
 

I could not stop watching this class and set aside time each day until I finished it. I guess you could saw that I binge watched it. Then I was really sad when it was finished! Like a good movie that stays with you and that you don't want to end! This is a wonderful class and the best I have taken at CreativeLive. I learned so much and have a great fondness for Tom Mangelsen. He really knows how to pull you into his passion. I am so grateful to have taken this course and grateful to Tom for all that he has done in his career to further his craft and to share it. I am inspired! If you are going to purchase and course from CreativeLive, this is one to be sure to take!!! Thank you again.

Dub Maitland
 

Excellent class! An incredibly talented photographer who has a vast knowledge of the subject matter as well as an outstanding ability to deliver the information. It was as enjoyable as it was informative. I first saw Tom's work in an office in Denver in 1991 and have been inspired by him ever since. Thank you Creative Live, for giving us the opportunity to spend this time with the Master! And thank you Tom for your willingness to share your talent with us! Dub Maitland, Missoula, MT.

Student Work

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