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Viewer's Photos Critiqued: Part 2

Lesson 22 from: Taking the Fear Out Of Low Light Photography

Jared Polin

Viewer's Photos Critiqued: Part 2

Lesson 22 from: Taking the Fear Out Of Low Light Photography

Jared Polin

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Lesson Info

22. Viewer's Photos Critiqued: Part 2

Lesson Info

Viewer's Photos Critiqued: Part 2

We just need a little more light we need to pump up that face a little bit bring up the exposure bring up the highlights or the whites and this is a winning shot I I like it it's it's moody I love the spotlight in the back the beam of light that showing up it's just that the exposure it's pretty flat up there it's pretty flat up here actually contrast e but I'm saying we need more light in the face and I think that will make it pop but that's a cool shot alford oh prez oh prez or perez it's just perez alfred perez no it's oprah's that always there's got to be oprah's I know it's not this is fine it's a base shot it's exposed really well I like the colors I like the kitty cat on the shirt it's a fine shot I think it works for the bass player it's good for what it is oh it looked so fake to me he doesn't care this is obviously a newborn shot if if if there's ever to be one that's black and white this is a black and white this this is a black and white I think and I don't know where the f...

ocus is because she's not in focus unfortunately one eightieth of a second of three five two thousand s o sixty six millimeters twenty eight to seventy five to eight that's interesting I think I don't know that anything is in focus in this but let's forget about the focus part just look at the black and white motorin months my friends yeah I think that this is gonna work better in black and white just quickly doing that yes no maybe I just think it's sweet and the color didn't do it justice can I hit this button now I can't hit it when I'm zoomed in but I don't think the color did it justice obviously I can't comment on focus because it's not in focus but if we were just born out the positives great composition great moment captured just black and white and focus would be good if a this is cropped into a weird square it's fine it's just cropped into a red square a little too much headroom just I don't know why it's cropped into such a weird square that's all ok very low light situation not much that you can do I mean that looks like one single spotlight on this guy color wise it is what it is black and white I think you lose all context and you lose the people because the black and white on this I don't think is going to work the shot itself lack of lighting is really hurting it so I'm going to move on oh shit talk about snap talk about the wrong place to have a watermark is that the microphone or is that what that's a watermark that's a wrong place on this image to have a watermark? That's what threw me off the image could be cool and especially that but my I went right to the watermark first and foremost if work if we're going to be honest and critiquing this but that water mark has to go black and white could draw us in mme or a little bit more contrast I think we're focused in here somewhere but there's really doesn't seem to be much it doesn't seem like it's in focus at all that's that's it I like it I like the idea of it the execution was lacking just a little bit and partly with that water mark this is cool I feel this one I like that this is a type of guitar shot you could see when you shoot the john mayer's of the world uh the curves of his arm and everything looked really good the exposure is pretty good so I think this works out pretty well it's muted it's the opposite of the way that I process my images but I like the image I like what they did with it so again it's personal preference what how you process it this is nice that's thick that's really thick too so that's overcome that's not going to say over contrast it's very contrast t I like it yeah, we can't zoom in on it so I don't know what the original looks like it's a very good moment captured great moment captured for that for that matter love the smoke in the background I like what's going on in it I don't know that our angles air straight hard to tell whether they are where they're not which is good I think it's a pretty cool shot I think this works well for a live concert shot especially the exposure really nice done so this is just plain this is this is again you want to talk about hiding a color image that doesn't work? This is where it's going to happen like this and we'll see if we can actually bring it out no too much see if we can add some interest to it because I don't know that there's much interest to be added to this because it's not an interesting image to begin with but I still think it's better to go black and white then the color it at least looks okay. What is that that's added later, isn't it you see what I'm talking about that's not going to be written on the board not on the threats it's too it's too perfect it's it's a font it's too perfectly written wow very interesting ok, I'll keep moving but that's definitely it could be a watermark um that's a black and white that has the split toning done to it trying to make it something that's very hard lighting to get I mean that's not very good light at all, so they did a good job getting the exposure right for this? I don't mind this time for some reason that they're lower in the frame, but if you really wanted to get into the crop game, I think that we could, uh, compositionally you want to play this type of thing, hold on and this is yes way too extreme to crop. I think that's going to be a better shot? Do you feel that one as well? So looking at it in the composition, I think that would be better if you really want to play with the light coming out from the top and you don't want to fill the frame all the way up there. I think we have to go and look for something like this shot with a forty two point eight, so not their fault that they couldn't zoom in because they're shooting with a fixed focal length lens, but if they had a longer lens, this is what I would do with it that's a cool shot from the side, I love this, I can't I mean it's, a it's, a terrible water mark, but this works I love love the tones love the exposure love the angle as part of a photo story you've got the shots from the pit you got the shot from the stage this looks good like it I think it's in it's in we're giving it to him on this could be a flash from this box but either way I like it I like the softness of the face the beard looks great the mustache looks great the wow I'm stuttering now it's getting late the light looks good and I love this little white halo anything falling around here I think it creates a natural halo something to draw us into the image I like that shot he's playing with just the tip they're not feeling oh no he's not even focused the drum kits and focus the pearl drum kit I don't I don't like the colors but this looks like a bar scene so we have to know that this isn't a full on concert venue I could see that from the mirror because usually at a concert venue not going mirrors in the back for what it is it's good but I would rather have the focus on the drummer in the very least to make this a better image he's anti twenty three so maybe doesn't like michael jordan what do you what do you guys think it's a little central for me on dit does and quite have in order for him to be in the center it's not quite so metro symmetrical enough all right that's what I see I didn't hate that I mean, I like that I like that personally yeah, but I like I love center crop so their center composition so that's aesthetics right there yeah, I actually like it and trying to go black and white I don't think it works I think they have a better a better play at it here in color it's cool it's a good stage shot it is a little flat, but I think I think it has to work actually, I like all these different lights pointing in different directions. I don't I don't mind that they're in the middle. I don't mind that there's this distracting thing over here that's my own preference I don't care that sometimes things get in on the side it is what it is when you're shooting photo journalistically you don't have control over every situation like you're sitting in here like a portrait photographer and control there's no excuses in the studio for making those mistakes. This isn't a mistake. This is just part of the frame I think they're centered pretty well angles maybe off slightly a little bit but that's nit picking if I wanted to get nit picky um obviously that's a ton of contrast it works because the light is over here on the face whether they're in focus is another well it's hard to tell because we don't have the full file it's fine it's okay not bad that's a little tough with the two people on the microphone it really is because nobody's clear you don't know what you're not saying you don't know which is saying because they're both singing but you don't have a clear view at either of them compositionally spot on exposure pretty good most of it's pretty good that's perfect I like it a lot it doesn't doesn't get better than probably using uh let's play what in f one for f two o with the thirty five one eight all right that's a nikon thirty five one eight to two hundred dollars lens getting this effect looks awesome this is this is great one three twenty eighth of a second f two and let me just tell you how hard it is to get focused at f two but it is tax sharp right here and this is this is a solid, solid solid image one of the best ones I think we've seen so far I don't know if that's flee or not maybe it's just a guy that wants to be flee but uh because there's a bass player so it's probably not flee if there's another bass player in the background because that's not his hand I don't know what that says compositionally it's throwing me off a little bit it's just a little awkward the way that it's framed it's just a little awkward exposure pretty cool I like the fact that that's where it's pretty harsh but they did a great job with the harsh light and getting the right exposure that the guy from uh cheap trick don't know one of them that's the type of suit they wear this is fine it's a fine concert shot not nothing nothing the mind blowing it works what is in his hand I don't know what it's going to be some kind of shaker this works I obviously I would love to see a little more action in the guy's face but you want to talk about drawing you into the frame both of the symbols of drawing you into the center of the subject which is which is the point I like the composition I like the tones I like the exposure it it's very good for what it is hoops yeah that's pretty grainy let's just see what this is shot at just for fun oh ten thousand s o twenty four seven to eight ten thousand miles so it's probably a d three or d for something along those lines this works I don't mind I mean that is a lot of noise but I don't care this is a great look at the people they look grungy if it fits it fits the image I would not throw this out I think this is a cool shot it is pretty darn noisy but I don't do you guys care about that no I like I still I don't like the shot I like what's going on these guys air rocking out and the lead singer's I don't know he's facing out it's great who can't tell you if it's cropped or not very it's split toned there's a great moment great capture things nice exposure nice nice job all around I think I like this a lot it's it's right where it needs to be I can't tell you anything other than that kim johnston it's a snapshot that's all nothing I can tell you it's just a snapshot um it's a drummer shot there's not much to say to save him from the light because the lights already grabbed him but this is just it's just not a keeper and it's not it's not the photographers fault here they did everything they could with what they had it's just very hard to shoot in that situation so that's what I have for that hello we have some lens flare going on here she's kind of angry at something it's ok and I think in a photo story part is probably pretty good there's not much it's a pretty diabolic look so it works all right um yeah it's just a it's just it's it's a picture that shows you what exactly what's going on? I don't even think that black and white saves this or does anything different with it, its cadets in the line and it works for what it is but it doesn't grab me as being extremely awesome but for low light the exposure is right on that stuff looks good, I don't know, okay, so let's think what are things that we could do if we had the opportunity to take this image again or do something different we could focusing on the person in the front and try to blow out the people behind them or see the people out of focus behind them? That could be pretty cool of course I don't know where they're allowed to stand or not, but that's if we had free rein to do whatever we want maybe straight from the side with a wider angle to show more of this gymnasium and mohr of what's going on, I think that would save that do something different for the image it's all right it's a very harsh there's no front light coming into exposure wise they did a great job doing that ah, but image wise is really not much you know is sweating and throwing his hair up or her hair up whoever it is that's all I have for that well the exposure is good but but the the drum kit should be falling off the riser should be sliding down to the left that's the only thing I have about this is that it's the dutch angle doesn't work there's no reason there's no reason whatsoever for this angle do you agree? It's just I don't I don't think there's any any situation where this angle works because it's just not it's just not level it's just not straight bring this one down a little bit more too much headroom for where it is zoom in let's see what the lens was eighteen the one o five o it's already out at one o five so they can't get any closer then if you can't get any closer I would try to get his whole body in in that case you have more it's an eighteen the one o five pullback seventy some millimeters seventy five millimeters get the whole body and because this composition doesn't work exposure wise yeah that works good job working with that cause that's pretty harsh lighting is that an insane clown posse wannabe it's flat it's really, really flat it's okay it's just this this is the kind of guy you want to take a tight head shot off because you can get away with it I think that would work out well uh yeah, the chair very distracting the chair is very distracting this person looks either that either that's a really tall pedestal or a really short person stage plays one another hard thing to shoot this is all good I just think that the exposure is off forty millimeter eighteen the two hundred let's say I just pulled back on the exposure a little bit because it needed it I don't think black and white would be better I don't think that works because there's too much light in the background the contrast takes you right to the background in this case the color works because were brought right back to the subject. We see that how that blew in the background turned in the black sea became the brightest part of the scene. I don't like that so much so we got the kid right here and I think that this is a better exposure then this or a better a better process because it's not as hard this just seems a little harsh. Yeah, yeah where not to put a watermark is fine. It's a lot of uh this is using a lot of the highlight slider you can see it in the face that it was over exposed or hot that they brought back the highlights lighter so I'm losing it there a little bit the the the editing is pretty good but the frame is just pretty boring same thing that's just boring right, there's the cat in the back. But this is just this is just boring. It's just flat out that's the moment that was captured. I like that it's a cool shot from the side from the drummer like thea bass player back here too. So it's all good. Not the greatest in the world. Well, that's a pretty low light situation. I don't think it's in focus over here so that that kind of hurts the image right there. One one twenty fifth of a second three point two, eight. Thirty two hundred s o twenty four millimeters twenty four two point eight it's a cool scene. I just wish that something was in focus. That's fine. No different than what I was showing yesterday when I shot uh it's pretty good. Obviously would like it a little tighter could go hard sonically the to frame around his hands here this would end up. We'll just show you why don't I just do it? So what? I would look for something more on the lines of wait for it. Wait for it. Of course, this is playing the game of cropping after the fact. But I just think it's a it's a better shot. And we could sit and do this to my images all day long so nobody out there sit here and think that my images are are perfect that couldn't use the same thing that we're doing right here because they absolutely could use the same thing and I will be analyzing it but I think that this is much stronger than where it started that's okay exposures fine not much going on there just the guy playing the guitar with a big tattoo on his arm that's cool there's not much to say I mean is it ah black light type thing it looks good go boy we got to get rid of the flowers I mean, this guy doesn't look like a flower guy so we got to get rid of the tree to the left that's just obviously distracting in this case pump up the contrast, pump up the contracts, pump up, just pump up the contrast a little bit just that little bit do you see what happened there? So you went from going from a tow er that and get rid of the this is in the way I wouldn't ever have that in that shot sparkler very hard, some very hard thing to get a proper exposure for I think they did a good job but it's sze pretty plain pretty plain that's okay it's nice I mean no, they look diabolical like zombie ballerinas but usually harsh lighting situations in this area I think they did a good job with the exposure that person getting choked yes she likes doing that too so yeah this this looks good composition wise this seems to be like go vertical there's too much dead space on both sides exposure is fine it's a bar picture from you know what what is that denmark would that be a danish looking flag or am I wrong totally one hundred percent somebody in the chat room will let us know I'm sure this is okay it is what it is it's a local venue and it's actually what what are the positives I will point out to a photo like this is that it looks like we have every single band member in it any time you can get the entire band into a frame that's a win right there this is a square crop this is more of a snapshot I like the exposure is cool but it's it's the square crop doesn't work good basketball shot what I like about is we have the people underneath the basket for people one, two, three four five blue shirts in the lane that's crazy but this is my shot like the composition like that the ball's going up it would be cool if the basket was in there a little bit but that's being nit picky so this is pretty good and that's a guy nice muscles good composition it's nice it works subject matter interesting but the frame definitely does work it's a nice job would this be like hairspray or something? Is it rocky core that's rocky horror I went saw that once I for god I should have brought a raincoat people were throwing stuff. This is cool I like it I like the way it is. I like the type of light that's here it looks good this is great exposure composition wise I can live with it it is a little bit too much headroom it's pretty boring what's going on but it is a good shot, very harsh light very tough to get that blue light great exposure because if if the only light is this blue light coming in from the back then they did a great job with the exposure. But other than that it's it's not an interesting image holy snap look at that! I don't I don't know what to say I'm kind of drawn away from the subject matter here I drawn away by all the distracting trusses right that's what's drawing me away it's an interesting subject matter why aren't we vertical shooting the poll? You have a vertical poll going up there right it that is eating them that's a dented microphone or he's taking a bite out of crime composition is cool I don't know that it's in focus if it was in focus it's pretty darn cool I love it because his eyes are closed it's soft in terms of I don't know that it's in focus but it's just it's kind of meditative type thing it's interesting and that's what I like about the shot is that it's interesting? Please don't tell me that that's the right framing home on ok thankfully ok then I'd better go backwards. It may have still been zoomed and no, it wasn't it was it's not sure nato connor because nothing compares to her um I don't dislike the negative space in this one. I'm kind of drawn to it. I think it kind of works, so I think it kind of works in black and white you're going to lose all that nice little purple color this shot do you want me just rapidly fire go through here! I don't know how many more we have! I think we're almost there, so I'll rapid fire through the rest in a couple minutes and then we'll take another question then we'll wrap it up for the day. No, just no make sure you don't cut off his finger this maybe a flash, but I like I like what's going on here but there's no reason is that a track athlete? So this is probably a senior portrait if I had to guess because I can see that it's on the track it's done in the rain this could have been a better vertical shot or pulled back a little bit there's no reason to cut off his finger and cut off the baton in this situation maybe even get all his feet in there that is the only thing wrong with this image other than that I would like it well it nice but unfortunately the hands air out of the one hand is totally cut off right here nothing you could do about it it's ok that's about it with that that's just a snapshot hey stand here and let me take a picture and that and that's really all that is that's a hippie guy playing hippie music and he's out of focus I think you want to hide an image you make this one black and white also but it still doesn't save it uh not enough light in the faces here this is a bowling alley cause I see the balls in the background this is pretty cool you want to know what is he about to do? What is he whispering in her ear it's cool. I kind of like to feel that I like the color nous of this I like the colors that are going on in this I feel this one is well, I like the background. I like that they're placed in the bottom right corner. I don't know what they're look. They're looking at a phone, but I like it. The out of focus background really draws me into the it actually draws me into the subject here. I like this one. That's okay, this is a typical soundboard shot. So what you're gonna get from the back it's going to pretty plain it's good it's exposed weld sharp. I would have focused in on the ipad taking the picture. This is that would be the only thing that could save this images take a picture of the person taking a picture of the person in the picture. I think that would have done it better. Because in this it just doesn't really work. And it may be better in black and white because of that color is bad. This is this is pretty cool. This is probably a flash going off, but I like the framing. I don't mind that the head is cut off where it is because it's not integral to the frame and I like that he's ah, saxophone player. Nice tone, it's rich, it's, thick it's cool, it is what it is. Not much else that's a straight on live shot part of my thing is, I'm not a big fan of doing too many live shots these days because they do start to look generic over the time. This is this is a generic shot that is good it's, not the it's, not the most interesting thing in the world, but it's good as part of a photo story perry farrell jane's addiction I toured with him for six weeks yeah, that not not loving it, the microphone and hander and focus and he's not in focus that's what I have to say about that I mean, he does a lot, he puts on a great show, so composition wise, good, even if it was in focus, I don't think it works because you don't really see him and that's my harshness on that one just on that on that last one was the mike far enough from the face for your taste. Yeah, it is because he's not eating it like right on the edge, it's on the edge on the glory but it's it's just it's. The interest of the subject in this case defeats the it's not there so that's what we're missing, but and the hands and focus bass player that's fine that's a fine shot from the back maybe leave a little more room bias foot if you want to nit pick that's the foot's really close to the edge there so leave a little bit more room but that's cool, nice processing. Nice exposure, you know? Do we hate the fact that the feeder cut off in this one? Or do we hate the fact that there's no light in the face or what is it it's? Hard to say, it's just a hard image toe it's I wish there was light in the face, but there's not. This is just one of those things that you're faced with sometimes at these shows. Uh, there's not much, I guess there's somebody on stage right now, but it's just it's more of a snapshot. It doesn't really doesn't really tell much to me from from the back from a band from shooting in the back. I think that this works because you have the crowds heads in there you have the person singing beautiful exposure. I like the tones of this it's not overly contrast in the sub main subject looks very good. I got a look at something here. We don't have the information. I can't tell if this is the lens, this is something shooting through something anybody have any idea? I don't know, but either way it's not sharp that's, fine from the side, actually has the whole guitar. And they're nice tones. Maybe a little brighter to get some more light into the face. But this is a cool shot from the side.

Ratings and Reviews

Rusty Shinault
 

I'm a huge fan of Jared Polin; love his humorous and relaxed style of teaching. I love that he's passionate about photography, and that he is willing to share his experiences, opinions, and knowledge. I really enjoy Creative Live classes, and really enjoyed watching Jared teach in front of a live class. Hope to see more of Jared teaching on your platform.

user cf5d2d
 

Jared did not disappoint! He shared his knowledge of composition, exposure, and capturing the moment - all while engaging his audience and keeping things light and fun. I absolutely LOVE when how he sets up his equipment so that we can see each snapshot he takes, and then tells us why it's a good shot or why it's not a keeper. It's so easy to learn that way. I'm a second grade teacher (a.k.a. an educator) who, thanks to Jared can call myself a photographer. Jared is a photographer who is also a great educator!

a Creativelive Student
 

I've seen a few CreativeLive sessions and this was one of the best. It was very unique and engaging I liked the onsite shooting and review and critique. I have done teaching and I know how hard it is to teach WHILE you are doing and I think Jared did a great job of balancing that. I'm quite familiar with his FroKnowsPhoto podcast and website so I knew what to expect and both HE and CreativeLive EXCEEDED my expectations. Thanks much also for letting him use use studio for Raw Talk on the Road (my suggested name for it), I could see a real opportunity for CL to provide access to their facilities for others wanting to record training, etc.

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