Luminous Landscape Forum
The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: mitchdob on October 08, 2006, 03:04:52 am
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Hi:
I recently put up a new site, and looking for some feedback from fellow peers. I haven't shown much work until now, so some good, honest critiques would be greatly appreciated. And I trust the Luminous Landscape Forums.
Note: It's version 1 of the site, so there are still a few navigation issues to work out (when scrolling the filmstrip). This will be worked out within a few weeks.
The url is: http://www.mitchdobrowner.com (http://www.mitchdobrowner.com)
Thanks for the help.
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Mitch,
Congratualtions. A body of exceptionally fine work. Well seen and beautifully executed.
Michael
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Mitch,
Michael is right (surprise!) Very fine B&W work. Have you submitted any to Brooks Jensen (Lenswork)? They would look well in his magazine.
Eric
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Impressive images. I especially like the B&W work of the Moab area. I always focus on the color of the rock there, the shapes had really been lost until now.
Phillip
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Very nice indeed.
Especially impressive is the fact that it all seems to have been shot this year. Your productivity puts us to shame!
Congratulations on your return to photography and a superb running start.
Peter
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Beautiful work, Mitch. Thanks for sharing!
Mike
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Some of the most stunning B&W photography I have ever seen. Simply superb. 'Civilization' of L.A. is the most compelling photograph of a city. Thank-you for sharing this.
CS
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Your site is now in my bookmarks, under the heading of 'Inspiration'. Stunning photography indeed.
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I second all the above based on what I've been able to see ..... the navigation on your site is a little problematical as you mentioned, and I wasn't able to view more than one or two images. Even so, very impressive!
Bob.
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Mitch, as for the work...I'm speechless.
I like the spare simplicity of your site--no extraneous stuff there so the work takes the fore, as it should. However, I also found the navigation to be a bit cumbersome--but I see that's on your to-do list.
Simply splendid.
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Your work has a very unusual look, while still being subtle, that I really like. The navigation of the site works very well, too; many sites have overly complex navigation that is more annoying than anything else, and yours avoids that.
One question that I'm curious about, though:
I can tell that many of the images are IR; are all of them, or just some??? (I'm experimenting in IR photography, and am still figuring out what scenes work well in IR and which don't. Seeing your IR images is quite educational!)
Lisa
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Thank you for all the positive responses. Geez, I'm a bit shocked and at the same time inspired and honored.
In regards to IR, I shoot digital in both a straight up B&W, IR form.... and sometimes 35mm film (Plus-X). I try and shoot the proper format based on the subject matter. But for Trees specifically I like to shoot in IR, as I find that the most interesting for that subject matter. - Mitch
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Mitch,
Can I assume "35mm" film where appropriate.
I have gone back to film (4x5) over the past 6 months. I shared your site with a few LF friends. All appreciated the fine work you are doing, but universally wondered how this would look in a large print.
bob
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When using 35mm film, I have my selected negatives drum scanned 4K. Prints (digital darkroom) are sized anywhere between 10x16 to 13x19 dependent on subject matter. At those sizes there is little loss of resolution or definition (to my eye). Those same sizes translate (dependent on subject matter) w/ digitally acquired images. I'm also only interested in printing images at those sizes - and not any larger. Larger sizes are not necessarily my thing. Also, translating visually what you see on the site to print is important to me. - Mitch
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When using 35mm film, I have my selected negatives drum scanned 4K. Prints (digital darkroom) are sized anywhere between 10x16 to 13x19 dependent on subject matter. At those sizes there is little loss of resolution or definition (to my eye). Those same sizes translate (dependent on subject matter) w/ digitally acquired images. I'm also only interested in printing images at those sizes - and not any larger. Larger sizes are not necessarily my thing. Also, translating visually what you see on the site to print is important to me. - Mitch
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=79724\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Mitch, what printer do you use?
Bob.
PS By the way, I've now managed to check out all the images and they really are exceptionally fine! Inspirational is not an exageration! Thank you.
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An Epson 2400
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Mitch,
Wow!! Your photography really does stand out from the pack. It's original and inspirational. Great eye. Great work.
Carmine
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Mitch, I am just in awe of how clean, beautiful, and well composed your images are. One of my current goals in photography is improving my black and white output. I believe I have just found what I am shooting (pun intented, but only in retrospect) for.
Honestly, I don't want to sound like a sycophant, but your work is just stunning. I'll be sharing your site with family and a few friends. 'Reflections' in Death Valley is an instant favorite of mine.
-NLund-
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All..... just wanted to again say thanks for all the kind words and feedback. I know I have a long way to go, but the response helps show me that what I'm shooting isn't all that bad.
NLund and Chrissand - it would be my pleasure to send you prints of the images you liked. Like, it would be an honor. Please feel free to go to my website, get my email address and let me know where to send them to (via email). Then you can also critique my prints too!!
I plan to update the posting (and get some more feedback) when update the site with some new images next month.
And Michael (if that's you) - what a great resource you've created. I just wanted to thank you.
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While I really like the photography, I find your site slow, unresponsive, and unintuitive. A few examples: the pages load invisibly, leaving me with just a black screen, which leaves me wondering whether it is working; the small image selection menu on the left is very jumpy and hard to pick an image from; selecting a caegory clears the right of the page, but the selction window appears on the left, where I am not looking for it.
My perspective is that a gallery like this should be immediately engaging and accessible, because I look at the various linked pages as part of a variety of links which come off of this forum and other places. If your site is taking up extra time, and not giving me immediate access to the images, I move on. Perhaps this sound curmudgeounly, but there are lots of time-consuming photographer sites out there that I have just passed on, because the page has dictated to me the speed at which I am able to look at the images, and I have a limited amount of time to see all the sites linked to on the various sources I look at. Were I alone in this, I would just admit to being a grump and shut up, but I know that many others have a problem with such flash presentations, and I thought I should say something. In fact, I initially closed the window with your site, after fiddling with it for half a minute, and only reopened it based upon the feedback lower in the thread. I am glad I did, as I really appreciated the images you posted.
A favorite piece of web-design advice I read was 'don't break the way people interact with the internet,' and I think that might be pertinent to your site design. I know I don't go to a new and unknown site with the idea that I am going to spend 10 minutes there, and see what happens--I look at it, and if it engaging, I spend longer--I feel that the site has a barrier to entry that makes me want to give it less of a chance, as I would have already scanned through half a dozen images in a conventional gallery in the time it took to load two on yours.
Perhaps I just come across as cranky and hurried, in which case you are welcome to ignore me, but I thought I would give feedback on the site. My feedback on the photos follows the praise above.
[Technical note: I am viewing your site on a iBook G4 running Safari, connected to a major university internet backbone, so speed of computer and connection does not seem to be the limiting issue, but I could be wrong.]
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Hi:
I recently put up a new site, and looking for some feedback from fellow peers.
Thanks for the help.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=79511\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Mitch,
Lovely work, inspires me to get back into B&W. I particularly like your "take" on the Fox Plaza. I work in that building and have tried my hand on a number of occasions at photographing it.
Paul
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Hey Paul: Yep.... you're feedback seems pretty right on regarding the website's navigation. I feel the same way after living with the site for the past month now. Right now the first time the website is accessed, the time it takes to load images does take away from the main focus of looking at the images sequentially. This can happen the first time you access the website - until the images are initially cached. But yea, it breaks up the fluidity. Part of this is because the images are a bit large. I may try to compress them a bit more (w/o destroying any image quality) to help alleviate some of this problem. And as mentioned earlier in the thread, I still need to have the filmstrip navigation fixed - as it's not right yet either.
The main focus of the site's design is to be simple - so that people stay focused on the imagery. But Flash is required for the dissolves. Wish that were different.
So the website is not there yet, but I hope to get it there by the end of the year. Posting on this site has helped me. I'm now looking forward to finishing this initial implementation (of the site) now so I can get back to the photography. I plan on posting some new images and fixing some of these problems mid/end of November.
And you don't come across as cranky or hurried. You come off as just the opposite. You took the time. Thanks.
- Mitch
www.mitchdobrowner.com
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The main focus of the site's design is to be simple - so that people stay focused on the imagery. But Flash is required for the dissolves. Wish that were different.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=82125\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
As the other here I really likes your images, but conserning your above statement I feel I have to ask:
Why is dissolves more important that having people spending time and seeing you images?
Besides, dissolves can be done i java script as well, so flash is not needed, but it migth be easier to do in flash?
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Gorgeous work, I wish I had all of them on my walls!
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Mitch,
Great work! Lenswork seems to beckon!!
A few things you might want to look into:
1. When the images are cropped, there is an almost black patch at the bottom.
2. With some images that have a dark area at the sides or the top, it's difficult to see the edges of the image.
To correct both these problems, do you think a white background might be better?
3. Because of the dissolve, the main image takes a little longer to load than the thumbnail. Perhaps you should get rid of the dissolve?
4. When the last image is reached, the "next" button should be disabled. Similarly for the first image, the "previous" button should be disabled.
These are very minor things. I'm trying to build my own site, so I hope you will let me know it's flaws too
I see that you assisted Pete Turner. The first photography magazine I bought showed his work - part of what pushed me from accounting to photography.
Kumar
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You aren't the only one - I had exactly the same reaction. I clicked on a link at the left and sat there looking at a black screen thinking "Huh?" - I didn't notice the tiny thumbnails for ages.
Wonderful images, obstructed by 'too clever by half' design.
(using Firefox on XP)
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I can easily see why all the compliments above have been proferred. There is a high consistency of effort and the successful realization of the photographer's goal. Indeed, the images seem to be right down Lens Work's alley.
Not to diminish the enjoyment of the many commenters, I just want to provide the perspective that not everyone shares this particular aesthetic. The "Holy Curve" as I call the treatment of virtually every photo that appears in Lens Work's pages becomes a treatment cliche, as does, unfortunately, IR. I find, in most work in that magazine, that the "Holy Curve" becomes the dominant subject matter, obscuring the individuality of the nominal subject matter. I believe this is true of Ansel's iconic work where, in a real sense, the subject becomes The Zone System on Operatic steroids.
Again, I am not criticizing those who enjoy this work, but I am saying to those whose inclinations lead in a different direction, that the approach in work such as this is not the only path.
Your friendly neighborhood photo-heretic.
BTW on my fiber-optic line the site loaded fast and I thought the interface protocol was a good one.
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I updated my site last night with new images shot over the last few weeks. If you have time to view them go to the "Recent" link off the main page:
www.mitchdobrowner.com
The first 11 images on that link are new. The others (Trona) were shot in mid-September. Any feedback on them would be greatly appreciated.
- Mitch
ps: Based on input from this site, the way the site navigates (ie: the filmstrip) should be fiixed and implemented over the next month. Thanks all for the help and feedback on this.
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Perhaps the 20 year nap did you a lot of good. Great stuff.
Wow.
Site itself a bit ticklish (so is mine).. but that's nothing. Trees shows
water..using Mac OS 10.4.8 w/ Safari.
Urban does not fit with rest, IMO.
Did I say great enought times?
-w
www.roosphoto.com
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I am impressed with the consistency of the new images added. In fact I'm blown away. Inspirational to say the least. Some of the best black and white photography I've seen. The volume of wonderful images shot in less then 2 years is also impressive. Keep it going. The site also does an excellent job in representing the work.
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Since I received a bunch of personal emails asking me what camera I shoot with, thought I'd repond. Answer: I shoot with a Sony R1.
Bought the R1 for under a thousand dollars. Great camera. Its my best buddy.
- Mitch
www.mitchdobrowner.com
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Mitch, since you site is actually very simple and contains very little except photos, I'd consider a non flash version with a link on the first page. I'd also consider using flash as an enhancement rather than an esseential element. Some will have to download the plugin to view, so I'd cater to those who don't want to by providing a way to view the images without downloading. You could do this by making the master menu in HTML. I'd also navigate images from the main area. Using the thumbnails above the menu is awkward, some won't figure it out and will exit the site in frustration. The navigation of the scrolling thumbnails is also a bit awkward. I'd prefer to see an array of thumbnails that either don't need to be scrolled at all, or not very much.
Text - it's a bit dark and small
It's hard for me to comment on this as I have a fast connection, but I imagine that dial up users will be left in the dark while a lot of the content loads. You can address this by providing fast loading content that includes text and a small amount of images right from the start. Flash - use a preloader which shows what % has been loaded. Also you can break it up so that they aren't waiting for preloading of too much content they may not wish to see. It's a balancing act.
email - linked to your domain is more professional than a gmail account
I like the fade in / fade out feature, as I think it suits the content and gives the site a nice feel. I think the use of flash would be appropriate if it wasn't the only available option.
I tend to agree with the comment about giving users as much control as possible over how they browse.
Text for the image annotations is definately too small
I think some kind of logo is also needed. Something more than your name in blue text. Even if it is just unique particular font arranged in a more graphic way, or smaller sirname or christian name - how you present your name needs to look designed. The menu on the left looks a little bland.
The composition of the page overall needs to convey that artistry of your work as well. As it stands, I don't think it's working. The area around the image is a frame and is as important as a frame purchased for a print. Again, it needs to look designed, not merely the result of putting an image in the middle of the screen. Of course, this is tricky when you don't have control of the monitor size of the viewer. One idea would be to use a filmstrip below the main image. Users can click on the thumbnails which then load into the main image.
Now that I've spend more time in the site, the lack of control of the main image is getting annoying. It starts to feel like a slideshow. It becomes "sit down and watch the show or leave it." For that to work, it has to be very engaging and short.
Another suggestion you might consider is to use some white on the site. Since your work is black and white, it fits that your site is both black and white. At the moment, it's mostly black and fairly dark grey. I'm a little curious if some white would help. For the most part, I feel the darkness of the site is a good thing, but perhaps some white could also be a good idea.
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Mitch you already know that I'm your biggest fan.
My question is for etude:
You seem to have an extraordinary knowledge of what is right and wrong with web pages/sites. Do you happen to work in this particular area? I am looking for someone to set up my web page and am having difficulties getting what I would like. Or can you maybe recommend someone. Thanks!
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Hi Camilla, yes I do website design. You have mail.
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Hi Camilla, yes I do website design. You have mail.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=89188\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
yes thank you
it's tropizz@optonline.net
ciao
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Hello-
As your site stands now, there is too much delay between the time you click an image and the time it shows up.
Beautiful work though.
Good luck.
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Crikey those are amazing photographs, especially the desert landscapes.
In my opinion the navigation is terrible though. You could easily fix this by stopping the thumbnails from scrolling as you move the mouse, and instead just have backward and forward buttons under them. A loading bar would be useful for impatient surfers I guess.
However the superb photographs make this technicality almost irrelevant.
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Thanks for all the comments as they have been a great help to me.
I've updated my site with some new images shot over the past week. To view them go to www.mitchdobrowner.com and to the "Recent" link. The new images start at the fifth image on the link, with the "rainstorm" shot. There are 7 new shots all labeled 2007. Would love to get some comments and/or critiques.
I know the site still has its navigation issue related to the filmstrip, so it may be best to use the arrows to navigate. The issue is being worked on and should be resolved in a few weeks. Thanks again, as your past comments and communications have been a great help. - Mitch