Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: rustyjaw on July 08, 2008, 08:23:27 pm

Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: rustyjaw on July 08, 2008, 08:23:27 pm
I'm still fairly new to photography. It's been just over 2 years since I moved beyond snapshots to making it a more serious hobby. About a year ago I graduated from a P&S to a DSLR. In the past few months I've begun to think about applying to photo competitions and/or galleries. So I have started to form a portfolio. The common thread in these images is they are all from abandoned structures.

This point of this post is not to elicit compliments, although I won't turn them down :-). I really would like some honest opinions about the work, the individual images, as well as the collection.

My main concerns are: are these too similar, not enough variety compositionally or any other way? Do any seem out of place with the rest? Do they work well as a group?

(Note that the square format is the result of how I formatted them for callforentry.org, I hope it's not too distracting to evaluate them.)

Any feedback would be great.

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/dead-cells.jpg)
1. dead cells

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/backdrop.jpg)
2. backdrop

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/cutaway.jpg)
3. cut away

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/hall_of_mirrors.jpg)
4. hall of mirrors

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/compressor.jpg)
5. compressor no. 1

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/solitude.jpg)
6. solitude

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/perspective.jpg)
7. perspective

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/decadent-decline.jpg)
8. decadence

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/meander.jpg)
9. meander

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/rosy.jpg)
10. rose
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: rustyjaw on July 08, 2008, 08:24:43 pm
I didn't know there was a 10 image limit, here are the other 8

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/pillar-of-strength.jpg)
11. pillar of strength

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/the-return.jpg)
12. the return

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/partly-cloudy.jpg)
13. partly cloudy

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/office-blues.jpg.jpg)
14. the blues

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/blend.jpg)
15. blend

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/short-timers.jpg)
16. short timers

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/ascension.jpg)
17. ascension

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/singlecell.jpg)
18. singlecell
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: digitaldog on July 08, 2008, 08:36:04 pm
Very nice, reminds me of the work of Steven Wilkes:

http://www.monroegallery.com/display.cfm?id=55 (http://www.monroegallery.com/display.cfm?id=55)
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: BruceHouston on July 08, 2008, 08:48:29 pm
Fabulous colors and unbeatable titling!

Thanks for sharing,
Bruce
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: Jack Varney on July 08, 2008, 09:00:22 pm
I found your images very engaging and technically well done.
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: juicy on July 08, 2008, 09:03:06 pm
Excellent images.
Looks like very well processed hdr.

Thanks for sharing,
J
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: rustyjaw on July 08, 2008, 09:51:30 pm
I appreciate the kind words!

digitaldog, thanks, I didn't know his work, it's quite beautiful!

Juicy, yes all but 4 are HDR.

If anyone has constructive criticism, I'm very open to that.
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on July 08, 2008, 11:34:16 pm
Excellent work!

Just keep on doing more of the same.
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: wolfnowl on July 08, 2008, 11:59:04 pm
Yes, you have a good eye.  Rather bleak subject matter, but well done...

Mike.
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: russell a on July 09, 2008, 01:03:25 am
You have a good eye for sure.  The general subject matter, like nearly all photographic subject matter, has been done, maybe not to death, but certainly close to it.  But your HDR treatment works well for it. The HDR doesn't appear overdone.  (Many HDR efforts seem determined to show how wide a dynamic can be accomplished, like exaggerated stereo effects on the first stereo audio recordings.)

I think the ones that rise above the rest are #2, for its classic framing on the grid.  Then a number of the interior/exterior shots provide a bit of relief from the somewhat morbid and claustrophobic nature of the decay.  Particularly, #6. #10, and #14.  It may be that the perspective of #13 and #17 is out of character with the rest.  It might depend on where they were placed in sequence.

If it were me I would think about a narrative of touches of hope (the rose window, for example) in a pit of despair.  And, unlike one of the other comments, I would stay away from metaphorical titles.

Keep shooting.
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: cherokee on July 09, 2008, 06:51:31 am
#14, "The Blues" seems out of place to me. The carpeted room does not quite fit with the other spectacular images. So much great texture and light. The room with peeling paint on the ceiling is a favorite of mine, the distorted perspective adds to the feeling.
Well done.
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: TaoMaas on July 09, 2008, 07:02:56 am
Quote
My main concerns are: are these too similar, not enough variety compositionally or any other way? Do any seem out of place with the rest? Do they work well as a group?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=206537\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Yes, they work well as a group, IMO.  As far as being too similar....eh, yeah, maybe a bit...but not horribly so.  The style is consistant, but I didn't feel like I was seeing the same pic over and over again, if that makes sense.  If you want to mix it up, you might try shooting some detail pics or maybe an exterior or two to help place these buildings within their environment.  However, if it doesn't fit...don't force it.  Just go with what you've got because this is some pretty nice work.  Thanks for sharing it.  
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: rustyjaw on July 09, 2008, 12:45:25 pm
Thanks to everyone for taking the time to comment!

Quote
You have a good eye for sure.  The general subject matter, like nearly all photographic subject matter, has been done, maybe not to death, but certainly close to it.  But your HDR treatment works well for it. The HDR doesn't appear overdone.  (Many HDR efforts seem determined to show how wide a dynamic can be accomplished, like exaggerated stereo effects on the first stereo audio recordings.)

My favorite line about HDR is that it should be treated as a tool, not a look.

Quote
I think the ones that rise above the rest are #2, for its classic framing on the grid.  Then a number of the interior/exterior shots provide a bit of relief from the somewhat morbid and claustrophobic nature of the decay.  Particularly, #6. #10, and #14.  It may be that the perspective of #13 and #17 is out of character with the rest.  It might depend on where they were placed in sequence.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=206574\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

It's interesting to hear you respond with "morbid" and "claustrophobic," I don't feel that way about these, I sometimes feel like the photos are overly 'pretty' in a way that removes one from the stark reality of the environment portrayed. But it is useful to hear such a response, it's a relief in a way.

And your point about sequencing is good, it's something I struggle with.

The perspective is something I have thought about, I like to shoot with everything aligned, but sometimes it just doesn't work. 9 is also one of those. I suppose I should look at adding more off-axis shots to make them not stand out...or eliminate them.

Quote
#14, "The Blues" seems out of place to me. The carpeted room does not quite fit with the other spectacular images. So much great texture and light. The room with peeling paint on the ceiling is a favorite of mine, the distorted perspective adds to the feeling.
Well done.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=206620\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Yes, I'm afraid I agree. I really like the shot, but you have confirmed my suspicion.

Quote
If you want to mix it up, you might try shooting some detail pics or maybe an exterior or two to help place these buildings within their environment.  However, if it doesn't fit...don't force it.  Just go with what you've got because this is some pretty nice work.  Thanks for sharing it.   
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=206625\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I have gone back and forth on the issue of mixing in detail shots. I do like to shoot them, it was initially my attraction to macros of decay that brought me to visit these places more and more. But I started to feel as if the detail shots were less compelling than seeing the environment surrounding them. There is a possibility of combining these two perspectives, but I'm not sure the result would be as cohesive.

For example, here are some detail shots I have considered:

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/slither.jpg)

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/clockwork.jpg)

(http://www.rustyjaw.com/pics/portfolio/sinktop.jpg)
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: semillerimages on July 09, 2008, 12:59:47 pm
Great work! Your use of HDR is some of the best I have ever seen, you might consider writing up how you did it so well for the site.

*steve
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: jule on July 13, 2008, 06:51:31 pm
Quote
#14, "The Blues" seems out of place to me. The carpeted room does not quite fit with the other spectacular images. So much great texture and light. The room with peeling paint on the ceiling is a favorite of mine, the distorted perspective adds to the feeling.
Well done.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=206620\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I think the lack of sense of 'age' is missing in the "Blue carpet" image.

Beautiful images of a nearly done to death theme.

Julie
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: BernardLanguillier on July 14, 2008, 03:55:02 am
Very nice, thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Bernard
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: Andy M on July 14, 2008, 05:17:34 am
Very nice, but for the wide-angle stuff I'd recommend trying http://epaperpress.com/ptlens/ (http://epaperpress.com/ptlens/) or similar.
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: bob carnie on July 14, 2008, 08:32:03 am
As many others have noted , a subject matter done well but almost done too much.

an observation,

 You lead the viewer into the scene with open doors, ropes , ladders and other nice treatments , but I am trying to find the center of interest in most of these images, but since the whole image contains so much detail my eye wanders around and moves away from the image quite quickly.
An obvious sample would be the toilet, but there is so much info going on outside the door I am not sure of what your are trying to quide me to.
Though depending upon time of day I may find the bowl much more obvious.
This may not be a bad thing as a depection of a old worn out building with all its cracks and decay your work is very good by showing all the subtle and not so subtle textures you have opened up, but somehow I am wondering if you are trying to say more and maybe you should  try to say less by really forcing the eye to your interest points.
Possibly de- emphasising areas that are not so important to you and more emphasis of areas that are of importance would help using different editing methods.
Also some of the distortion is distracting me which may be better not seen.

I would  love to see these images in print as they are probably specatular live and there does seem to be enough difference in images staying well within a common theme.
Is this a single building or are these images taken from different locations?
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: popnfresh on July 14, 2008, 12:53:47 pm
I'm liking these shots very much. I like your subject matter and the way you see the light and color. Your work reminds me of Robert Polidori.
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: JDClements on July 14, 2008, 09:33:42 pm
Very very nice! Hard to pick a favourite, but I think it would have to be "5. Compressor no. 1" for me. #14 (The Blues) is the only one that immediately struck me as being out of place. But the rest make a great set.
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: rustyjaw on July 15, 2008, 12:18:06 pm
Quote
As many others have noted , a subject matter done well but almost done too much.

an observation,

 You lead the viewer into the scene with open doors, ropes , ladders and other nice treatments , but I am trying to find the center of interest in most of these images, but since the whole image contains so much detail my eye wanders around and moves away from the image quite quickly.
An obvious sample would be the toilet, but there is so much info going on outside the door I am not sure of what your are trying to quide me to.
Though depending upon time of day I may find the bowl much more obvious.
This may not be a bad thing as a depection of a old worn out building with all its cracks and decay your work is very good by showing all the subtle and not so subtle textures you have opened up, but somehow I am wondering if you are trying to say more and maybe you should  try to say less by really forcing the eye to your interest points.
Possibly de- emphasising areas that are not so important to you and more emphasis of areas that are of importance would help using different editing methods.

These are good observations, thank you for taking the time to post them! I do sense what you mean that in some shots there isn't a point of interest, but rather a collection of impressions. My goal with the images is to allow one to inhabit the scene, to explore it almost as if they were there. It's why I shoot mainly dead-on, and also why the ones that are shot off-axis might fail in this goal, because they make the camera position more apparent.

Nevertheless, I understand what you are saying, and I will keep that in mind as I move forward. I think it's possible to do both, to have a focused point of interest and also allow the rest of the scene to be there to explore. I think some of these shots do that, the 3rd one for example, although it isn't a challenging composition.

Quote
Also some of the distortion is distracting me which may be better not seen.

By distortion are you talking about the off-axis shots (looking up), or something else?

Quote
I would  love to see these images in print as they are probably specatular live and there does seem to be enough difference in images staying well within a common theme.
Is this a single building or are these images taken from different locations?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=208048\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I have printed a few of these and they look good for the most part, the detail comes through and that is what I am looking for. These shots represent 9 different locations.
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: peteh on July 17, 2008, 08:30:08 pm
Quote
Very very nice! Hard to pick a favourite, but I think it would have to be "5. Compressor no. 1" for me. #14 (The Blues) is the only one that immediately struck me as being out of place. But the rest make a great set.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=208247\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
May I ask ,where these were taken? The photos are very well done. Looks like a prison ,somewhere.Big cells too.
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: rustyjaw on July 18, 2008, 12:42:42 am
Quote
May I ask ,where these were taken? The photos are very well done. Looks like a prison ,somewhere.Big cells too.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=209023\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Well, the "prison" ones are from a former military stockade.

The rest are from an abandoned church, a WWII drydock facility, a psychatric hospital, a naval electronics factory, a tuna cannery (shuttered after deaths from botulism poisoning in the 60s), a navy base, and a former hot springs resort hotel.
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: iancl on July 18, 2008, 03:27:16 pm
I thought I'd chime in to say that my favourite image is "The Blues". But, I agree with the others that is just doesn't belong here. It is comparatively warm and bright and includes much more of the outside world through the windows than any of the others which -- even if actually above ground -- feel subterranean.
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: BFoto on July 18, 2008, 09:26:36 pm
What i wanted to know is how you managed to get images of Alcatraz where people are just not present in the images. And, the access you have is...special!

Very jealous.
Title: 1st Portfolio (18 images)
Post by: lbalbinot on July 19, 2008, 10:22:58 am
Very nice! Just taking the time and effort to put a portfolio together is a LOT of work, congratulations. I specially like photo #13, a very different approach.

Regards,
Luis