Is this photography or what?

I am not a photographer and perhaps I should have stated that. I do agree that there are some great suggestions in this thread if he wants to try to do professional quality shots.

For just shooting a shot as he describes he did, I still think that they turned out well.

 

She looks so out of place and the poses look forced.
I think photos in alley ways like that are redundant but can turn out very cool. The trick is to make them uniquely yours. This model blends into the background way too much, meaning, she should have been wearing something more gaudy and artistic so the focus is on her. She needs a different wardrobe. Also make up since the grafitti distracts from her face. I mean, you need to go all out for an alley photo shoot to work. My opinion is this model would look better in a setting with mountains and blue skies..or in a forest with a flowing dress. Then in that type of photo shoot, make up wouldn't be needed..

 

I guess I do agree, wasn't really planning on photography when I went out, it sorta just happened. I did have my camera, didn't wanna block pedestrian traffic and shit went back there I thought it might look cool, not sure I'd ever been back in that particular alley before that. Don't even remember where that was really, I don't think I would have passed any sobriety tests at that time.

I appreciate tips as long as I don't feel like i'm being flamed.

 

just trying to offer constructive criticism and encourage, not discourage..
do you have any plans for another shoot?

 

Fair enough.
Perhaps you should make the next thread title a little less pretentious. You may find that people would respond differently.


I wish I could articulate more appropriately on what I'd do with these shots but words are failing me. It's sort of like the scene and the person are competing for attention in the pics. Either make the shot about her or put her off side or in the distance (with the garbage bin) and make the shot about atmosphere.

I'd love to see a great ally shot with her in the distance in that stellar red dress, looking like she was about to dumpster dive or something like that.

Not all models can pose themselves so it's up to the photographer to give some suggestion. And that suggestion should have been to loose the duck face.

 

Like I said I wouldn't have passed any sobriety tests at that time, so that's why it may have seemed "conceited", or something like that the way I put it in the title.

She wasn't really able to hold a pose for some reason, so I just had to take what I could get and hope I was clicking the shutter at the right time.

I'm not a professional photographer, and she's not a professional model either, we're just regular people with interests and one of mine is photography. I think I have it in me if I practiced more, and planned better and all that.

Now electrical wiring, and control circuits, when I'm done doing something like that, I definitely make it look professional...I've come across wiring where I was like "and the person who did this was an actual electrician? Totally not allowed in the NEC codebook, and would not pass if inspected.

 

not sure i understand the question. a picture taken with a camera is a picture taken with a camera, whatever its a picture of. a picture photoshopped or otherwise altered is what it is also, whatever the source of immages used in it.

if the question is whether something is "art", you'll have to ask an art critic presumptions enough to imagine they can define that one.

 

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding!

That. ^^^^

(I like the pics but that is what I noticed too...)

 

good ideas. a greater disparity between the harsh background of the alley and the model would make a better impact, plus for something like that she should not look directly at the camera.

One way to create that disparity with the pics you have already is to do something like make the entire background grayscale, keep the model full color and then tie one element from the model and the background together in some fashion.

The graffiti one almost achieves this with the boldness of the one word on the wall, if it were the same color as her dress and the rest of the wall subdued it may work.

 

photoshop could do that, even if I have to manipulate some colors to make them the exact same color...i'll keep that idea in my mind, I've made photos where only the lipstick was in color plus anything that color, I used to have a lot of photos but they got lost one way or another, the last got lost when my camera was accidentally left on the train...it was never found.

 

maybe if you took the picture somewhere else it would look fine... or even if you changed her outfit to suit the setting more it would be fine too.. lol

 

Well it’s a nice alley


Hotwater

 

the lighting wasn't really right, it was a bright day, maybe if she was standing where the light fell it would have turned out better?

 

I like the contrast, pretty girl, rough street. But I think it would help if there was a little more context. A good photograph in my opinion needs to start a little story in my mind. Otherwise nice attempt, you at least passed the bravery test by posting your work :2thumbsup:

 

You mean better than anorexic girl posing in downtown alley in desperate need of a tan


Hotwater

 

^watch urself, this bmore for real....


took while walking, on drugs

 

Looks pretty cool.

 

^that's what the city looks like for real....sometimes

 

She does have feet.

 

That last one is dope.

And don't worry about hotwater, he's just another hf'er who doesn't get laid and has to hate on everyone's women