How critical are you of your own work?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jo
  • Start date Start date
Jo

Jo

Suspended / Banned
Messages
3,667
Name
Jo Fisher
Edit My Images
Yes
Today as I have been going trough my image stock to decide what to use on my site, I have decided that the majority of my work is substandard. I look at each potential image and if it looks OK on first view I view it full size. That's when I see the flaws. Either it's too noisy, too soft, OOF or just plan rubbish :lol:

I thought I would have plenty of stuff to pop on the site, but I am really struggling to come up with more than what was on the template already! But I darent put anything on the site that can't be printed out in a size bigger than the minimum :lol: Because knowing my luck that would be the one (if this ever were to happen in the next million years) some impressive company choose for a mega advertising campaign or something, and I would miss out on thousands of pounds because the image isn't up to scratch when viewed large.

So how critical are you of your own work?

JO xxx
 
I hate all my own work-even though i know its often pretty damn good.

Other peoples chips always taste better
 
I havent got a portfolio because I cant pick ten good pictures.. I can find fault with every picture I ahve ever taken :(
 
I'm quite critical. I recently sent some shots off to be authorized by the client. I included a folder of my picks, plus my misses (excluding obvious out of focus shots). I think a quarter of the misses folder was authorized in addition to other shots in the pick folder. So Clearly people see things different to the photographer.
 
Very, my other half often picks things out of my bin that I've thown out (literally) and even took one into work this week that got me a job photographing a colleagues kids!
And i thought it was really naff and oof!
 
Dan Leach said:
Very.
My pctures are so crap I havnt even posted one here in many months
Click to expand...

Dave, some of your shots are very very good! Liking the big horse nose, River Duddon water, Sun over the lune, and I really like the barbed wire wiuth sheep hair. And thats just from two pages :)

Get posting!

Gary.
 
Very, I see good in everyone elses but not my own. When I did a personal development plan for my degree I was told that I had inner most perfection.... shame it doesn't hold for being a domestic goddess!
 
Yeah, I just went to your flickr page. Page 6 s1024 everyone.

That's not crap at all, get it posted here young man!
 
AliB said:
Yeah, I just went to your flickr page. Page 6 s1024 everyone.

That's not crap at all, get it posted here young man!
Click to expand...

This one? :)

2407558692_3d7fbcc652_o.jpg


it's on page 7 - awesome.

Gary.
 
I'm really critical of my stuff.....it's hard for me to find shots I like, then when I do I tend to look at it to the point that I find something I don't quite like about it! I'll get there eventually, but I need much more practice than I'm getting at the moment. Glad to see I'm not the only person who gives themselves such a hard time though!
 
Very very critical, after seeing pictures on here and flickr I sometimes wonder why I bother. I allways like to see what people have got to say about my pictures though.
 
Very.

I know I am new to this but I think it's a good thing. It's what keeps you going to try and improve your photography. If we were happy of our work where would the incentive be to go out there and try and do it better?
 
Dan Leach said:
Aww thanks all.
I thought that type of pic was to obvious, generic and dull.
Plus when i have had posted pics like that in the past i get told off for using things i dont quite understand like 'fill flash'.....
Click to expand...

Get back on the bandwagon and keep posting, most people are very happy to help and wont "tell you off" :suspect:.

G.
 
Its about as difficult as it gets to be objective about one's own work.

Sometimes it seems like those who are most confident about their abilities are the ones who "make it". It would be nice to think they would get found out after a while but I'm not sure they do!

There's plenty of second or even third-rate photographers around who still seem to make a living.:annoyed:
 
you have some really great stuff on your portfolio site-dont be too hard on yourself-very good composition-ya have da eye young man
 
Whittie said:
Very very critical, after seeing pictures on here and flickr I sometimes wonder why I bother. I allways like to see what people have got to say about my pictures though.
Click to expand...

I'm with Whittie! :)
 
Jo said:
So how critical are you of your own work?
Click to expand...


Fartoo imhgo ... :suspect: ... Result = I stopped posting images, and even taking them to a greater or lesser extent, many, many months ago ... :D


Some of your recent images have been real good 'uns Jo and certainly nothing to be anything other than proud of ... ;)







:p
 
Whittie said:
Very very critical, after seeing pictures on here and flickr I sometimes wonder why I bother. I allways like to see what people have got to say about my pictures though.
Click to expand...

You have NOTHING to worry about mate

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexwhitfield/2611011437/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexwhitfield/2610959393/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexwhitfield/2600283391/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexwhitfield/2589723405/


Need I go on? :) All you guys are such an inspiration, trully.

Gary.
 
Jo said:
I look at each potential image and if it looks OK on first view I view it full size. That's when I see the flaws. Either it's too noisy, too soft, OOF or just plan rubbish :lol:
Click to expand...

I've been thinking about posting roughly the same question myself recently. I could tell whether a trannie was usable by looking at it on a light box, but viewing a digital file at 100% is a ruthless way of exposing imperfections.

How acceptable is it to use an image that's not quite perfect when viewed at 100%?

And while we're at it, how long is a piece of string?:)
 
Darkstar, I've just had a look at your flickr and you have a highly developed eye for colour. You know when B&W works and when to go ott with the colour. Fine stuff indeed!
 
Jo said:
I view it full size. That's when I see the flaws.
Click to expand...

I'm exactly the same. I thought it was because I'm new to this photography thing and I tell myself I'll get better. I think it's relatively easy to produce an image that looks fine for viewing on the web. Producing something that can be printed A3, or viewed at 100% is another matter.

How critical am I? TBH, not very if I'm just sticking something on the web or emailing it to someone. You can hide a multitude of sins by shrinking a RAW file down to 800 x 600px.

At this stage, I want to produce an image that looks ok on screen, hopefully get some positive feedback to help keep enthusiasm up, and over time I hope skills and standards will automatically improve as I gain a better understanding of what I am doing to get a particular image.

If I looked at everything I took at 100% i'd have thrown in the towel I think.
 
68lbs said:
I'm exactly the same. I thought it was because I'm new to this photography thing and I tell myself I'll get better. I think it's relatively easy to produce an image that looks fine for viewing on the web. Producing something that can be printed A3, or viewed at 100% is another matter.

How critical am I? TBH, not very if I'm just sticking something on the web or emailing it to someone. You can hide a multitude of sins by shrinking a RAW file down to 800 x 600px.

At this stage, I want to produce an image that looks ok on screen, hopefully get some positive feedback to help keep enthusiasm up, and over time I hope skills and standards will automatically improve as I gain a better understanding of what I am doing to get a particular image.

If I looked at everything I took at 100% i'd have thrown in the towel I think.
Click to expand...


Your monitor is incapable of showing you an accurate reflection at 100% though, unless you resize to 72dpi? Or have I missed the point...(ie, 300dpi at 100% is stupid, your monitor will stretch everything and the image will and should look awful).

For example, A3 is what, 17" x 11" ? At the screen resolution of say 72DPI, that is a 1200 pixels wideish MAX - otherwise your SCREEN IMAGE will look WORSE than an A3 print size. So if your photo looks good 1200 wide at 72dpi, I think it will look good on A3, presuming you have the resolution to support that size.


Am I going mad guys or is that how it works?

Gary.
 
In fact, my last post is balls. DPI is not important, but the actual physical dimensions are. So if you want to know how your image would look on A3, simply resize it to the A3 dimensions on your PC. I believe that to be 1200 ish wide on most monitors?

Can one of the pros put me out my misery, I dont want to give crap advice but I really thought this is how it works.

Gary.
 
EdinburghGary said:
Your shots are awesome DS, and the latest ones on your flickr of your city are great. You are making good use if HDR in them, and they have an immediate impact. :D

Gary.
Click to expand...

AliB said:
Darkstar, I've just had a look at your flickr and you have a highly developed eye for colour. You know when B&W works and when to go ott with the colour. Fine stuff indeed!
Click to expand...

Thanks and that is appreciated folks but....I am still critical of my own material :D ...I see other stuff and think "Now THAT is good :D"

Still if I'm never 100% satisfied it just means I strive to improve and thats never a bad thing!
 
I was thinking 266/300dpi A3 image at 100%. So approx 50Mb file.

Edit: by 50Mb file I mean uncompressed tiff size (ie: what photoshop says when you resize an image)
 
I dont worry about what I think anymore ..........
I do the job to the best of my ability at the time and then submit it get thye cheque and move on to the next.
I agree if I started to look too closely there would be loads of things the text books say are wrong
BUT !!!!
All that matters in the real world are that the clients happy
Dont sit staring at your pics for ages picking holes in them you will drive yourself mad !
Ive been at this for nearly 30 years and still havnt got the perfect pic and never will
 
Wow. I can not believe you people! I thought I was bad for being too self critical! Not one of you who have posted in this thread so far have anything less than good images!

DS, I'm going to spank you young man. I already told you what I think of those fabulous HDR's you produce.. and those street ones... meh, you're gonna get it!:bat:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top