Would anyone want to critique these photos?

haha okay time for a long answer get ready!

1st one- I love the vintage/old time look it has, it looks like there's too much contrast or something but I think that's what makes me like it so much. I love all the detail in the trees and even the houses across the water. No complaints =]

2nd- I like the reflections and composition but I think it would have more visual interest if you used a contrast filter to bright out more value in the grey areas. My favorite part is the rock off to the left

3rd- I really like this one, that's such an interesting subject and the branches are focused quite sharply. The branches are a little unbalanced (a lot on the left, more empty space on the right), but that can be forgiven since that tree is just so cool looking. (By the way where do you take these pictures? it looks like such a pretty area)

4th- very pretty scene, you could boost the contrast just slightly so you get a full dark in your value scale. The shadows along the path are quite interesting, and I like the slight curve of the trees at the top. It'd be nice if you focused on one area more sharply to better lead the eye through the photo. I do like the overall composition though

5th- I love this! you have a real range in value and I love the contrast of textures. the horizon line is very interesting and I love that from afar the photo almost looks like stripes of values. Great shot!

6th- (I wish I knew how to develop color film, if you have any interest in color film though I recommend William Eggleston, one of the first color photographers) I really like the sky in this one, the trees look blurred or something (it may just be the scanner though). I think the composition could be more interesting, but I like the viewpoint. The bottom left has a little too much empty space. I'd like it better if you cropped it so the tall red tree was at the left edge. It would create a diagonal line down and right which would make the photo more interesting.

7th- This one I like, the light is very soft and pretty. The branches are interesting the way they reach across the photo. It could be a little sharper focused on the branches. I think you hit the color very well though, the sky especially, lovely shade of blue.

8th- I actually like this the way it is. The vine makes it look kind of creepy (a good creepy though). I love the simplicity of color. The tree on the right is beautiful with the green leaves and the backlight of yellow. I love the brightness of the foreground in contrast with the dark blue of the background. I think this and the 5th one may be my favorites so far.

9th- very pretty, I love how delicate the flowers are. You created a nice mood with the colors and soft light. You did a nice job with the depth of field. It makes me wish i was there right now. The mountains in the background add to the photo as well. I'd say this would also be included in my favorites =]

overall I really like them and I'm glad to see people still using film, in my opinion it's better than digital, just hard to deal with sometimes and very time consuming. With black and white it's best to always look for a full range of value (from black to white) unless you're specifically under or overdeveloping. And good light can be your best friend (creates amazing shadows and depth to photos).

You can check out some of my photos if you're interested (no film ones since my scanner is broken at the moment, but maybe someday)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30864683@N05/

Black & White:

#1: The sky is blown out. Might have been saved by burning in during printing. The tree trunk is overexposed.

#2: Blown out sky. Possible to burn in during printing.

#3: Back tree trunk is overexposed. Could have been burned in during printing. Should crop the right side to get rid of the white blob in the upper right corner and the one about 1/2 way down.

#4: Blown out sky. Possible to burn in during printing.

#5: Rocks in foreground are overexposed. Would be hard to burn in during printing but possible.

Color:

#6 & 7: Really just kinda blah. Good color but just not interesting pictures.

#8: This would have benefited by trying a different composition from a different position. The sidewalk and wall are distractions which should have been eliminated.

#9: Would have benefited from a polarizer.

A polarizer works just as well with black & white as it does with color.

Often, using a Yellow filter with black & white improves contrast.

When faced with a dark subject and light subject close to each other you can meter both separately and try an average exposure. If the darker object meters at f4 and the lighter one at f8 just count up from f4 and down from f8 and use f5.6. A spot meter that does this is a good tool to have. I suggest the Minolta Spotmeter M if you don't mind buying used equipment.

These are my opinions and, as we all know, opinions are like noses: everybody has one.

Please do not take my criticism for failure but I am only trying to help.. the last one was the only one that I thought showed a true photography skill and the photographers "eye". I loved the fact that there was tons of colors but you need to realize that photography is not just about clicking a button but really finding something unique. If you could look at a picture and say " anyone can do that" then you need to work harder. The fact that the flowers are blowing in the wind is classy and shows the uniqueness of the shot

if you would like you can view mine.. i am only 17 but I have had a lot of outside experience in the field and have attended courses in the city http://flickr.com/photos/vic_plourde/

If you actually took these, then take this as a compliment:

I'm having trouble believing that you actually captured these photos.

Wow...

Ok, I was just looking through my answers again, and I noticed that you said you wanted people to be more specific.

I think that you should try to capture animals, storms, or pictures of candid people instead of just trees. You could also experiment more with the shutter speed and actual colors of the photos some more. Maybe try solarizing them? Or inverting the colors.

Hope that was helpful.

Oh my God, these are absolutely gorgeous. This is the kind of art I would love to frame and hang in my home. Normally, I would tell you which ones are my favorite but honestly, I'm in love with each and every one, especially the last. It is mind blowing how beautiful it is. The first is also extremely amazing looking.

Good work! I'd love to see more.

i really like the sunflower picture. its really interesting and i like how it shows a flower up close and then more small ones in the background. i also love the winterstorm picture, but im not crazy about some of the pictures with just trees. some of these pictures to be honest need a little more to them to make it more interesting. awesome pictures though

nice work... i like the 3rd, 4th and last the most, as they are balanced and not to complex, and a few of the others don't really have a feature point to focus on and are too full on...

they are all fabulous pieces of photography though!

and good job with the developing, can never get mine right, really well done...

good job...

:)

Another blemished image with useless watermarks all over it. You could have come up with a nice image with that cool little mirror and the rose without selective color.

these are beautiful. i especially like the one with the yellow flower. critically- color is more appealing to the eye. more color and less gray-scale are more effectual. another thing- nature pictures are calm and soothing to look at briefly, but they don't keep the viewers attention for very long. when you involve people and their emotions, your art photography will be more appealing and observed.

I like them all, I love the last one.