Will you please critique this photgraph?

ooh, I dig it. I like the colors—red contrasted with that beautiful blue sky. I like the shape of the stairs and the angle of the building.
cool!

It’s pretty, but if it were mine, I’d crop out the bottom portion of it (where the other buildings are). That way, there is nothing to distract you from viewing the red building, which would appear to just be hovering in the sky. (I may also burn that white cloud on the right. It is just a little to bright for my taste, and the picture would be balanced better if it were just a smidge darker.)

But it is a beautiful shot.

What @Les said, basically, but maybe make it narrower if you want to crop the lower buildings. Cropping horizontally would diminish the dramatic height. That bright spot on the cloud needs work, and I’d consider evening out the shadow/light across the building. Also, you might consider cropping out some of the sky if that effect appeals to you. Nice photo.

@Les @kebo I kept the buildings so the subject would be grounded.

I’d probably reduce the shadow effect along the lower part of the building. Work on the cloud a little and adjust the image so that the building is more vertical. The slight tilt does something that I’m not sure I like.

I really don’t mind the other buildings, because it reinforces the fire escape.

also loved the Barbed wire shot and the Self Portrait

:)
I like it

@fireside @dearest_prudence Thanks!

I like it, but like fireside said, I’d try to center the building a little bit more. The slight lean kind of makes me dizzy looking at it. Is there any way you could go back and take the shot again, just standing in front of it a little more?

Other than that, it’s really nice. The color contrast is beautiful. :)

Also: I wouldn’t touch the shadowing. It gives the building a truer sense of height.

super love this one!

I wonder if cropping it so so the buildings on the bottom would enhance the strong vertical?

From darkness fading towards the light as we reach from earth to the heavens… that is what it makes me think of. :)

I am not good at criticizing the creative works of others. I’m sorry

The only thing I would do is clone/brush out the railing just intruding at the center left edge.

Nice shot!

everything they’ve said…it’s brilliant!!! i was going to say just crop the bottom, and hte colours are amazing!

@boots : Normally, I would agree with you, but even with those buildings in the picture, there is no “ground”. There still is no horizon line even with them in the shot, so there would be no harm to taking them out. Additionally, the picture angle sort of help with “grounding” the picture. The viewer imagines herself laying on the ground looking up, so the “ground” is the viewer. I hope that makes sense. It’s more of a feeling you get from the picture than something physical in the picture itself. I like the idea of leaving a little something to the viewers’ imagination, in this case, feeling as they are part of the picture.

It’s good. I like it. Now let me critique it. The “fading building going upwards,” screams “amateur” I say this in the most constructive way possible. Professionals use varying perspectives, tilt shift lenses and everything else to correct that effect. You got it at a good time of day and the dynamic range is pretty solid.

The geometry of the stairs is great and adds to the photograph, but I would have shot it from a higher vantage point.

Also, as a rule, when you’re shooting something geometric, evenness is super important. I would have shot it directly in front of the building with the lens 100% parallel to the face of the building.

Something else….....have you figured out RAW yet? There are programs that take the place of a tilt shift lens. I would also have used a stitching program (and they are remarkably simple and remarkably accurate) to have first created a bigger picture from a file size perspective.

What a tilt-shift type program can do would be to stretch out the top of the picture, to give it better lines.

I hope you’re keeping up with technology and new ways of incorporating it into your photography. This will make you a much better photographer.

I like it, too, what everyone’s said. The blue of the sky looks a little fake. Is it photoshopped? If, so, I’d tone it down a bit. I do like the contrast with the red, though.

I’d almost like to see it in black and white. The angles of the staircase and whole photograph in general might be enough of a draw.

Just my opinion, but I wouldn’t want the image centered. The apparent tilt of the building makes the movement of the fire escape more gestural (whimsical? The zigzag reminds me of a pinball). It has a slightly discomforting off-balanced feel. I think righting and centering the image would make the building seem very static, safe, and less interesting to look at.

@aviona All I did with the sky is saturated the blue a bit.

I would have either centered the building or angled it more. As it is it’s kinda lost…. The white of the clouds I would cover with the building to minimize it and accent the blue sky. I would have taken the shot when the entire building was lit better, the shadows behind the stairs are nice, the bottom half of the building is dull as is. The small piece of structure in the bottom left should be removed or shadowed. I would also like more definition in the entire building, sharper with more defined edges.

My opinions may or may not be better, I am not a professional, my observations are merely what catches my eye that would improve the photo for my taste. My tastes are a lot of the time a long way from the beaten path though…

In the digital age, photography is a blast, it was fun before, now it’s a riot. Take lots and have a ball.

What do you have for equipment? Are you versed with Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro? I love the post editing, you can do most anything other than save a blown out or totally black image.

@pekenoe You’re opinion’s are totally valid and next time I shoot that building, will definitely be taken into consideration.

I have a Pentax K110D with a 18–55mm lens. The editing software I have is GIMP, a freeware that works surprisingly well.

I’ll critique this without reading earlier posts, so sorry if I repeat, but I like to look at work without getting other’s input first. What I like the most are the complimentary colors—the bright blue and orange, and how the blue repeats in the windows with the reflection of the sky and how the stairs and other blackish forms have a tinge of blue as well. The repetition and pattern of the image is great, too. The huge tilt upward is disconcerting for me—feel like I’m going to get sick if I even thought about climbing that fire escape—do you want to give us that sense of heights? The bright cloud on the right draws my attention to the edge, away from the building, while the blue sky on the left draws me back to the building (the orange & blue). The bits of buildings below also pull my attention away from the main focus of the image. I’m also curious as to your choice of leaving the amount of sky at the top that you did. It seems to draw focus away from the interestingess of the building, windows, staircase, etc. that is so interesting.

Thanks for posting this!

@xenializ I did want to convey a sense of height. I left the buildings at the bottom to make the building appear more grounded. I couldn’t say as to why I left so much sky. I tried all sorts of crops, but what’s there just felt right.

Thank you for your words! Since this question went so well, I think I may ask the same question with different photos in time.

do you have a flickr account?? It’s an awesome place to get comments, too. I’m new to fluther, so you’re one of my first answers.

I think what’s important about critiquing artwork is how it helps us see how others see the work and to be able to compare how that matches or doesn’t match up to our intentions.

forgive me if I ramble—I’m an art teacher!

@xenializ No worries! That’s from my flikr page…

just added you as a contact on flickr!

I love it Boots!!...:)

Most definitely the use of colors are great, but what’s even better is the zigzag effect of the stairs that draws your eye right up.

I like it. Good motif with interesting contrast.