Dandelion Photos (tons of slow loading images!)

[aericina]

Your use of lighting is really good in regards to exposure.  It looks like you have taken most of these with the rule of thirds in mind, either consciously or not, also a good thing.  The first one would be better if that one out of focus blade of grass wasn't in the front.  I would tweak the few that have large negative spaces a little better in 2 and 5.  The extreme tilt in 3 and 6 is so over done, and the images would have been superb had they been straight.  With those tweaks in mind, I would buy a few of these to decorate my house, especially number 3.  I'm loving the backlit seed ball.

[firehead4]

Your use of lighting is really good in regards to exposure.  It looks like you have taken most of these with the rule of thirds in mind, either consciously or not, also a good thing.  The first one would be better if that one out of focus blade of grass wasn't in the front.  I would tweak the few that have large negative spaces a little better in 2 and 5.  The extreme tilt in 3 and 6 is so over done, and the images would have been superb had they been straight.  With those tweaks in mind, I would buy a few of these to decorate my house, especially number 3.  I'm loving the backlit seed ball.

your comments about "the extreme tilt" being "so over done" and "...the images would have been superb had they been straight"... were pretty rude. she didn't ask for criticism. you could have kept that to yourself.   that's really great that you would still buy them, but you are coming across as a know-it-all. 
wasn't necessary to expose your negatives 

[aericina]

your comments about "the extreme tilt" being "so over done" and "...the images would have been superb had they been straight"... were pretty rude. she didn't ask for criticism. you could have kept that to yourself.   that's really great that you would still buy them, but you are coming across as a know-it-all.  
wasn't necessary to expose your negatives  

Thass All! Tell me what all you cats think  

She asked for our opinion, and I gave it to her.  I'm sorry you thought I was being rude, that was not the intent.  I'm of the impression that if someone asks for a critique to improve themselves, that it should be given without sugar coat.  If someone's only comments on something are falling over themselves with praise without anything to help the artist, they won't improve.  She has the potential to be a really good photographer, and for her to not get a serious critique would be a disservice.

As someone as a semi-professional (I have taken photos for businesses as well as having my own business) I feel like I am qualified to help her when she asks for help.  If you aren't of the notion that people who ask for critique should not receive it, then I don't know what to tell you.

If you have anything else to say to me, take it to PM.  She deserves to have her thread the way she wants it.

[firehead4]

your comments about "the extreme tilt" being "so over done" and "...the images would have been superb had they been straight"... were pretty rude. she didn't ask for criticism. you could have kept that to yourself.   that's really great that you would still buy them, but you are coming across as a know-it-all.  
wasn't necessary to expose your negatives  

Thass All! Tell me what all you cats think  

She asked for our opinion, and I gave it to her.  I'm sorry you thought I was being rude, that was not the intent.  I'm of the impression that if someone asks for a critique to improve themselves, that it should be given without sugar coat.  If someone's only comments on something are falling over themselves with praise without anything to help the artist, they won't improve.  She has the potential to be a really good photographer, and for her to not get a serious critique would be a disservice.

As someone as a semi-professional (I have taken photos for businesses as well as having my own business) I feel like I am qualified to help her when she asks for help.  If you aren't of the notion that people who ask for critique should not receive it, then I don't know what to tell you.

If you have anything else to say to me, take it to PM.  She deserves to have her thread the way she wants it.

So now you are running the thread, too? Did she ask you to keep her thread a certain way as well? I missed that request, too.

Constructive criticism can often be helpful, but your delivery came across very condescending as if you were an authority. Sorry, but "semi-professional" doesn't make you a teacher or an authority on the topic.  I don't think you meant to be rude at all, just holier-than-thou.

[aericina]

Your opinion.  I tried to help.  You don't seem to be helping but rather enjoy berating me.  Have fun with that.

[firehead4]

Your opinion.  I tried to help.  You don't seem to be helping but rather enjoy berating me.  Have fun with that.

Not here to help you, just to support the person who started the post who didn't deserve your holier-than-thou attitude.
It's no fun when critics like you come around.

[staciey]

Ladies, ladies! It's okay!! Don't sweat it!
firehead4, thank you so much for the kind words, they're really nice to hear and also thanks for defending me, that's something you don't get very often from strangers! Well, fellow craftsters can't really be called strangers  .

aericina, I also appreciate your honest criticism and agree with most of your points. I didn't notice the rogue blade of grass until I had the images uploaded onto the computer and didn't exactly know what to do about it, because all I have for editing software right now is iPhoto and the heal tool wasn't cutting it. Personally, I think that the large negative space in 2 and 5 make the dandelions look understated (not so much in 2, mostly in 5) and, I guess for lack of a better word, cute. I guess that comes down to personal taste. As for the extreme tilt, that's mostly due to the fact that I was basically shooting blindly because the dandelions were so low to the ground. I just held the camera under them and shot and cropped them afterwards. I agree that the extreme tilt is used really often, but that's partly because it adds visual interest to the shot and can be very pleasing to the eye. Overdone or not I think that the photos are nice to look at, and I want to get my technique with focus and light nailed down before I start onto more interesting subjects and angles.

[dawnofdolls]

Aww, pretty... I remember picking those when I was little and watching the fluff fly away in the breeze.     Nice pictures. 

[lemonlinn]

That's really pretty photograph.
Look so softy. Good lighting!

[Acookie]

That first image is absolutely gorgeous, the others are very pretty too, but I think I think I like the first so much because it makes me feel like I'm there, looking at that scene myself.  What beauty, thank you so much for sharing these fantastic pictures.