My father

[T.J.K.]

Okay, well I am new to the forum. Well, I have been lurking a while, but this is the first photo I have ever posted so go easy on me :)

I have just recently started learning photography but have been editing for quite some time.

What do you think?

[neilp]

Hi T.J.K,

You're first post? Excellent, well done for getting this far, I know how nerve wracking it can be to post that first picture on line and wait for people to write their comments. The best way to improve is to share your work like this and have people give their critique (oh and by the way there is a critique section to the forum). Don't be put off by negative comments by people, they are normally posting to help in a constructive fashion.

So what do I think? (You did ask, so I'll tell you!).

First from a technical point of view I see you've done some post processing to push the contrast and saturation. For me I think the contrast is a little too strong and there's a loss of detail, the highlights on the head are close to being blow out or clipped, and the shadows to the bottom are very dark. It's possible though that you monitor is not calibrated and it may look very different on your screen.

The overall sharpness seems a little soft, no one area seems particularly in focus or maybe this was cropped from a larger picture? Take a look at some of the entries in the bi-weekly challenge for example of good (and bad) focus, this is good: http://www.photozo.com/album/showphoto.php?photo=156582 . Normally a portrait of a face should ensure the eyes are sharp if nothing else. I can see there is detail in your photo, but it does seem to be missing that last bit of sharpness.

The composition is good, you've framed your subject well, though a better pose might be with the head up looking towards the camera or past the camera to one side. This pose can work but it depends a little on what you are trying to convey. And of course you know your Dad much better than we do, and any picture you take of things and people you care about will always hold much more value to you.

Overall it's a good first post, there are always things to improve but you're clearly starting off with a good knowledge of photo editing. We look forward to seeing more of your work!

Neil.

[Fee]

hi there TJK! do you have a name we can call you? well, neil said it all very well i think! you obviously enjoy the editing side of things (like myself) and i'm looking forward to seeing more of your photos..

[T.J.K.]

Thanks Neil for all the comments. I will definitely take them into consideration.

This is a cropped photo from a larger picture and I noticed the focus was a bit off. That may have played a role in going so drastic on the contrast and such.

I am very new to taking pictures in general (other than snapping photos with a point and shoot of family events and such) and have been reading on this forum and realizing that there is so much to learn.

Again, I appreciate the comments and even more so the warm welcome :)

And Fee, I go by TJ ;)

[Jeffrey Govender]

Well come to Photozo TJ. Nice portrait, have to agree with Neil and Fee. Its just your first, theres many many more posts waiting and we improve our photography by the compliments and harsh critiques that fellow members share with us. Well done.