Evaluating Your Own Photo's - Passing the "Eye Test"

I am probably my own worst critic when it comes to evaluating the photographs I've taken and that is probably a good thing for the most part. I am constantly looking deeper into an image to identify what works and what does not work. By doing so, I feel like I've gained a great deal of discernment about what makes a great photograph. Along the way I've also learned just how wide of a gap exists between what I think vs what other people think. Although I do value evaluations from others, I don't always agree with them simply because they were not there working under the conditions at the time and they simply do not know what your intent was in creating the photo. Those things do affect the image. So, critically evaluating your own photos becomes even more important and doing so helps you recognize what works for you, and that after all is what is most important.

Taking time to critically evaluate your own photos will often reveal inadequacies in your technique especially the lighting, but it also includes composition issues. Evaluating your photo's can take any number of paths, however what I find most useful is to ask myself two questions.

1. What works with this photo.
2. What doesn't work.

Then I begin to drill into the image breaking it into components and separately evaluating the merits of the different segments. By using this simple approach you will be able to focus in on what is important. The answers to these two questions will certainly vary with each image, but, one answer I always avoid is to simply say, "I just like this picture." An answer like that does nothing to improve your critical eye. Even so, every image must pass the "Eye Test" first even before you begin to drill down into the merits of the image. If it doesn't pass that preliminary eye test, well...maybe you should move on to another image.

Let's take a closer look at the photo above and try to answer these questions, just to give you an idea of how it might be done. Of course everyone is different, but the idea here is to develop and improve your own critical evaluation tools.

What works with this photo?  

First of all, let's look at the "Eye Test". Their expressions work very well here. Mother and Daughter show a genuine connection to each other through their embrace and by doing so they are projecting a positive connection to those who might view the image. They both have nice genuine smiles and do not appear to be overly "posed". The background is plain and does not interfere with the overall composition, and there appears to not be any overly glaring elements that stand out. To me, it passes the eye test. 

From a technical point of view...The lighting is pretty good (Two speedlights were used). They are well lit with no extra glare coming off the mothers glasses. The whites show detail as do the darks and midtones...and there is a good range of whites, midtones, and darks scattered across the composition. The back lighting is soft and not overwhelming but just enough to provide some highlights across their hair which helps to separate them from the background. The focus is on them with the background just out of focus. Compositionally, they are spaced slightly to one side within the frame and they appear as a natural fit within the frame as well.

What doesn't work?

The Eye Test...I would prefer the mothers hand which is spread out and lying across the top of one of the large rocks, would not be so widely spaced. It should be more curved inward and lying naturally on the rock instead of looking like it is supporting her arm. There is also a bit of a "Hot Spot" in the upper left which could distract the eye away from the main subjects. However it is somewhat balanced by the whiteness of their tops and the softer middle values of the rocks especially on the lower right.

From a technical point of view...Overall it is good, not much I see technically from this image that distracts from the image except their faces are a little soft and the eyes are not quite as sharp as they should be. This is possibly caused by the Gaussian Blur that was added to the image and then removed across the faces. The GB is what created that softer background look...a nice addition but can create a too soft look if not carefully applied. 

So...you get an idea of the thought process I go through when I evaluate an image. All of the Positives tend to be strong elements but always can be improved, while all of the negatives are easily corrected. It is a matter of applying what you learn from an exercise like this to your shooting in the field next time. It is something you must make a conscious effort to do at first and eventually you will begin to instinctively see these things before they happen. This technique can be applied to any kind of photograph, so give it a try sometime.

Eliminate Confused Seeing - Carry Your Theme All the Way Through the Image

Ansel Adams, one of America's greatest photographers, once provided some critical insight about one of his earlier photographs. He called it a product of "Confused Seeing". His critical insight focused on how the theme of the photograph was not clear...there were too many competing elements with one particular element providing a distraction to the overall impact of the image. Oddly enough, this is a common problem for all photographers, even experienced ones. Sometimes we get so caught up looking, we fail to spend time seeing what is there.

Composition is a workshop-required element of photography and a simple blog post such as this will never provide enough space to cover all of the intricacies of the subject. However we can take a look at the concept of carrying your theme all the way through you image.

First of all, one of the most important elements of a composition is to create a theme for the image. Simply put, the theme is what the image is about. As a photographer you are attempting to show the viewer why this moment was important to you. Capturing it then requires you concentrate the composition in such a way as to eliminate all of the distractions that might interfere with the viewer being able to interpret what you are presenting to them visually.

The photo above is a good example of how a theme is carried all the way through the image. There are no distractions, everything in the image is there for a reason, and everything falls into place. It is also a good example of simplicity. There are just three elements here, the sky, the background hill, and the water reflection. Even the colors compliment each other. It is no coincidence how simplicity and carrying a theme all the way through tend to define the subject.

The photograph on the right is a good example of "Confused Seeing". On the surface it carries an element of appeal. I saw something here that warranted a second look, however, the capture fell well short of what I wanted. There are so many competing elements it is difficult to focus in on what the theme is suppose to represent. Is it the tree(s)? Is it the rocks? Is it the Misty haze? Certainly it is not the light as it is flat and bland. Hard to tell on each of these points.

The difficult part is learning how to see. Simply looking at a scene, like I did with this one, is not enough. You must observe beyond that confused instinct and focus in what is truly important. Ask yourself, "What is capturing my attention? Where does my eye want to go"? More often than not if you can answer those two questions, you will be able to discover the best theme from that moment.  The trick then is to focus in and create a composition that captures that theme. You may have to move around, change lenses, change your angle or camera orientation. You might even have to wait on the light, or even come back another day when the conditions change. There are risks doing so, however most of the time your trained instincts will prove correct and with better light you will capture a more powerful image.

The photo below is a good example of how to focus in on a single element. It is just a part of a fallen tree limb that fell into a pond. My confused instincts wanted to capture the whole pond and the entire tree limb. Needless to say, the first attempts at doing so fell well short of expectations. Then I stopped for a moment and asked myself what stands out...where does my eye want to go? The answer was this photograph. I used a longer focal length lens to compress the image, to isolate the main subject and blur the background, but I used the continuity of the green background to help provide a soft contrast and frame the tree limb. The theme of the moment was carried all the way through and the basics of photography combined with focused seeing resulted in a nice photograph.

Eliminating Confused Seeing requires time and practice to perfect. It is one of those intangible elements of becoming a better photographer we all must learn how to apply through trial and error. Simply knowing about the concept helps, yet you must take the time to look beyond what your "Confused Instincts" tells you to do, to train yourself to utilize a more focused portion of seeing photographically.

Roughing It Easy - Taking a Photo Hike

Some years ago I watched several video's by Dewitt Jones, a former National Geographic photographer and motivational speaker. The one thing I most gained from his video's was when he said "Be willing to place yourself at that point of greatest potential". It was a concept that has served me well over the years as I took to heart his advice as I have attempted to place myself in a position where I can capture the best possible light. It has not always been easy and sometimes it was down right rough as the requirements to be in the best possible location at just the right time often required a physical hike and a great deal of mental effort. Regardless if the hike is across a parking lot, a pasture, or deep into the interior of a grand landscape, knowing how to rough it easy becomes an essential part of becoming an efficient photographer.

Taking a Photo Hike can offer a great deal of opportunity however, Photo Hiking like this takes on the same safety and comfort requirements as any kind of hike across country, you just have to also carry along your photo gear. Yet, as a photographer there are equipment requirements you must have in order to cover all the possible scenarios you might encounter. It would be impractical to carry all of your equipment as it would load you down so much you would actually lose time trying to keep up with it all. But, at the same time you want to carry enough gear to cover a wide range of possible scenarios. As a consequence it becomes a juggling act of what to bring and what to leave behind.

For me then, it becomes a matter of understanding the requirements of what I expect to encounter. If the mission is to capture a prairie sunrise, from experience I understand how I need three obvious things for sure. My camera, a wide angle lens, and a tripod. However, I also know I might encounter other opportunities while on site. For instance, one of my favorite locations to capture this kind of photograph requires I do some short hiking and thus requires I use some kind of equipment bag to carry my gear. Most times I will simply use my camera gear pack which holds way more than I need, but also adds a lot of extra weight. Sometimes I simply use a fanny pack because it is large enough for everything I need for that kind of shoot plus it retains the ability to carry a few extra luxury items. It also affords me the ability to toss in a cable release, graduated filters, and even a larger focal length lens...just in case...and a water bottle.

It may appear self evident, but by limiting the gear I tote along, I simplify the process and reduce the amount of the required physical effort. Then there are the times I plan on making a much more difficult and longer journey. Again, taking the prairie as an example, there is a rocky arroyo tucked away in a somewhat hidden location I will often hike into, but it is a mile or more from the access road. Hiking in there covers some rough terrain and because I will be in there for up to several hours, I need to cover all of the contingencies like the possibility of rain, hot weather, plus any of the unknown but potential photo opportunities. That also includes something to drink and an energy snack to get thru the day.

One such unexpected event occurred several years ago, one in which I was unprepared for what I encountered. I wanted to make that hike but it was hot and I did not want to lug around a heavy gear pack, so instead I packed my fanny pack with my camera and one lens, a 35mm to 105mm, and a water bottle. That was it. After the hike in, I sat under the shade of a cedar tree when I noticed two coyotes milling around about 200 yards across the arroyo. With them were two fluffed up and very new pups who looked like they were exploring their environment for the first time. I needed my long 500mm lens but because it was heavy I opted to leave it behind. The 105mm just did not have enough reach and proved inadequate for the job and as a consequence I missed a great opportunity to effectively capture a unique natural event.

During the year I will spend a good amount of time exploring the night sky and capturing the hidden beauty found there. It also requires at times a certain amount of mobility and thus a degree of planning. For this kind of shoot, not much is required as far as the basic equipment, a tripod, camera, and wide angle lens, plus a cable release. With just these simple tools you can capture some amazing night sky photographs.

However, I'm never long satisfied with the basics. I need to push the envelope and experiment and thus I built a barn door tracker device to track the night sky and thus allow for longer exposure times. This device is bulky and a bit cumbersome to operate. As a result I tend to use it mostly in my backyard, but I will on occasion tote it along to another location site. It does require I strap it down inside my vehicle to avoid it falling over, which it has done before. But, again with a little planning and understanding the requirements of the shoot, I have educated myself on how to simplify the process. The idea is to have a plan and outfit yourself for that plan. By limiting all the extras and focusing on just what I will need for that particular shoot, the shoot then becomes much more enjoyable and manageable. Also, by pushing the envelope you force yourself to learn more about what it is you are trying to do and how to accomplish the task. This alone helps you to know what to bring along and what to leave behind.

Shooting on location often requires the use of additional equipment like speed lights and stands along with a softbox or two and such. My equipment pack is quite large, too large really for routine use, but when you need to carry extra gear, it's very largeness is ideal. With it I can keep all of my camera gear in one convenient location and extract what I need when it is needed. The traditional camera bags tend to be somewhat cumbersome and too small to carry a lot of extra's, plus you might need more than one which makes keeping up with the stuff more difficult. It's all a matter of understanding what your purpose is along with the gear requirements to fulfill that purpose. By thinking through the process ahead of time you are more able to focus in on what you are trying to accomplish. As a result the effects are often encouraging.

Simplifying what you carry into the field is an important part of becoming an efficient photographer. Learning to adapt to changing environmental conditions is a process of experience. Sometimes we get it right and sometimes we do not, but with each attempt you learn more and more about how to rough it easy.