A great evening at the camera club

[Grandad]

Horus I am sure that at least 90% of my pictures fall into those (boring) categories. I think the aim is always to try to find a different angle, framing, lighting; to make a picture stand out. I lack that artistic eye and seldom have a picture that comes anywhere near to having a wow factor.
We ventured out to lunch yesterday with my trusty X10 in the car. A few pictures that I took are WELL into the 'record' category. I tried to create something a little bit different with a groyne that we usually pass along the road.
I am not claiming any artistic merit but am posting these as discussion examples and for a critique.
This is a frame as taken.


This is a crop to try to focus more on the gulls and the groyne.


And this is the cropped image, further cropped, and converted to B & W (which you may have gathered I still like from the old days )

[Grandad]

Forgot to mention, I am about to embark on a little project around town that I will keep to myself just for now in case it doesn't come off......If it does I will introduce another thread

[Kiya]

It went through my mind yesterday that you might be out & about with the beautiful clear blue skies the UK had yesterday

When Roy takes me here & there he always says try & take your photos at different angles just to be different instead of boring straight all the time...........of course I never listen to him

Any ways on to your photos I like them all & love the combination of stone, wood & water together & because you are focusing on the groyne & gulls I like the cropped b/w one best of all but I would have sharpened it a bit more

The first photo leads the eye to the land in the distance & away from the gulls.

I'll have to try & experiment the next time I'm out

[LovelyLadyLux]

You find out that some subjects seem to be frowned upon in most of these camera clubs and get put into little boxes, pet photos are one unless it has some additional merit. Beautiful scenic shots and lovely houses with roses around the door often get referred to as "chocolate box" images and things such as well known buildings or features get called "record shots". So generally speaking to get some attention a picture needs to have something different about it, everything else comes under the category of "seen that before", I have seen some fantastic bird images reffered to as "just another bird on a stick"

Wow - would have never guessed that a camera club would have that type of attitude. Personally - and how to say this - I like most photos. Am not particularly fond of a persons personal family shots (where all the relatives are lined up and smiling for the camera) and having to look at tons of these can get quite boring but if a person is a photographer (to their own level of expertise) and if they're taking photos of their dog or cat (not posed but the informal captures) I DO usually enjoy those and quite really enjoy all of the photos taken on here. Love seeing photos of birds, flowers, scenery and one doesn't need to be Ansel Adams to get my attention. As for a club venue I'd be challenging members to take photos of ordinary familiar things and presenting them in as entertaining fashion as they can. AND all of the above being said I enjoy the person showing me the photos as much as the photo. I enjoy the interest, enthusiasm, excitement who has taken the photo too.

@ Grandad - now your photos........well, for me, if I'd of seen the last one, the B&W first I'd of liked that one best however since I saw the first one first I actually like that one best. I gives me a more complete, in context, sense of the entire scene. The seagulls on the pileons fit with the water and rocks and far away shore. That the birds are sharp(er) than the mistier background adds to the photo to me. So I'm ranking #1 as #1, #3 as #2 and #2 as last.

I've got my new camera lens, the replacement, but the weather has been so over the top with rain and that other awful word SNOW that I haven't ventured outside to take any photos BUT the sun is out today so I might just take a wee stroll and see what I can see!

[Horus]

I think your pictures are fine Grandad and most of us take pictures that would fall into the categories that I mentioned. I didn't intend to say that they had a dissmisive attitute to those sort of pictures, but rather that they were a common thing and so did not get much attention in a competition. I also agree with Roy's advice to his mum, always try to get thet 'new angle' on your picture if you can as that is what makes it interesting.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I 'look' to see what would make a picture and almost 'frame' a scene with my eyes. I then usually take 4 or 5 shots from different places and end up picking the one I like best once I get all the pictures downloaded on the computer. Maybe it is just my eyes but I can rarely SEE on my camera which one is best unless it is really obvious. And am not at all above TWEAKING a picture either! (Actually almost ALL of mine are tweaked)