Brutal Critique has a new home on the web.
We are now located at www.brutalcritique.com. Click the image to enter the site.
It's not yet as polished as this bolg was but it has more space to grow and it's easier for other people to join and post images for critique.
enjoy.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Duck!
Hi Gents,
This was a photo of a duck that I took while walking around the Mt Cootha Gardens.
Canon 40D with EF 70-200mm f/2.8 lens at 135mm.
1/750s at f/4.0, ISO 100
I'm thinking I should have used f/8.0 perhaps on this one as only the head is in focus. What do you think?
Cheers
Craig.
This was a photo of a duck that I took while walking around the Mt Cootha Gardens.
Canon 40D with EF 70-200mm f/2.8 lens at 135mm.
1/750s at f/4.0, ISO 100
I'm thinking I should have used f/8.0 perhaps on this one as only the head is in focus. What do you think?
Cheers
Craig.
Cicada
Hi Gents,
And another macro shot.
This one is of a Cicada that landed on my drive way while I was putting out the rubbish bins. This was the first time I have seen one of these up close in person so I had to take a photo of it.
Now what angle do you prefer?
Facing?
Canon 40D with EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens and flash.
1/250s at f/11, ISO 100, hand held.
Or 45 Degrees?
Canon 40D with EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens and flash.
1/250s at f/11, ISO 100, hand held.
Regards
Craig.
And another macro shot.
This one is of a Cicada that landed on my drive way while I was putting out the rubbish bins. This was the first time I have seen one of these up close in person so I had to take a photo of it.
Now what angle do you prefer?
Facing?
Canon 40D with EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens and flash.
1/250s at f/11, ISO 100, hand held.
Or 45 Degrees?
Canon 40D with EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens and flash.
1/250s at f/11, ISO 100, hand held.
Regards
Craig.
Melly and Cabbage.
Hi All
Something a little different for you.
This is a new member to our family feeding our pet Dugong.
Canon 40D with EF50mm f/1.4 USM lens and flash.
1/250s at f/2.8, ISO 100, hand held.
What could I do to make these little creatures more cute and appealing?
Regards
Craig.
Something a little different for you.
This is a new member to our family feeding our pet Dugong.
Canon 40D with EF50mm f/1.4 USM lens and flash.
1/250s at f/2.8, ISO 100, hand held.
What could I do to make these little creatures more cute and appealing?
Regards
Craig.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
30,000 feet over Mt Fuji
While on a recent trip to Taiwan I had the opportunity to photograph Mt Fuji from 30,000 feet in the early morning. Here is the result of my efforts.
It's tough to make a sharp photograph through several layers of glass in your typical commercial airliner window, so the quality isn't as good as it could be. However I'm wondering about your thoughts on including the wing in the upper portion of the frame. I feel it gives clear context to the location where the photo was taken and therefore, adds an element to the story about this image. What do you think?
 |
| 30,000 feet over Mt Fuji Canon PowerShot G10 at 85mm EFL 1/500s, f/4.0 & ISO 80 - through dirty aircraft window glass |
It's tough to make a sharp photograph through several layers of glass in your typical commercial airliner window, so the quality isn't as good as it could be. However I'm wondering about your thoughts on including the wing in the upper portion of the frame. I feel it gives clear context to the location where the photo was taken and therefore, adds an element to the story about this image. What do you think?
Friday, February 11, 2011
Hong Kong
Hi All,
Here's one of my favourite cities, Hong Kong, photographed from Mt Victoria.
I would love to go back with a full frame camera and a 24mm tilt/shift lens to capture this scene again. I'd also try it in winter so it's not so hazy too. In this image the haze is quite noticeable so I boosted the contrast a lot to cut through the haze. I also straightened up the buildings in software, where a tilt/shift lens would have been better.
My question about this shot is related to my post processing. I played with several other variations that darkened the sky along the upper edge of the image to more contain the eye. This is one of the brighter ones. Do you think it's too bright or would it be better darkened to more rhyme with the shaded trees along the bottom?
Here's one of my favourite cities, Hong Kong, photographed from Mt Victoria.
 |
| Hong Kong Canon EOS Kiss X Digital with a Sigma DC 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 Macro at 28mm EFL 13sec, f/8 & ISO 100 - tripod mounted, self-timer release |
I would love to go back with a full frame camera and a 24mm tilt/shift lens to capture this scene again. I'd also try it in winter so it's not so hazy too. In this image the haze is quite noticeable so I boosted the contrast a lot to cut through the haze. I also straightened up the buildings in software, where a tilt/shift lens would have been better.
My question about this shot is related to my post processing. I played with several other variations that darkened the sky along the upper edge of the image to more contain the eye. This is one of the brighter ones. Do you think it's too bright or would it be better darkened to more rhyme with the shaded trees along the bottom?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
IRC Heli
I thought it was time I started playing around with my new Tilt Shift lens. For my subject, I used a IR controlled model helicopter. I tilted the lens so the plane of focus runs more or less along the side of the helicopter, greatly increasing the apparent depth of field. However at such a close distance, the tail rotor is still out of focus.
For this image I was practising my off camera flash technique, and working on getting a reflection with a black background. My question here is about the placement of flash units. I used two units and some reflectors to bounce the light back. I like the accent light on the nose of the heli, but the shadow under the nose is a bit too strong and the canopy lacks a string outline too. What do you think? Anything that has too much or too little light? Also what about the position of the heli and it's rotors? Would you change it's orientation?
 |
| IRC Heli Canon EOS 7D with a Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5 L II at 38mm EFL 1/250s, f/8 & ISO 100 - tripod, remote release, tilt 8.5° R Lighting: main flash camera right, accent lighting camera left. |
For this image I was practising my off camera flash technique, and working on getting a reflection with a black background. My question here is about the placement of flash units. I used two units and some reflectors to bounce the light back. I like the accent light on the nose of the heli, but the shadow under the nose is a bit too strong and the canopy lacks a string outline too. What do you think? Anything that has too much or too little light? Also what about the position of the heli and it's rotors? Would you change it's orientation?
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Traditional Architecture
Here's a rather traditionally framed architectural shot of the fountain in Empire Square, The Belém district of Lisbon, Portugal. The World Heritage Hieronymites Monastery dominates the background.
The monastery provides a quite detailed backdrop for this fountain but the foreground feels lacking. Any suggestions on what I could have used to add a little interest in the foreground? Or would cropping it out all together, work better?
 |
| Empire Square - Belém, Portugal Canon PowerShot S2IS at 35mm EFL 1/320s, f/4.0 & ISO ??? - handheld |
The monastery provides a quite detailed backdrop for this fountain but the foreground feels lacking. Any suggestions on what I could have used to add a little interest in the foreground? Or would cropping it out all together, work better?
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Dandelion
Hi All,
Here's an older shot from my collection. The inner workings of a Dandelion.
If I were to shoot this again, I would have traded some shutter speed for more depth of field.
However my question is really about cropping. This time I went for a landscape shot to show more of the seed heads of the dandelion. However would a tighter vertical be more interesting? Perhaps something that uses the radial lines below the core, guiding the viewer to the detailed inner structure of a dandelion.
Here's an older shot from my collection. The inner workings of a Dandelion.
 |
| Dandelion Canon EOS 7D with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM at 160mm EFL 1/500s, f/5.6 & ISO 200 - handheld |
If I were to shoot this again, I would have traded some shutter speed for more depth of field.
However my question is really about cropping. This time I went for a landscape shot to show more of the seed heads of the dandelion. However would a tighter vertical be more interesting? Perhaps something that uses the radial lines below the core, guiding the viewer to the detailed inner structure of a dandelion.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Little Egret
Hi All,
This is a shot of a Little Egret in early morning light. The reason for the dark background was that I exposed the image for the highlights in the bird's feathers. Thus the shaded lake and trees in the background were very underexposed, creating an interesting spotlight effect.
My question here is about the crop. Typically I crop my verticals to a 4:5 ratio, however with this shot the egret looks a little fat with that kind of crop. This is a 2:3 crop which I think suits the slender shape of an Egret. How about a square crop?
I'm also interested in your feedback about the negative space around the bird. How much is enough, on the top, left and right sides? I can't add any more from the bottom.
This is a shot of a Little Egret in early morning light. The reason for the dark background was that I exposed the image for the highlights in the bird's feathers. Thus the shaded lake and trees in the background were very underexposed, creating an interesting spotlight effect.
 |
| Little Egret Canon EOS 7D with a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM + 2.0x TC at 640mm EFL 1/1600s, f/5.6 & ISO 100 - tripod mounted |
My question here is about the crop. Typically I crop my verticals to a 4:5 ratio, however with this shot the egret looks a little fat with that kind of crop. This is a 2:3 crop which I think suits the slender shape of an Egret. How about a square crop?
I'm also interested in your feedback about the negative space around the bird. How much is enough, on the top, left and right sides? I can't add any more from the bottom.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Sand
Here's an interesting pattern study from the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India.
I like the harmony of shape and line created by the action of wind on sand.
 |
| Sand Canon EOS Kiss X Digital with a Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM at 16mm EFL 1/125, f/7.1 & ISO 100 - Handheld |
However it looks too simplistic. I think I need something to break up the repetition. Any advice on what I could have used?
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Grass
 |
| Canon EOS 350D with Canon 18-200mm IS lens. 1/320 sec at f/7.1, ISO 400 EFL 272mm |
A little bit of Grass. I took this one because the light was good, and well, I just like them. What could I have done to make it a better picture?
Monday, January 31, 2011
Gembikei Gorge
Well the locals call this Gembikei gorge. I was expecting something bigger with the title of gorge.
Anyway, while I was there I took a few shots from various angles. This one kind of stuck out as being worthy of posting. I liked it for the simple blue-yellow colour complement. I purposefully cut of the top of the water source since it was just white and green and would add nothing to the image from a colour standpoint. I also wanted to keep it a little more abstract rather than "finish" the photo.
What do you think? Do you want to see where the water is coming from or do you enjoy the mystery?
Anyway, while I was there I took a few shots from various angles. This one kind of stuck out as being worthy of posting. I liked it for the simple blue-yellow colour complement. I purposefully cut of the top of the water source since it was just white and green and would add nothing to the image from a colour standpoint. I also wanted to keep it a little more abstract rather than "finish" the photo.
 |
| Gembikei Gorge Canon PowerShot G10 at 50mm EFL 0.4s, f/4 & IOS 80 - tripod mounted |
What do you think? Do you want to see where the water is coming from or do you enjoy the mystery?
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Timeless
For something a little different. Here's a black and white image.
I found this old cart in one of the samurai gardens of Chiran, Southern Japan. It was rather rundown but had an old rustic charm about it. I converted the image to black and white to more emphasis it's timeless appearance.
Do you like the conversion? Would you prefer to see the colour version?
Edit: 6 Jan 2011
Here is the colour version.
I found this old cart in one of the samurai gardens of Chiran, Southern Japan. It was rather rundown but had an old rustic charm about it. I converted the image to black and white to more emphasis it's timeless appearance.
 |
| Timeless Canon EOS Kiss X Digital with a Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM at 35mm EFL 1/25s, f/4.5 & ISO 100 - handheld |
Do you like the conversion? Would you prefer to see the colour version?
Edit: 6 Jan 2011
Here is the colour version.
 |
| Timeless The above image in colour |
Jumping Spider
Hi All,
Here's a photo of a jumping spider. He was quite active, always looking straight at the camera as I moved around taking photos at different angles.
I quite like the surrounding complementary colours of the spider's environment which contrast with the neutral colours of the spider itself.
In this shot, I was going for an environmental portrait of a spider. So my question is, do the colours visually overwhelm the spider? Should I try to crop a little tighter to bring more focus to the spider.
Here's a photo of a jumping spider. He was quite active, always looking straight at the camera as I moved around taking photos at different angles.
I quite like the surrounding complementary colours of the spider's environment which contrast with the neutral colours of the spider itself.
 |
| Jumping Spider Canon EOS Kiss X digital with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM at 160mm EFL 1/400, f/4 & ISO 400 - handheld |
In this shot, I was going for an environmental portrait of a spider. So my question is, do the colours visually overwhelm the spider? Should I try to crop a little tighter to bring more focus to the spider.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The French Alps
Here's a shot taken while on a climbing holiday in the French Alps.
I liked the trail leading into the mountains with jagged peak everywhere. The two climbers are so small, emphasising the scale of these mountains.
However I don't really like the two paragliders who are setting up their flying machines on the mountain. While small, once noticed their presence takes on a lot of visual weight. I'd like to clone them out but such a task is beyond the capabilities of Lightroom.
 |
| The French Alps Canon PowerShot S30 at 35mm EFL 1/1000s, f/6.3 & ISO ??? |
What do you think? Should I get rid of them or leave them.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Another dragon in the garden
Hi Gents,
While I was doing landscaping in the backyard, I had another friendly little visitor. Tools down, run inside and grab the camera.
I was trying to show the amazing colours that these little guys have up close. I was also testing how much difference there is between f/11 and f/16 in terms of acceptable sharp focus. (I notice that it looks different in terms of saturation on every monitor I have which is annoying, but hopefully I have it right for a happy medium now.)
How did I go?
Canon 40D, Canon 100mm Macro lens, Canon 580 Ex II flash.
1/250 sec at f/16, ISO 100.
Cheers!
Craig.
While I was doing landscaping in the backyard, I had another friendly little visitor. Tools down, run inside and grab the camera.
I was trying to show the amazing colours that these little guys have up close. I was also testing how much difference there is between f/11 and f/16 in terms of acceptable sharp focus. (I notice that it looks different in terms of saturation on every monitor I have which is annoying, but hopefully I have it right for a happy medium now.)
How did I go?
Canon 40D, Canon 100mm Macro lens, Canon 580 Ex II flash.
1/250 sec at f/16, ISO 100.
Cheers!
Craig.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Dragons in the garden
Hi Gents,
I haven't been out anywhere exciting lately, so this was another image from my garden. I was hanging out clothes to dry on the line and noticed that this little guy was a bit cranky that I was walking past his nice sunny spot.
I had other photos that didn't cut his tail off, but this was the best of him really putting on a display.
Canon 40D.
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM at 125mm.
1/45 s at f/9.5, ISO 200
Image 1.
What can I do to get the BBC publishing arm to give me a ring and include my photos in their books?
-- Updated 2010-01-26.
Here is the same Bearded Dragon about a week earlier while sitting in another garden and shedding its skin. It looked a lot more raggard at this stage which is why I did not include much of the rest of its body. I also managed to get lucky and have him looking directly at me. He didn't do this for very long though. I really didn't want to have anything man made in the image though, as you can see my garden wall at the bottom of the frame which is a pity.
Canon 40D.
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM at 195mm.
1/180 s at f/8.0, ISO 250
Image 2.
Cheers
Craig.
I haven't been out anywhere exciting lately, so this was another image from my garden. I was hanging out clothes to dry on the line and noticed that this little guy was a bit cranky that I was walking past his nice sunny spot.
I had other photos that didn't cut his tail off, but this was the best of him really putting on a display.
Canon 40D.
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM at 125mm.
1/45 s at f/9.5, ISO 200
Image 1.
What can I do to get the BBC publishing arm to give me a ring and include my photos in their books?-- Updated 2010-01-26.
Here is the same Bearded Dragon about a week earlier while sitting in another garden and shedding its skin. It looked a lot more raggard at this stage which is why I did not include much of the rest of its body. I also managed to get lucky and have him looking directly at me. He didn't do this for very long though. I really didn't want to have anything man made in the image though, as you can see my garden wall at the bottom of the frame which is a pity.
Canon 40D.
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM at 195mm.
1/180 s at f/8.0, ISO 250
Image 2.
Cheers
Craig.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Junagarh Architecture
Hi All
Here's a shot of the Junagarh Fort in Bikaner, India.
I wanted to show it's rather unique architectural style with the lower levels made from red sandstone and the upper levels in an off-white colour. On the day, the sky was quite stormy which I thought worked well with the colours already present.
 |
| Junagarh Architecture Canon EOS Kiss X Digital with a Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM at 26mm EFL 1/250s, f/11 & ISO 100 |
How do you feel about it?
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Flufferbies
Hi Gents,
The first image is to give you an overall idea of what the butterfly looks like to the average observer, and the second image shows a close up shot to show how things don't always look the same when you get very close to insects.
Image 1:
Canon 40D, EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM.
Canon 580EX flash.
1/250s at f/8.0, ISO 160
Image 2:
Canon 40D, EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM.
Canon 580EX flash.
1/250s at f/11.0, ISO 200
They should be called flufferbys I think, because they are covered in fluffy stuff.
Cheers!
The first image is to give you an overall idea of what the butterfly looks like to the average observer, and the second image shows a close up shot to show how things don't always look the same when you get very close to insects.
Image 1:
Canon 40D, EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM.
Canon 580EX flash.
1/250s at f/8.0, ISO 160
Image 2:
Canon 40D, EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM.
Canon 580EX flash.
1/250s at f/11.0, ISO 200
They should be called flufferbys I think, because they are covered in fluffy stuff.
Cheers!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Art or Photography?
 | |
|
Ok, so here's a shot where I didn't like the original colours or textures so much, but I like the lines and shapes, so I buggered up the colour a whole lot more by adjusting the tone curve in lightroom.
Is it interesting? Was it worth the time and effort? Or should I just trash the picture and move on?
Friday, January 7, 2011
Even More Ladybirds!
Hi Gents,
Well I was wondering if it was a mexican standoff between Geoff and myself as to who was going to post next so I gave in and decided I would put something up.
Here is a photo of another type of Ladybird that I found in my backyard. I like seeing the variations that they have. They are a pretty little insect.
Canon 40d with Canon EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM.
Canon 580EX II Flash with a home made light diffuser
1/250 s, f/11, ISO 100.
25mm Extension tube.
I had another 2 images I really liked out of this sequence, but I thought I'd follow Steves advice and just post 1 this time.
Maybe I'll post the other ones later as I'm interested to hear what you both think about them also.
Regards
Craig.
Well I was wondering if it was a mexican standoff between Geoff and myself as to who was going to post next so I gave in and decided I would put something up.
Here is a photo of another type of Ladybird that I found in my backyard. I like seeing the variations that they have. They are a pretty little insect.
Canon 40d with Canon EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM.
Canon 580EX II Flash with a home made light diffuser
1/250 s, f/11, ISO 100.
25mm Extension tube.
I had another 2 images I really liked out of this sequence, but I thought I'd follow Steves advice and just post 1 this time.
Maybe I'll post the other ones later as I'm interested to hear what you both think about them also.
Regards
Craig.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Mossy Rocks
Since we're all getting into confessions I thought I'd come clean with my own. I have a thing for moss covered rocks and flowing water.
This was taken with the camera balanced on some clothing with a 2 second timer and using the built-in 3 stop ND filter this camera comes with.
Does this give you the feel of a tranquil stream somewhere deep within the mountains?
 |
| Mossy Rocks Canon PowerShot G10 at 28mm EFL 2.0s, f/4 & ISO 80 |
This was taken with the camera balanced on some clothing with a 2 second timer and using the built-in 3 stop ND filter this camera comes with.
Does this give you the feel of a tranquil stream somewhere deep within the mountains?
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Years Day Housefly
Hi Gents,
Here is a photo sequence taken on New Years Day of a Housefly.
Image 1: Housefly Portrait
Canon 40D, 100mm Macro Lens.
1/250s, f/11, ISO 100
Image 2: Housefly having a drink.
Canon 40D, 100mm Macro Lens.
1/180s, f/13, ISO 160
Image 3: Housefly not wanting its portrait taken anymore.
Canon 40D, 100mm Macro Lens.
1/180s, f/11, ISO 100
Image 4: Housefly trying to hide under the leaf.
Canon 40D, 100mm Macro Lens.
1/180s, f/13, ISO 160
Be sure to view the 100% images.
I like the reflection in the water droplet in the flys mouth in image 2.
Cheers
Craig.
Praying Mantis
Here's something a little different to my usual architectural shots.
How does this work for a portrait of a Praying Mantis. Do you like the black background or should it be white? How about the soft focus on the stick it's holding onto?
 |
| Praying Mantis Canon EOS 7D with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro lens at 160mm EFL 1/250, f/8.0 & ISO 100 with twin off camera flashguns |
How does this work for a portrait of a Praying Mantis. Do you like the black background or should it be white? How about the soft focus on the stick it's holding onto?
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Fire
So what makes a good fire picture?
 |
| Taken with Canon EOS 550D using Canon EF-S 18-200mm IS lens 1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 6400, Focal Length 190mm (EFL 304mm) |
So what makes a good fire picture?
Baby Taj
Here's a shot with a few locals in it.
I was trying to show this architectural gem in it's natural surroundings.
I kind of feel that the top left corner needs a few leaves so it balances with the top right corner. Also given the typical weather of the area, there was a fair bit of manipulation to bring back that blue sky. As a side effect, there is quite a halo around the edges of the trees.
What do you think? Does the image have enough interest that these imperfections aren't so noticeable or what?
 |
| Baby Taj Canon EOS 7D with a Canon EF 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM at 35mm EFL 1/100, f/8.0 & ISO 100 |
I was trying to show this architectural gem in it's natural surroundings.
I kind of feel that the top left corner needs a few leaves so it balances with the top right corner. Also given the typical weather of the area, there was a fair bit of manipulation to bring back that blue sky. As a side effect, there is quite a halo around the edges of the trees.
What do you think? Does the image have enough interest that these imperfections aren't so noticeable or what?
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Hawaiian Village
Here I was going for an image to showcase a typical traditional Hawiian dwelling.
This was taken with a tripod and is a composite of several shots. The shots were combined in photoshop to erase all the camera toting tourists walking around the area. I don't mind local people in my shots, but I object to tourists with their cameras.
Besides the lack of native Hawiians, does it capture a traditional village hut in an interesting way?
 |
| Hawaiian Village Canon EOS Kiss Digital X with a Sigma DC 17-70mm f2.8-4.5 at 85mm EFL 1/125s, f/5.6 & ISO 100 |
This was taken with a tripod and is a composite of several shots. The shots were combined in photoshop to erase all the camera toting tourists walking around the area. I don't mind local people in my shots, but I object to tourists with their cameras.
Besides the lack of native Hawiians, does it capture a traditional village hut in an interesting way?
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