I let 4 World Class Photographers Critique my Images
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- Опубліковано 19 лис 2022
- I ask 4 top professional landscape photographers to critique 5 of my favourite images, hoping to improve my photography in the process.
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What a great twist; I typically see UA-camrs critique their followers images and for the most part their opinions are debatable. However, to see so many professionals critique a fellow professional is incredibly exciting and truly educational. To apply the critiques at the end was not only bold but shows us how a great teacher must also be a good student. I hope to see more of these videos.
Thanks so much!
Hey Nigel, that was an absolute blast and an honor to take part in. Thanks so much for including me :)
Thanks for not being too mean!
Thanks for having me :)
And big cheers to Rick for the editing of this video!
I admire your bravery to let these studs give you their advice. It was interesting to hear them often say similar critiques about similar concerns. When watching, I often thought, geez, I've got sooooo much to learn. You're an amazing photographer as they all know. Thanks for letting yourself be vulnerable. It is impressive.
Agree 100%
Came here to say exactly this. Well put.
true true
Thanks - I have to admit it is scary doing this. But I want to keep improving and there is always something to learn.
If three professionals have the same critique, you have to listen, no matter how much you disagree. That doesn't happen by chance. They know something you don't, so it's best to listen.
This taught me that you can't have a picture that satisfies everyone. Each person has their own ideas and standards
This felt like peak “Photography nerd-ism” and I loved every second of it! 😁 thank you Nigel and gang 🙏🏼
Glad you enjoyed the nerds
Your transparency and vulnerability putting your neck out like this really should be applauded. As well as your critics. Great video!
What a brilliant video and tutorial, the level of detail in the comments was amazing and very constructive. Such a privilege to be able to view this content Nigel. I am going to save a link to this video so I can watch again & again, some really important points I am sure I can add to my processing. The edits were also great and I loved them.
But are you aware that this is just a MAS? ;-)
Wow! It would be great if there were more of this! Hearing constructive suggestions from a group of professionals, on the work of a professional photographer, and having familiarity with all involved, and then comparing one's own opinions, is not just informative but also a chance to affirm and enrich one's own opinions and, hopefully, skills. Thank you for this very generous gift. Hats off to you.
But, this was four really good photographers. Good eyes. There was a husband and wife team who used to do this on their channel and they had no idea what they were doing.
I agree. I do not have experience in photography whatsoever (other than a thousand pictures of my cats on my phone) but even this got me hooked! I looooove this video. I think its so interesting. Thank you Mr. Nigel. You are amazing! Hope to see more of this!!
This is one of the best videos I've ever watched. I admire all of you so much. It helps me to see the difference in how all of you see the same scene. Thank you for posting this one. I learn more from these collaborations.
How incredible that top photographers' ideas are nearly same for some photos. I recommend to the people who are watching; just pause the video in the beginning of each photo and think about it and then watch their critics. Great video as always.
I'm an amateur photographer who's been practicing and learning for 10 years and messing around with Photoshop for literally 20 years and when Alex talks I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface of understanding how all this works.
yeah, the way he understands the subtle changes in color as even minor changes are made is pretty incredible.
I agree that in the first picture of the heather, the subject (the thing your eye is drawn to) is the big bare rock. My biggest challenge in Lightroom is minimizing my edits so the photo stays natural, and not just a digital painting.
That was a lot of fun to go through! Tips from everyone were definitely helpful to think about while making an image. One thing I was thinking, and this doesn’t always apply buutttt I feel like sometimes in photography if you try to be too perfect, too symmetrical and too balanced you can lose character, sometimes the imperfections are what makes an image great and unique. Not always but I think it’s important to remember when crafting an image as well.
Not only courageous Nigel, but incredibly entertaining and informative. Simply brilliant, one of your best videos. Thanks also to your reviewers, all of them great photographers we admire and respect. You couldn’t set the bar for yourself any higher!
what i've learned in the past tens years of photography is that someone will always find something wrong with your picture. I used to stress about following all these rules and examples and tips and tricks. now i take what i like do what i like and most people love it.
ditto. A photograph should not need an explanation. No one need to articulate why they like a photograph. If the viewers can connect for any of the reasons, be it the subject matter, beautiful light, nice composition, combination of all these and so on it is a successful photograph.
@@vandalton4948 sometimes an explanation of the thought behind a photo and how it came about and it’s significance can help people view the image from a closer perspective of the author of the photograph and I don’t think that’s any mark against the image.
@@tobiasyoder I believe what you said applies to documentary photographs where context is very important. For general street photography, landscape photography no explanation should be required.
@@vandalton4948 Pretty bold statement to say what a certain type of photography should be. I also don’t think there is any hard distinction between documentation and artistic photography, it’s all blurred and overlapping. If you consider a great painting of some sort that you don’t initially love, having an explanation that helps you to see it from a new angle and appreciate isn’t an issue with the painting and not because the painting is documentary. Additionally I think photography is inherently somewhat documentary since the definition is creating an image by documenting light at a given point in time but I digress.
@@tobiasyoder I don't want to compare photography with painting at all. These two are very different forms of art. Painting can be abstract, it may not represent anything real or the painting may not resemble to anything we see. On the other hand, photographs are very real, there is nothing imaginary here. Anyways, everyone's perception or thought process is different and I respect other's opinion. I just have a very rigid idea when it comes to photography probably because I have been following and practicing this form of art for many years.
So at first I noticed a 32 minute video, and wasn't sure if I wanted to spend that much time listening to folks banter on about editing and critiquing. I am REALLY glad I did! Your photos are really great, but this told me there is always another perspective. I even tried to anticipate what their critiques were going to be when you first loaded your image. Most of the time my first thought was what they focused on in their comments. This encouraged my own confidence in my skill set on image editing. So thanks much for an unusual Sunday video, and one more helpful than I anticipated. Cheers!
Great video, Nigel. It’s always scary to have your photos critiqued but I learned a lot from this video, so a big thanks to you for being brave. I also like the newer crop on the Iceland photo
It's very interesting to see how they all point on the same things. A lesson to all of us amateurs and beginners to what to avoid and what to focus on / at!
In 22:36 Alex is talking about individual channels being blown up and consequences of it. Mind blowing thing for me as an intermediate in photo editing. Looking forward to seeing the video you promised! haha Great reviews and insight everyone!
That woodland picture was like a wave of cool air coming through my laptop! So serene and peaceful - it really looks like a painting. Masterful work, I wouldn't change a thing!
Defense is my first response when people critique my Photographs. Until i realize there is so much truth in an unbiased voice. We should grave improvement our whole life. Thanks Nigel. Great work and you are a great inspiration!
Superb video. 10/10 for sticking your neck out here. And 10/10 for the quality of the feedback from another 4 fantastic photographers.
Perhaps one of the best videos I've seen regarding the key elements of creating great photos in terms of composition, cropping and colour balancing. Though there was a lot of agreement about some aspects that might improve the final image, there was also much reflecting personal preferences and I like the way Nigel distinguished between the two. Great work Nigel and as others mention...very brave of you too.
Such an interesting video and the thing that inspires me the most is that a photographer as awesome as you is still wanting to learn and improve and seek feedback. As always, inspired by your videos, thank you!
I also really found the comments about colour editing fascinating. Very detailed constructive feedback. So thanks to all your reviewers too.
I love that you invited other photographers to help on your quest to improve your photography and give us great content! I feel like the next level would be bringing in more diverse cast of photographers that bring unique and new viewpoints and ideas!
I love this exercise and change of pace, kudos to you, Nigel, for giving it a go. However I will say that this is exactly what photo forums were all about pre-instagram. I miss those days.
I wish more photographers would do this, it's very hard to continually see your own work and expect to improve without constructive feedback, so good on you for doing so. I'm lucky to have people in my life who are also photographers who have no qualms about ripping my work apart haha
Nah to the contrary, it will mess up your style and voice.
@@donquique1 If at all constructive feedback must be from regular people not other photographers or pros. Photographers usually have a certain similar way of looking at things.
What a wonderful video! This foray into the very fine points of image making / editing, intelligently done, with respect for the vagaries of “being there to take the shot” is so very instructive. What a wonderful idea to have your peers comment and reflect on your images. This is also a master class on constructive input.
Such a great idea to review and reflect on our images. Some of history’s greatest painters would often paint over their original work before the final ‘masterpiece’ was presented. In the same way today, are we ever ‘finished’ with our digital work?
I think the final Vestrahorn crop helps to emphasise the mountain much more.
I liked those two last crops, so pretty 😍
@@L.Spencer Agree on the Vestrahorn crop. Simplifies and improves
Great video Nigel! I actually chuckled more than once watching this video at the thought of anyone finding fault in the work of Professional Landscape Photographer and Teacher Nigel Danson.....but in the end I feel their comments were absolutely valid and great food for thought. Alex's eye for color was kind of insane if I'm honest.
A fascinating video. Really useful to see the feedback from 4 other people, all of whom I also follow. Alex has terrified me with his colour expertise. There's always so much more to learn!
What a great lesson in how and why to seek honest critiques from trusted sources. It may not be flattering to hear the tough critiques, but we all need it sometimes to get better.
Now I’m off to eat an apple. 🍏
Thank you for this, Nigel. It's refreshing to see someone put their work up for criticism. It's difficult but a great learning experience. I also found four new photographers to follow!
I enjoyed this very, very much. Would like to see more along the same lines in the future with the same cast members. It's valuable to all of us out here to hear and see everyone's different thoughts and ideas on editing and composition. I'm probably the worst in the world about getting stuck in a particular editing style and seeing everything I should and it's really refreshing to hear all of your inputs in one excellent video. Thank you!
Brilliant Nigel, thank you very much for this critique video and all the respectful professional comments !!!
Please, repeat this type of exercise, I have learned so much from it.
Don't care how long you've been in it, (publicly) submitting your best work to other Pro's takes humility. Top marks for that Nigel.
Thanks
This was refreshing. Hearing pros talk about realistic edits, and colour accuracy is very comforting. I love absolute raw realism, because it adds such a subjective value to my photography for me. I find it so rewarding to have captured a spectacular thing that exists rather than manufacture it.
I feel the same. I don’t enjoy editing my photos to hell and back. I like the shot for what is already there, and if someone asks me (which they have) where that was, I can tell them and I won’t have to worry about them not being amazed as well because it’s something that actually exists to begin with. I usually do make the colors pop more and even out the lighting but not too much to give it more flair but usually with my landscape shots that’s about it
Adding Alex to my subscriptions. I really appreciated his “color commentary “. All the others are on my list already. Thx, Nigel.
as a walker who loves photography, I LOVE that rock in the photo. Even though I'm currently sat in bed, I can 'feel' the abrasive and rough texture under my feet, and know the exact sound and sensation it makes compared with the distinct 'thud' from walking on the hard peaty path next to it. It triggers the senses I have experienced walking this terrain, giving me context and transporting me into the scene, which to me is a far more rewarding experience than the perfect composition to the eye. I totally understand what the photographers are critiquing, and I can fully appreciate it: but the very thing they're critiquing is what makes the photo so relatable and triggers such a response in me. Your videos have really showed me just how subjective photography is!
I think you hit the nail on the head about improving yourself by having others give feedback it's something we should all embrace. I found myself taking images but felt I was becoming a one trick pony with my editing and composition. Although I get knowledge and inspiration for people like your good self, there's nothing better than sharing your work with other photographers it's the main reason I joined my local photography society and I'd encourage others to do so it's a great library to reference.............really enjoyed this Nigel thanks for having the balls to do it.
Loved all the commentary from the other Pros, it really helps everyone to get pointers on composition, and gives all of us in UA-cam land exposure to others to follow, and possibly purchase some of their works. I'm still amazed how many friends who are aspiring photographers who won't share their work with others because they are afraid it is not perfection.
I'm a fan of technical criticism. I like hearing things that could help my process of editing. Not a fan of artistic criticism. The reason being is you can recieve varying opinions which takes away from your own style.
Bottom line, you're not going to please everyone. If you like your work, then that's all that matters.
Nigel, I love your work simply because it's from you and your mind. Don't change anything. Following others critique will make you second guess your artistic ability. Trust in what you love and it doesn't matter if everyone loves it. There will always be some who like your work and others who don't.
My only critique for you is to ignore all artistic critique.
wtf
I understand where you are coming from Greg. We have to be careful not to stifle creativity and ultimately artistic expression. One criticism I have of a lot contemporary landscape photography is so much of it is the same. I like to see photographers who stand out from the crowd - who are doing something that sets them apart.
I absolutely loved this
You got your self beaten up with bravery to show that you have alot to go trough even after this much time!
Its people like you that this platform is made for!
this was so interesting to watch, i’ll always just say photography is my hobby, because there’s no way i’ll get close to being that pro. Love your images and definitely learned a lot
Thanks so much for this video. It's such a great learning experience to see how they each analyzed your images. I'd love to see more of this type of content.
I was wondering how this would work out from your video's title. And I am not disappointed! Found it very constructive to see you as an experienced and respected photographer learn from others in such a humble way! Thank you _a lot_ for encouraging myself (an amateur who feels like he knows nothing) to keep going.
I love that this will be a series! So instructive. The crops at the end are gorgeous alternatives. Beautiful work.
Nigel, thank you for being brave enough to have these great photographers critique your work. I’m sure you learned a little something but for me I learned a ton by watching this. I’m a huge fan of all of your work and I really appreciate you sharing this. Thank you.
Fantastic video and instructions, Nigel! The edits plussed an already amazing set of photos. But perhaps most impressive of all is your absolute humility to allow this critique. Good on you, and thank you for all you do.
Thanks Nigel. I love that you're prepared to have your images critiqued by these heavyweights not in spite of your obvious masterful talent, but because of it. It shows us that no matter what your experience, if we're humble enough to admit it, then anyone can improve. To be honest, I feel that you are every bit as qualified to critique their images too.
Also, have you ever noticed that there seems to be a finite amount of time that you can sit at your workstation tweaking a particular image before you have to walk away and come back later? Kind of a picture blindness. Often, I do a full reset of parameters using the history function and go again - sometimes discovering an edit which works even better.
Thanks Nigel. This was really fun and informative. Hope you do more videos like this in the future!
Wow! Very interesting and helpful. We need more of this!
Very brave of you Nigel! Great comments from all the photographer's, I learned so much from this video. More like this in the future please, they are SO helpful & a great watch. Keep up the good work - ALL of you!
Excellent and really enjoyed the lessons. Thanks
Congrat to you for your courage! There are great moments of learning in this video. Thank you!
This may be my favorite video you have done. I always get value out of your channel, but this one may be the most helpful to someone like me that is in their early stages of photography (1-2 years). Gaining a better understanding of the very small details that other pay attention to can only help me going forward. Great video Nigel. Putting yourself out there for all of us to see and hear the critique is amazing. Thank you!
Everybody thinks their baby is beautiful, but this kind of feedback from one's heroes is, to me, more valuable than random comments from friends/family and less passionate photographers. What a great opportunity for you!
Kudos, this is great. I love the consistency of the critiques. The comments on color and color balance point to an area I struggle with. Incorporating the inputs into new edits is both brilliant and useful.
Great video and a great WORK and evaluations. Thanks!!! 🙏
Thank you for this! I learned so much.
I love this video! Thanks for sharing this with us, it is truly educational. I'd love to see more like this, perhaps you could do a round with the same photographers commenting each other's pictures. I think it's a great way to learn and share experiences. It was a half an hour video but it felt short because I enjoyed it so much! Thanks again!
This is such a valuable video. Certainly the critiques brought new insights. But I am especially impressed by how you, Nigel, model openness to and desire for growth and development in your own (very highly developed) skills. I think seeing you engage with four other outstanding photographers to get their feedback is a great model for those of us who are just in the early stages of developing our photography. Thank you.
What a great idea for a video! A great way to learn a lot, even for us. This just shows how incredibly talented you have to be to take a really good photo. I hope for more videos like this!
Thank you for sharing 🙏🏽 love the content, very insightful.
Love this post. More of this type of videos please. Learned a lot here.
Great video! Learned so much with this format!
Thanks for this Nigel. Really helpful on how to approach an image.
I love this video and your approach! Very inspiring!
Great videos Nigel, thank you for sharing.
What a feast of visual wisdom! I learnt so much from this and it was encouraging that even Nigel makes mistakes!
I need to do this for my channel! Great video and I love critiques. Great to observe four other landscape photographers break down your photos Nigel
Love critique videos. You learn so much
from it. Thanks
Very interesting video. The crop on the heather shot made the rock on right even more dominant. I agree receiving critique is the the best to learn and improve. I never get offended by it.
Thanks for this video Nigel.
It was a great watch.
This was fantastic to see photos dissected. hope to see some more like this
Nigel, fantastic video and tutorial! We all learned something, thank you.
Thank you Nigel for your courage. I think the editorial comments where helpful, that you originals are better than the edits, except possibly for the last one. Your originals capture the experience of what was prominent in the moment. You have an eye for embracing the beautiful in nature. It is a delicate balance to avoid over thinking an image.
This is such a truly amazing video! I feel like I’ve learned so much!
A great video Nigel, thank you. There are some great learning points that I will take away and work on - and I agree with you that editing RAW images is so important in our improvement.
Brilliant video, I’ve learnt a ton from this and I was hooked all the way through watching it. Respect to you for doing this video Nigel.
What a powerful video! I found it interesting to take each image before the commentary of each of your guests and see what I could find and learn from. The similarities and the thoughts of each guest pointed out many of the same issues and showed it was not just personal taste but actual facts. You are a great photographer, and you have one of the best channels for photography education.
This is awesome. I learned a lot, so thank you Nigel. I've never heard of clipping individual channels before. Thank you Alex. I do hope to see a video more about that subject.
Great video Nigel. Thanks for sharing. It was a great insight into how some of my favourite Photographers critigue photos. Really interesting to see how they pull apart a great photo and find ways for improvement.
Very educational! Thanks for this!
Interesting to hear everyones feedback on your images. It's amazing some of the things you don't recognize in your own photos until someone else points it out. Love your image of the rocky beach and the seastacks.
Great video. I learn a lot from watching all these critiques! I appreciate Alex's awareness and perception of minor color imbalances. I would like to learn more about working with the subtleties of color.
I love how they are more or less saying similar things. It makes you see that there is actually deep knowledge, skill and experience behind it - not just saying "whatever" for the sake of the viewers. As for cropping, I tend to leave some images not cropped (enough) because you never really know what exact ratio you may need in your presentation/book/calendar/final-whatever version.
Thank you for making this video. Videos like this really do help photographers "see things". It is a choice on so many things when you make a photo, but seeing these things is really important and this type of critique is really great.
Great Great video Nigel…and tutorial at the same time. Keep stuff like that coming.
Watched a few of your videos before, subscribed after watching this one. Sensational! Thanks for sharing. Absolutely amazing.
Gosh, the comments were so informative. I've learned a ton just listening and watching. And I'm so impressed by your willingness to want to improve your photography.
This was such a relevant video for me. The consistency among the group was very impressive! I get very attached to my images and do have a difficult time with critique, especially as it often seems so subjective. And yet, once I calm down a bit, I usually do find something to take away that will improve the image. It also helps me at times to crystallize what it is that I am trying to convey. I also liked that ultimately, you chose the critiques that fit with your vision of your image. While improvements can definitely be made, in the end, they are subjective. Those that help improve my intent can sometimes be more important than those that simply improve the technical aspects of the photo. I hope you do more of these! Would love to learn more about the color channels as well!
Thank you for this wonderful video. I learned a lot!
This video was amazing, because not only you are improving your photography, we are getting great knowledge too. Agree with almost all the comments of the photographers. Great work!
I LOVE this video. Please do it more!
A truly informative video. There is so much to learn here. I found the consistency in the feedback pretty interesting. I really struggle in editing and getting the color right. So much to learn here! Thank you for executing on this idea. Very helpful.
Love this one and found it very helpful. The images started off great and I think your tweaked images at the end were even better.
Thank you Nigel, what a great idea. I learnt a lot from that and yes I did like your changes to the images at the end especially the Madiera image that you made a stand alone of the stacks.
Enjoyed that Nigel, will probably be a bit of an eye opener for a lot of beginners