Pixtus - Photography Forum, Photographers, Photo Tips

mivy00 · **Wedding Album -** 06-25-2009, 08:10 AM

Hey guys I just finished putting together a wedding album. Thought I would drop by and post a link here and get some feedback. Hope everyone is doing well.

Matt

Link to Wedding Album

HotHolly · 06-25-2009, 10:02 AM

I like your simpler pages better. Some of them have too much stuff going on, imho. Like page 7 - it feels discombobulated to me. I tend to think more than 1 inset per page starts to weigh down the book and make it feel unbalanced. I like the idea of page 4 - simple and clean. Maybe flip the smaller image so she's facing toward the center of the book? Consider turning it B&W? Hope that wasnt too harsh. I havent had my Cheerios yet. ;)

mivy00 · 06-25-2009, 10:12 AM

Great feed back. Thanks !!!

I personally like the simpler pages too. And picture 7 ( Pages 10 & 11 ) is my least favorite in the album

PhotoDude79 · 06-25-2009, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HotHolly

I like your simpler pages better. Some of them have too much stuff going on, imho. Like page 7 - it feels discombobulated to me. I tend to think more than 1 inset per page starts to weigh down the book and make it feel unbalanced. I like the idea of page 4 - simple and clean. Maybe flip the smaller image so she's facing toward the center of the book? Consider turning it B&W? Hope that wasnt too harsh. I havent had my Cheerios yet. ;)

+1 Negative space is your friend..... trust me. Some pages look LSD induced, I kid I kid.

R & J Photography · 06-25-2009, 02:48 PM

Is that a LightRoom template used to do the web layout?

mivy00 · 06-25-2009, 02:55 PM

Yes, I only use them to show albums to the Brides. but they come in handy for that purpose.

DHaass · 06-26-2009, 12:10 AM

I liked the album a lot, with the exception of the one textured shot. The sky was fine but the splotches on the roof and on the ground took away from the photo.

MicWayWal · 06-28-2009, 01:54 PM

Matt,

Pretty good overall presentation. I would give it a C+ or B-. Your ability to capture action with PJ is your strong point. Your posing is very weak. The album layout is simple but average. I would not use it for a sample album.

Some of your PP work actually takes the viewer's interest away from where you would normally want it. The bride in the flowers would normally have the bride as the center of interest but with the dated effect of selective color, the center of interest goes to the flowers.
The texture on the groomsmen shot looks like a stucco wall from the start so its effectiveness is diluted. Shot is more powerful without texture IMHO. And the sepia like picture of the groom sitting should not be on the page. It takes away from the stronger image.

Buckle up your seatbelt cause this may hurt your feelings but you need to hear it.
Your posing is very weak with little creativity. That is why much of your album is stagnant and bland. About 25-40% of wedding photography is posed images. Posed images don't have to look posed like the groomsmen outside the church. You have to learn how to pose individuals and groups if you are going to be a successful wedding photographer. For the most part you are just lining people up and shooting them. All of your individual posing is the: flat footed, just stand here, and smile type. Learn how to arrange groups to bring interest to the image. Study how to make the B&G the center of interest in an image and make everyone else in the image support them.
In the posed shots at the alter, it is almost impossible to make the B&G the center of interest when they are on the back row. I first thought the maid of honor was the center of interest in the alter shot. The bridal and engagement images at the front of the book are all "flat-footed" with no dynamic flow. Work on creative posing.

Your ability to capture action is very good. That is the strong point of this album. You have captured good expressions and were in the right place at the right time. As a PJ you are good and I assume will get better. It may be the easiest thing to master at a wedding. Work on your posing and you will be a complete wedding photographer.

mivy00 · 06-29-2009, 07:53 AM

Wow Michael good stuff. Thanks for the crituqe.

Tom · 06-29-2009, 10:11 AM

I know you spend a lot of time on it, but I hate, hate, hate page two. I really, really dislike your use of selective coloring there.

I would like page three a lot more without the inset picture. Also, drop shadows are not your friend. The inset picture is not as good as the main pic, and the inset takes away from it. I would have liked the negative space.

Page four has my interest being pulled away from the bride.

Page five feels way too busy.

I agree with what others said on the texture on the 6th page. I kinda like the texture, but it feels a bit too dirty. And it doesn't go with the glow on the inset.

Page 7 is again very busy, and I think the white stroke is a bit too thick. I prefer 1-2pix.

Page 8 is busy. I like the detail shot bottom left. WTH didn't the groom shave? He just looks scruffy? Blah. On the top four insets, 1, 2 and 4 look too similar. The closeup inset it too similar to the big pic next to him.

I like page 9, but the horizon seems off.

I really do not like the right side of 10. Also not sure why you put the sand and the kiss together. I want your album to tell a story. I dont feel a story being told.

Page 11: I dont like the B&W shot. I wouldn't have picked it. I don't like either inset shot. The left is boring and doesn't tell me much. The right could have stood along, but you need to brighten it on the B&G and darken the background. I hate the posed shots. I hate them in albums. They don't tell a story.

Page 12: Again, don't like the group shots in an album.

Page 13: Looks pretty good on the left. I would move both insets over to the left a bit. They feel bunched together on the right side, the negative space doesnt work to the left of it. I hate the cutouts on the right. Except for the stroked inset, it feels too dark as well.

Page 14: Why is she just sitting there? It makes me feel like you just wanted to add another selective coloring pic. It really adds nothing to the album. That pic should be her throwing with the catch sequence on the top. I would also remove the backboard. Very distracting. Layout on the right works, but I think the stroke is too big and I hate your cutout technique on the main pic.

Page 15 works well. I don't like all the black on the top of the right page. Feels like something missing. The left pic on the right doesn't tell me anything. The right pic would be a great closing shot. Last page of the album.

Page 16: Why did they already cut the cake, do the garter toss and are just now dancing? Not a big fan of the white in the middle. I would also try to fade the left and right pictures more than just an inch. I like a nice long fade if you are going to do that. One thing when you start shooting albums is you learn to shoot wide with lots of negative space. The left inset is a weak pic.

Page 17: CRAZY BUSY. Nice captures, though. Top left is a little disturbing. He looks like he came out of a Quinten Tarintino pic and is going to use a bandsaw on me. Hate the way you cut out again. It really reminds me of when everyone used to cut pics to put on a bulletin board.

Page 18: the two main pics look like they need some recovery and brightness down. They look flat compared to the insets.

Page 19: Was the father-daughter the last thing? Very nice captures all around. Gradient fade the left B&W pic to the right, and have it full out. I dont like the B&W inset on the B&W pic with three colors next to it.

Page 20 is a nice little macro, but it doesn't look real sharp. That script may be hard to read. I would have liked to see more detail shots throughout the album. I love detail shots.

So that's my critique. Hope I wasn't too hard - remember, it is just one other photographer's opinion.

Cheers