T.Hopper CRITIQUES Your Photos

Today we critique your photos with Tatiana (  @TatianaHopper  ) Check out Tatiana's channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/THopper

Today We Critique Your Photos, with Tatiana Hopper

In this episode, photographer and YouTuber Tatiana Hopper joins me to critique a fresh batch of reader-submitted photos. We talk about reflections, symmetry, and street photography, and Tatiana closes things out with a photo of her own.

Introduction

"Hello everyone, welcome back to the channel. Thank you to everyone who submitted their photos. Today I'm here with Tatiana to critique your photos. Hello Tatiana, how are you doing?"

"I'm good, and you?"

"Yeah, okay. Thank you for joining me today, I'm very excited to see this. So the idea behind this, for anyone watching for the first time, is I want to show you some photos, and I want you to critique them as if they were your own, or as if someone asked you to critique them. So give us your opinion, what you think. Let's take a look at the first one."

@joshgun_suleymanov

First of all, I really really like this photo. There's an overall balance about it that I like. I was so surprised when I first saw it, because it's one of those fleeting moments, you have to really be in the moment to capture it, if that makes sense. I like the fact that the shapes are amazing, the lines, I love that these two people are going in different directions, and overall the color and everything, I really like it. It's got a sort of energy about it, observational but also peaceful, if that makes sense. That's what it transmits to me. I really like it. I feel like, maybe because of the birds flying, there might be some lyricism about it, so it transmitted some sort of peace and quietness to me, especially because of the way the people were captured, like they're just walking by themselves. It reminds me of being near a beach, people just going for a walk, minding their own thoughts. I like it, really. Congratulations to whoever took this photo, it's one of those moments that's very hard to capture. That's what I would say. When I first saw it I thought, wow, this is amazing, until I realized that those birds are probably just stickers on the glass.

"Yeah, that's right."

But I feel like, the way I looked at it, I was thinking more about how... let me see, because I'm under pressure here. For me it's not so much the idea of having the birds, the idea of freedom, and then you have these figures engulfed into these shapes. I like the idea of having this vision of being trapped and being in the freedom of the space, does that make sense? I like that idea, especially because of the point of view it gives, it's like somebody is in the limbo between two spaces, like a frontier. And I really like the idea of the birds, because it gives you the freedom and the lyricism, and yet we're seeing these people from a kind of hole, if that makes sense. I don't know, I really like this photo. I think it resonates with a lot of things I like to capture in my own work, so it's very much up my alley.

"Is there something you would improve?"

I don't really think so. One could say... no, I don't think so.

@xonalog

"All right, moving on."

Well, first of all, I like the color, it's a really cool game of color. Being truthful to what came across to me first: it's very rare that you have this juxtaposition of red and black in every single element. Look at the amount of elements you have with red, the building in the back, then the cars, one on the left of this man and one behind him, then there's a flag. It's just the way it's composed, it directs your eye. There's a lot of red, a sense of red, I like that. I'd wonder if this person knew their portrait was being taken, or if it was more like someone was walking past and just took a photo. It seems like maybe this person was just walking past, saw this moment, and took a photo, which I like about it, because that's what I say on my channel a lot: seize the opportunity, take up on the moment, all the opportunities that come through visually speaking. I really like that he's not facing the camera, he's just minding his own business, doing whatever he's doing. It has me wandering to the off-screen elements, and I like that about photos, when it holds your attention because it touches elements off screen, it makes it more interesting. I like that he looks very natural too. I wonder if this was someone walking past who just took a photo, rather than approaching the man to take it. That's what it gives me. I think it's pretty cool.

"So what I like about this is there are some nice colors, red and green, echoing the design on his shirt and on the flag in the background. And also, is it San Francisco? I'm not sure, I think it might be, or some sort of team thing, I don't want to say in case I'm wrong."

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing, maybe a club or something like that. And with his leather jacket, it seems like part of, I wouldn't say a motorcycle gang, but something like that.

"And he's sitting on a scooter."

Yeah, which is kind of funny, so I like that contrast. Now what I don't like about this: for me the subject is kind of lost in the background, it's not separated. It seems like a snapshot of someone walking by, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but for me the composition isn't that interesting. The subject itself seems quite interesting, this motorcycle-gang-like figure sitting on a scooter, but the composition is so simple and flat that it feels like someone just walked by, snapped it, and walked away. Overall I don't love that photo. I've seen enough street photography, been through enough books, that I'm used to seeing compositions like this, very fleeting, that's why I said this was probably someone who was just running through the moment and seized it.

"I feel like I'd agree with you. It says the subject might be lost because of how busy it is, the cars and everything else going on around it. You did point it out, and I've noticed it too, but I didn't want to say it, because it might not be the intention of the photo. But it also might be the intention: the photographer probably found it an odd coincidence that this guy is dressed like he's going to a rock concert, and he's just sitting on a scooter, which you wouldn't imagine. It's a funny contrast, maybe that's what motivated it. But yeah, going with what you said, in terms of composition I'd probably get closer so we wouldn't lose him in the background, or try different compositions around him. I feel like he's a really good subject, the colors and the contrast with the scooter, his nonchalant position."

Yeah, it's cool.

"All right, moving on."

@emirssevim

I think there's something about this photo. To me, obviously it's a funny one, and I don't mean that in a bad way. I think it's the way of the reflection, obviously the photographer, I think this is a self-portrait, took the photo like this, it's his reflection with the cat. I wouldn't necessarily say it's my favorite, but I love to find value in everything, and I think the value of this photo relies exactly on the humor of it, if that makes sense. I don't know, I like it in a weird way. I'm a bit puzzled, I want to discover more about this photo, but I don't think it's a bad photo. What makes a good photo, that's a good question. I feel like the value of this photo relies on the humor of it, and the expression of the cat, it's kind of a meme-like expression, do you know what I mean? I don't know what you've got to add, let me know your thoughts, I'm interested, I'm intrigued.

"I'm intrigued. I mean, definitely a photo that stands out right away. When you see it you start to wonder how this was made, then you realize it's a self-portrait, the photographer is the one holding the hand. Simple photograph, really nice composition, and most of all, a really good idea. Something that's not hard to take, but hard to find, I'd say."

I usually try to say this, but for me a photo is also where you, your personality, and your thoughts meet with your subject. For me, I can read a lot about this person from their photo, you have to be a very creative person, very on point with details to see this. I think it's quite creative, quite unique, in a way. I think this is why this photo, despite the fact it wouldn't necessarily be up my alley, as I said before, but that's just my personal taste, it doesn't reflect on what the value of this photo is. It's got a lot of value for me, it's very creative, very smart, very funny. And I think, yeah, that's also someone very experienced at taking reflections and shooting through windows and stuff.

"Yeah, definitely. All right, then moving on. I like the symmetry of it, I really do."

@gettons

Okay, well, obviously first things first, for me this photo is very... what I take from it is obviously very formal, in the sense of shapes, lines, forms, colors, very warm colors. I really like it. I think it's more that it's not a photo that would necessarily reflect a theme or something very deep, but it's again one of those moments, like the photo of the guy with the scooter we saw before. I really like the symmetry of it, I really do, and I swear I don't have OCD, I just like the symmetry, I like the lines. Sometimes when I go through photos, even photo books, or people sharing their photos with me, I think about what it must have been like in the moment, taking this photo. It's a hard thing, obviously it's kind of a bird's-eye view, so you've got to have some talent, some eye for this. Definitely very creative, I like it a lot. This is not film, is it? This is digital?

"Yeah, digital."

I was just wondering, because there are some white spots across the photo, and I wondered if that would be grain, or if there's a filter on it. That's why I was wondering if it was film, but it doesn't really matter, I was just curious.

"Maybe it's part of the pavement."

Yeah, part of the pavement, I kept wondering if it was film. Anyway, what are your thoughts on it, Martin?

"I love the symmetry. When I first saw this photo I thought it was taken like this, or if it was straightened in Lightroom, because it's very hard, whatever lens you have, for the left line to be perfectly straight, everything perfectly straight. I thought this would be a great photo. The person who submitted it is from London, so I got this vibe of London Olympics, something like an advertisement, on a billboard. It gives me the vibe that this could be on a Nike campaign, or an Adidas campaign, something like 'just do it.'"

Yeah, I wonder, touching on what you're saying, if this was straightened, if this person, because obviously it's a digital camera, had a rotating screen and could compose it that way. It might be the case, although obviously you can also use Lightroom for that. But I always think maybe they took it and it was straight enough, or maybe it is straightened, there's no problem with that, but I was wondering.

"I'm guessing with you, it's very straight, and I think this photo is all about the line, all about being formal."

Yeah, and the contrast between the squares and rounds, of the ball and the hoop, and I like that even her movement, it was a really good capture, because her movement follows the flow. That's a good detail.

"What do you think about this one?"

Photo 5

It's quite normal to me, do you know what I mean? I don't want to be harsh, but I have to be honest about what I'm thinking. Is the person taking a photo? Because I feel like there's this interest in the man blending with what's in front of him, because of the colors, his jacket, or his sweater, is the same color as whatever's in front of him. I like the idea that it seems like he's observing, or in the process of taking a photo, I don't know, because he's got his hand close to his eyes, so it might be taking a photo, but even if it isn't. What I like about this photo isn't so much visually, like "oh wow it's stunning," but the idea that it reflects being observed. So you have the photo, I'm assuming this is an exhibition, so you have an exhibition, then you have someone seeing the exhibition, and then someone seeing them seeing the exhibition, does that make sense? It's kind of like a loop effect. It's like that painting, I forgot, Vermeer, he's got this idea of seeing and being seen in his paintings, and that's what this photo gave me. I like the colors as well. Other than that, that's what this photo reflects to me. It's kind of a similar idea to what we saw with the cat, some kind of juxtaposition.

"Basically the idea is, because they have quite similar colors, the dress in the picture and the man, are quite similar, probably the intention of the photographer was that you'd be tricked into whose hand is whose. I don't think the execution was quite right, I think we'd have to go a little more to the right to make him blend more with the picture, maybe a little closer, to make him blend more. So I think the photographer was onto something but didn't quite make it work, just by a few inches. Other than that, it would be a person standing in front of the picture and the hands would be around him, probably holding his hands. I think the result might have been a funnier photo, but unfortunately it doesn't line up as much as I would wish."

I'd be inclined to agree with you, however it's not so much about it being funny, for me it's more the oddity of seeing and being seen, that's why I said in the beginning, I was trying to articulate my words, because I didn't want to sound harsh by saying this is a normal photo. When I say normal photo, it's like there's nothing explosive happening, it's just the idea that it was very much the moment of confrontation of perspective, that's what I feel. But I like it, I really do. I agree, by standing back it would probably help to have some more space around it, or, for instance, if this was an exhibition, wouldn't it be interesting to have more of the surroundings, more people, and then you have this guy blending, and that's the oddity you'd want, like in street photography, when you have so much happening and then one particular element that is the punctum, the odd thing about it. That's why I feel like this photo would benefit from more of the surrounding, this guy would stand out more because of the oddity of being in front of it. I'm imagining this is a photography exhibition, and him blending with what he's seeing, in a way. One can always wonder.

@sacks

"All right, all right, all right, this is a nice one, a lot of lighter vibes here, does that make sense?"

I don't know what streets these people are going through, but I feel like this is so good, honestly, I wish I'd go down the street and see this all the time. I want to move to wherever this was taken. First of all, obviously, the color, but it's so good, you've got the matching of the banner and her jacket, and then the tones, not so much the colors but the tonality of the whole photo, it's beautiful, the darks, the contrast between darkness and light, it's so good. And I've got to say it's very balanced visually, you have two people, then some sort of light, a street lamp, and then the building and a line, perfectly. I really like this photo, there's a sense of melancholy or loneliness to it, which I like. I really really like this photo, there's a symmetry about it too, a visual balance, a harmony, that's the word, a harmony about it.

"I love the colors, I love the contrast, the tonality, like you mentioned. I'm wondering if maybe, because there's a splash of yellow on the right side, that's maybe a little distracting, the lines on the ground on the right side. I'm wondering if this would be better if they were facing towards us instead of away. What do you think?"

I disagree. I think, obviously in an argument, I think the fact that they're not looking at us is even better, there's something, it's got to do with the idea that it passes, the idea of loneliness, in a way, kind of like an alienation, an Edward Hopper kind of thing. I could definitely see this being a painting.

"A painting, okay."

I could definitely see this being a painting, this reminds me of a painter named Jack Vettriano, so anyone watching, if you want to check him out, he's got these tones, the way he paints people, it's very graceful, and this reminds me of his style. I wouldn't say the yellow lines bother me, I feel like this photo, I looked exactly at the subject, and I think that's obviously the subject here, these two people, that's the main intention, I'd say, of whoever photographed this. I feel it's a very solid approach, I really like it, yeah, I really do.

"Moving on."

@lazim.alinavas

"So, what do you think of this one?"

Well, black and white obviously brings something very different to the table. You can't talk about black and white the same way you talk about a color photo, because black and white evokes a different time, a different dimension, it's a bit more lyrical, more poetic. This has got a mix of Fan Ho vibes, and, gosh, this is beautiful. I want to travel more, honestly. I feel like there are so many great things about this photo and everything works so well, there's this foggy ambience about it, the reflection, this beautiful deep black that touches the main subject, which I believe is closer to us. I like the reflection.

"It's a reflection, sort of."

Yeah, it's a reflection, it's a reflective sort of thing, and I like the depth of it as well, you've got the first boat, a second boat, and I think there's a third one in the back, and I like the idea of perspective it draws. Gosh, this is beautiful. I wonder if this was taken somewhere in Asia, beautiful, like India, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, something like that. Yeah, I really like this, and again, what I get from this photo is very peaceful vibes, does that make sense?

"Yeah, it puts me at ease in a way."

I really really like it, congratulations again to whoever took this, it's beautiful.

"I'm wondering if this was taken on film, especially because of the square format, if this is a six-by-six. I'm also wondering, because the first and second boat seem exactly the same, there's a fog, and then the second boat is in the distance, so I wonder if this was dodged in Lightroom or an editing program, and if the second boat was made less visible, because there's a stick right next to the second boat, which seems to be in the fog, a stick next to the first boat, it's just the same black as the first boat, and then the stick next to the second boat is just in the fog, but the boat isn't. So once you start looking more at it, I'm just wondering if this was edited. I wouldn't mind either way, I was just wondering why the stick next to the second boat wasn't."

I like the fact there are three boats, and, like you said, kind of peaceful, even though there are boats, the water level is so calm, so clear. I wanted to say something else, which is why I feel like this photo is so magical, it's like you're floating, because there's no separation between the water, the fog, and then, obviously, you have the sky on top. It's such a perfect blend because of the texture, the photo is beautiful, whoever took this, please reach out to me, I want to print this.

Not taking anything away from all the other photos we've seen, but I feel like, because I'm such a big fan of black and white, I feel like this is one of the most perfect uses of black I've come across recently. Again, I feel the way it blends, the reflection, is very abstractionist, in a way that it's so concrete but abstracted at the same time, and I like that. I like when photos have interesting qualities like that, but it's just, well, it's beautiful.

@strolling_around

Oh my God, that is beautiful, honestly, wow, that is cool. I wonder, I would have expected this photo to be the other way around, wouldn't you? I like that about it. Wow, this is visually stunning, I think this is honestly incredible, a great eye for composition, a great eye for details, and it's such a moment. First of all, obviously, the most striking thing is the reflection, it's beautiful. I like the way you see the division between the water and the ground, the wave floats, which also combines with the line on top created by the building, so there's this flow that comes from one point and goes all the way up through the photo. I like that very much, I like the perspective here, that's probably the word I'm looking for. It's a beautiful photo, again, whoever took this, please reach out to me, I want a print of it. It's a very simple moment, that's kind of what this photo transmits, and again, I'm just in the deep philosophy as usual, the idea of the importance of a moment in time. With this photo, it just goes to show, gosh, I don't know, it's beautiful, it just goes to show how important photography is, immortalizing a moment in time that is so fleeting. It's about the vision, about the eye. Obviously I like the colors, the tones, I like the idea that in the reflection you have more warm tones, in a way, and then you have this stretch of ground that's a bit colder. I like that, because it gives you a sort of perspective, a dreamy idea in the reflection of the water, and then you have the harsh reality, not harsh, but the reality, which is obviously colder. For me it also reflects the idea of dreaming, and having that capacity, and yeah, I like that.

"What do you think? When I first saw this photo, in a small thumbnail, I thought it was a woman in front of a pyramid in Egypt or something like that, because of the shape of the building behind her, and then I started looking at it. I like how she's clear against the background, so she's not lost in it. I liked the blue sky. Maybe something I don't like as much is the bicycle."

I like it, maybe it's the intention of the photographer, I feel like the bike, in my vision, I'm not so bothered about it, because you see how the lines of the bike, the mechanics of it, match with the electrical cables, the cables that run around the photo, the light cables from the street lights. I kind of like that combo of having these lines and these sort of, in a way, vulgar things, I like it, I really like it.

"Before we move on, I love the fact that every single photo is from so many different parts of the world, it's so beautiful, I like the fact that there's this vision of the world, different countries, different people, different photographers. So what do you think about this one?"

@hijodelpulque

Okay, well this one is definitely, what strikes me straight away, is just the boots, the military, regimented kind of thing, the idea of the military, and then you have the dog, which seems taken aback, probably by something we don't know, whether it's the soldier or something that happened. But yeah, that's definitely what's striking straight away. I would like the color to pop more, if that makes sense, it's not necessarily a bad thing, but I feel it would resonate with a stronger presence, because I think the subject of this photo is the clash between something so cute and pure, an animal, a dog specifically, who's man's best friend, and the positioning, especially because we have a gun as well, that's very... I'd like to know the context of this photo. I really like it, like every single photo so far, but I feel like you have to see value in everything, whether that's needing improvement here and there, but there's something you can always take from photos, and from life in general. And this one, the way the dog looks taken aback, you can see he's scared of the gun, I guess, that's what the photo implies.

"Definitely, I like it a lot."

What's your thoughts on it? I feel like this photo is quite obvious.

"Well, yeah, it's very simple, very nice, you get the idea right away, what this photo is about."

Technically this photo is kind of dark, or maybe that's just to isolate the subject, I like how the gun is perfectly visible against the white background. I don't really like the leash, it's interfering with his face, I would like it maybe more to the side, so we could see the dog, and then I kind of think...

"Sorry to interrupt, but don't remind me, I have a note to do about the leash, because I think it's actually quite ironic. The background is kind of busy, it would be fine if it were completely blacked out, like most of the subject is, but then you have the blue, which is a little distracting. Overall the composition could be a little better on this one, but go ahead, tell me about the leash."

It's a funny thing, because it's going to sound very out there, but do you not feel like when people are in the military, they have to obey a lot of rules, and here they add the sort of color, and a leash as well, and I like that. When I first looked at this photo, I thought how odd, that in a way, the dog being on a leash, and being controlled, matches, it's similar, they clash, obviously being cute and being, not violent, but associated with violence, in a way, but I also like they're both in a way controlled, does that make sense, like the dog being on a leash because they can't go too far, keeping it tight and close, and obviously there's this idea of the same with the military. I find it very funny, in a way, that it adds up, there's obviously a big contrast, but also something very similar about them. I like the leash, I like the fact that it's there, because it reminded me of this, maybe it's a bit far-fetched, but I like it.

"I would agree. I feel like if this was digital, maybe in Lightroom they could work on having more light, especially on the left corner, on the dog itself, have a bit more light in it, a bit more exposed, in a way."

But yeah, I want a print of that as well.

"So please, I'm going to print off everything. All right, moving on."

@chetanclicks

"What is that? I'm very confused, it's just like an animal."

No, this is a shot of...

"Oh, oh yeah, it's a parade."

Sorry, yeah, that's right, I just didn't understand that they're very formally dressed, this is like the proper boots, isn't it? This has got a real earnestness to it, the motion, the blur, oh I like it, it's very painting-like, I like the flow, the movement, the colors between them, very abstract, very cool, I really like it.

"I wonder, was this definitely taken on digital?"

Yeah, I think so, but I like the fact that there's a cross in front of them, and it's such an interesting detail, this motion, this sort of blur, it seems like there's a lot of people coming towards a place, whatever it is, there's a lot of people coming, and then there's a cross, which usually we associate with stopping, and so on. I really like the tones, especially because of the asphalt, it's not completely black, and it blends well, maybe there was a lot of color work done here, I imagine. I really do like this, the people are so talented, my heart is so full now, because obviously we have very sad things in the world, but then we see things like this, and it's nice. I want to print this too, of course, everyone reaching out to me, my friends from all over the world, honestly, beautiful, beautiful. This looked, to me, when I first saw it as a thumbnail, like a bunch of boats on the sea, because of the movement, and then when I zoomed in I realized those are boots, and I think it's a very creative approach to capture a parade, or some sort of soldiers, whatever it is. I also like, from the composition perspective, the diagonal, how this is taken from left to right, the cross is kind of on the edge, I maybe wish it was a little more in the space. I love it, I love everything about it.

@pierre_pauwels

Well, there's a lot of things to talk about here. Again we have a photo with reflections, people seem to be really tied to reflections in this episode of yours, I really like it. There's this odd thing, because obviously the women are wearing summery clothes, and this guy is wearing a Santa hat, kind of a nod to winter. I wonder about the context of this photo, it's more like a moment of street photography, there's this sort of peace from him, just being there sleeping, and they're looking at him. I really like this photo, because I feel like these women are looking at him, a bit surprised, and I like the idea of him being there.

"Looking at this photo, obviously what stands out is the contrast, the women wearing summer clothes and he's in this sort of outfit, I like that there's an oddity about it, and that's the thing about street photography, you're looking for moments like this, and they have value. I wish the photo was a bit more straight, if you know what I mean, the perspective. I also like that everything around him seems very noisy, very full of life, and he's just sleeping, I like this sort of slumber."

All right, interesting, yes, I can see it now, I like it.

@erdem___yildiz

And also, first of all, and it's one of my favorite things to see in photos, the silhouettes of people, when you don't really see them, I like the very dark, the contrast between darkness and light. I like it, it's a very straightforward composition, don't you think? You can see straight away what it's about, there's a lot of visual value to it. There's the buildings, there's this sensation of depth, and the way the photo is composed narrows your vision towards these people, I like it. What's your thoughts on it?

"Yeah, I like how the figures are nicely, the shape of the figures is clear. I think this could be on some kind of postcard or magazine, of Katowice, the city, from the composition. I don't know if it's possible, I would probably crop a little more, on the left."

I was going to say that, but you'd either have to cut the bottom, which would cut the silhouettes, and you don't want to do that, or cut the top, which would cut the shape of the sun. So, unless you change the aspect ratio... I feel like this photo would work better with a different aspect ratio, if it wasn't so much air on top, does that make sense? If they were a bit more centered. Sometimes I'm very confused in my own thoughts, so let alone speak them with coherence, but I feel that, definitely, I would love to see less space on top and more at the bottom, to see these people a bit more centered, because they're in a way one of the centers of the photo, the main subject we're drawn to. I would like to see more space to see the shadows blending with the ground. That's what I would personally like to see, but it doesn't take merit away from the photographer who captured such a beautiful moment. I really like it.

"Moving on, what do you think about this one?"

@inframeswetrust

This one reminds me straight away of Lizette Model, very explicit, model-like. Oh man, this is beautiful, again, I want to print it. I like the composition, it's beautiful, first of all. Also reminds me of Andrei Tarkovsky, in a way, with Ivan's Childhood, but that's another thing. I like the reflection, I like the idea of an upside-down world, because you have her, and then you have him, I think it's a man, walking underneath her legs. I like that. Oh man, people are so incredibly talented, honestly. I like that it's in black and white, I think if it were in color it wouldn't have the same power. This takes you towards the abstraction, you abstract yourself towards the moment. I really like the composition, I like the flow, you have the water coming from the left corner going up, and then you have the flow of her walking, and him in the background. I really like it, really do, loads of texture here. I love the idea of composing the subjects like that, I like how the tower is quite visible in the reflection, and the top of the tower isn't cut off. Maybe the only thing I wish is that the man had a posture that would echo her shape, that would make the photo perfect in my eyes, but again, nothing you can do about that, unless you stage it, that's just something you see, the first subject, then the reflection, then the second subject, and you can recognize it's probably a man.

"I would love to have the classic, just clear... I kind of like the fact that he's so, in a way, seems very lonely, he's looking down, I like that he's looking down."

I was trying to picture when you were saying, what if he had a similar shape, I think he had a similar position to her. I don't know, because obviously you always go towards a different realm when you talk about black and white, and the fact that he's looking down, it seems he's carrying something, he's just looking down, it's sort of, obviously we don't know, but imagine if it was sad, or something, the oddity of capturing him in emotion, in this angle. I like it, I really do.

"Very interesting. All right, all right, all right, you see straight away, I want to make a point from this photo."

Martin's photo

"So, the photo we've seen before, this is what I was talking about, if you had included more of the surrounding, wouldn't it make it more interesting, the fact that he was blending with the photo, whatever he was seeing? And here, I think it works really well, the fact that they're just trying to play with the shapes. I don't know where this is, but again, it's the seeing and being seen for me, in my opinion, because there's more air to breathe, there's more around it. This is obviously within the same line as the other one, so it's the perspective of seeing and being seen."

I like it, it's very well balanced out, because you have the black shape, the silhouettes are also people in a way, so it balances the weight of the actual people in the photo with the silhouettes in the background. And I like it, I really do. I like the colors, it's very... it's a photo that's very happy, there's a very happy, content sort of thing about life, and that's what I get from it, also because I like the contrast between the blue and the yellows in the background, very bright. I'd say there's a very bright energy about this one, I really do like it.

"Yeah, that kind of photo, where you find some kind of scene and then wait until the subjects line up, pretty much depends on what subjects are coming, how they fit in the composition. But I also feel like a lot of people take this kind of photo, because there aren't so many possibilities for how to use painted silhouettes."

I like it.

"All right, then. First of all, obviously, a photo that's got a lot of weight to it, because of what's happening, the unfortunate times that people in Ukraine are going through, which, obviously, I wish I personally could do more about. And I would just make a point here, and I'm sorry for taking a moment from the photography, but I really would urge people, if you can, through your photos, through print sales, through donations, whatever you can, to really help the people of Ukraine at this moment. It's very, very important, people that I know, that I've spoken to, the situation is heartbreaking, so I just wanted to say, I'm kind of emotional when I see this, because I've heard first-hand about things, and for me it's just, taking a bit from the stream now, but if you really can, please do. Don't think that because you give a euro or a dollar it won't make a difference, because if you do, and ten thousand more people do it too, you'll definitely create an impact, no matter how small, and it will help. Anyway, going back to the photo..."

@amith_kadasur

"I really like this photo. One thing that bothers me straight away is the chandelier, the light, it's really into my eyes, but that's a little thing, nothing to really be bothered about. But I like the element of having a mask, I like the surroundings of it. I wish this photo had deeper darks, does that make sense, deeper shadows, and was a bit cleaner in that sense. Obviously the subject is related to what's going on, and so on."

@tffhopper

"Last photo."

Well, I don't know, I don't recognize this photo at all, it's a good surprise. Well, what can I say? First of all, I remember when I first developed this photo and scanned it, I was like, I wish I could have placed him differently, because he's a bit too dark against the background, so he can easily get lost. That's my cousin Michael, and I remember taking this photo, wow, I don't know, I like the idea that he's just lost in there, and there's so much depth to it. I don't know, that's why I took this photo, it was quite casual really, it wasn't like "oh let's work this out," it was just like, "could you stop there, don't move," because he was literally standing like that, and I just took a photo, you know, passersby, that's it.

"What are your thoughts on it? This was obviously taken on film, right? This is really like those old theme parks, I don't know if they still exist."

This was taken in Blackpool, which is a seaside town, known for having these three piers, and along the pier you have this sort of wonderland, with all the rides and everything. I guess, looking at it now, at the time it evokes a sort of dreamy quality, the ferris wheel and all of that. At first I thought, what if he'd be somewhere else in the picture, maybe under the pier a little more, so he's more visible, or a little closer, so he's separated on the beach, or maybe if the point of view was a little higher, so he's not blending into the environment. But then I thought, I don't want to say imperfection, but him blending into the environment gives it this old feel, and I actually like it in the end.

Yeah, I think that's what puts "old" into it, because this was a twenty-five-year-old expired film, and I remember there were a lot of photos that didn't work out because of that, it was in a rough state. I didn't know where this film came from, whether it had been kept in the fridge or in good condition, but this was, if I remember correctly, an Ilford colour film, which is obviously very rare, because Ilford is known for producing black and white film.

"I'd like to meet whoever took this. Would you like a print?"

Yeah, please.

Closing

"So, thank you very much for joining me today, it was so much fun. Everybody's so talented, honestly, it filled my heart with inspiration, and everyone's photos so far, congratulations, I'm so glad to see your work. It's really amazing to see different parts of the world, different visions of the world, and it was a pleasure. So thank you for joining me, and see you next time, bye bye. Thank you everyone for submitting your photos, if you want to participate in future critiques, make sure to submit your photos on the About Photography subreddit, you can find all the links in the description. Thank you everyone for watching, I hope you enjoyed this critique."